Why I’m fit to drop

10:59am Tuesday 24th June 2008

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RED gloves pulled on tight, I stand with my feet apart, throwing a right punch, then a left hook.

"Punch harder," bellows personal trainer Ed Nicholson. "Keep your elbows in and keep those arms up."

I've never tried boxing before, but crikey, it certainly blows away the early-morning cobwebs.

I am midway through an hour-long PT session with Ed, who is launching a series of fitness and weight-loss boot camps for women in York. With a sports science degree to his name as well as ten years' experience as a personal trainer, Ed is expertly placed to put recruits through their paces.

The boot camps begin on Knavesmire next Monday with a maximum of ten places per course. They will run every weekday for four weeks, from 6.30am to 7.30am (yes, you read that correctly).

Ed says women who stick to the regime - which includes nutritional advice and personal exercise programmes - could drop a dress size over the month.

If the notion of an exercise boot camp conjures up images of torturous army drills and frightening sadistic sergeants, Ed is determined to make his workouts energetic, but enjoyable.

"The idea of boot camp sounds scary, but I'm not going to shout and intimidate people," he pledged. "It's meant to be fun. I'm going to push them as hard as they want to be pushed and get them fitter."

Ed, a 32-year-old father of two from Copmanthorpe, said the camps were designed for women of all ages and fitness levels and that programmes would be tailored to individual needs.

At the first meeting, each participant will be asked to fill out a health questionnaire, to check they are physically well enough to embark on the camp. Their blood pressure, body-fat ratio, resting heart rate, waist and hip measurements will also be recorded, and Ed will analyse the participants' posture and discuss any injuries they might have. He will email them exercises to do at home to supplement the boot camp programme.

The hour-long training sessions will take various forms, but most will be based around a circuit programme. There will be a warm-up, either a brisk walk or a jog, depending on fitness levels, followed by squats, press-ups and lunges.

Ed also uses boxing exercises to give women an all-over workout.

This was definitely the most fun part of my morning session. Fists clenched and cosily nestled within red leather gloves, I listened as Ed instructed me on how to jab, duck and land the perfect hook. I had to stand with my feet apart, on a 45-degree angle so that my body could twist round and lend momentum to my punches.

Ed held thick leather pads in his hands and ordered me to strike them squarely in the centre. After a few goes, I was really getting into it. There was a certain rhythm to the movements and, as a stress-buster, it was pretty effective. As I tore the gloves off, my fingers ached from being curled up for so long, and I felt a tightness across my front chest and shoulder area - I'd obviously been working muscles that my normal daily activities failed to reach.

The session finished with a set of exercises using kettle weights. So called because they have a handle over the top, Ed said kettle weights were the latest craze in fitness and a brilliant tool. "You can swing them, so they have a bit of momentum," he said, before running through a series of moves, each more elaborate and impressive than the previous.

I picked up a four-kilo weight, which felt like lifting an old-fashioned iron, and had to raise it high above my head, then swing it low as I came down to do a squat. After five of them, I was pleased when Ed called for time out.

Sitting on a park bench, Ed explained that participants would also be able to attend regular evening sessions once the boot camp was complete.

Pre-booking for the boot camp is essential, and each four-week programme costs £250. It sounds a lot, but Ed normally charges £35 a hour, so the boot camp fee, he stresses, is a good offer.

"It's a big commitment," he said. "The sessions are outdoors and if it rains, we get wet.

"But if you put the work in and think about your nutrition and diet, you will see results."

• To find out more, contact Ed on 01904 708085 or 07835 796830.