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Battle Cry – Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 67

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Thanks for asking why I haven’t written a review of Les Mills Body Combat release 67.

Is it because I didn’t like it?

No.

It’s just that I’ve been busy.

So here are my quick thoughts (as I’m sure everyone is already hard at work learning number 68).

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 67

Upper Body Warm Up – I’m An Albatraoz (Sunny Dee Remix) – 4kast

Is this the simplest choreography for an upper body warm up ever? Great for beginners and experts alike. Let’s drill the main punches and warm up the body with a shuffle from side to side. Musically dreadful. Why is it though that you end singing the words to dreadful songs for days afterwards?

Lower Body Warm Up – Fight For Your Right! (Yelhigh! Remix Edit) – Boogie Bros feat. Big Daddi

The first of three songs in this release we’ve heard in Body Combat before. Drilling the kicks is unremarkable. Coming onto the floor for mountain climbers in a warm up was a shock at first. Good way to get warm quick.

Combat 1 – Thnks Fr Th Mmrs – Fall Out Boy

First heard in release 34, this power driven rock anthem is a highlight for me. Easy to learn and fun to teach. Anyone tempted to surprise (or would that be confuse) their participants by bring back the choreography from the first outing?

Power training 1 – Set You Free (Hixxy Remix) – N-Trance

The third appearance of this song in Body Combat. Previously in releases 20 and 40 I guess it’s overdue as release 60 would have established a definite pattern. Everyone knows the song but the new combos are fresh enough to make it stand out as one of the best in the class.

Combat 2 – Chopstick (Mado Kara Mieru) – Scooter

The endless kick kata – say it – two knees, side kick and four front kicks caused pain way back at launch. I’ve kept this track in for the full 3 months as it’s a killer on the legs.

Back on the floor for more ground work. People are used to this now. As an experiment one day I offered an alternative set of moves. A year ago most would have taken them choosing not to hit the floor. This time everyone did hit the floor. Again people are used to this now.

Power training 2 – Sound Bang – The Noble Ascent

A Caribbean limbo vibe during the intro gives us a brief fun break before beasting the shoulders with endless upper cuts. Another dancey break halfway through before the sprinting section raises the hear rate to overload.

A good example of a “grower” song. Hated it at first but came to love it.

Combat 3 – Bottles Up – Vandalisim & Risk

Loads of jump kicks. A break for some capoeira lunges and then back to jump kicks. Dire music and not a “grower”.

Muay Thai – Breathe – Tickling Transit

Driving music with disappointing moves. Not the best Muay Thai track. It’s tough but repetitive.

Power training 3 – Surrender (Clubland Mix) – Al Storm feat. Amy

Powerhouse finale. I like the four styles of jabs in the middle section. Creates focus. Develops power.

Conditioning – Hard – Rihanna feat. Jezzy

So hard. So hard. Side planks. Ouch.

Cool down – Battle Cry – Havana Brown feat. Bebe Rexha & Savi

Someone asked for this song on Facebook. And described the words as “This is my Bathroom Light!” Battle Cry will never be the same again.

A solid release then. Tracks 2-5 stand out and will return. A few, for me, dire pieces of music (1 and 6) prevent this from being a perfect 10. People enjoyed the workout and I didn’t mix for ages at their request. The new format is established now and people are used to it.

Now it’s your turn:

What are your thoughts on Les Mills Body Combat release 67 and my review? Please leave a comment or share on social.

Break the Rules – Track List for Les Mills Body Combat release 68

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It’s here if you don’t mind spoilers!

The Track List for Les Mills Body Combat release 68.

Coming to a club near you in June 2016.

Les Mills Body Combat release 68

Look away now if you don’t want spoilers.

Scooter’s United Vibe was Track 2 in release 35. I remember thinking at the time the choreography felt like a Muay Thai. So here it is as a Muay Thai.

This means that throughout the history of Body Combat you can now use a Scooter song in each of Tracks 1-8 (sometimes there are more than one to choose from).

As always thanks to Simon Philp for finding this list first. Check out his blog  – you’ll find much more Les Mills stuff here!

Now it’s your turn:

What do you think of the Les Mills Body Combat release 68 tracklist? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Listen on Amazon:

If you want more spoilers you can click on the links above to see the music on Amazon. They won’t be exactly the same mixes because Les Mills often edit the tracks, and some are Les Mills cover versions and not available commercially.

Want Spoilers? Here’s the Les Mills Body Combat release 67 Track List.

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Do you want it?

Here it is then!

The Track List for Les Mills Body Combat release 67. Just as you are getting really stuck in and feeling the DOMS from number 66, Les Mills tease us with the next music selection.

Look away now if you don’t want spoilers.

Les Mills Body Combat release 67 Track List

Some oldies and goodies in this set. Thnks Fr Th Mmrs appeared in release 34 and Set You Free by N-Trance featured in both release 20 and release 40.

And Scooter’s back in the house!

All this is coming to a fitness club near you in April 2016.

As always thanks to Simon Philp for finding this list first. Check out his blog  – you’ll find much more Les Mills stuff here!

Now it’s your turn:

What do you think of the Les Mills Body Combat release 67 tracklist? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Listen on Amazon:

If you want more spoilers you can click on the links above to see the music on Amazon. They won’t be exactly the same mixes because Les Mills often edit the tracks, and some are Les Mills cover versions and not available commercially.

Party Monster – Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 65

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The third of the “new look” Body Combat releases sweeps in and annihilates arms and legs across the world.

And people are getting used to the new structure which I described in my last review as follows:

  • Warm ups so intense you feel you should warm up before the warm up.
  • A “press ups” section in track 4 .
  • High Intensity Interval Training (i.e Insanity or Metafit) masquerading as Body Combat in Track 5.
  • A cutting back on “sing along songs” replaced with driving lyric free music, or at least repetitive lyrics. 

In addition I’ve noticed that Track 6 is usually an intense leg conditioning capoeira workout. From the Muay Thai track onwards we return to the more traditional approach, for example Track 8 is a sing along euphoric punching epic.

Release 65 is easy to learn. There are a few instances of difficult timings but overall the choreography is simple. But I’ve realised in this new format we instructors have to work harder, despite that simplicity, to motivate participants. Especially during the more intense leg conditioning sections.

Let’s have a look at the tracks (You can click on the links to listen to the tracks on Amazon).

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 65

Upper Body Warm Up – We Came To Bang Feat.Luciana (radio edit) – 3LAU feat. Lucianna

A couple of slow jab crosses and we’re full on into fast jabs followed by fast upper cuts and our first combination. Straight in and taking no prisoners. The double hook and pulse again pushes the intensity early on. I am a fan of latching on to lyrics in my presentation and I wonder whether Dan and Rachael are referring to their new approach to Body Combat here?

“This could be the start of something new. This could be the moment we break through”
Hand up anyone who used the chorus lyrics?
“Walk like a model. Dance like a stripper”

Lower Body Warm Up – Levels(VIP Mix) – Pukka Moves

At the Quarterly Workshop, where we instructors learn the moves, the trainer laboured the cues for the new move in this section. We have to lift out toes and pivot on our heels in the “Quarter Turn Squat” to protect our knees. So important to keep our participants safe, I’ve been eagle-eyed in this technique. A tough move so early in the class.

I like the contrast of the side kick repeater and the normal side kick and pulse. Don’t you just feel able to kick harder in the latter having experienced the former.

Combat 1 – Ah Yeah So What(Radio Edit) – Will Sparks feat. Wiley & Elen Levon

An exhausting blur of endless jump front kicks. Eighty. Count them. Eighty jump kicks must be a record for Body Combat. And those blocks of 8 hard-core jump kick repeaters pump up the heart rate.

Traditionally we’ve seen jump kicks in track 4. Possibly with a maximum of 16 in a track. Moving them to track 2 when we are still fresh (though arguably still warming up so be careful) is sensible.

We have seen jump kick repeaters before in Body Combat if anyone thinks this is a new innovation. Back in release 34.

Power Training 1 – Lifting Me Higher (Back to 97 Mix) – Dougal & Gammer

One of the simplest power tracks ever. Three rounds of jabs and upper cuts split up by one simple punching combo. Easy to learn. Easy to teach with a focus on building up three levels of intensity.

  • Round One: Learn it.
  • Round Two: Burn it.
  • Round Three: Go Mental.

Combat 2 – Enemies – Shinedown

The “Cold Cruel Harsh Reality” of this track is more relentess effort driven by a catchy rock song. After a flurry of back kicks, knee strikes and front kicks, we revisit the side kick repeater and side kick  pulse contrast from the warm up. Then down on to the floor for the first round of press ups. Start at the bottom for a few reps. Press ups and shoulder taps. Then single press ups.

Collapse and groan before realising that you have to get back on to your feet and repeat everything. This is my favourite of the new style track 4s so far.

Power Training 2 – No Problem – Chase & Status

Another simple upper upper hook combo building to a never-ending burst of single hooks. Add in a made up count down (e.g. 99, 98,97,96) and see the look of shock on the people’s faces.

After two rounds of punches, and a sneaky 15 second sprint before each round we leave Body Combat behind and the class becomes High Intensity Interval Training. Hellishly hard squat jumps might blast the heart rate, beast the legs and leave you breathless. But do they have a place in a Body Combat class?

It’s one of the features of the new direction. Dan and Rachael want us to “train” like martial artists as well as pretend to “fight” like martial artists. This is the crux for participants either loving or hating the new direction. If you make that mental leap from “fighting” to “training” and accept it then the squat jumps definitely have a place.

Combat 3 – The Day is My Enemy – The Prodigy

I found the timing tricky in this difficult capoeira leg conditioning track at first. After those squat jumps participants are breathless. Maybe getting exhausted. The depth of work in this track is a big ask and requires motivation and clear cues. We revisit the quarter turn squat and have to keep an even closer eye on technique to keep people safe.

Awesome driving techno music pushes us through the pain.

Muay Thai – Party Monster – Groove Moves

Recent Muay Thai tracks attracted comments they were too repetitive. Party Monster breaks the trend by chucking variety in our faces. Several combos and knee strike combinations before the long end section of cardio busting running man knees. Great music to, “We have an ARRRRRMY!”

Power Training 3 – Heart Bleeds – Re-Con & Demand Feat Mandy Edge

A typically upbeat, long and tough finale to the cardio section of the class. Simple moves again and focus on levels of intensity. Work hard and earn those skipping breaks before letting your knees up your nose for more.

The last block moves from single jabs, to triple jabs, mixing singles and triples and finally back to singles might be the best last section for many releases.

Conditioning – Black and Blue (Smackdown) – Long Hawke

Three tough core conditioning exercises repeated to muscle exhaustion set to a great sing along rock song. “Oh Oh Oh Black and Blue.” Is just how we feel. Just under three minutes of core blasting results.

Cool Down – Love Me Anyway – Ginny Blackmore

No katas. Just stretching. But the song is gorgeous and the box split (can you do the full split?) is an exquisite move. A lovely way to calm down, get your breath back and recover. Boy do we need it.

So a great release. Perhaps the best of the new direction. I still miss the odd fun track though we are getting and updated version of “Pirates of the Caribbean” in the next release. Participants are warming to the format though fetching and putting away mats for the press ups in track 4 is still an issue.

Beyond that Body Combat release 65 gets results. How sore were your DOMS the day after you first tried it?

Now it’s your turn:

Do you agree with my review of Les Mills Body Combat release 65? Why not comment below. And do please share using the social media buttons.