How to Become a Boot Camp Instructor

A boot camp could have many meanings depending on what discipline one is talking about, whether military, computer or physical fitness. In fitness, a boot camp or bootcamp is a military-inspired exercise well suited for those who want a heavy workout. A Boot camp program is different from most traditional exercises in that it takes students from the comforts of a fitness club to the outdoors where the conditions are ever changing. As such, in order to become a boot camp instructor one must be groomed well as a fitness teacher and must have extraordinarily high creativity, alertness and planning skills. For example, you need creativity in designing workouts such that you accommodate the varying expectations and needs of students with varying abilities such that everyone, the fast- and slow-goers, get the most of what they enrol for. And you must be prepared to find your way out of unexpected obstacles during classes, such as a change in the weather or traffic.

Becoming a Fitness Instructor

The path to pursuing a career as a boot camp instructor depends on where one is starting. Fitness centers looking for fitness instructors, including boot camp instructor, hire those with, at least, a fitness trainer or personal trainer certification from well known fitness associations such as the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and the American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA). You'd need to undergo physical and/or written exams to get some certification. The exam is around $200, excluding study materials.

Becoming a Boot camp Instructor

And so, if you are starting from point zero, then you can start by receiving proper instruction in one or more forms of fitness training. Then you get a CPR and first aid certification from your local YMCA or Red Cross. Afterwards, you can work to get a fitness training certification. If you are already a certified fitness instructor, former military personnel, or sports coach, and you want to be especially trained to become a certified boot camp instructor, you can take special courses such as the one offered by the ACE. Among the trainings one will receive is safety with regards to outdoor exercising as well as movement progressions. Completion of the program will qualify one for an outdoor boot camp instructor certificate. If you have a background in other physical trainings, it will not be for naught; you can incorporate your fitness specialization or background into your boot camp routine as a special feature.