Dan and Rachael have changed Body Combat recently.
Massively.
They snuck the changes up on us. The format is the same at a high level but completely different if you dig deeper.
Warm ups so intense you feel you should warm up before the warm up. A “press ups” section in track 4 that’s here to stay (but we still need time to collect our mats please!). High Intensity Interval Training masquerading as Body Combat. A cutting back on “sing along songs” replaced with driving lyric free music, or at least repetitive lyrics.
Body Combat is a tougher work out. More focus on drilling specific moves. Higher intensity. Sweatier.
It gets results.
But has it gone too far? I’ll come back to that.
First, let’s have a look at the tracks.
- Upper Body Warm Up – Freaks – Jimmy Trumpet featuring Savage
We begin the upper body warm up with a lower body move – the shoot lunge. Adding to the feeling this is beyond a warm up our legs begin training from the first beat. We segue into two combos which become repetitive but the music drives us through. “The Bass and the Tweeters make the speakers go to war”. Here’s a lyric we can hook on to. Are you ready to go to war?
Note the lack of any shuffling forward, back or sideways in this warmup or the whole release. Is that a feature of the new Combat format? Everything takes place on the spot.
- Lower Body Warm Up – Can’t You See – Shermanology & GRX
A great lower body warm up. Drilling front kicks and side kicks in four explosive intervals. The slow side kicks are tricky to time but once the beat pounds in we’re away.
Is the first release ever not to feature the roundhouse kick? Come to think of it there aren’t any back kicks either.
- Combat 1 – I’m Shipping Up To Boston – Sway Spice
At two minutes and 13 seconds this track is over before it’s begun. I feel the upper cuts do not flow into the jump kick and the reset is awkward. The first time I taught this I pulled a muscle in my back and needed a week off and physiotherapy. My fault. The weakest track in the release. Pointless.
- Power Training 1 – You’ve Got The Love (Breeze & Modulate Remix) – Sosumi
I love power tracks like this. Practice the components of a combo separately them combine them for a relentless workout. It’s patented Dan and Rachael power training. I struggled with the music whilst learning this one. The vocals are so far back in the mix (strangely not in the PPL Free version) as to be inaudible. And the pauses in the synth riffs disorientates you and make you feel you’ve missed a beat. Great moves and one of the longest track 3s ever.
- Combat 2 – Blast Off – The Basic Proton
Great guitar riff though I’ve failed to discover where they sampled it from. A repeat of the side kick drill from the warm up. We are hot now so we can kick harder and tone our glutes.
Down on the floor for press ups. Lack of time to fetch mats still means some participants prefer to perform squats instead. Those endless top half press ups hurt.
- Power Training 2 – Hot Right Now (Jag Skillz VIP Mix) – DJ Fresh
A completely new approach to a power track modelled on High Intensity Interval Training. Drilling upper cuts and sprints in incremental bursts builds up to a breathless crescendo.
I expected a lukewarm reaction from established participants, but some hard selling and motivational cueing means it is the highlight of the release. As good as it is thoug, that sprinting section isn’t Body Combat.
Smart Start seemed a little weird to me at first. The suggestion new participants should pack up and leave after track 5 rather than over do things and be put off for life. After this track I can see the logic behind the suggestion.
- Combat 3 – Black Widow – Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora
After the calorie annihilating interval track we’re offered no respite. Deep capoeira moves reduce our legs to jelly. “Until you hate me,” sings Rita Ora. I know the class hate me after this one. Those fast switch lunges at the end are manic.
- Muay Thai – La Nina Mechanica – Engine Florida
Hard pumping techno beats. A simple set of Muay Thai moves. Another calorie blaster. The last set of running man knees underline the new tough direction Body Combat is headed in. A few tricky timing issues try to trip us up but it’s a mammoth workout. I’m a massive fan of rock music but I prefer techno Muay Thai tracks.
- Power Training 3 – If You Surrender – The Truly
A good old-fashioned sing along power track song to finish with. We don’t surrender. Perhaps not as challenging as some finales (though we have worked hard in this release) but still sweaty. A euphoric way to finish.
- Conditioning – Shell Shocked – The Proven Lab
A good combination of crunches and cycles ending with the lower back raises which help strengthen the core. What is the guy singing about? Butter Kist? “Knock Knock to the Butter Kist Shell Shock.” Maybe not.
- Cool Down – Simply Amazing – Trey Songz
Typical cool down stretches and a powerful Kata set to a great rock ballad. An uplifting ending to a tough, relentless and sweat drenched release.
To return to my earlier question though. Have Dan and Rachael taken things too far?
The answer is probably not. Because Body Combat 64 is popular. People have taken on the challenge. They’ve seen results. They like the sweat and the calorie burn.
But I think they might appreciate the odd nod to the past. So Dan and Racheal, let’s not forget that fun tracks also motivate and burn. There’s no sign anymore of the odd cheesy fun track. Will Dan and Rachael ever lower themselves to another “Pirates of the Caribbean” style track. Rejected by those that take all this “One Tribe” marketing hype too seriously, as slow and cheesy, let’s not forget that Pirates is still the most requested old track.
Yes focus on technique is good. Yes the essence of martial arts is the core of the programme. But don’t adhere too strictly to your new format that you lose an army of fans who want to have a laugh as well as a workout.
It’s only bloody aerobics after all.
Now it’s your turn:
Do you agree with my review of Les Mills Body Combat release 64? Why not comment below. And do please share using the social media buttons.
As a participant of eight years I agree with most of that. I do find the repetition of kicks in T4 after doing the same thing in the warm-up rather tedious. Being too lazy to go and grab a mat did force me to do all 37 push-ups on toes – which means it has done its job in forcing me to do something more than I thought I was capable of doing.
T5 is an interesting change – but I wouldn’t want that type of thing in every release. The push kicks in T7 are very awkward in the timing before the beat kicks in. I also don’t like the massive number of shoots in the *upper body* warm-up.
Overall it’s relatively easy to pick due to the amount of repetition in it – but that’s also its biggest problem as it becomes boring very quickly. BJ73 has the same issue with the second-half block.
And I hate that we only get PPL music so can’t do ‘Pirates’ any more. That was sooooooo much fun.
Thanks for commenting Graham.
I don’t want it to be fun, I want it to be hard. Which it is. I don’t want any singing along, if people are singing they sure as hell arnt working hard enough. All the tracks are great, track 2 is all about your stance and footwork, I find it works well and is powerful, drill it before you teach it. I don’t give the option of grabbing mats for track 4, no one complains. Weight is in the hands not the knees. all the extra conditioning work is great, there’s more to martial arts than a nice little comfortable 1-2 roundhouse combo, makes me wonder what some instructors teach. A lot of style over content going on. It’s not aerobics and fighters have to run aswell. Dynamics are great! Big up BC64
Great comments “Someone!”. But for every “someone” who doesn’t want fun there is another “someone” who does.
The key is to balance both audiences and you keep everyone happy. Go too far one way and you lose half your audience.
Sorry to disagree but this is THE worst BC release I have done in over 6 years, and the first i’ve not felt gutted when i’ve had to miss a class.
It has not been popular in our classes and has been the fastest ever turn to old releases and mixes.
The music is just dull dull dull and the choreography is uninspiring. Track 4 leaves a puddle of sweat on the floor (luckily there is no movement in subsequent tracks though the split jumps get a bit slip and slide). And then watch the heart rate plummet in the No Intensity Interval Training.
BC has always been a fun form of intense exercise for me, a refreshing and motivating alternative to running and gym work. This release makes me yearn for hill rep sessions as the fun option!
That is my view and that of the vast majority in the classes I do.
I knew this post would create debate, Malcolm great points.
Personally I think Dan and Rachael have lost touch with their core customers. Marketing is about giving your customers what they want not what you think they want.
The core Body Combat client is not looking for martial arts authenticity- they want to lose weight and have fun and shout “Kiai”.
It’s as easy as that.
This release is very hard. But much of it is not Body Combat!
Yes – we want to imagine we’re Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee in a movie, not in MMA boot camp! (at least I think so).
Fair play to them for trying something different but as you say they may lose touch with their current market.
For me my hardest exercise and biggest effort comes when the music is enjoyable as it takes the mind away from the pain and keeps me driving on. Unfortunately I find most of the music in this release an irritating background noise of little or no help or merit.
there are new ppl in my class that loved BC 64, but for others that made more than 10 years they are like it’s not fun, it’s kinda hard because the new crew it’s other generation of fighters meanwhile the old crew it’s like let’s come back to the old format, I feel divided cuz it’s like a 50 – 50 and there is a big true, the new format is so much effective than others, so it would be nice to know how do I mix the old format to the new one, I have ideas but not sure if I am doing it well …
Personally I’d say this release has generally been a huge hit where I have instructed it at. Also it seems to have bought quite a lot more new people into the classes (generally the booking is always full even at this time of year!) with the easier to absorb choreography. Am beginning to naturally think about mixing now but really not sure where to start as no one wants changes yet (but they will get them!). Even track 2 has grown on me over the last couple of weeks and I’m finding more connection with the music and participants with this release than any other since I qualified (56)..
I can of course see the point others have made about it not being like it used to be, not so many sing along tracks, perhaps alienating the people who have been doing it for years (I started as participant at about 44 I think). I’m currently liking the changes overall though..
(ps. The Internet rumor mill suggests that the most popular track you mention may be coming back in 66…)
Hi Roger,
I think you make a very good point when you state that Dan 6 Rachel are losing their core audience. I made the same point in my blog from October. Since then, I’ve slightly changed position for four different reasons:
First of all, after having linked to the blog in the BC Fanatics group on Facebook, I was quite surprised HOW evenly down the middle the split was. I thought the “conservatives” were a great majority – we are not.
Secondly, I have great friendly relationships with most of the instructors around Copenhagen and one of them did chastise me! “By complaining about the new stuff, you could make otherwise indifferent participants negative, as you are figuratively (and literally) a front-rower and they pick up on your sentiments.”
Thirdly, there’s the “Yes man” philosophy. Based on the same instructors long and insightful criticism of my attitude, I’ve tried to look at things more positively. I’ve stopped requesting tracks when we mix, taking what I’m “given” as a challenge. If my favorite appears without me requesting it, even better! I’ve worked on getting better at the stuff I hate (e.g. push-ups). In total i feel better for it. I’ve regained my enthusiasm for all the classes and my aspiration of becoming an instrcutor myself.
Lastly, all-though I still think there’s a very conscious money-driven plan behind the change, I think “they” listen, and I think things are getting better. Push-ups are push-ups but the HIT stuff in 5 is becoming better and better.
All in all: Yes, I do prefer the old tracks – but hey – I’m an old fart, and that’s what we do; think about the good old days. Some times we need to kick ourselves and approach things with a positive outlook and a “what can this do for me” attitude.
Thanks for such a detailed reply! I think we are getting used to the new format.
“Rejected by those that take all this “One Tribe” marketing hype too seriously” <- hahaha right on money. Seriously, sometimes I feel LM is becoming a sect and in some of people's room they have altar with Reebok-LM product on it.
I have been doing combat since release 1 (remember barracuda anyone?) I think this new stuff is just awful. I don’t feel I work as hard as the old stuff and I totally agree that it isn’t fun. The choreographer should come back from their extended holiday and someone should put some effort into finding great new tracks rather than recycling old ones or turgid techno tracks. Best track is always the Maui Thai the only one where you actually feel you’re working and not being completely bored. As for push ups I just don’t do them and never will. Just isn’t combat. The best release is still the one with let the beat go and Katy perry dark horse from early 2015(before it all changed for the worse). More like that please! Completely exhausted and exhillerated by the end. Boredom and repetition does not encourage me to work hard…..