By Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, USMC

Ten-hut! Stand at attention, recruit. You look sorely out of shape – I bet you’re constantly low on energy and don’t like what you see in the mirror. Well, I am not surprised, recruit. Lucky for you I have the solution – boot camp! Affirmative, what you need is a full-body strength training and cardiovascular workout with a little military discipline. Signing up for one of these three fun and motivational options will improve your physical and mental fitness on the double – all without any yelling and screaming.

Operation Eternity Fitness

This is Shanghai’s longest running boot camp so you can be sure they know what they are doing, recruit. They incorporate military fitness along with several forms of martial arts and aerobics into a routine performed at seven different city parks and outdoor spaces. Along with other recruits, you will be expected to perform squad runs, stair climbs, track and hill training, speed and endurance tasks and a host of strength training exercises. With a variety of games, relays, challenges, obstacle courses and over 20 versions of push-ups and sit-ups, you might even find yourself having fun getting in shape – although you better not let me see you smile! There are numerous courses available, from the casual warrior to the boot camp commando, suitable for all ages and fitness levels. Should you give it your all, by course end you will be a mean, lean fitness machine.

Eternity Fitness. 3F, 2 Yuyao Lu. Tel: 6215 1519. Web: www.eternity-fitness.com

Operation Shanghai Boot Camp

Want to improve your physical appearance? Want to feel more energized and confident? Of course you do! Well recruit, Shanghai Boot Camp is going to do precisely that. Their motto may be ‘no pain no gain’, but they promise to do it through a fun and social approach that is the first step in creating a new, fitter you. They will take you out of the mundane gym environment into the great outdoors, and using nothing but your body weight and a bit of creativity, will turn you into a minister of destruction, praying for war. According to iron-willed trainer Sarah Shivnan, “In just a few weeks you will see a difference in your body; you will tone, reduce your body fat and improve your strength and cardiovascular system.” With five locations from Pudong to Gubei, you really have no more excuses, recruit. Ahh, I love the smell of sweat in the morning.

Shanghai Boot Camp. Unit 2905, 500 Xiangyang Nan Lu. Tel: 6415 0062. Web: www.shanghaibootcamp.com

Operation Shanghai Dolls

This one is solely for the ladies, so men hit the track – I want five laps double-time! Listen up recruit, this camp is sponsored by the Shanghai Dolls community group – get over to their website and sign up for free if you are not already a member. Their third fitness challenge is due to start in September, pitting several teams based at parks in Xujiahui, Jing’an and Pudong against each other over six weeks, culminating in a course-ending competition and picnic to determine the fittest group. Organiser Julia Taylor says, “It is hard to be lazy and not turn up to training when you know your team are relying on you, which is a fantastic motivator.” Hard-as-steel instructors Murat Erbaytan and Shane Benis will improve your discipline and stamina by mobilising your soft-as-tofu body through jogging, push-ups, jump rope, resistance tubes, stairs and more over a non-stop, high-intensity hour of glorious pain and fitness gain. Semper fi!

Shanghai Dolls. Web: www.shanghaidolls.org

Now drop and give me 20!!