Ibiza Body Camp - a Full Review!
- Carrie
- Aug 22, 2019
- 5 min read
Wow, I can't believe that I am writing my first blog post, but so many of you have asked me to write about my time at the Body Camp that here it is. I spent a week at the Body Camp in Ibiza in August 2019 and here is my honest review of my time there. Body Camp also run a Mallorca week-long fitness camp, which is slightly different (more of this below) and this winter they are also running weeks in Bali - I know, hard times...
Body Camp is primarily a fitness camp. The first thing to say is that I was absolutely terrified before I arrived. My fitness level was at an all-time low, and despite being assured on the phone that the Body Camp was for people with all levels of fitness, I was convinced that I would be the one who would collapse on the first day, or worse, that I would be the embarrassing one at the back. But what they told me was true: there were some mega-fit people there, and most people did some form of exercise before they came, but I was absolutely able to keep up. In fact, I surprised myself.
Our group was made up of 15 people: 13 women and 2 men, between the ages of 20 and 50. All but two people had come alone, so don't worry at all about coming by yourself. Some people shared a room (I shared with 3!) and some people had their own room, it's entirely up to you to decide - budget depending of course...
The Body Camp is situated in a luxury villa (with guest annexes) in San Josep, in the middle of nowhere. But don't let that phase you; you aren't allowed to leave anyway and you sign a piece of paper agreeing not to leave in the evenings... I was told that next year the Body Camp Ibiza will be moving to a different location in Ibiza, but the set up is very likely to be the same - a luxury villa, with a pool and lots of outdoor space for exercising.
So what do you DO all day? Well, the first thing to note is that you have to get up early. VERY early. Most days we were up and exercising at 6am (yes, that's 5am UK time). At first, this seemed absolutely bonkers, but when you consider that the daytime temperatures reached 32 degrees most days, it was actually incredibly sensible to be up as soon as it was light, rather than in the middle of the day.
The week consisted of a whole series of activities, broadly split into two parts, fitness and mindfulness. In the week I was there, the fitness activities ranged from daily circuits and laps of the pool to boxing, beach workouts, hiking and core strengthening. Mindfulness activities included meditation, breath work and yoga.
I had never tried yoga and was totally blown away by it, and especially the teacher, a wonderful lady called Leanne who taught us a form of Flow Yoga. The mindfulness sessions were taken by the lovely Lisa, who got us to think throughout the week about what we might want to change about our lives, and how we might do that, culminating in an activity which involved writing a letter to ourselves about how we would like our lives to change (yes, I rolled my eyes at first too, but by the end of the session I was quietly sobbing. They will post it to me in 6 months, so let's see how I do...).
The beach workouts were an absolute blast. This is us on Day 2, making up dance moves and having an absolute giggle. A special shout out has to go to Andy Vincent, who was our trainer for the week and who never failed to make us laugh.
This is him. Enough said?
Probably my favourite part of the whole week were the two hikes we did - first because I honestly didn't think I would survive two 20km hikes and I did, and secondly because - well, look at the views. If you're coming to Ibiza, do bring your hiking boots...
One of the hikes (which was partly in silence, to encourage self-reflection) was to the magical Es Vedra, apparently the third most magnetic place on the globe, after the poles and the Bermuda Triangle. It's certainly pretty magical.
Everyone attending the Body Camp is required to eat a plant-based diet (yes, that's more serious than vegan). I was a bit worried about this, but there was no need whatsoever. The food was delicious and when you have a private chef who makes delicious food - in this case the legendary Sarmado Sibley - then it never feels that you are missing out. One of the activities is a cooking lesson with the chef, and you can take extra optional cooking lessons if you want to learn more about plant based cooking. Also - it's up to you whether you want to lose weight. When you arrive, you choose whether you wish to lose fat, maintain your weight, or gain weight and your portion sizes are adjusted accordingly. There are 3 meals a day and 2 snacks and extra food if you are still hungry.
I can honestly tell you that I have never worked my body so hard in my life. But the fitness thing was very well done, with stretching and core strengthening always included, so that we rarely felt any sore muscles ('sexy muscles' as they say at Body Camp).
But equally my body confidence is sky-high as a result. They measure you when you arrive, as well as assessing your fitness, and then they do it all again at the end, so you can see the progress you have made.
But my favourite thing about the week was the people. The other guests. We were forced to bond very quickly and spending a whole week with people, day in, day out, means that you soon become close. It was a real exercise in realising that you shouldn't judge people, as well. It is all too easy to see someone and assume that they will be a certain way, but I was always wrong!
Did I love it? Overall, I would say yes. It's quite regimented, and sometimes that made me bristle, but overall that was good for me. I have heard from others who went on to the Mallorca version that being there is more fun and chilled - mainly because at the Body Camp Mallorca there is a fitness programme all morning and then afternoons are optional. There is also less focus on mindfulness activities. I personally would have preferred less self-reflection and mindfulness, and therefore Mallorca might have been better - same time next year, I reckon!
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