BodyPump 69 Preview / Review
February 17th, 2009What ? Time for a new release already ? What happened to the last one ?
the third quarter always feels like it’s over in a flash with the whole Christmas and New Years break that keeps everyone out of the gym.
But now, we’re back. 2009 ! New Year, New Release.
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to BodyPump 69.
Before we get stuck into the preview itself, what’s the general feel ?
- Awesome music with a nice blend. Rock tunes, dance tracks, something to keep everyone happy. Some big remixes of classics make an appearance here.
- The choreography reminds me of the Mike McSweeney BodyPump days. Simple, repeated sets that hurt you more with high reps and big weights than with combos.
- Where are my breaks ? One track is missing it completely and when they are there, they feel much shorter than usual. I think it’s one of the reasons why my heart rate was higher throughout the workout than with other releases.
So, without further ado, here is my preview / review of BodyPump 69
Warmup: As always, we start with a happy, upbeat tune. I wonder, is there a special store where you buy all this happy music ? :) The choreography is a bit tricky in this one and we see a nice variation on the lunges early on. I like the way the choreography team are playing with the warmup routine lately. It keeps the program fresh. BTW, if you’re an instructor check out the DVD. Susan Renata does the warmup. Would you ever pick that she had a baby just a few months ago No, me neither :)
Squats: Load up! It’s a massive track with a short warmup round followed by three big working rounds. The song is perfect for the squat track. ‘Let’s get the part started’ indeed! What’s the focus today ? Lots of slow moves to get deep into the muscles at the start of each round. Once we’ve fatigued the muscles, we head downstairs for a whole bunch of little ones before we hit the big singles. Round one done. 2 second break. Guess what, we get to do it all again…. and then again! Arggh. You can really feel the McSweeny style choreography here. Simple, but as effective as it gets. Oh, btw, we had Alani (from the DVD) at our workshop. He did the track with 40kg on the bar….and made it look easy.
Chest: Short one for this release, so we need to put a bit more weight on the bar. Really try to keep an extra kilo or two on the bar for this one to get the full workout effect. The big, grinding rock tune will carry you through the pain. Once again, we meet short, intense rounds taht give you just enough intensity to make you think you can’t possibly handle any more before your to slow down and start the next round. Oh, watch out for the last round though. That one will push you just over the edge :)
Back: I remember this song… It’s a remix of a dance classic that we already used back in the BodyPump 40’s. As normal, we get a little round of rows to warm up the body before the big work begins. After that, three big round of deadlifts, clean & presses, rows and triples to raise the heart rate (and the roof). With all the rows, the focus for this really lies in your form and core stability to focus the workout on the upper body. I know i’ve said a few times already, but the choreography in this release is really hitting home for me. It’s easy to learn and remember, so you can spend more time focusing on the workout.
Triceps: The bar makes a welcome return as we hit three short rounds on the bench before we go upstairs with seated plate extensions. It’s also the first time in this release that we get to see any sort of combo move. This one is really well timed as it takes the load of the working muscles for a second and allows you to keep going a little longer. I would recommend that you go jus a little heavier than you normally would. With three rounds and the combo in each round, you can easily go an extra kilo or two on each side. Don’t forget about the seated overheads at the end though. Grab the biggest plate you can see and hang on till the end. ‘Shut up and drive’ ? No. Shut up and squeeze! :)
Biceps: I think Glenn O is a bit of a P!nk fan. We meet her again, this time in a tiny but super intense three and half minute biceps track. It’s that short, we don’t even have time for a break. Use the shoulder rolls between the rounds to get some blood back into the arms. I like the bottom half moves for the biceps and this one doesn’t disappoint. All intensity, all the time. You never feel like the bar stops moving. Want to feel what it’s like ? Do ‘Pump It’ from Release 58 an remove the break.
Lunges: Time for some innovation. More weight. New moves! This release, just like 68, adds some squats into the lunge track. This time though, the bar is back behind the head again and we change the range and target zone of the squats. Think continuous loading for the whole length of the track. Like with every song in this release, the breaks are virtually non-existent. Make sure you have some spare plates for some dynamic lunges to finish the leg workout.
Shoulders: Ahh, what’s that you say ? We get an actual break in this one ? What a pleasant surprise :) Seriously though, this is one awesome shoulder track. After some initial push ups to get the blood pumping (on the bar, of course), we run through two full rounds of exercises that include both the plates and bar. It’s a very different feel to our normal shoulder tracks and a very welcome change. Normally, we progress from the plates to the bar for the power moves. This time around, we get a chance to work with the plates and bar in each round and push the body to a completely different kind of workout. Some more push ups to finish it off? Sure, why not. BTW, did you spot the ‘Night Train’ sample at the start of the track?
Abs: Seriously, a mashup of country songs? Yup, you’ll hear a beat mix up of “Werewolves of London” and “Sweet Home Alabama” in a song that works surprisingly well for an abs track. Quite a traditional ab workout n this release. Plated crunches, bicycle crunches, twists, all the usual stuff. The song is nice and slow, so you’ll get plenty of time to make the moves long and deliberate. Just when you think it’s over though, we might just hit you with hover and a side plank. Stay with us, it’s good for you ;)
Cooldown: consistent with the theme of the release, the cooldown/stretch track has a bit more feel to it. Nice refreshing rock ballad with good long 2 x 8 stretches. Time to collect your thoughts, think back over the past hour and congratulate yourself for another amazing workout.
So, overall, another great job from the Les Mills team. Yes, I know I say that about every release, but this time, the different feel and different focus gives us something new and intense to sink our teeth into. I can’t wait to start teaching this one soon.
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