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7-Day Bootcamp Workout Plan

Get Results with these Variety-Packed Workouts

-- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor
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Whether you're getting bored with your usual workout routine, or you are ready to jump start your fitness program, SparkPeople's 7-day Bootcamp Workout Plan can help you get real results! I created this 7-day workout plan for people of all fitness levels. It's called “Bootcamp” not because it’s highly intense, but because it involves daily exercise and commitment. That may sound daunting, but each workout can be tailored to your own fitness level, and you also get to pick activities that you enjoy.

How it Works
  • Do one video (below) each day. Each video will only take you 10 minutes or less to complete. For some of the videos, you'll need dumbbells (but if you don't have any, you can improvise with some easy-to-hold household items like soup cans or beverage bottles). If you want to work harder or increase the intensity, use a heavier weight and/or repeat the video one or two more times.
     
  • Do five 30-minute cardio sessions per week. You pick the activity and intensity and anything goes! (Get over 110 cardio workout ideas here!) You can walk, bike, jog, jump rope, swim, do a fitness class or video—anything that gets your heart pumping! The more variety, the better! If you're new to exercise, aim for 30 minutes (or as close to that as you can manage, gradually increasing over time). If you've been at it a while, go longer—up to 60 minutes per session.
     
  • Follow the plan for 4 weeks. Four weeks of daily exercise is no small feat! This a great introduction to exercise if you're just starting out, since the videos make strength training easy with detailed instructions on form. But even if you're an avid exerciser, following this plan for a few weeks can add variety to your current program, which can help you bust a plateau and continue seeing results.
Refer to the chart below for the 7-Day Bootcamp Workout Plan . (Click on each link to see the video, a printable version, and to add it to your Fitness Tracker!)

Video Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Cardio (none) 30 minutes 30 minutes 30 minutes 30 minutes 30 minutes (none)

More Bootcamp Tips
Feel confused about this? Find the answers to common questions below.

How much weight should I lift?
The answer is different for everyone. When strength training, you should use a weight that is challenging enough that you feel fatigued by the end of each set, but not so hard that you can't perform the exercise in good form. You might need to try out a few different weights to find out which works best for you. If you're newer, start with a low weight to really master the exercise in good form.

What if I miss a day?
If you miss a day, you can move on to the next day or do two videos in one day. This workout plan should be thought of as a guideline, so if you mess up here and there, don't worry—just get back to it!

How can I track my workouts?
All the videos (except Day 1) are strength training workouts. You can add each strength-training video to the strength training section of your Fitness Tracker by clicking on the button at the bottom of each video page.

The Day 1 video is a cardio workout. You can easily track it and calculate your calories burned in the cardio section of your Fitness Tracker. Simply go to your Fitness Tracker, scroll down to the cardio section, and click "Add Cardio." In the search box, type in "Bootcamp." You'll see a workout entry called "SparkPeople 10-Minute Bootcamp Cardio Workout Video" in the results. Select that entry, add the number of minutes you exercised (approximately 10 if you completed the whole video), and then click the "Add Exercise" button. This will add the workout to your tracker and also estimate your calories burned.

What if I can't do some of the exercises?
Most of the videos will give you ideas to modify your workouts. But if there's any reason you can't do a certain exercise, don't feel pressured to try it. You can modify it as instructed, decrease your range of motion, use less weight (or no weights), or just skip the exercise entirely. Be sure to listen to your body and work at your own pace.

When should I start?
You don't have to start on any particular day or week. The Bootcamp plan was designed to begin (Day 1) on a Sunday, only so that you do less exercise (no extra cardio) on Saturday and Sunday. However, you can start Day 1 on any day of the week. Or if you'd rather, you can begin in the middle of a week, starting on a Tuesday with Day 3, for example. As long as you do the videos in order, you don't need to worry about what days you do them on.

What if I have more questions or need support?
Join our 28-Day Bootcamp Workout Challenge to connect with other people who are following this workout plan. There, you'll also get weekly emails to help you stay motivated and reach your goals!

Overall, this Bootcamp will make sure you're targeting each of your major muscle groups in new ways. By doing a different workout each day, you'll have more fun and be more likely to stick with it! Enjoy!
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About The Author

Nicole Nichols Nicole Nichols
Nicole was named "America's Top Personal Trainer to Watch" in 2011. A certified personal trainer and fitness instructor with a bachelor's degree in health promotion and education, she loves living a healthy and fit lifestyle and helping others do the same. Her DVDs "Total Body Sculpting" and "28 Day Boot Camp" (a best seller) are available online and in stores nationwide. Read Nicole's full bio and blog posts.

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Member Comments

  • I'm confused why the 28 day boot camp takes me to the 7 day boot camp and I can't find the daily toning videos that are mentioned in the 28 day boot camp and all I find in the 7 day boot camp is cardio. 1/2 the time I end up in some advertisement page. Frustrated trying to follow the 28 day boot camp challenge. What am I doing wrong? - 5/2/2013 9:45:21 PM
  • im done with day 3 and I was wondering if any1 has got any result in 7 days?? - 5/1/2013 6:36:06 PM
  • day 1~and I am fixing to tackle the exercise for today. I think I am gonna take before pics of this challenge and measurements to see how it turns out at the end.

    keep on keepin on! - 12/16/2012 3:34:13 PM
  • Okay. I see where I said I would try this in September. Don't even remember it. I will try this. I can manage 30 minute workout 5 days a week, surely. - 10/25/2012 9:39:10 AM
  • All you have to do is save it as a favorite and when you want to see it go to your home page and look up the favorites - 10/17/2012 11:29:56 PM
  • AZURE-SKY
    I'd like to save this article as a Favorite so I can find the videos easily, but there's no option to do that. - 8/18/2012 2:22:35 PM
  • If you have any trouble looking at the videos (sometimes I do) follow the share link or the youtube link.
    Those workouts are fantastics ! Sometimes I think "now, it's so easy I dunno if I really workout" but as I sweat I see they are really effective hahaha.
    I'm a beginner so the first cardio workout is the hardest for me, the jumping jacks and the mountain climbers so I have to use the easy options, but I try a bit more the normal option everyday ! - 8/1/2012 8:53:31 AM
  • I'm so excited about these videos! I have been looking for something exactly like this. Our department moved into a new space, and I finally have my own little private office. I have been looking for ten minute strength training videos that I could do during my lunch break, and these look perfect. I've been searching through Spark videos, Youtube videos, etc., but I didn't know how to combine the stuff I found in a way that would hit all the major muscles groups over the course of the week. But now Coach Nicole has done that for me! I'm really excited about it. Now, all I have to do is to remember that my office chair has wheels when she has us do exercises using a chair for support! - 7/16/2012 12:19:48 AM
  • workouts image are not showing only audio - 7/12/2012 4:33:49 PM
  • when I signed up on sparkpeople I weighed 170. I have recently changed jobs and I have put on 10 pounds. Now I have to start all over. I hope to have that weight off by the end of this challenge. Good luck to everyone. - 7/1/2012 10:03:37 AM
  • Well I just signed up on here...I recently have had gull bladder surgery and have gained quiet a bit of wait and I really want to lose this weight so I am going to try this challenge...I have read all the comments and they are all really encouraging (: I believe I can do this and lose all of the weight (: - 6/21/2012 3:14:52 AM
  • I'm gonna try this when I am not sore! I am gonna do this for four weeks and then try something else :) If anyone else can do this, then so can I! I am not gonna give up my diet and exercise this time.
    - 6/14/2012 7:59:09 PM
  • In the last 2 years I have gained 30 lbs. I blame Nursing school but, no more excuses I am getting back on tract. I am heavier than I have ever been even in my 9th month of pregnancy with both my children. I am hoping with the help of my spark family I can get it together. - 6/8/2012 4:01:51 PM
  • Think I'm goong to try this one - 5/28/2012 2:22:22 PM
  • Day 1 Did It! Yay! - 5/27/2012 8:33:04 PM
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