Why I hate "bootcamp" workouts.

Why I hate "bootcamp" workouts.
As many of you know, I am quite opposed to the bootcamp style of workout. There are many reasons for this but I'll give you the two most important reasons. 
Reason number one is that it is simply not effective. It doesn't work.
Is it a good workout? Yes, I guess. It depends upon what you mean by a good workout and what your goals are. 
If your goals are to get exhausted and pushed to your limits and perhaps test your mental strength, then yes, it's a good workout. 
But if your goals are to get stronger, leaner and achieve a physical transformation then no, it's not a good workout. It's a terrible workout. I say that not only because I disagree with the science, or lack of it, involved in the actual workout design and structure itself but I also say that because I have seen literally thousands of people go to these bootcamp type workouts for months, even years, and not see a physical transformation. 
Many of them have not even lost a pound. These same people also think that they are burning 800 to 1000 calories per workout.
Let me ask you a question. If you were actually burning 1000 calories per workout, don't you think you would be losing weight after a few workouts? Of course you would. You are not burning 1000 calories, no matter what your little FitBit says and trying to lose weight by burning off the calories in that way simply doesn't work anyway. (Ask anyone who has trained for a marathon and has no leaned out at all.)
The second reason that I dislike that style of training is for the emotional and mental aspect of it. What I love about strength training is that my clients leave the gym feeling accomplished, feeling successful, feeling like they kicked ass and took names. When you come in and hit a new personal best on the deadlift, squat or bench and do things that you never thought you would be able to do, you leave the gym pumped and proud and ready to take on the day. Think about a person that comes to see me and accomplishes everything that I put in front of them and more. Think of the confidence that person has, having just lifted more than they ever thought they could. Contrast that to the overweight or unfit person who goes to a bootcamp and is screamed at by their super-fit instructor about how much they need to work harder and how much they have to want it and that person is led to believe that if they're not throwing up or doubled over in a corner that they are not working hard enough. That person leaves the gym with a feeling of failure. That person leaves with the feeling of "I guess I need to work harder if I'm ever going to be fit." They feel that they need to come to the gym more often and more frequently and for longer periods of time to see the results that they want. Ironically, the lean and fit instructor most likely does not do bootcamp or a workout anything remotely like that. That is the ultimate fitness irony, most trainers don't practice what they preach.
You don't have to kill yourself to get results. You don't have to train until you're going to puke. You don't have to train five days a week. 
You have to train hard.
You have to eat properly. 
You have to be consistent.
You have to get stronger.
Is it hard work? 
Yes.
Does it have to be absolutely exhausting?
No.
Should it be?
No. 
Training should make you feel good, not bad.