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First Impressions of Body Combat Release 53 after Edinburgh Quarterly Workshops

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Actually the Edinburgh Quarterly Workshop for Body Combat release 53 was fully booked so I missed out on the master-class this time. Fortunately my CD and DVD pack came the same day so my quarterly workshop this time round was in my living room.

First Impressions of Body Combat Release 53 after Edinburgh Quarterly Workshops
Body Combat Release 53 package

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Here are my first impressions:

    • This is a very hard release. The emphasis is on getting a core workout from knee strikes and kicks. Who needs crunches to get a six pack anyway?
    • Expect less rock music and more pounding beats from techno and dance tracks.
    • I love Les Mills dark and foreboding cover of Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams”. It sounds very gothic.
    • “True believer” is an amazing power track. Catchy song, driving beat and get down deep into endless upper cuts.
    • The leg conditioning lunges and esquiva moves in Track 6 are about the toughest I’ve ever seen in Body Combat. But the music is “Swagger Jagger” by Cher Lloyd – an absolute abomination of a song. I’m not surprised that the exercises are so hard because you need the pain to take your mind off the music. Okay I’m a professional and I will sell the song to my participants but really, the melody is from “Oh my darling Clementine” for goodness sake.
    • “Blade” is the Muay Thai track and it is off the scale. Feel the beat get right into your body and you will be gasping for air among a flurry of roundhouse knees and elbow strikes. We’ve had too much rock music at this point the class recently and this driving trance dance is much more suited to a massive Muay Thai workout.
    • More dub-step sounds from Skrillex in the conditioning phase. Press ups with knee to elbow and kick backs are tough. No wonder they call them “Oblique Shredders”

One again the Body Combat programme directors Dan Cohen and Rachael Newsham have given us a challenging testing combat experience. I must remember to breathe during that Muay Thai track otherwise getting the teaching points out will be difficult.

Over to you: Have you tried Body Combat release 53? What do you think of the level of intensity? Do you like the Muay Thai music more than the rock we’ve been used to? Go on! Leave a comment. Share your thoughts.

Click here to watch the taster video for Body Combat release 53.

First Impressions of Body Balance Release 58 after Edinburgh Quarterly Workshop

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As I drove to Virgin Active in the Omni Centre I wondered whether Body Balance Release 58 could be harder than the last one – where the core training was about the toughest exercise I have ever done and I was proud of my participants for hanging on in there.

The Edinburgh Quarterly Workshop was heaving. I spotted only two other male teachers out of a room full of over 50 ladies. The Les Mills trainer this time was Andrew Alleyne. He’s always friendly, always precise and always delivers great ideas for cues and teaching points. Well done Andrew for teaching the first 4 tracks without a microphone whilst the Virgin Active techies fiddled with knobs and wires to try to restore the sound.

Body Balance Release 58 Edinburgh Quartelry Workshop
The packaging for the CD and DVD.

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Here are my first impressions of the release:

  • The tai chi warm up is very simple and very short. Blink and you will miss it. It is good then that we repeat the moves later in the class.
  • The sun salutations is just as challenging as the last one – just substitute side planks with triceps dips and lunges.
  • “Next To Me” by Emelie Sande is the music for the standing strength track. I’ve heard this on the radio for months. Great to put some powerful moves to it.
  • Andrew described the Balance track as “quirky”. I’d describe it as wobbly.
  • The Core Abs and the Core Back tracks are not as out-and-out lethal as the last ones but are still extremely challenging. And Bird Pose is back. We see this once every 18 months or so in Body Balance which is just enough time to forget how to do it. Best get learning how to fly again.
  • Fabulous music called “Paradise” by Cold Play for the Twists track.

Andrew finished us off by making us hold down dog, tree pose and frog pose for five minutes each. If anyone knows a dignified way to get out of frog pose please let me know.

Body Balance Release 58 looks like another challenging class with great music (with some sing along potential) and a little eccentricity. Can’t wait to teach it.

Over to you: If you are a Les Mills Body Balance instructor what did you think of this new release? What stood out for you? Please leave a comment below and share your impressions.

Click here to watch the taster video for Body Balance release 58.

Seven styles of Yoga you’ll find in UK Clubs, Community Centres and Private Studios – which is right for you?

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If you are thinking of trying Yoga you might be a little confused about all the different styles. On timetables in clubs you’ll see titles like Hatha, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa. On posters in community centres and private studios there’ll be words like Bikram and Ivengar.

The good news is that all of them are good for you. Doing any form of yoga tones and strengthens your body and can refresh your mind. You may find that it helps lower stress levels and improves your flexibility.

Yoga is about 5,000 years old and even though there are many different styles, all based on the same poses, each style has a different focus. Here then is a description of seven styles of Yoga you’ll find in UK Clubs, community centres, church halls and private studios.

Hatha Yoga: In actual fact most styles of Yoga have developed from Hatha Yoga, but if you see this style on a class timetable you can expect a gentle pace and a focus on breathing and maybe a little mediation and relaxation. It’s not too strenuous or difficult and as such is a great style for beginners.

seven styles of yoga
photo credit: gbSk via photo pin cc

Vinyasa Yoga: Expect to be constantly on the move and flowing directly from one pose into the next. You match breath to the flow of poses so you will find yourself inhaling in one position and exhaling in another. There may be more of a focus on the “sun salutation” here – 12 or more poses linked together into one sequence. More strenuous than Hatha Yoga you might find that this increases your stamina.

Ashtanga Yoga: In this style you’ll explore more of the “8 elements of Yoga” than the pose and breathing elements of the previous two. The pace is quite fast and there are many push-ups (the fabulously named Chaturanga Dandasana). This is definitely for fitter people looking to strengthen their bodies and improve their flexibility, but it can also allow you to get in touch with your spiritual side if you so wish. Ashtanga usually follows the same set of moves in every practice so you will know what to expect every time.

Power Yoga: This style is a modernised form of Ashtanga and can be just as tough if not more so. The main difference is that the teacher will follow different sequences in each class which means that there will be more variety of exercise. There may also be less or no emphasis on the more spiritual elements of Yoga here as well.

seven styles of yoga
photo credit: gbSk via photo pin cc

Iyengar Yoga: The emphasis here is on bodily alignment and precision in the poses. Expect to use blocks, straps and even towels to help achieve the moves which are often held for long periods of time. This is another good style of Yoga for beginners precisely because of the focus on technique. And you’ll explore some of the other “8 elements” as well.

Bikram Yoga: Practiced in a very hot room heated to between 95 to 100 degrees F, expect to sweat buckets and flush toxins out of your body. The heat can help ease tight muscles. If you want to push yourself then this is a good class for beginners and experts. As with Ashtanga the sequence of exercises is always the same – in this case 26 poses over the course of 90 minutes.

Hot Yoga: Similar to Bikram expect that as in Power Yoga the teacher will vary the poses and the routine in each class.

Of course nothing is totally set in stone and some teachers might mix styles. You could see a class called Power Vinyasa Yoga for example.

Over to you: If you are thinking of trying Yoga which of these styles appeals. If you already practice, which do you prefer? Are there any styles that I have missed that you enjoy practicing? Please leave a comment or a link to your favourite.h

What is the difference between Yoga and Body Balance?

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In a Yoga class you might do an pose (exercise) called Warrior 2. In Body Balance you could be asked to perform the same move. You may see Yoga classes and Body Balance classes appear on the timetable in the same fitness club. So what is the difference between Yoga and Body Balance?

Crucially Body Balance is an exercise to music class based upon moves from Yoga, T’ai Chi and Pilates. Les Mills, the New Zealand based fitness giant behind the programme describes Body Balance as follows:

BODYBALANCE™ is the yoga, t’ai chi and Pilates workout that builds flexibility and strength, and leaves you feeling centred and calm.

And the exercises are often modified from the originals to make them more achievable for people of all ages and abilities.

In a Yoga class your teacher may play music but it will be very much in the background rather than a focus for your attention. In Body Balance the exercises are specifically choreographed to the music. So you might perform the Warrior 2 move during the verse of a well known song and then move into a different pose during the chorus.

Les Mills launch a new class structure every 3 months with new moves and a whole new play list of great songs.

difference between yoga and body balance
Poster for Body Balance release 58 – launching September 2012

Depending upon the style of yoga the class might embrace more of the “8 Elements of Yoga” rather than simply the exercises and the breathing awareness you will focus on in Body Balance. In Yoga there is much more to explore and for some people it can become a way of life (although others will not consider these other elements).

Sometimes, unfortunately, people can be put off Yoga because they have heard it has religious overtones (it doesn’t), or that it is about chanting and spirituality (it can be but it doesn’t have to be). Body Balance focusses entirely on Yoga based exercises and leaves out all the rest.

As a teacher of both, I have found that that Body Balance has more general appeal initially but can provide a great introduction to Yoga. Both can provide similar physical and health benefits such as greater strength, more flexibility and muscle stretch.

Many people go on from Body Balance classes to find they enjoy the “full” Yoga experience even more.

Over to you: Which do you prefer, Yoga or Body Balance? What elements of each do you prefer? Please share your thoughts and leave a comment below.

Find out more about here – What is a Body Balance class?

Find answers beginner’s Yoga questions by clicking here..