The Ultimate Bootcamp Equipment List?

In this article I'll share will you the ultimate bootcamp equipment list and answer the question “What equipment should I buy for my fitness boot camp?”.

We will take a look at the benefits of each piece of equipment, potential drawbacks, some bootcamp exercises that you can perform with each, and whether purchasing said piece of equipment is a good idea for your fitness business.

Do I Need Equipment for My Boot Camp?

Absolutely not! You could run a bodyweight boot camp indefinitely and get amazing results, both for your fitness business and for your clients. Check out the hundreds of bodyweight exercise ideas we offer here The Workout Design Club Group Fitness Search Engine.

Running a boot camp can be done with no money at all, it can be done well, and it is ideal if you need to build up your business from nothing. But that does not mean that fitness equipment isn’t useful.

Purchasing fitness equipment can really help your boot camp stand out from the competition. It can reinvigorate your classes, and massively increase the variety of exercises available to you.

In fact, keeping your fitness classes fresh and fun is one of the best ways to retain your clients and generate referrals.

Boot camps are particularly effective for increasing cardiovascular fitness and burning calories. But what if your members want to build muscle? After a while, body-weight exercises may not be enough. That is why equipment can be so useful!

Adding resistance in the form of kettle-bells, medicine balls, tyres, dumbbells, and barbells can really help your members get stronger.

Then you have other pieces of equipment such as battle ropes, skipping rope, and plyometric boxes that can help improve athleticism as well as making workouts more enjoyable.

None of this bootcamp equipment is needed, and you should not start adding it straight away, but they certainly have their place.

As we touched upon earlier, if your boot camp is part of public land then you will have to bring your bootcamp equipment with you to every session. This may not always be easy to do. A lot of the equipment that is used for boot camps is designed to be heavy!

If you are just one coach, then maybe 10 medicine balls is not a great choice for your class. Same goes for dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and the like. We have already talked about the problems of carrying tyres around.

Skipping ropes on the other hand, are light and easy to transport, as are suspension trainers. If you own a good quality sled or prowler, then it can be used to transport other pieces of bootcamp equipment!

What is Your Budget For Bootcamp Equipment?

When it comes to creating your bootcamp equipment list, the saying “Buy cheap, buy twice” could not be truer. Good quality fitness equipment is often quite expensive. That does not mean that it is bad value for money though. A cast iron kettlebell will outlive most boot camp members!

But if you are going to purchase some bootcamp equipment you need to make sure that it will provide good value for your investment. There is no point spending $5,000 ticking off everything on your bootcamp equipment list if your boot camp only has nine members!

While it is of course your decision as to when to start introducing equipment, we would recommend doing so once your boot camp has a reliable income. Remember, everything on your bootcamp equipment list is a legitimate taxable expense.

What Bootcamp Equipment Do Your Clients Want?

Battle ropes are really popular with boot camps now, and it is easy to see why. They look really cool, they can be fun to use, they are easily incorporated into circuits, and are relatively cost-effective. Battle ropes can be used for HIIT training and can also be used for tug-of-wars if you have the space available.

Pros:

• Versatile – there are many exercises that you can do with battle ropes
• Take up little room when not in use
• Excellent for HIIT or circuit training
• Fun to use, and look great (battle ropes will look amazing in promotional videos and photos)
• Inexpensive – though there is an upfront cost, the ropes can last a long time and are much cheaper than many forms of cardio equipment

Cons:

• Take up a lot of space when in use
• Require good technique to be performed, so you will have to teach this to your members before incorporating it into your sessions
• Difficult, so can’t be used for longer than 30 seconds by most people
• Need a sturdy pole to wrap the rope around, without that, many battle rope exercises cannot be performed

Five Battle Rope Exercises:

Here are five battle rope exercises that you can perform with battle ropes. We will give a brief description for each:

• Up & Down Waves – Crouch down into a half squat position with one end of the rope in each hand. Raise both arms up and then bring them down again to create a ripple along the ropes. Try to create large ripples (waves) and perform at a fast pace.
• Alternating Waves – Same as Up & Down waves, but instead of performing a wave with each hand simultaneously, do it with your left hand then right hand alternating. You can do this faster and create smaller waves.
• Slams – Stand upright with a rope handle in each hand. Raise both handles up above your head, then slam them down while bending your knees slightly. Raise them back up again and restart.
• Russian Twist Waves – Sit in a sit up position with a rope handle in each hand, and both hands together in front of your chest. Bring both arms over to your left side, then both arms over to your right side. Keeping your torso straight throughout.
• Front Raises – Stand upright with a rope in each hand, then raise the ropes so that your arms are parallel, before lowering them back down again. A great way to add a shoulder exercise into your boot camp without using weights.

Should You Use Them?

Battle ropes are something that everyone will want to try. They don’t cost much (compared to most fitness equipment) and they are pretty durable. There are so many variations you can teach, and they fit in with circuit training really well.

The fact that they can be used for tug of war competitions is an added bonus. The only reason not to use them would be a lack of space. Or if you have nowhere to wrap them round (goalposts work well if you are in a field that has them).

As with any equipment, make sure that you have answered the questions raised above before spending money on them.

Plastic marker cones should definitely be on your bootcamp equipment list. They can be used for circuit training, to measure distance (I.e. 20m shuttle sprints), for scoring points, playing group games, agility training

Pros:

• Versatile – there are many different ways you can use marker cones
• Small, compact and light (take up very little room and easy to transport)
• Excellent for marking out different circuit training formations
• Inexpensive and long lasting.

Cons:

• Can be difficult to clean if you use a permanent marker 
• Can deform and damage easily if you buy a cheap set
• They make good dog toys (as I found out), so keep them safe.

Five Ways To Use Fitness Marker Cones

Here are five exercises that you can perform with battle ropes. We will give a brief description for each:

• Agility Drills – Line 20 markers out with a 1 metre gap between each. One at a time have players weave in and out as fast as they can until they reach the top marker.
• Circuits – Write eight exercises on eight separate cones and lay out an eight-station circuit. Divide the group onto the circuit so all stations are covered. Players complete each exercise for 1 minute each moving clockwise around the circuit x 3 rounds without stopping. That’s a tough 24 minute circuit training routine.
• Shuttle sprints– Mark out a 20m distance with 2 markers and have players complete a 4-minute sprint Tabata. 20 seconds sprint, 10 seconds brisk walk x 8 sets.
• Bootcamp Games – The cone game. See video below.

We’ve talked in-depth about medicine balls in our article on the subject but it is worth revisiting. Medicine balls are great value for money and are easy to incorporate into a boot camp.

They can either be used as a simple way to increase difficulty to certain exercises (hold them during squats for example) or they can be used for specific medicine ball exercises such as med ball slams.

There are different types of medicine balls, that can be used for different exercises. Rubber or leather, small, medium, or large. Check out the medicine ball article to make sure that you’re buying the right ball for the exercises you want to do.

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Easy to add to your boot camp
• Don’t take up much space when stored or in use
• Can be used by multiple people at once (throwing to each other etc)

Cons:

• May need to use several at a time
• Somebody will definitely get hit in the face by a medicine ball at least once per session
• Transportation from your car to the field can be difficult

Five Medicine Ball Exercises:

The following five exercises all come from the medicine ball article we linked to above, check it out for more detailed descriptions of each exercise.

• Medicine Ball Goblet Squats – Hold a medicine ball in two hands in front of your chest. Get into a squat position and perform a squat as normal. This is a great way to increase the difficulty of a common bodyweight exercise using a medicine ball.
• Medicine Ball Squat Throws – Performed exactly the same as a medicine ball goblet squat, but as you rise up you throw the medicine ball up in the air, catch it, and then return to the squat.
• Medicine Ball Slams – Use a heavy leather medicine ball for this or you are going to hit yourself in the face! Hold the ball in two hands above your head, and then slam it to the ground. Pick it up and repeat.
• Medicine Ball Relays – Using a heavy medicine ball, get your members to shuttle run/walk with it. It’s simple yet very effective. Lots of fun too!
• Medicine Ball Chest Pass – A well-known plyometric movement, but it does require members to be able to throw and catch (not always guaranteed). Alternatively, a member can throw the ball against a wall. Or throw the ball into space and then run to pick it up.

Should You Use Them?

Yes, medicine balls may not be as attention grabbing as some of the other pieces of kit on our bootcamp equipment list. But they are inexpensive, amazing value for money, easy to teach, versatile, and take up little space. If you are planning on purchasing some equipment, medicine balls should be first on your list.

We’ve talked about kettlebell before, check out our article for an in-depth look. They are massively popular in gyms and classes right now, and with good reason. They are fun to use, easy to teach, versatile, and help to burn calories, improve fitness, and increase strength. A great all-rounder.

Pros:

• Durable, buy once and never have to buy again
• Excellent way to build fitness and muscle
• Incredible marketing tool
• Don’t take up much space

Cons:

• Expensive if you have a big class and need to buy lot's
• Need to teach kettlebell technique separately before adding to a class
• If dropped, you’re going to need a new floor/foot

Five Kettlebell Exercises

We’ve picked some of these exercises from our article on kettlebells, so check that out if you want a more in-depth description.

• Kettlebell Deadlifts – A fantastic introduction to deadlifting, kettlebell deadlifts are easier to perform than the barbell version, and the weight is easier to manage. Place a kettlebell between your legs (shoulder width apart). Crouch down and place both hands on the bell. Push your chest out and flatten your back. Pick the kettlebell up, pushing your hips forward as you rise. Stop when you are fully upright with hips pushed right into the bell. Pause, and then return to starting position.
• Kettlebell Swings – The most well-known kettlebell exercise. Deadlift the kettlebell up (see above), then push hips back and forward, with the kettlebell beginning to swing. Push your hips forward powerfully and use the momentum to swing the kettlebell forward until your arms are parallel with the ground. Return the bell and push your hips backwards. Repeat.
• Kettlebell Farmer’s Carries – Probably the best exercise for large boot camps. Hold a kettlebell in each hand, push your chest out, and then walk forward at a decent pace.
• Kettlebell Push Press – Great shoulder exercise, hold a kettlebell at shoulder height, bend your knees and then drive upwards pushing the bell straight up in the air. Swap hands after performing the required reps.
• Kettlebell Goblet Squats – As with the medicine ball squats mentioned earlier, a kettlebell goblet squat is just a simple way to increase the difficulty of a bodyweight squat. Hold a kettlebell in both hands just in front of your chest. Squat as normal.

Should You Use Them?

This is a difficult question to answer. Kettlebells are fantastic tools, and they can really help your boot camp to stand out from the crowd. Clients love them, coaches love them, and they can garner fantastic results.

So why are we hesitating?

Because kettlebells require proper teaching, they can also completely change the direction that a boot camp is heading in. Do you want a boot camp that is smaller in size, with more structured workouts?

If so, then go for it. You can charge more per person, get better results, and reinvest that profit into growing your business.

If not? Then stick to high quality bodyweight workouts using well-designed programs.

Alternatively, you could take the third option. Keep your bodyweight workouts, and then offer a separate kettlebell boot camp session once or twice per week. Giving you the best of both worlds.

We wrote an entire article on whether or not you should use tyres in your boot camp or not, check it out here [INSERT LINK TO TYRES ARTICLE HERE]. They have many benefits, but as with kettlebells, they can force your boot camp down a path you may not want to go. Anyway, here are the pros and cons.

Pros:

• Cheap or even free, depending on where you get them
• Lots of fun for clients and coaches
• Make your boot camps look more enjoyable and hardcore
• Versatile, can be used for numerous drills and workouts

Cons:

• Difficult to transport (yes, we know they are literally designed for transportation)
• Take up a lot of space
• Free tires can vary in quality
• Storage can be an issue

Five Tyre Exercises

The following tyre exercises can be found (plus several more) in our article on tyres. The following exercises are based around you owning a tractor tyre (very big and heavy), rather than a smaller one.

• Tyre Flips – You will need to teach your clients how to deadlift first, as the movements are similar. Grab the tyre from the bottom, push your chest out and flatten your back. Drive the tyre up and forward as you push your hips forward until the tyre flips. Push it over, walk forward, and restart.
• Depth Jumps – Stand on top of the tyre, take a two-footed jump off it. When you land, jump straight up in the air. This is a plyometric exercise and is fantastic for building explosive power. The exercise is also good for improving fitness and burning calories. You can edit the exercise, so people jump forward rather than straight up.
• Step Ups – Stand in front of the tyre with one foot raised up on top of it. Keeping your hands by your sides, lift your other leg up onto the tyre and stand upright. Return the same leg to the ground and repeat for 10 reps. Swap legs.
• Push Ups – A great way to get multiple people performing push ups at the same time. Either place your hands on the tyre (to make it easier) or your feet (to make it more difficult) and then perform a regular push up.
• Plank – Exactly the same as the push ups, you can either place your forearms on the tyre, or your feet. Hold the plank position as you would normally. To make it more difficult, switch to plank-get-ups.

Should You Use Them?

We love tyres, and they are such great value for money (particularly if you get them for free). If you can work out transportation and storage, then we would say definitely get one (or more). Unlike kettlebells, you can teach certain tyre exercise to anyone. Step ups, box squats, push ups, and exercises such as mountain climbers can all be taught to beginners.

Tyre flips require a little skill, and you will need some space, but they are a fantastic exercise, and are a lot of fun. If you can get a tyre, do so.

Sleds and prowlers are different pieces of bootcamp equipment, yet we’ve combined them into one section here because they are similar in a number of ways. Sleds are usually smaller than prowlers, and are better on grass, while prowlers are better on concrete. Other than that, they are basically identical.

If you have an outdoor boot camp in a field or park then a sled would be the better choice. If you have an indoor boot camp or a boot camp on concrete then a prowler might be better. But if you buy the wrong one, you’ll still be able to use it!

For the rest of this article we will treat prowlers and sleds as if they are the same thing.

Pros:

• You can use them to transport other equipment from car to boot camp location
• Can be pushed or pulled
• Aerobic and anaerobic workouts possible
• Fun, tough, and exciting (at least until you’re halfway through a set)
• Look amazing in promotional videos and photos
• Great for teamwork and bonding
• You can attach other equipment such as battle ropes or suspension trainers to them

Cons:

• Expensive
• Storage can be tricky
• Require a lot of space

Five Prowler Exercises 

For some of these exercises you will need to get the rope attachment (if it doesn’t already come with one) or you can use your battle ropes.

• Prowler Chest Push – Get into the sprinting position with hands at shoulder height gripping the handles. Take a deep breath and push the prowler as far forward as you can in one explosive movement.
• Prowler Pull – With a battle rope attached, get into a squatting position (but lean forward slightly) and pull the prowler towards you as fast and as smooth as you can. You can make it more difficult either by increasing the length of rope to pull, or by increasing the weight.
• Prowler Run – Get into the Prowler chest push position, but instead of explosively pushing the prowler away from you, keep hold of the handles and sprint/run forward with it.
• Prowler Walking Pull – Like the prowler pull mentioned above, but instead of standing still and pulling the prowler towards you with a rope, you hold the handles and walk/jog backwards with it.
• Prowler Crab Walk – Get into a low squat position and grab the narrow handles, now walk backwards (like a crab) while holding on to the handles.

Should You Use Them?

Provided you have the space to use them, a prowler or sled is a fantastic investment for your boot camp. They are superb for burning calories, improving your fitness, and building muscle.

The ability to attach equipment to them, make them a sort of mobile gym. If you have enough space to operate them, a prowler or a sled should definately be on your bootcamp equipment list. 

Plyometric boxes are immensely popular with boot camps, and with good reason. They provide a superb cardio workout, and plyometrics is an excellent specialist form of exercise. Herein lies the problem, plyometrics should not just be chucked into a program for regular gym goers, it could do a lot of damage!

If you are going to add plyometric exercises into your sessions, then you really need to teach these exercises correctly and program them properly. If you are doing box jumps for example, then you don’t want to be doing loads of squats, lunges, or prowler runs, as your members are likely to injure themselves.

Plyometrics is one of those forms of exercise that people underestimate. But it is designed for athletes. Keep that in mind if you want to go down the plyometrics route and buy yourself a plyo box. If you do, then keep reading!

Pros:

• Can be used for many different plyometric exercises
• Can also be used for regular bodyweight exercises such as step ups
• Durable and inexpensive – great value for money
• Easy to transport and store between classes
• Great for marketing videos and photos

Cons:

• Plyometrics is a highly technical and difficult form of training
• Most people do not need to do it
• High risk of injury if performed incorrectly

Five Exercises

For this section, we are going to look at five plyometric exercises that you can perform on a plyo box. As we mentioned before, these are technical and intense exercises (even if they may not appear to be), so be careful if you are going to add them into your training.

• Box Jumps – Stand in front of your plyo box, bend your knees and swing your arms back so you are in a skier’s position. Swing your arms forward as you jump lightly onto the box. You want to land silently like a cat. Once you land CLIMB off the box. Do not jump off and jump back on again, this is a common mistake. Reset, and perform again. Quality over quantity.
• Depth Jumps – We have already covered depth jumps during the tyres section, it’s exactly the same. Jump off the box, land, and then jump straight up in the air again. You want it to be a small jump really, so use the lowest plyo box you have.
• Depth Jump into Sprint – Perform the depth jump as mentioned below, drop off box, jump in air, but when you land immediately embark on a short sprint.
• Box Squats – Compared to the other exercises on this list, the box squat is much easier. This is perfect for clients who are really struggling to squat properly. Just get them to stand in front of the box, and slowly squat down until they are sitting on the box. This teaches them the importance of keeping their heels flat on the ground.
• Step Ups - Stand in front of the box with one foot raised up on top of it. Keeping your hands by your sides, lift your other leg up onto the box and stand upright. Return the same leg to the ground and repeat for 10 reps. Swap legs.

Should You Use Them?

There are some circumstances where plyometric exercises are appropriate. If you have a small dedicated boot camp made up of strong, supple men and women. They will be able to handle the pressure and intensity of this type of exercise.

Please do not underestimate how challenging plyometrics is on the joints! This is not for regular boot camp attendees.

That being said, anyone can be taught how to perform these exercises safely, and once they’ve built up the strength and fitness (through your boot camp) you can definitely introduce them to it.

We’re not trying to sound patronising here, most of you reading this will be fantastic coaches. But we’re tired of seeing box jumps being misused in boot camps. They are not designed for HIIT or circuits, they are designed for athletes who are looking to increase their explosive power.