Boot camps taking Pakistan’s urban centres by storm

From aerobic routines to slower workouts, upscale areas in major cities are clearly hooked and fitter for it

Pakistan may be a late starter in weight-loss training programmes but its major urban centres are slowly succumbing to the daily drills of a serious fitness regime sweeping the country’s more upscale areas. And it’s not just representatives of the country’s huge youth bulge that are caught straining this or that muscle to take fitness to another level.

An army of dads and moms – along with ageing aunts and uncles are part of the new fitness boot camps – that has left the daily gym trend far behind in both measured exercise routines and nutritional diets or supplements. Since these camps are conducted by personal trainers mainly in the outdoors, individuals are pushed to pump up the adrenaline and give it all they have got.



"Boot camp is all about brutality…if you want to lose weight really fast then boot camp is the answer,” says Naseer Munir, a trainer at his self-eponymous boot camp in Karachi. Most participants know they can lose weight faster with intense exercise, supplements, growth hormones or steroids. It’s only a matter of choice.

A variety of workout preferences

Since there are a variety of fitness clubs on the block, each tends to focus on a certain area. Naseer's fitness boot camp focuses on losing weight, building strength and fitness through intense routines. The 50-minute intense class begins with dynamic stretching and running followed by a wide variety of lifting weights, object pulling, pushups, sit-ups, squats and of course burpees.

“The heart rate we play around with boots up metabolism and helps give quick results,” he adds. The heart rate, according to Naseer, is the most crucial factor in determining how many calories a person burns while exercising.

“Generally, you burn more calories when your heart beats faster. The strength of your muscles, including your heart muscle, also plays a role in how many calories you burn”.

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Not all boot camps are about losing weight. AQ Power Yoga, for instance, focuses more on changing a lifestyle. Its representative Aqeel Amin says that while losing weight is a process, training is very important to focus on the posture of the body.



Their workout begins with a yoga routine followed by a relaxed fitness routine done on the spot which is followed by a combination of squats, burpees, weight-lifting, stretching and mainly emphasising on the body posture. Aqeel says his job is to bring down the stress level, which he states plays a vital role in one’s weight loss journey.

Losing fat, building muscle

The 42-Day Challenge is all about an intense workout which focuses on building muscle and reducing fat and water weight in the body. “We go on the loss in inches, not the weight on the scale," says Nusrat Hidayatullah, one of the founders of the challenge. A lot of importance is given to the postures, especially while doing burpees or squats as the knees and back can be seriously injured.

Diet plans

Boot camps tend to have different philosophies when it comes to eating right. While Aqeel and Naseer do not stress on following a strict diet plan and insist on eating healthy (read: veggies) and in small quantities, Hidayatullah believes weight loss is about 70% diet (what you eat), and 30% working out.

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“You’re not a cat to live on protein. A body needs all nutrition’s to remain healthy," insists Aqeel. Hidayatullah, however, promises immense weight loss at the end of 42-day challenge only if a strict diet plan combined with a fitness routine is followed. If none of the options appear appealing, a person can always resort to weight loss pills, growth hormones or steroids.

A common growth hormone known GH- growth hormones, also known as somatotropin (human growth hormones HGH),is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell production and cell regeneration in humans. This is, however, illegal but is used nevertheless by athletes, body builders, swimmers and those who want to reduce weight and increase muscle.



The dose can be in the form of pills, powder or injection. It irradiates the water and fat in the body by increasing muscle. The more muscle you have, the less you weigh. Immediate weight reducing drugs are easily available at any medical store off the counter. They are available in gyms too where the instructors will provide you with a dosage guide.

Not light on the pocket

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Most of the boot camps in Karachi charge between Rs10,000 and Rs15,000 for each session. A 35-day session at Naseer’s fitness group can set you back Rs15,000. A maximum of 30 individuals gather six times a week during the period. Aqeel too charges Rs15,000 for his 30-day session which takes place five days a week. Aqeel’s groups usually consist of 20 to 25 people. Nusrat conducts her session with Torsum Tajik six times a week with over 60 people in each session.



Unlike other boot camps, the group is divided into two with women, overseen by Hidayatullah on one side, while Torsum looks after the men at the other end. Boot camps vary from the one that focuses on intense fitness and aerobic routines that give you instant results, to slower routines that offer yoga and those that focus mainly on the diet then on a slow yet rigorous routine. It just depends on how fast one aims on losing weight and how dedicated they are.

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