Many people love boot camp fitness classes because they always provide a new and unique challenge.

However, if you have been going to boot camp classes for a while, you might be getting a little bored with the workouts. This can especially happen when you go to the same class with the same instructor week after week.

If you have to shake up your workouts and make them more challenging, the following tips can help you see better results and stay interested.

1. Increase Your Weight

The easiest way to make your workouts more challenging is to lift heavier weights. Some people are afraid to increase their weights, but you will never know what you can do if you do not test the waters and try out heavier weights once in a while.

Increasing weight can help you shake things up, but remember not to take on more than you can safely handle. Do not sacrifice your form just for the sake of lifting heavier weights. If you are bored with your workouts now, you are going to be even more bored if you are totally sidelined with an injury!

If you are worried you will not be able to complete an exercise with the heavier weight, ask someone to spot you for a few reps to make sure you are comfortable and confident.

2. Add Extra Resistance

In addition to lifting heavier weight, you can also add additional resistance to common exercises.

Try adding chains or resistance bands for arms to your weights to provide an extra challenge. This adds tension and requires you to stabilise yourself so you can better target specific muscle groups.

You can also add weight to cardio exercises to make them more difficult. For example, you can wear a weighted vest while you run or do bodyweight exercises. You will be amazed at how much harder a weight vest can make simple movements like air squats, push-ups, and lunges.

3. Accentuate the Eccentric

There are two parts to a lift: the concentric and eccentric. The concentric part of a lift occurs when the muscle contracts. The eccentric part occurs when your muscle lengthens.

For example, when you raise a weight during a bicep curl, this is the concentric part of the exercise. The eccentric part occurs when you lower the weight back down.

Research shows that, when it comes to gaining strength, the most important part of an exercise is the eccentric portion. But, a lot of people rush this part of the exercise so that they can move on to the next rep faster.

You will find that slowing down and accentuating the eccentric part of certain exercises makes them a lot harder. You can do this with any lift, but it is especially helpful with compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and rows.

The first time you try this with a heavy weight, be sure to have a spotter nearby in case you need help.

4. Address Your Weaknesses

Are there certain exercises you struggle with that you do not do on a regular basis? Maybe you have never been able to do a pull-up or struggle with burpees.

If you are not doing these exercises regularly, try adding them to your workouts in a way that aligns with what the rest of the class is doing.

For example, if everyone is working on press-ups, maybe you can do burpees instead. This will not be disruptive to the group, but it will still allow you to get the extra push you need.

5. Try a New Class

Finally, if you are always going to the same class and are starting to get bored or feel like you are not being challenged enough, it might be time to find a new class. If you are able, mix things up and go to a different boot camp class with a new instructor.

If you only have one time when you can work out, you might also want to try training on your own for a little while. This way, you can address your specific weaknesses and do exercises that keep you engaged and interested in the workout.

Some people are hesitant to go to a new class because they’re worried about offending their coach or instructor. This can be awkward, especially when you run into them outside of class.

However, a good coach will want you to continue to progress. If you are not progressing in their class, they will understand why you need to move on.

Remember, you can always come back later when you’re ready to switch things up again!