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Fight The Resistance – Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 63

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Let’s start with a huge positive.

Les Mills Body Combat release 63 kicks the proverbial in delivering a tough workout and physical results.

Programme directors Dan and Rachael delivered something different with number 63. Still the same Body Combat we know and love but with subtle changes. Like Marmite some people love the changes and others hate them.

Change is good. Of course it is. But after teaching Body Combat for over 11 years I’ve found it’s taken longer to “get” this release. Longer to sell it to my participants. Longer to fully appreciate it.

In fact it wasn’t until just last night, in a packed “Monday Night Fight Club” that I finally thought, “This is a great release”. It’s taken over three weeks of teaching.

Up to that point people have walked out, demanded the immediate execution of T2 and T4, insisted upon standing options instead of  the floor work in T4, and bemoaned the lack of singalong “fun” songs.

Here’s what I think is different about Body Combat 63 perhaps contributing to the long flirtation before consummation I’ve experienced here. I’ve based these thoughts on genuine comments from participants.

Speed and Intensity

Faster than earlier classes, Body Combat 63 works you hard from the start. It feels as if there is no warm up. Straight into intense hard work our shoulders particularly feel the effects after only a few minutes. I don’t have a problem with raising the bar. We can give lower options of course.

Samey music

Tracks 1b, 3, 5, and 6 all sound the same. A heavy pounding bass and drum combined with epic synth and limited lyrics. Whilst the choreography that goes with the music is fine, it took me so much longer to find hooks in the music to translate into fun for the participants.

For example T3. “Do it do it baby”, repeated about 50 times is not as catchy and memorable as we’ve had in the past. Compare that to “And I never thought that you would be the one. Come along and snatch my heart and run.”

T5: “Hold on” repeated about 200 times.

The Muay Thai is the first track with a genuine singalong opportunity the “La La La La LAH!” in the circle phase.

Too Serious and where’s the fun?

Up until the Muay Thai it’s all so serious. I know that Dan and Rachael want to create an authentic martial arts experience. But the reality is that a large proportion of the participants don’t want immersing and definitely want drowning in the “essence of martial arts”. They want a fun escape from daily life.

This release feels as far from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” track as it’s possible to get. And yet there’s a reason “Pirates” remains the most often requested old routines.

Floor work in Track 4

Great to see some conditioning earlier in the class. And it toughens the work out. But having the floor work in the middle of a routine devoted to advancing side kicks doesn’t work in most UK studios.

Some people want mats. But there isn’t time to set them up and put them aside.

People sweat buckets on to wooden floors during the floor work and then have to skate through the liquid for advancing side kicks on the left.

A better way to handle this would have been a T4a and T4b with a musical bridge to allow time to place mats and towels where necessary.

So let’s have a look at the tracks (and you can click on the links to listen to the music on Amazon).

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 63

Upper body warmup – Get Ready (Steve Aoki Vocal Radio Edit) – 2 Unlimited

Different to any warm up we’ve ever had. We think we recognise the song (first appeared in Body Combat release 10) but it shifts direction. After the bluff we have fast hooks, fast uppers and then those powerful jabs synchronised with the “Hey!” samples in the music.

Perhaps the first warm up never to feature any shuffling forwards or to the side. In fact there is no shuffling at all in this class. A definite first for Combat.

Lower body warmup – Survival Of The Fittest (Radio Edit) – Coone

Initially reminiscent of past lower body warm ups, this has an unexpected and tough capoeira section burning the legs and raising our heart rates.

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 63

Combat 1 – Badboi – Pegboard Nerds

Yes the low switch lunges are hard and continue the onslaught started by capoeira in the warm up.

Yes the forty odd roundhouse kicks challenge balance, work the supporting leg and test even the most crafted techniques.

But after one or two tries T2 is just boring.

And it’s not helped that the music is an abomination. I will be acting on my participants requests to execute this track soon.

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 63

Power training 1 – Get A Way – Sporty Breed

An epic power track with great moves and uplifting music. I love the last two reps on the main combos where the main musical theme repeats. Turn it up loud and sweat.

The “Dynamic Pull” or as people call it “The Body Attack Bit” is an interesting innovation working a set of muscles in a different way than I think we’ve ever seen in Combat.

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 63

Combat 2 – Edge Of A Revolution – Nickelback

Powerful front kicks and squats. Advancing side kicks building from the slow introductory examples to the faster section and topped off by the little Bruce Lee hop before the kick. It’s challenging and the timing is tricky but the side kicks continue to sculpt our legs.

Floor work is a welcome change but as I’ve said before it doesn’t work in the middle of the kicking. Make it a separate track.

Power training 2 – Holdin’ On Right Now – The Solar Rival

Another solid hardcore power track culminating in a huge combination of punches, hooks and weaves. Just as a power track should be. Building a combination layer by layer and then fitting it all together into melee of blurred breathlessness.

Combat 3 – Fight The Resistance – Brennan Heart & Zatox

First time we’ve ever seen the Jump Front Kick in T6. A couple of good combinations set to a pounding bass line. A pretty unremarkable track.

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 63

Muay Thai – Dead! – My Chemical Romance

Insanely fast.

Takes time to master the speed of the knee strikes to the beat of this thrash rock song (with its bizarre lyrics about death and hospitals). A grower it now stands out as one of the best in the class. The social ending with double knees in a circle and everyone singing along to “La La La La LAH!” redeems the lack of singalong moments earlier.

Power training 3 – Shine (JBC Remix) – Geos Crew feat. Zara

A typical all round cardio blaster finale. The main combo builds again and the uppercut repeaters give us the opportunity to finish off our shoulders and work the core abdominals in a very visible way.

And you CAN sing along to this one! “You are my Guide. You are My Light. You take me to the place. Where I can FIGHT!”

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 63

Conditioning – Three Strikes – Afrojack feat. Jack McManus

Since we’ve already performed our fair share of press ups in T4 this conditioning routine focuses on the abdominals. Influenced by CXWorx a series of hovers, side plank raises and last crunches ignite fires in the core. Not one part of the body isn’t fatigued by this point.

Cool down – A New Way To Bleed (Photek Remix) – Evanescence

Stretches and Katas to a powerful heavy metal ballad by Evanescence.

It’s taken time but like a fine wine Body Combat release 63 has matured and is another solid release.

Now It’s Your Turn:

What do you think of my review of Les Mills Body Combat release 63? Do you agree? What do you think of the floor work in T4? It looks like it’s in the next class as well. Is that a good thing? Please leave a comment below or post a link to your own thoughts.

For another perspective on Body Combat 63 – read Simon’s Blog here.

First Impressions of Les Mills Body Combat release 63 after Glasgow One Live Event

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One Live hit Glasgow in March to showcase the new Les Mills releases to a combined audience of instructors and participants of thousands.

Previously known as “Super Quarterlies”, or “GFX”, One Live is a joint venture between Les Mills and Reebok to fill large venues with fitness fanatics.

The atmosphere was electric as always and the new classes delivered by the UK Training Team with Rock Concert style PA systems.

One Live has a language all its own. People were there to “Smash it.” To “Crush it” and to “Kill it!”

You could use any of these words to describe Les Mills Body Combat release 63.

So what’s it like?

The programme directors have subtly changed the class.

  • The Upper Body Warm features an often used in Body Combat music sample (as far back as release 10). A red herring it leads us into a warm up with a different feel to almost any other.
  • Track 2 is basically one move repeated about a million times.
  • The song to Power 1 (Track 3) is catchy. You’ll hum it for days afterwards. And the moves rock your shoulders too.
  • We hit the floor in Track 4. What? Trust me. It works.
  • There’s a synth riff in Track 5 I’ve heard before in Body Combat. I’m usually pretty good at remembering but this one took me ages to track down. Can you remember the original? Strike a pose and think about it.
  • The Jump Kick is back. The first time it’s ever appeared in track six.
  • Hovers, side planks appear in the conditioning track.

Release 63 feels like a step up in intensity. Just subtle changes but you’ll feel the results and you’ll sweat like a tap.

And now the learning begins.

What do you think?

Were you at One Live? What did you think of Les Mills Body Combat release 63? What about that track 4? Why not share your thoughts by leaving a comment or a link to your own blog?

Let The Beat Go – Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 62

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“Let The Beat Go” might be the best Muay Thai track in the history of Body Combat.

I wanted to get that statement out-of-the-way before launching into the rest of the review.

The pounding techno beat, rock guitar and the swirling keyboard riffs combined with an endless arsenal of knees and down ward punches create an exhausting, uplifting ferocious fight.

A very few people have said they find it too long and repetitive. Most genuinely let themselves go and become engulfed in the chaos. And of course the cheesy bit when you flip the music off just for the second and the class scream, “LET THE BEAT GO!”

Well done Dan and Rachael. A real stand out track. I’m tempted to end the review there but actually the rest of Les Mills Body Combat release 62 is pretty damn good as well.

Let’s have a look at the tracks (and you can click on the links to find the tunes on Amazon).

Simple moves (just jabs, hooks and upper cuts) woven into an uplifting song that raises the heart rate surprisingly fast. And of course “I want nothing but the best……from you, and you, and you, and you too!”

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 62
Round House Set Up

Another short sharp track and more sing along words before the Dubstep beat crashes in during the roundhouse kicks. We’re warm and ready to hit the main part of the fight work.

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 62
Karate

 

  • Combat 1 – Famous Last Words – The Wrapper

A traditional, almost old school track two. A rock song and a punch combo to which we add the roundhouse kick. A middle eight section with karate blocks and side kicks and then it’s back to the first combo. Fun with sing along words, “I’m not afraid to keep on fighting!”. Perhaps the least impressive track in this class but it’s up against some killers.

Recent track three’s have lasted well into six minutes. This one is shorter, sharp and powerful. We pack in the same adrenalin as we would in a longer power track because the moves are fast and relentless.

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 62
Side Kick

 

A dance version of the Katy Perry hit Combat 2 includes a kata introduction followed by two sequences heavy on knee strikes. At the end of each “side” the beat becomes heavier and we repeat knees and front kicks, and knees and side kicks in blocks until our legs begin to cry for a break. “So you want to play with magic?” Yes please.

I wasn’t keen on this track the first few times I taught it but it’s been a grower. Coach hard on the travelling punches and those jumping jacks and heart rates explode.

  • Combat 3 – Y.A.L.A. – M.I.A

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Capoeira and deep into the legs for squats lunges and precise kicks. First few teaches of this track were painful. A teeth gritter, this leg conditioning ignites fire in your leg muscles. Quite a short piece of music and it took me a while to learn the moves but it still hurts 6 weeks in.

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 62
Downward Punch – Let The Beat Go!

“Let The Beat Go” might be the best Muay Thai track in the history of Body Combat.

Oh I’ve done that already haven’t I?

Let’s move on.

  • Power training 3 – Power Of Love – Absolutely Elegant

A suitably epic finale with punches and upper cuts blurring into one melee of hardcore sweat and tears. For the last set of running and punches I’ve split the room and drawn on the power created by giving my participants a face to face opponent.

Just as an aside this song made my think how many songs have there been called “Power of Love”? In Body Combat there was a dance cover of the Huey Lewis and the News version in release 25. Outside the Les Mills world I remember Frankie Goes to Hollywood and was it Jennifer Rush?

Review of Les Mills Body Combat release 62
Isn’t This CXWorx?

 

All abdominal. A killer track. Feels like we’re really in a CXWorx class. Can’t remember a core conditioning track in Body Combat being as sore as this one.

A pleasant cool down revisiting the kata from track four. We need this peace to slow down the heart rate and the breath. But nothing can stop the sweat which continues to pour down and soak our shirts from top to bottom.

In my opinion, Les Mills Body Combat release 62 is almost a 10. One of the best releases in ages. Having seen the preview video for the next one I know there are changes afoot and a further increase in intensity.If it’s as good as this. Bring it on.

Now it’s your turn:

Do you agree with my review of Les Mills Body Combat release 62? Let me know what you think. Leave a comment or a link to your own blog.

For more chat about Body Combat 62 check out Simon Philp and I talking about it on the Group Fitness Over Coffee Podcast. Click here.

It’s Out – The Track List for Les Mills Body Combat release 63

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It’s out already – even before I’ve posted my review of the last one!

Do you want to know? You can find the track list for Les Mills Body Combat release 63 below.

Look away now if you don’t want spoilers.

Track List for Les Mills Body Combat release 63
Photo Credit: nzglen.wordpress.com

Carry on reading if you would like to know which songs we’ll be working out to in March 2015.

As always thanks to Simon Philp for pointing out the list. 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 63 tracklist? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

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. But it will give you a good feel for what’s on its way.