When you think of boot camps, the image of a drill sergeant shouting in a new recruit's ear while sitting behind this poor fellow's back as the latter does push ups always comes to mind. It conveys terror and competition. That's because military boot camps are like that. You can't blame them. After all, they're in the business of training future soldiers.

But there's another kind of boot camp, one that's fun, fast and effective in getting rid of those extra pounds. And it's taking the fitness world by storm. These are boot camp workouts.

Boot camp workouts are intensive exercise sessions that give your body a full workout. Involving little or no rest in between the varied forms of exercise that includes push ups, jumping jacks and calisthenics, among others, boot camp routines are not only aerobic but muscle toning workouts as well. Boot camps are the new rage in the fitness world because the challenging workouts are not only varied and fun to do, they are done in far less time than traditional exercise regimens but give better results.

A study conducted by the American Council on Exercise found that a typical 40-minute boot camp session burns 400 calories. It further reveals that boot camp style exercises increase the heart rate from 77% to as high as 91%, making it "cyclical" in nature where the high-intensity kicking and punching interspersed with low-intensity lifting serve as both good aerobic and a muscle strengthening workouts.

Aside from these cardiovascular and muscular benefits, what attracts most people into boot camps is the sense of belongingness it creates among them. Unlike a gym setting where newcomers with all those extra fats often feel alienated at the well-sculpted bodies that surround them, boot campers have a strong sense of unity as they aim to "survive" the workouts together. Instead of getting shouted upon, boot camp trainers and boot campers give struggling fellow campers much encouragement to get them through the whole session. It's a great way to socialize, too. Because boot campers feel that they are in the same boat, friendships are also easily made. Best of all, it's an affordable way to lose weight inasmuch as the cost of paying the fitness expert is shouldered by the group as a whole.

Boot camp sessions need not necessarily be group sessions. Boot camp workouts are available in DVDs and the Internet. You can do boot camp style workouts right in the comfort of your very own home. You may not receive the benefits of group socialization and encouragement, but the cardiovascular and muscle strengthening and training benefits like muscular endurance, fat loss, agility and flexibility- are nevertheless the same. It certainly keeps the weight off with the least amount of time. The variation of exercises makes boot camp workouts exciting as well.

Boot camp workouts are more than just a passing fitness fad. Because it's not tied with any one fitness equipment, it's a form of exercise that can be tailored to fit the varying fitness needs of different individuals. And because they're never boring and can be accomplished at the least amount of time, boot camp workouts are here to stay.