What is Burn Bootcamp?

This next workout review is on what I thought was a local fitness option, but turns out it’s actually an franchise! Burn Bootcamp is a co-ed boot camp style boutique fitness option, and your closest studio can be found here. The one in Knoxville is fairly popular with women that I know, so I definitely wanted to give it a try! They seem to rotate or change what free class trial options they have. I have seen that they offer a week free, but when I went it was just that the first class was free. They did have a great introductory offer for new members at the time, so I understand why the trial period was so short.

Programming and Schedule

The Burn Bootcamp class schedule is similar to F45 in that they alternate cardio and strength days throughout the week. It seems that 3 days a week are strength days while the others are cardio HIIT days. I really like the idea of alternating between cardio conditioning and strength training! However, it is really hard to get the idea of the programming with only 1 free class offered.

One of the things I am always looking for is an inclusive schedule. Burn has class times starting at 5:30 am, and running until 6:30 pm. There are no classes after 9:30 am until 4:30 pm, but there are plenty of opportunities to find your best class! The classes are around an hour, so you can be in and out to get going with the rest of your day.

My Workout

The workout I went to was on a Thursday morning, and was one of the cardio HIIT style classes. The woman at the front desk and the trainer immediately introduced themselves and were very kind. The regular paperwork and waivers get taken care of, and then the trainer shows you around the gym! Lucky for me, they were able to lift their COVID restrictions that same week and I got to get a true taste of what a class was like. The equipment is extensive, ranging from punching bags and battle ropes, to kettle bells, dumbbells, and gliders.

This class was set up to be 2 major rounds, and both rounds included the same movements. The first round was 5 rounds of 45 seconds on, and 15 seconds of active recovery. There was a short rest in between, and then into another set of 5 smaller rounds of 30 seconds on, 10 seconds of active recovery. For each of these rounds, we rotated between 5 stations.

We utilized equipment including punching bags, battle ropes, “power” bars, hand weights, gliders, and our own body weight. The spiciest part of the workout is what they call the “finisher”. In this class you were partnered up, doing 2 different body weight movements. The goal is to do as many rounds as possible for the last 4 minutes of class! There is a designed warm up before class starts that everyone does together, and a designed cool down for after class.

Station and Movement Details

As an example of the movements we did for this cardio conditioning class, the five rounds included the following HIIT movements:

• Punching Bag – Set up to punch the bag for the 45 or 30 seconds straight
• Battle Ropes – In a low squat, sling each end of the rope individually in each hand (option to use 1 end of the rope in both hands)
• Mountain Climbers with Pushup – While holding onto the power bar (option to have hands stacked under shoulders on the ground), complete 4 mountain climbers followed by 1 pushup
• Dumbbell Glider Push – Push a heavy dumbbell on gliders down and back (think sled push, but much lower in your legs)
• Burpee, Tuck Jump, Butt Kicks – Complete 1 burpee, move into a tuck jump pulling your knees to your chest, and finish by jumping and pulling your heels to your glutes
• Active Recovery – during the 10-15 second active recovery, perform high knees

Below are my overall workouts results from this class! You can see my heart rate was all over the place, and the calorie count is pretty dang good for a 45 minute workout!

Final Thoughts and Pricing

I really did enjoy my first time at the West Knoxville Burn Boot Camp location. The staff is very kind and encouraging throughout class. The clients are welcoming and happy to help be an example or explain the movements if you’re unsure. They have fun retail for sale at the front entrance, along with a ton of props to take photos with after hitting a milestone.

There are multiple options to look at when it comes to memberships. There are monthly memberships, along with class packs to choose from. The most popular option is probably the 12 month commitment at $129/month. The 18 month option ends up being the best long term deal at $119/month. Additionally, there is an option to purchase 20 classes for $300. For me, personally, I would want to spend more time at Burn Bootcamp to say whether or not I would want to commit. The one free class option is a tough one for me because I really don’t think you can get a good feel of what you’re doing. I do think this is a fun group fitness option, but don’t know if it would be right for me.