Fitness boot camp: No pain, no gain on a men's camp in the Cotswolds
This is and lets face it, most men think like this the sort of thing that the fairer sex indulges in, right? Wedding on the horizon? Then its a few laps of a big field for you, young lady. On your marks.We men, on the other hand, take things more easily. Wedding on the horizon? Then its another few laps of the sofa for you, young man. And a dash to the fridge for a beer. On your marks...
Fighting fit: Matt Fortune (right, white t-shirt) went out of his comfort zone to attend a male fitness boot campBut a few weeks ago, I realised that, contrary to all natural instincts, I was going to have to consider this very scenario. I have the small matter of a triathlon booked into my diary for the end of this month, as well as the arguably more energy-sapping ordeals of twin stag weekends in August and I wasnt sure my existing stamina levels were up to any of it. So off to the house in the country it was.
My hosts for the week were going to be Prestige Boot Camp fitness specialists who have bases in Andalucia, Devon and my planned home for seven gruelling days the Cotswolds. So, it's off to Gloucestershire, ready and willing to submit myself to fat camp.
Except that it isnt fat camp. Prestige is a sophisticated operation, and its rise in the women's market has been remarkable. In the three years since its inception, the company has hosted hundreds of women, helping them to - as its tag line goes - a better body and, a better mind, a better you.
But cracking the men's market has been more challenging - largely because we men, well! , we don t really do this, do we?
Comfortable living: The base for the camp is a Grade II-listed country house with swimming poolMy new home is Wellacres Farm, an imposing three-storey Grade II-listed property outside Oxford. The main building sleeps up to 16 across seven bedrooms, with four bathrooms and two living areas. And, don't forget to pack your swimmers because there's a small swimming pool - used, of course, for exercise above anything else... and a hydro pool for those aching muscles.
Uphill struggle: The leaders made the most of the rolling hills in the Cotswolds with regular trips off siteIt seems far too beautiful and relaxing a setting for the week ahead... I've got a lot to get done, I want to improve my fitness ahead of the triathlon and perhaps pick up hints and tips about the final stages of my training.
The aims of others in the group are different, but that is no issue as programmes are adapted and tweaked so that each individual feels a sense of achievement without being overwhelmed by others.
Not that Im not worried. The two men orchestrating proceedings boast a combined military service of more than 30 years. They are men in the ultimate physical condition.
I imagine shaven-headed characters on an ego trip seeking victory by demoralisation, barking in my face, clacking pots and pans in my ears at 5am, and telling me I've missed a spot after hours of cleaning a floor with a toothbrush.Fortunately such rituals of torture are not involved. Never once during the week are members of our group made to feel inadequate. There are roars and shouts as we are put to thetest but these are roars and shouts of encouragement, never laced with pity, patronisation or arrogance.
Disciplineis firm, though. We rise every morning at 6.40am, with the group meetin! g at 7am in the Room of Doom (also known as the Shed of Dread and the Barn of Harm), in which the customary warm-ups and cool-downs take place.
Getting tyre-d: Exercises throughout the week were far ranging and made use of several props
Show it who's boss: Matt (right) manages to get the better of a car tyre (just about) Rarely have I felt so well fed. There are no faddy diets here. I eat better and with more regularity than I would at home. Prestige is the only weight loss and fitness boot camp in the UK to have a food plan approved by an NHS Trust and the menus are devised by specially trained chefs.
There was, then, no temptation, except perhaps for my ritualistic 11am coffee. Caffeine, though, is entirely banned, and in fairness all I was reaching for mid-morning was my water bottle to rehydrate.
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On occasion the team is taken off-site, deep into the countryside for a session! in natu re's gym.
Sink or swim: Over the course of the week, the team bonded as they were encouraged to work togetherOurleader's preferred destination is Dover's Hill, a favourite for family picnics thanks to its stunning views and dramatic, steep sides which create a form of amphitheatre around the flocks of sheep that restat the bottom.
Curiously, this was once the location for the 'Cotswold Olympicks', an event founded 400 years ago by one Robert Dover, and given the royal seal of approval by James I, who is said to have recognised the events ability to promote good feeling among the commonpeople towards their King. By the end of a long stint of running up slopes, I dont have much good feeling for anyone, kingly or otherwise. Im exhausted.
Eat well: Healthy eating is encouragedThere are less frenetic exercises too: a20-mile hike, and a cycling and raft-building afternoon at the nearby Cotswolds Water Park.
Each exercise, whatever the location, is tailor-made to each participant while following a similar path. And there is an explanation of why we do each activity and how best to incorporate it into our home lives.
The hike for example, we are told, is a fat-burner. The raft-building is also about working as a team something that brings previously less confident members of the group to the fore.So is this a life-changing experience? Something certainly changes. At the end of the week I find that I have lost 9lb and visually improved muscle tone. Later, I will findthat my training for the triathlon has improved immeasurably.
Of course, there is the issue of the price. At first glance, a four-figure sum sounds extravagant for a week that, for many, will be the hardest they have ever experienced.
But then what price are the benefits of an attitude chang! ed, a li festyle improved and a body bettered? The body, after all, is the greatest instrument you'll ever own, and it came free of charge.
A few years ago I splurged a similar amount of money on a trip to Ibiza and returned body battered and lifestyle upended. Now I could return to the White Isle in a shape and condition of which I can be proud.
Plus, having hit the jackpot with the weather in the Cotswolds, I currently have a better tan than I would have gained by partying at night and sleeping in the day in the Balearic Islands. An added bonus on top of the outstanding results.
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