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First impressions of Body Combat release 56 after Edinburgh Quarterly Workshop

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As the sun finally appears from behind the clouds in Scotland we are ready for the new summer fitness class releases from Les Mills.

The studio at Virgin Active in the Omni Centre was packed with Body Combat instructors wearing Venum shorts and sporting martial arts fighting gloves. Trainers Dave Cross and Aaron Davison led us on a sweaty journey of calorie burning kicks and an arsenal of punches.

A problem with the air conditioning meant that the mirrors clouded over and the room turned rapidly into a swamp. But all it did was make us work even harder and sweat buckets.

Here’s what I thought of Body Combat release 56.

Body Combat release 56
Dave Cross and Aaron Davison on stage – Body Combat 56 Masterclass
  • The lower body warm up feels like a whole workout in itself. Seven muay thai knees on each side repeated. Very tough.
  • They’ve brought the advancing side kick back.
  • The music in track 3 is Hymn by Tina Cousins. They used it back in release 28. The song was originally recorded by 1980s band Ultravox, best known for Vienna.
  • In over 10 years of Body Combat the artist they have used most is German rave band Scooter. Track 4 is a Scooter track with a pounding beat that will motivate you to kick harder.
  • The “matrix kick” is going to annihilate your legs.
  • Track 8 is immense. Long, relentless and just when you think it’s over, you fight on for a lot longer than you think.

I thought the class was hard, fun and the right balance of musical styles. Where else can hard rock, dub step and hip hop co-exist to create fitness magic but in a Body Combat class?

Your turn: Are you a Body Combat instructor? Do you agree with my first impressions of Body Combat release 56. Share your thoughts. Leave a comment. Participants let me know what you think of the class once we’ve launched it.

Coming soon to a club near you – Body Combat 56 & Body Balance 61

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Look what popped through the letterbox this morning. Yes my DVDs and CDs for Body Combat 56 & Body Balance 61.

body combat 56 & body balance 61
BC56 & BB61 Packs

The learning begins.

Have a look at the sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Combat release 56

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Despite the torrential rain, thick fog and thunder storms, it’s almost summer and that means a new release of Body Combat from Les Mills.

Are you ready for another tough workout? Have a look at sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Combat release 56.

I hear a few familiar tracks in there.

  • We had Hymn by Tina Cousins before back in release 28 (a song originally recorded by Ultravox back in the 1980s).
  • That’s Scooter’s version of Hello (Good to be Back) – and it is good that Scooter are back. The most used artist in the history of Body Combat.
  • And Silence, a Sarah MacLachlan song has been in Body Balance before but this is obviously a really pumped up version.

Your turn: What do you think of the sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Combat release 56? What moves would you like to see? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts. The build up begins now.

Firestarter – Review of Body Combat release 55

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I didn’t go on the Quarterly Workshop training for Body Combat release 55. It’s harder to learn a release and to “connect” with it if you haven’t experienced the Masterclass first. At first I found some of the music a little strange but after much practicing in my living room I began to appreciate it more. And once I launched to my participants I realised that 55 was going to be very popular.

So let’s look at the tracks.

Review of Body Combat release 55

Upper Body Warm Up (Back in Time): This is a great start. There’s no Kata, no stretch, just straight into the first combination of upper cuts as the music builds up to a really catchy hummable melody. I find myself whistling this tune during the day, it has become engrained on my mind. Plenty of shuffling gets us warm very quickly. A very satisfying start.

Lower Body Warm Up (Call Me Maybe): More uplifting dance music as we shift our focus to our legs. I like the knee and then treble knee combination which we repeat three times punctuated my a great focus on front, side and roundhouse kicks. It’s also good to see the set up move for both the side and the roundhouse kick which serves as a good reminder for the class on the difference between these moves.

Combat 1 (Bad Girls): When I first heard the music for this track I thought it sounded like the inner workings of an insane machine. It’s Dubstep and actually suits the rhythm of the capoeira moves perfectly. Before I taught this for the first time I worried about the speed of the ginga lunges. I thought that if I lost the beat I would mess up the choreography. When I taught it however, I found the simple 1, 2, 3, 4 counts and moves simple. That worry out-of-the-way and I was able to focus on getting the class deeper into the ginga and master the evasive side kick. Some of the class are even adding the jump to the ESK. This might be the first track 2 in Body Combat history not to feature the roundhouse kick.

Power 1 (Don’t Feel Like Love): A full on combination of jabs, upper cuts and hooks built a layer at a time to a great piece of music. On the DVD they suggest we go off the beat of the music for part of the combination and I like the authenticity this brings to the fighting feel.

Combat 2 (Firestarter): This is a passable cover of a Prodigy song and the track has a completely different feel than we are used to. No jump kicks but plenty of shoot lunges and roundhouse knees. Although the mixed martial arts style stands out you do have to go very hard to feel challenged by this one. This track feels a little light weight.

Power 2 (We Speak No Americano): I hated the music when I first heard it. But everyone recognises it from “The Inbetweeners” movie and it is actually great fun to teach. And I love the wide leg run at the end – the so-called “Santa Monica staircase”. It has the class breathless and gasping by the end.

Combat 3 (Where Have You Been): I certainly like the big combination in this track. A double knife strike, a double block and then back kick, front kick, back kick, front kick. No matter how hard I try I don’t seem to be able to teach the class not to add another back kick in to the sequence. Everyone just seems to add it in. So know I just let them get on with it. Musically I find this track a little dull. It’s a dirge. And for that reason this might be the first track I will mix out.

Muay Thai (Let It Rock): Off the scale relentless and challenging this track makes you breathe out of every opening. There are millions of knee strikes here and you can really build up the intensity up to the point when we add in the jumping knees. I love the look of disbelief on people’s faces when you demo the jumping knee. And just what are the words during the high-pitched vocal ever time we return to the street brawl downward punch? It sounds like,  “Ice Lolly! Ice Lolly!”

Power 3 (For a Lifetime): A very catchy sing along song to finish off the cardio section of the class. There are lots of words to latch on to motivate the class, “I believe in you and everything you do”. However it doesn’t feel as relentless as some of the previous track 8s. It’s good that it finishes on a combo and not endless jabs though.

Conditioning (You’re Gonna Love This): Short and surprisingly tough I like the variety of moves in this track. Shoulder taps give us core conditioning and the power clamber keeps the heart rate up.

Cool down (Battle Scars): A fine end to Body Combat release 55. It’s always good to see a downward facing dog in the cool down.

So Body Combat release 55 is another solid class which certainly creates a cardio high. Track 2 smashes your legs early on and the Muay Thai is absolutely mental. Only the music from track 6 let’s the release down in my opinion.

Your turn: Are you a Body Combat instructor? What do you think of my review of Body Combat release 55? Do you agree? Please share your thoughts. If you are a participant let me know what you think as well. Click below where it says “Leave a reply” and share!