Strength, HIIT & Functional Training: What to Expect at a Salt Escapes Retreat

When people hear the words fitness retreat or training camp, they often wonder: What are the workouts actually like? Is it military drills? Is it endless yoga? Is it CrossFit every day?

At Salt Escapes, our style is simple: functional training that gets you moving better, feeling fitter, and having fun while you do it.

‍

Our Training Philosophy

We believe a retreat (or training camp, if that’s your language) should challenge you without breaking you. That’s why our programming balances three key elements:

• Strength Training → dumbbells, kettlebells, bodyweight, and partner work to build power and resilience.
• HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) → short, sharp efforts to push your engine and endurance.
• Functional Training → movements that carry over into real life (carries, lunges, sled pushes, jumps, rows).

Every workout is scalable. Whether you’re new to training or you’ve raced HYROX, you’ll be able to take it at your level — and still leave sweaty, smiling, and stronger.

‍

A Typical Week of Training with Salt Escapes

Across a 7-day retreat, you can expect one or two workouts a day, as well as a designated recovery session designed to complement the adventures and downtime around them.

Mornings:

• Big group sessions with energy high and music loud.
• Think SkiErgs, rowers, BikeErgs and DB, SB or KB complexes.
• Functional conditioning that builds cardio fitness and grit.

Afternoons:

• A change in modality, meaning boxing, skills or team-workouts
• Time to work on movement efficiency (squats, presses, carries).
• Paired with mobility, yoga, or core work to balance it out.

Recovery is part of the program too: ice baths, yoga flows, and a post-sweat dip in the villa pool.

‍

Why Functional Training Works on Retreats

Every session on a Salt Escapes retreat is programmed to make you a better mover and a fitter human:

• VO₂ max and threshold work to improve endurance.
• Strength sessions that carry over into your everyday training.
• Movement variety that keeps things fresh (no two sessions are the same).
• Team workouts that bring the crew together and push you further than you’d go alone.

This style mirrors the biggest trends in fitness right now - from HYROX and functional racing to the rise of training camps worldwide.

‍

Retreat, Training Camp… or Both?

Call it a retreat. Call it a training camp. What matters is that it’s a week designed to push you physically, recharge you mentally, and connect you with an incredible crew of like-minded people.

At Salt Escapes, we’ve taken the best bits of a training camp (quality coaching, structured progression, big volume weeks) and paired it with the things you actually want on holiday: epic villas, chef-prepared food, and unforgettable adventures.

‍

The Bottom Line

A Salt Escapes retreat isn’t just about workouts. It’s about the full package: train, recover, explore, connect.

So if you’ve ever searched for a training camp abroad or wondered what happens on a fitness retreat, the answer is simple: at Salt Escapes, you’ll find both — rolled into the most feel-good week of your life.

👉 Check our 2025 and 2026 retreats and see what’s waiting for you.