BodyCombat 64 thoughts – Where the freaks at?

Les Mills BodyCombat 63 and BodyCombat 62 sits in the shadows as we slowly approach the mixing phase.  How has BodyCombat 64 gone down?

No jump knees but more floor work. (predictions from previous review).

Today we talk about Les Mills BodyCombat 64. Tracklisting for BodyCombat 64 has been out for a while now and initial thoughts were mixed after listening to the release a couple of times.

Masterclass

Only Dan and Rach on the masterclass video just how I like it.   No bad camera angles trying to get a big group in which means you can actually see what’s going on.

Initial overall thoughts

This was a tough one when I done the workshop as I literally landed back in the country after 2 and 1/2 weeks off.   Track 4 leading into track 5 certainly stuck with me and the master trainers delivering the workshop made the release feel good.

Anyway onto the tracks

Track 1a – Upper body warmup –  Freaks – Timmy Trumpet feat. Savage

When I heard the music I couldn’t wait to get stuck into this track. Love it. Straight into the world of shoots with some simple boxing punches.  Like how they’ve kept it simple while allowing the whole body to start warming up from the offset.

Playing on words “where the freaks at” is an obvious one here. Another to play on is playing the trombone while doing the single jabs, just making sure to iterate to keep a slight bend in elbow.

Track 1b – Lower body warmup – Can’t You See – Shermanology & GRX

Knees, front kicks and then laying the foundation for track 4 with the sidekick step.  Thing to remember here is that it’s the warmup. Focusing on technique, direction and strike zone will set the foundation for track 4. Nice simple effective lower body warmup.

Track 2 – Combat 1 – I’m Shipping Up To Boston – Sway Spice

Very short, very quick, “fun” track 2. We hit a mental sweat with the fast combination that does need some thought, not only doing it but teaching it.  Is there an instructor out there who hasn’t done a little dance to this?

Track 3 – Power training 1 – You’ve Got The Love (Breeze & Modulate Remix) – Sosumi feat. Missy DJ

8 minutes this tracks comes in at. When you think the combination has finished bang they hit you with some more.   Simple effect boxing combination, like the breakdown of hooks and jumping jacks. One for future mixing.

Track 4 – Combat 2 –  Blast Off – The Basic Proton

Side kicks following on from the lower body warm up followed by floor work.  I like this track but can get boring very quickly over a couple of weeks, the press-up pulses are by no means easy but really what’s next, the triceps push-up, core work? I can see ideas running out quick for this track unless they change the format of the track again…..

Track 5 – Power training 2 – Hot Right Now (Jag Skillz VIP Mix) – DJ Fresh

Following on from all the shoulder work in track 4 we’re thrown in the deep end.  Interval training with long uppercut combinations.  This point in the class it’s the matter of sucking it up and getting on with it.

Track 6 – Combat 3 – Black Widow – Iggy Azalea feat. Rita Ora

Shoot, switch lunge, double front kick, more switch lunges.  If you’re not feeling this in the legs once you’ve done this track then there surely is something wrong.

Track 7 – Muay Thai – La Nina Mechanica – Engine Florida

Quite alot of various exercises this time round.  Starting fast with the jab, cross, elbow, cross.  The variation from the circular elbow to the descend elbow was a great call as it throws in variation. The chink in the chain for me was the plyo push with front snack/push kick.

Knees certainly get the heart rate up there, I wonder what difference it would make if you added on another 20 seconds of singles knees?

Track 8 – Power training 3 – If You surrender – The Truly

I am a little curious to wonder why Dan and Rach didn’t keep with the jab,cross * 2 and 2 led leg hooks from the warmup and instead alternate the hooks? Breaking up the combinations with the move introduced in BodyCombat 63 the dynamic pull.  Solid track 8 one to keep in mind for future mixes.

Track 9 – Conditioning – Shell Shocked – The Proven Lab

Core work in the form of a c-crunch, cross crawl and then targeting the lower back. Like any Les Mills group exercise class comes with options.

Track 10 – Cool down – Simply Amazing – Trey Songz

Nice cool down as always.

What Next?

BodyCombat 65 track listing is out. What will BodyCombat 65 bring?  Predictions : More “to the floor” track number 4 (triceps)?

Lot of new moves from BodyCombat 50 through to BodyCombat 60 and they’ve been one hit wonders.  Will we see these moves again any time soon?

Roger and I will probably be chatting about this release soon so please check out his group fitness over coffee podcast.

Got launch pictures/videos you want to share?

Every release after my thoughts have been made public I do a post on “Everything BodyCombat release?”.  These can all be found : http://www.siphilp.co.uk/tag/everything-body-combat.  If you’d like to share something in the Everything BodyCombat 64 then please get in touch.

Give Feedback

If you have any thoughts about BodyCombat 64 and you’d like to share then please feel free to comment or get in touch. Previously you could give feedback to Les Mills but would seem the website doesn’t offer such a facility any more.  Your best bet?  Take it to twitter :).  If anyone from Les Mills global is reading this please can you make it easier for instructors and participants to give feedback?

Finally, dear Dan and Rach

Please can we start having bonus tracks? Every other Les Mills programme has them, options are good. 🙂 Thank you in advance…