Bikini Thursday: BABEcamp

Erin Blaisdell

It’s no secret that we all crave the perfect bikini bodies. Some people are blessed with it while others, like myself, have to work hard to develop a beach bod that they don’t mind exposing behind just a few strings….literally.

Lately, to achieve my goals of not only a great bikini body I can be happy with, but a healthy lifestyle, I have been putting my body through the ultimate challenge.

The challenge: BABEcamp
The ultimate BABE Sergeant: Cassandra Madsen
Does she kick your ass into shape? YES.

BABEcamp was started in 2010 by Cassandra Madsen who has not only been a certified trainer since 2003, working at the Equinox in New York and currently the Edge in South Burlington, Vermont, but the former female face of Burton Snowboards in New England.

Cassandra started BABEcamp for ladies who have the drive to get in shape, lead a healthy lifestyle, make new friends, and who lead busy lives. “We keep the warm up, workout, and recovery to under an hour because exercising doesn’t have to be your life, nor should you have to rearrange your schedule to get a workout in.

Her training philosophy is simple, “Keeping our bodies happy is what will keep us healthy.” In other words, functional balanced training. And, believe me, this is exactly what we experience. My body is always happy when it is getting a total workout at BABEcamp…even if my face doesn’t show it.

BABEcamp Stages

Stage Zero:

- Setting goals
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- Understanding how our body moves
- Building a dynamic and functional workout

Stage One:

- Every type of squat ever!!! (Seriously, my thighs woke up in Stage One and started to regain their strength.)
- Multiple joint leg workouts: Lunges and Step-Ups
- Pulls, pushes, and core (The workout has only just begun!)

Feeling the burn in your mind yet? You definitley will on Stage Two!

Stage Two:

All hell breaks loose and we start to move Kettlebells and incorporate cardio-based intervals in our strength routines.

Cassandra does an excellent job at being everywhere on the floor helping all of us girls out, making sure we are receiving the best workout and doing every exercise correctly. She also keeps the workout moving fast paced. Time flies by, and by the end of the hour our bodies are screaming!

Not all of you ladies are around the Burlington, Vermont area, and with this in mind here are two of Cassandra’s favorite workouts you can do from your home or local gym.

Overhead Squats: (Doing a squat while holding a stick or a bar over your head) Work your ENTIRE body—your legs, core, back, and shoulders. I don’t think there is a muscle that’s not at the party when you’re doing Overhead Squats.

Pull-Ups: If you can lift your body weight with just your upper body then A) You’re not overweight and B) Your upper body is strong and functional. Pulling is vital to all humans so we never get too internally rotated (and end up like a hunch back). A healthy back means a healthy spine and a happy body!

I leave you with Cassandra’s wellness philosophy: “We have to move every single day…it doesn’t matter what we do. We just have to make sure we move. This could mean going for a long walk, coming into the gym for a strength workout, or mindfully stretching in front of the tv. Whatever it is….we just have to move our bodies every day. This will keep us young.”

I am off to another BABEcamp session tonight, and I can’t wait to see the results come summer!

Follow the progression of BABEcamp here!
If you would like to get in touch with Cassandra Madsen for personal training, tips, and an all around healthy lifestyle send her a e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Posted by Erin Blaisdell on 05/17/12