A Military Workout has traditionally just been for new recruits and the armed forces. Perhaps tainted with memories of boot camp, or fictional versions of fitness training in the army, they have perhaps been overlooked as a genuine fitness regime for everybody.

After all, with fancy gyms and the latest fitness gadgets being offered to people wanting to get fit in their everyday life, the idea of a military workout may not seem that appealing.

Yet, there seems to have been a bit of a revival, or at least a re-visit to the military fitness routine. They have become extremely popular, with fitness boot camps being offered in local parks and gyms, and Hollywood celebrities being trained by ex-Navy Seal Fitness trainers. The back to basics approach seems to appeal to people who have decided they need to get fit, and need a bit of discipline doing it.

The great benefit of a military workout, is that it can be done nearly anywhere, requires little or no equipment, and mostly relies on bodyweight training and cardio exercise. The other great benefit is that the military fitness routine is scalable, depending on your fitness level. After all, the army have to train every level, from raw recruits to Special Ops personnel, so they need fitness routines that can suit all levels.

Before embarking on any military fitness regime, whether for pleasure, to get fit, or even if you are contemplating joining up, it is worth gauging your current fitness levels. The army tends to have its own fitness test as a minimum requirement, but a simple quick few measurements will help you see your progress over the weeks.

One good method is to do as many press-ups as you can in 2 minutes and note that down. Do the same for sit-ups and make a note. Finally, you need to do a 2 mile run and note the time. Your age will also be a factor in the level of fitness you are in, but for now, we are just using this as a benchmark to come back to in a few weeks, so see how far you have progressed.

Using bodyweight exercises like the basic press-up, sit-ups and pull ups, you will build core strength. If you combine these in a circuit, with little or no rest, you can easily put together a fat burning, strength building routine in as little as 20 minutes a day. Who does not have 20 minutes a day to spare?

As mentioned previously, you need as much space as it takes to lie down, so location should not be a problem, and the routines can be extremely portable - you could easily do them in a hotel room if you travel a lot.

Whatever your fitness level, military workouts offer a great way to get fit, or get back to fitness. So, if your idea of military fitness is some kind of boot camp hell, then think again. There are plenty of examples of a military workout you can find online, so find one that suits your current fitness level, and start getting fit today, soldier!

Author's Bio: 

Lewis Clifford decided to re-boot his fitness with a military workout, after deciding that, having hit is Forties, the fat was beginning to stick around more than he wanted, and gym subscriptions were benefiting nobody except the gym owners.
With 2 young children and a busy work life, a military workout offered the ideal solution. Check out his blog for more military fitness tips at:
http://www.militaryworkout.org