Military-Style Boot Camp Retreats for Lasting Fat Loss: Norfolk, Algarve, St Tropez & Marrakesh

No1 Boot Camp has been running fitness and weight-loss retreats for years and has hosted thousands of clients, including celebrities, at its Norfolk camp alone. The approach is straightforward: military-style group training combined with a wide range of modern fitness methods, delivered by instructors who know how to push you while keeping you safe. Every camp follows the same elite training standard and aims for the same results — the only real difference is the location and the setting you wake up to.

A typical day starts early with group training before breakfast, then moves through a mix of strength, cardio and conditioning sessions, workshops and activity. Nutrition is part of the programme, not an afterthought: you learn how to eat for fat loss and long-term health, not just for the week. Evenings are for recovery, and at some locations, sunset dinners on a rooftop terrace.

The programme is deliberately built around individual effort within a team structure. Gee Leary and the instructor team assess where each guest is starting from and work within personal output zones, so a complete beginner and a seasoned athlete can train side by side without either being short-changed. The camps welcome people returning to fitness after a baby or injury, gym regulars looking for new levels of strength and stamina, and athletes after a proper challenge.

What separates this from a standard fitness holiday is the focus on visceral fat and overall body re-composition rather than just weight on the scale. The team talks openly about reducing belly fat because of the health risks it carries — heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, high cholesterol — and structures the week around changing body composition in a way that lasts after you leave.

Each destination adds its own flavour. Norfolk is the original, friendly camp where much of the method was refined. The Algarve retreat is based at an exclusive art deco boutique hotel a short drive from Faro airport, with training at The Campus, the facility used by elite athletes and premier sports teams. St Tropez is the bestselling luxury option, with the Mandal Hotel, poolside and beachside workouts, sunrise hikes along the Mediterranean and rooftop dinners. Marrakesh pairs a full fitness and body overhaul with North African sunshine in a private luxury villa.

Accommodation, meals and the full training programme are part of the retreat experience, so you can focus on the work rather than logistics. New dates for Marrakesh are announced periodically, and the Norfolk, Algarve and St Tropez camps run throughout the year.

What's included

- Accommodation for the duration of the retreat - All meals - Full fitness training programme - Nutrition workshops and education - Access to training facilities and equipment - Group hikes and outdoor activities - Fitness assessments and progress reviews - Instructor-led sessions throughout

What's not included

- Travel to and from the retreat - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Optional spa treatments or massages - Alcohol - Airport transfers (unless specified)