We successfully completed the launch of Les Mills BODYCOMBAT 70 last week and the members and I were so here for it!

I started practicing this release last year when it was available to instructors and I was blown away.  There are several changes to the class style, primarily with them incorporating H.I.I.T. into track five.   We have been migrating toward this for the last year or so plus, however with this release, we catapulted to an extreme new cardio zone.

Warm Up

The warm up has shorter upper body and lower body warm up songs and an additional floor warm up.

I found the floor warm up to be extremely challenging core work.  The multiple hip escapes with no option proved to be more than some members could handle.  I love the direction Les Mills is trying to take the program because it keeps us in a competitive space with all the other workout options that are all over the internet.  I would just encourage members who are not accustomed to this H.I.I.T. type of workout to ease into it and do what they can.  Several of my members created options that were doable for them.

 

PARRY 

A new move “Parry” was introduced in track 4!  It is the perfect instigator fight move.  Members really comprehend when you tell them to get someone out of your face!

Track 5

Track 5 is a major kicker!  You will sweat  and deplete oxygen like never before.  It is at the moment of the final set of mountain climbers that you think life is over in fitness.  Then you get the not so welcomed surprise of sprint intervals to complete the track.  I strongly recommend building in the 30 second break after track 5 to prepare for track 6.  A quick glimpse of video footage can be viewed on Instagram here.

 

Tracks 6 – 8 are neither to be played with!  Track 6 has some options but at full level, the climax had 75% of the class breaking for water before going to track 7. The Power Hooks in track 8 were a nice addition.  That was the ultimate unleashing of the beast before moving to floor work.

 

All in all, the integration , H.I.I.T., and new moves proved to provide a very challenging workout that instructors and members have not seen before.  These incorporations are here to stay.

My advice;

• Practice before you teach!  You don’t want to come to class and be physically unprepared to finish a track.  When I first practiced BODYCOMBAT 70 at home, I seriously couldn’t do all the hip escapes  in the warm up and you could forget about all those mountain climbers!
• Make sure members feel comfortable with options.  You may have to continually show the low options because so many people try to emulate the instructor, especially the first couple of times teaching the release.
• Continue to inform members about these changes and how it will benefit them!  I had a very thorough introduction the first few times we launched 70!  I even previewed members the week before so they could be mentally prepared.  You don’t want to lose class participants to the negative idea of H.I.I.T. being too hard for them.  Encourage them to give it a try, Motivate them to push through, Educate them on lower options and the physical benefits, and Reward them with applause and possibly pictures on social media displaying your pride for and of them.

I think these things will help us all transition smoothly over to the new way of “staying with the fight” as we continue to come in from week to week to kill it in our beloved Les Mills BODYCOMBAT!
Yours in Healthy, Active, & Prosperous Lifestyles,

Rx Fitness Lady wants to know…

• What did you think of the changes of BODYCOMBAT?