Happy New Year to everyone reading Grandnat’s Blog. Thanks for all your comments and support last year – especially for the first episodes of my Group Fitness Over Coffee podcast. 2014 arrived with a cardio-busting flood of sweat and high heart rates as I launched Body Combat release 58 and Body Balance release 63 to my classes. People fill fitness clubs to capacity at this time of year as they seek to shed the pounds they put on during their Christmas excesses. These new Les Mills releases are tough, challenging but achievable and uplifting. And they work. Do you know how I know? 
Because two days after launching my arms and legs are screaming with DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). I can feel the results already. If you haven’t checked out the new Les Mills releases yet go along to a class. It’s a great way to start the new year as you mean to go on. And finally a confession. I’ve been a Coke addict for nearly all my life. When I worked in a big busy corporate I was always swilling back four or five cans of Diet Coke and Coke Zero a day with all their artificial sweeteners and additives. When I left corporate life I found I had moved to 2 litre bottles. I felt bloated and full of chemicals. Well I stopped drinking Coke last August and I haven’t had a drop since. I hated the first few weeks. I craved the fizz and the caffeine. But now I’m free of it and feel better for it. Whilst that was more like a mid-summer resolution than a New Year’s resolution I intend to stay Coke free for good. Have a great 2014. Now it’s your turn: Have you tried the new Les Mills releases yet? What do you think? Did they work for you. Have you experienced DOMS already? What are your fitness goals for 2014. Please leave a comment share your plans and goals.
Tag Archives: fitness magazine
First thoughts on Les Mills Body Combat release 58 after Edinburgh Quarterly Workshop.
As I write this review my legs are aching and burning with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). That is Les Mills Body Combat release 58 for you. It annihilates the legs and blitzes the shoulders.
The Les Mills UK training team often say that they really enjoy the quarterly workshops in Scotland. They describe us as mad nutters, loud , passionate and dedicated. And so Shey who was the master trainer for this event, rode the usual wave of excitement and delivered yet another amazing workshop. The atmosphere was electric even before the class started. The tension in the air was amazing.
Everything became a blur of loud music sweat, a few tears, loud Kiais and exhilaration.
Here’s what I remember about Les Mills Body Combat release 58.
- In track 2 there is a roundhouse kick challenge which works your legs and challenges your balance. The timing of the music in this track is tricky and will be very difficult to learn and to pick up the beat.
- The first power track is a song called Shooting Star (Al Storm HS Remix)
which has been in Body Combat before. However a completely different mix of the same song delivers fast and exhausting moves. In fact this feels more like a track 8 finale than one so early in the class.
- We have more Capoeira in track 4. Another interesting piece of music with added sound effects for those of us who cheese.
- The second power track, Cold as Ice, supplies another lengthy shoulder blasting experience with many different combinations.
- A passable cover of the Def Leppard song, Action, provides us with a karate based track six with lots of back kicks and blocks.
- And Muay Thai track is great fun and Shey injected much humour into her presentation with its millions of knee strikes.
- And unusually we have a long cool down track with a lovely Kata are again based upon karate blocks.
Roll on January everyone. It’s going to hurt.
Now it’s your turn: Do you agree with my first thoughts about Les Mills Body Combat release 58? What did you think of the quarterly workshop? Please leave a comment or post a link to your own review.
First impressions of Les Mills Body Balance release 63 after Dunfermline Quarterly Workshop.
Have you ever heard anyone say Body Balance is easy. I have. Quite a few Clubs position it to members calling it “the easy class”.
If you’re a Body Balance instructor, if you’re a participant in Body Balance class you’ll know that this is nonsense. Body Balance delivers a tough workout. Although not aerobically challenging, from a strength and flexibility point of view you feel the intensity.
But even I wasn’t ready for how tough Body Balance release 63 is.
They held the Quarterly Workshop at Club 64 in Dunfermline. The first thing I noticed was how hot the room felt. In fact it seemed hotter than a Bikram yoga studio. I had to place my yoga towel on my mat to stop myself from sliding off. The wooden floor became a sweaty sea slippery moisture.
However our master trainer was Ann-See Yeoh who delivered, as always, a fabulous experience both during the educational and taking us through the new tracks.
None of the poses appeared impossible to do for any of our participants. It’s just the combined intensity of everything together really took me by surprise. That combined with the hot room made it a very intense experience.
Here are a few things that I remember about the class.
- The Thai Chi warmup flowed beautifully with figure eight arms sweeps, arm circles and birds tails.
- Sun salutations challenges your arms and shoulders because on each round we go from downward facing dog, to plank, to crocodile, to upward facing dog and back to down facing dog twice in each salutation.
- Standing strength set to “Only You” a song by Ellie Goulding lasts for 8 minutes and shatters your legs. In fact I was shaking by the end of those eight minutes.
- In the abs track we see the return of “Pilates hundreds” and all sorts of combinations of crunches and hovers.
- For forward bends and hamstring stretches we have an interesting new concept called the “downward facing dog flip”. I’m not going to say anything more about that. You’ll just have to wait until the new releases come out to see what that is.
This will be a very challenging but very exciting release and I can’t wait for my music and DVD to arrive so that I can start learning it and deliver it to my members in the New Year.
Now it’s your turn: Have you been to your Quarterly Workshop? What were your first thoughts about Les Mills Body Balance release 63? Please leave a comment or post a link to your own review.
Watch the Sizzler Video Preview for Les Mills Body Balance Release 63
Since September we’ve enjoyed one of the best Body Balance routines Les Mills have produced so far. It’s a great workout with lovely music and the right balance between challenge and achievement.
Now it’s time to take a quick look at the next class which you’ll find in clubs late December or early January 2014.
(Click here to tweet this video.)
Looks like another great release. I heard Only You by Ellie Goulding and True Love by Pink in that short taster.
I can’t wait to go and see the full class at the Quarterly Workshops and to start learning for the next launches.
Now it’s your turn: What do you think of the video preview for Les Mills Body Balance release 63? Have you already seen the full class at the GFX event last week? Why not post your thoughts below or share a link to your own blog?