Tag Archives: fitness classes

First impressions of Body Balance release 61 after Edinburgh Quarterly Workshop

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , , ,

After the sweaty excesses of the Quarterly Workshop for Body Combat 56, I staggered out of Virgin Active at the Omni Centre in Edinburgh and found sanctuary in St. Andrew Square for a couple of hours. It was lovely to sit on the grass in the sunshine people watching as my muscles recovered from all those “matrix kicks”.

But soon I was heading back to Virgin Active for the Quarterly Workshop for Body Balance release 61. Our trainer was Kathryn Cullen, a very witty enthusiastic lady who had us all in stitches during the education session. As the only male instructor at the session, I wasn’t as interested in her stories of the perfect bodies of some International Master Trainers she had met recently, but the ladies seemed to appreciate her graphic descriptions.

Here are my first thoughts about Body Balance release 61.

body balance release 61
Screenshot from the DVD Masterclass.
  • The class begins with a stunning piece of music by Delerium (featuring Aude Feuilerat) called Paris which sounds almost angelic. We build up a lovely tai chi sequence layer by layer until we finish with a very beautiful flowing set of moves. A great start.
  • Pink’s song Try is very aptly named for the standing strength track. You will really have to try hard to get through a tough set of poses including triangle, extended warrior and sun warrior.
  • If you have tight hips from running then you are going to love the hip opener track. The combination of cowface pose and modified half lotus is exquisite, almost pleasureably painful. I know us guys find cowface pose difficult for obvious reasons but stick with it. Flexibility will come.
  • The core abs track is a great bit ouch. This could be one of the toughest ever.
  • I like the way we use upward facing dog and bridge pose to extend our backs in track 7. We do it slowly and I found this a refreshing change from the more recent full back bends we have had to contend with.
  • Once again we have two forward bends tracks amounting to nearly nine minutes of hamstring stretches. I love the focus on the wide leg forward bends in the first one and then the seated bends in the second.

It seems that we have another tough but lovely release. I can’t wait to learn this and launch it to my classes over the next few weeks.

Your turn: Are you a Body Balance instructor? Do you agree with my first impressions of Body Balance release 61. Share your thoughts. Leave a comment. Participants let me know what you think of the class once we’ve launched it.

First impressions of Body Combat release 56 after Edinburgh Quarterly Workshop

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , ,

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

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , ,

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 Balance release 61

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , , ,

The calm intensity of the winter release has warmed up many a cold and miserable evening. And so as spring finally arrives and summer beckons, it’s time to look ahead to the next Body Balance class from Les Mills.

Have a look at the sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Balance release 61.

  • Delerium are back supplying the music for the Tai Chi warm up which I have to say looks very beautiful and flowing.
  • Sound’s like Pink’s, Try, for the standing strength. I wonder how challenging that will be this time?

It’s always exciting to see what’s in a new release. This little taster has me looking forward to trying out the full class in a few weeks time.

Your turn: What do you think of the sizzler video preview for Les Mills Body Balance release 61? Why not post a comment or share your thoughts? Let me know what you think.