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 61 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.
Once again 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 Balance release 66 track list? 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.
Simply stunning. Challenging but achievable. Tough and beautiful.
Body Balance release 65 flows from one high to another. A perfect blend of musical styles and a set of moves that challenge even the most flexible people without the “you are having a laugh” factor.
It’s well known that in my opinion the last Body Balance, number 64, was a clunker. The first dud release in almost 25. Here’s an astonishing return to form. 65 is poles apart from 64. They’re at opposite ends of the spectrum in every respect.
Teaching it is a joy.
And from the start of the Standing Strength track until the end of the Core Back track we see almost 27 minutes of intense hard work. Standing Strength, Balance and the Hips tracks all feel like standing strength tracks – but veered subtly towards their target goals. Relentless is the only way to describe the Core tracks. Only after halfway through the twists do we start to chill out into the final forward bends.
An addictive Katy Perry song (“Make me your Aphrodite.) starts us off with tai chi moves almost ballet like. We flow through only two repeated sequences, but keep low with bent knees and you’ll start to feel a burn in your legs straight away.
Simplicity wins and we’re warm within four minutes.
Most sun salutation tracks start with feet together. Occasionally, as here, we start with feet wider than the yoga mat. Lunging back from a wide leg forward fold, and later stepping wide, introduces a hip opening challenge into this second warm up track.
And before each sun salutation sequence we flow through two spine roll ups before folding forward again. Known as the “Shiva” in previous Body Balance releases, this graceful sequence warms and mobilises the spine.
If you aren’t keen on the Rhianna song, Les Mills provide us with an alternative piece of music by Delerium. Same sequence of moves but trance instead of rap. I could happily flip between the two songs and actually find myself tempted to use both back to back to create a super sun salutation.
Standing Strength: Ordinary Love – Peaceful Gate
A very passable cover version of U2’s Ordinary Love (from the Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom film) guides us through this standout standing strength track.
Your legs will burn in the squats, the warrior poses and the challenging bind during the extended warrior pose. We experience a new pose in the shape of the reverse triangle. The fusion of squat and forward fold in the introductory flowing sequence is exquisite, leading up to the start of the tougher moves once the drum beat kicks in.
I’m sorry but I can’t help singing along to this one. The best standing strength track for ages.
Aeroplane and half moon pose often appear in balance tracks. This time they feel tougher and much more challenging.
Why?
It’s because start the pose from low down with hands on the floor and open outwards and upwards. In the vast majority of their previous appearances we start high and aim to lower ourselves down. Such a simple reversal of direction transforms the poses and alters its intensity.
A huge hip openers. Just a few seconds short of 8 minutes long. Three legged dogs, wide lunges with the option to drop to your elbows and the always welcome swan pose.
In the few silent seconds when we’ve finished the right side and we’re about to go for the left, I’ve cued, “Take a deep breath. Look at the person next to you. Roll your eyes!”
The last three tracks have blitzed our legs. We finally lie down for the abs but there’s no respite from the intensity.
Cycling crunch twists, reaching up for the feet with straight arms and legs and “seal feet claps” and crunching between wide legs can be summarised in one word.
Ouch.
The song’s called “Happy.” It will make you smile even if the exercises will make you grimace.
And now the pace is chilled. I love the contrast between seated forward fold and twisting forward fold. However I would prefer to hold each for longer rather than alternating between the two several times.
Revisiting the tai chi moves brings this track to a graceful and satisfying conclusion.
And wake yourself up to face the rest of the day energised and strong. A calming and to what is quite simply one of the best Body Balance releases yet.
Now It’s Your TurnDo you agree with my review of Les Mills Body Balance release 65? Let me know your thoughts. Please leave a comment or post a link to your own review.
Is this the most relentless Body Combat class so far?
Are programme directors Dan and Rachael celebrating 15 years of Body Combat with a super-fast intense workout? Les Mills Body Combat release 60 sets new standards.
After teaching a new release I usually develop “delayed onset muscle soreness” the day after. And then I get used to the moves and the aching subsides. Not this time. I am still developing DOMS even after 3 weeks of teaching.
On the masterclass DVD, after the conditioning track, Rachael says, “You’re going to wonder what we were on after you teach that.”
Not just the conditioning track though. I wonder what they were on whilst choreographing the whole class. It is relentless. Not a beat goes by without some challenge. You’ll be breathless and drowning in sweat.
A strong start with an apt song title. A dance remix of the famous Pat Benatar song. The usual introduction to upper cuts, jabs and hooks melts into a shuffle sequence featuring the “decoy switch” move we’ve not seen for many releases. The decoy sets the tone for leg conditioning almost from the start so it’s not a surprise to see that we also practice squats and ginga lunges within the first few minutes.
A packed lower body warm up with knee strikes, front kicks, shoot lunges, hip rolls, roundhouse, side and back kicks. You’ll feel muscle burn in your legs during this track to the extent you’ll think it feels like a Combat track. Together the two warm ups last nearly ten minutes, so we’re hot a ready to move into the harder work.
Given this dance version of Katy Perry’s Roar is all about lions and tigers (and Champions) – I think the choreographers missed the opportunity to include the claw strike move.
Back Fist
Combat 1– Black or White (Combat Remix) – The Treat Ring
Not quite the shortest Combat track in Body Combat history but it makes up for its brevity with intensity. Apart from the 32 beats at the start there is not one beat in the track that isn’t attached to a punch, kick, plyo-push or back fist. And for us old-timers, if you listen carefully, there are a few sound effects and warning bells included in the music. In the early days of Body Combat (up to number 15) we had these bells to remind us of imminent choreography change.
Power 1 – Fly Away – Deer Between
We’ve heard this track before back in Body Combat release 29 and in my opinion that older version is better than this one. However the moves are fast and furious with a focus on repeated hooks. Feel your shoulders begin to burn. Here we also see the first example of the “interval within and interval”. For example on the repeating jabs section, go at it on level one for the first 32 punches. Then relish the opportunity to show a visible rise in intensity. I want to see it. I want you to feel it. We all want to hear it.
Ouch! Squats. Plyo-lunges, roundhouse knees and side kicks joined together into a long sequence without a break. It hurts and it works. I’m always impressed by how a track like this tricks you. Your kicking leg “seems” it’s doing all the work. But by the time we finish each half of the track your support leg is screaming for a rest. It doesn’t get one.
Timing is a little tricky in this one. I’ve found stepping back into the first plyo-lunge helps you keep on the beat before jumping the rest.
We need the shuffling forward section of this song to recover from “Emergency” before once again laying on the jabs thick. More opportunities to play with different levels of intensity. A very fast track and if you try to take your “hook, upper, hook combo” off the beat of the music, it feels faster and more authentic. The song itself is unremarkable but the moves carry it.
More decoy switches continue the onslaught on our legs. The “Head Tummy Head” punches build nicely to the eventual addition of three powerful front kicks. I can’t help smiling when I teach this song and remember a classic cue a friend of mine came up with for a similar combo. “Head Knackers Head,” he said. That won’t offend anyone will it?
Superman Punch
Muay Thai – Kryptonite – Proof Luke
Have we ever had a track as fast, relentless, intense and gruelling as this? Running man knees challenge stamina, and you might forget to breathe. I like the “Superman Punch”. However I had the benefit of a twenty-minute tutorial on the quarterly workshop. Putting across so much information in less than a minute is challenging.
But once you get it you can feel how powerful the move is.
In some ways I wish they hadn’t called it the “Superman Punch” because that conjures up an image of jumping high into the air – which we don’t do. The jump forward is low, imperceptible and sharp.
The last section of endless knee strikes – four on four, then two on two, then one on one will have you shaking and wanting to throw up.
Not much respite here either. A huge track 8 which burns the shoulders and continues to challenge stamina. It’s a good job there’s no shuffling about here because I’m not sure we could take it. Endless upper cuts encourage abdominal twists – like sit ups stood up.
Ab Attack
Conditioning – You’re the Best – Blazed Calm
In recent conditioning tracks we’ve seen hovers, planks, komodo dragons, Brazillian cross chokes and allsorts of CXWORX cast offs. Here is nothing other than good old-fashioned crunches and press ups. Interesting that given its simplicity it turns out it’s one of the most intense and painful conditioning tracks I can remember.
I challenge anyone not to sing along the chorus of this song at least once.
“You’re going to wonder what we were on,” said Rachael
“Now we are free”, originally from the Russell Crowe movie Gladiator, feels like cool breeze after a day of blazing sun. It’s mellow, chilled and slow. Just what we need after the last three relentless sweat fests!
Body Combat release 60 might be the most intense ever. In some ways it’s a shame it came out when it did. Due to the dates of the Quarterlies this time round, quarter three is very short. Most clubs will launch mid/end July and the next releases will be here in September. That combined with summer holidays means that many people might miss the full effects of this marvellous class.
Now it’s your turn:
Do you agree with my review of Les Mills Body Combat release 60? Is it the fastest most intense we’ve ever done? Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Or post a link to your own review.
