Body4Me

A new quarter, a new BodyPump release. I’ve just come back from out latest workshop for BodyPump 67  in the city. It was cold and rainy outside, but we turned up the heat inside. It felt like one of the biggest workshops ever. We had 293 instructors doing the masterclass at the same. Talk about energy! Nothing quite like the master trainers yelling ‘Are You Ready!’ and 300 instructors yelling back at the top of their lungs.

Ok, so what do we have here. The theme for BodyPump 67 is ‘The New More Powerful You’. No doubt about it too. By the end of this workout, you’ll feel… something… maybe not new, but certainly trashed :)  This is seriously one awesome release. With the last few releases, it has usually taken me a few listens before I liked a few of the songs. Not this time.  As soon as they hit play, I liked what I heard. The whole release has a similar feel to release 63. Big beats, nice grungy raw sounds when you need them and new moves to get deep into the target muscles.

Oh, and if you’ve been checking out the tracklists for this release on the internet, let me tell you, they’re wrong! Wrong mixes, wrong artists, wrong feel.

As you know, the secret to any good exercise program is variety.  Different moves, different weights and different intensity. The choreography team have really taken that to heart and given us a completely new and different workout. With Bodypump 67, We have new moves and  new sequencing to keep it exciting and effective.

So, without further delay, here is my (non-spoiler) preview and review of Bodypump 67:

Warmup:  Ok, you’re thinking… I know what’s gonna happen here… Nice light song about love, a few deadlifts, deadrows, Upright rows, etc, etc.  Well, you’re right about the first part. It is a light fluffy song about love. You already know from the sizzler that the song is called Bleeding Love. I know i’m a bit silly, but i couldn’t help giggling to myself, thinking “if you’re bleeding love, you’re doing it wrong” :) Anyway, back  to it. The general sequence is what you would expect, although they have moved a few of the moves around to mix it up a bit.We also do moves that we would normally see in the back track. I really like the warmup. It’s lively and really gets the body warm for the main onslaught.

Squats: Bring! The! Bass! Ahh yeah! I love my dance music and this one is right up my alley. Once the bassline hits, you know you’re in for one helluva workout! You’ll hear the rhythm and think and it’s a particular song, but you’re wrong :) Three big rounds with two breaks. You’ll need them too.  Big sets of singles and LOTS of bottom halves.. is 24 in a row enough for you ? No need to go heavier than normal on this one. Put on your normal weigths and pray you get to then end in one piece. This is a perfect example of changing the intensity to keep the muscles from adapting. I love this one. Close you’re eyes and imagine the strobes and coloured lights in the club. My new favourite squat track.

Chest: If you liked Enter Sandman (Metallica) or Famous Last Words (My Chemical Romance) from 63, you’ll love this one!.  Again, familiar beat but a different song. Raw. Energy. It’s a bit slower than usual, so you can add at least an extra kilo or two. I did and believe me, I felt the difference. Nice sequencing of slow and fast work to let you get through it.  Something new too.. Two breaks!. But, they feel like they’re about 5 seconds long each. You have long enough to stretch the arms back and then it’s straight back into it.

Back: E-Type is back in full euro-electro-pop goodness. Cheesy as it is, it works perfectly as a Back track. High energy beats and lyrics you can really work with. We get a different track layout too. Gone is the usual small warmup round. We get straight into the workout. Four sets of Clean and Press sets in total with a couple of breaks. There are some real quick changeovers too, so you’ll have to pay attention. If you’re looking to get the heart rate up, this is the perfect song. I reckon you can go a little heavier tha usual because of the sequencing. It works perfectly if you want to challenge yourself a bit more.

Triceps: Ouch! It hurts! Make it Stop!.. They’re just a few of the thoughts going through my head towards the end of the tricep track. P!nk is in the house with a funcky attitude track that hurts like all heck. We start on the bench with a nice heavy weight (heavier than usual) and end on the floor with a wicked set of tricep kickbacks for each arm. One tip though, do the tricep kickbacks properly if you really want to feel this one. No momentum swing. Stop at 90 degrees. I’m a big fan of this track. The only way it could be any harder if if it had dips in it. Thank goodness it doesn’t :)

Biceps: I’ll be the first to admit that i’m not usually a big country music fan, but the bicep tracks tend to work really well with it. This one is no exception. Bon Jovi gives us just over 4 minutes of party time. Big, toe tapping energy tune with a heap of work. To keep things fresh, the choreography team give us new moves and a weight change half way through the track. I really advise you take them up on the challenge and add that extra kilo or two when called for. It makes a massive difference. Don’t worry, the new move allows you to carry the extra weight to the end. You’ll make it.

Lunges: This is one of the all time classic dance songs andwe get an awesome new remix of it for our lunges. Definite Ibiza feel to it. We’ve been enjoying the bench lunges over the past few releases and this one once again gets us up on the step. Maybe it was just the intensity of the rest of the workout, but I could really feel this one get in deep. We start with a nice slow set of weighted lunges and then explode into the dynamic stepping lunges. As usualy, one leg at a time until you’re about to crumble :) Not much else to say here. The music rocks, the lyrics work and the workout hurts. It’s everything you could want from your lunges.

Shoulders:  This is the shoulder track ?  We normally save the fast techno tracks for the lunges, but this time we get a massive bass tune to hit the shoulders hard! Huge variety of moves. Pushups, Front Raise, Mac Raises, Side Raise, Rotator Raise, Overhead Press! Grab your plates. Are you Ready ? We haven’t had a tune as big as this for ages. I love it. The shoudler track is usually my favourite becuase they hit us hard when we’re just about out of energy and this one fits the bill. The beat is much faster than normal so you don’t even get tiem to think about the pain :) Empty the tank on this one. It’s a big as it gets!

Abs/Core: Ok, you’ve probably checked out the tracklists on the internet and thought “What the heck is this?”. Don’t worry… Yes it is that song, but it is a really good new R&B remix by a different artist. It’s a short song, but it’s worth it. We keep the innovation going with a new move they told us about in the sizzler. Plank Crunch.. It’s basically what it says, a plank and an upside down crunch at the same time. It sounds odd but it feels awesome. And by awesome, I of course mean painful. Everything about this track is slow and deliberate. You can feel evrything contract as you move.

Cooldown: Ahh, you’ve made it! What a workout. And what better than to finish it off with a big Aerosmith ballad. I really like this one becuase the stretches are nice and long. A few releases back, we had a tendency to make the stretches 2*8 counts, whihc I thought was a big quick. This time around, everything is 4*8 counts, which gives you plenty of time to feel the muscle relax, bring the heart rate down and focus on breathing.It’s the perfect way to round our a massive workout.

So, what did I think of it overall ? Love! It! This is one of the most powerful and fun releases of the 60’s. The music captures the workout perfectly. The moves give us variety.  The fitness magic is there in every song!

Honestly, every release the Glen Ostergaard (program director adn choreographer) and the team have done has been better than the last. These guys are pulling out all stops to give us the perfect workout every time. The amount of innovation we have seen in the 60’s has never been done before. Every time you step into the group exercise room, you’re in for a totally different workout. No wonder bodyPump is now the most popular group exercise program on the planet.

After having listened to the release3-4 times now, I like it more and more each time and I know you will too. Let me know what you think of it.

Have a fantastic workout!

**Update: I’ve got the review/preview of BodyPump 67 up here **

Ahh yeah.. It’s BodyPump workshop time again!

In a couple of short weeks, the quarterlyBodyPump 67 workshop is coming to town. (Has it been 3 months already?…. I guess having a baby warps time a bit). Can’t wait. Catching up with people I only get to  see at the workshops and getting a sneak peek at all the other programs.

Naturally, i’ll be posting a (non-spoiler) preview as soon as I can after that. I’m really looking forward to this one. There are some great songs in this coming release and possibly a few surprises. I’ve really enjoyed the variety of new moves in the ab tracks over the last few editions and this one promised to shake things up again.

I’ll keep you posted ….

For more of the current Les Mills promotional videos, check out their YouTube Page

As some of you may know, starting with release 66, the Les Mills team have introduced a new, shorter variation for Bodypump. It’s a 30 minute ‘Express’ class. In this configuration, you do 6 tracks : Warmup, Squats, Chest, Back, Lunges or Shoulders and then Abs (Core). No cool down and we skip the Triceps and Biceps completely. The workout is focused on moving the major muscle groups and using the maximum calories possible for that class type. You will still need to cool down and stretch after the class yourself.

Now, obviously, Les Mills is just doing what the market is asking. People want shorter classes to fit into their lunch breaks and around their ‘busy schedule’. It first glance, I was really excited about the idea. Hey, it’s a short ‘taster’ class to get new people interested in Group Exercise. It can be used as a warm-up class to something else (RPM, Body Attack, Body Combat, etc). You can squeeze it in anywhere when you want to get a quick workout. That’s all really good and I am totally for it.

But now, I’m a little worried about what this may do to the perception of people and the class. Are we diluting the program ? In our society, everything is about making things quicker, easier and more convenient. Does it make sense to apply that principle to exercise and keeping your body in shape ? At the end of the day, if you want to get fit or lose weight, there are no shortcuts. We all know there is no magic pill that will suddenly make you lose weight (long term). Yes, you can grab a tablet that will stop your intestines from absorbing fats or go to the doctor and get your stomach cut in half, but that’s not really solving the root of the problem. If you don’t change your mindset and how you think about your body, none of these things will last you long term.

If you wan to lose weight, you need to expend more calories than you take in. If you want to build muscle, you need to train them beyond their capacity. By offering shorter and shorter classes, are we giving people false impression that they can achieve their goals with minimal effort and barely raising a sweat ? All too often, I see people in the gym, walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes while chatting to their friends. Yes, I know it’s better than nothing, but really, who are we kidding? You’re not going to achieve any real results with that.

I’m just worried that busy clubs will start offering these classes instead of, rather than alongside, the normal classes and that participants will come to think that half an hour of exercise is all they need to get trim.

So, the way I look at it, it’s a double edged sword. On one side, this new format is an awesome weapon in our fight against globesity for those that use it to supplement their existing workout routine. On the other side, it can be misused to give you a false sense of security that you’re doing everything you need to.

If you’re an instructor and you’re teaching this new format, please make sure that you educate your participants  about the purpose of the class. Explain the benefits of each class format and try to ‘up-sell’ the longer formats.

If you’re a participant or someone who has not done a Group Exercise class before, try it out. BodyPump is an absolutely fantastic way to get in shape. Use it to add to your workout regime. You can try the short format as a warmup to a bigger workout or you can do it on an off-day. Just be aware that the class was originally designed as a 55 minute workout that targts every muscle group to give a full, balanced workout. The 30 minute class will be a compromised version that you may not want to solely rely on. And maybe, let’s ask ourselves, how busy are we really that we have to cut 15-30 minutes out of keeping ourselves in shape. At the end of the day, you only get one body. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Is your email, that spreadsheet, that report, that tv show really that important…. ?

**Update: I’ve got the review/preview of BodyPump 67 up here **

It’s that time again… We’re about to gear up for the next BodyPump release! Woohoo!

BODYPUMP® 67 is another strong and challenging release. This quarter the focus is on communicating the workout factor participants will get from each track. Instructors do this by coaching the specific weight selection, training objective and exercises used. Check out the new take on some old-school bicep training and a new Plank Crunch to challenge the core stabilizers. And watch for the chance to increase your weight selection in several of the tracks so you can get stronger, faster.

The music is a classic BODYPUMP® mix that features Heavy Rock from Finger Eleven in the Chest Track, with E–Type’s Eurofighter next up. P!nk is in the house with one of her biggest hits for the Triceps Track, followed by a wild and cheeky Bon Jovi number for the biceps work. So, cruise into the workout in the Warmup and get the feel of the steel with a mix of Deadrows, Wide Rows and Deadrows With Underhand Grip.

Then challenge your legs using a high number of Bottom Half Squats while keeping perfect form. The strong beats of Jan Wayne’s Piece Of My Heart will lift the commitment level of the workout. Enjoy the ‘X–factor’ in a wicked Shoulder Track and the Plank Crunch that rounds out the workout in the Abdominals Track. BODYPUMP® 67 is an awesome class that’ll leave you feeling physically exhausted but emotionally empowered!

Like I said in my previous post, I had a listen to the release tracklist and it’s pretty cool. I can’t wait to see how the Plank Crunch is going to work. I still love the Moby song from 66.

**Update: I’ve got the review/preview of BodyPump 67 up here **

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to have a listen to the upcoming BodyPump 67 release. Of course, it’s been killing me to not just post the tracklist and tell you all about it :) As we know though, we don’t want to spoil the fun for all the places where it has not yet been released.

What can i tell you about it though? The warmup is happy and lively, as always. The squat track is huge. Love the beat!. Chest, nice and grungy. I’m sure it’s going to hurt. Back, fun and fast paced. You’ll know the artist… we may have seen them before once or twice :) Triceps are good, not quite as ‘dancey’ as the last few releases. Uh, i’m going to like the Biceps track. Again, familiar artist, lots of guitar. The Lunges feature the usual up-pace dance beat we all know and love. Good song too, classic. You’ll all know it. The shoulder track is once again lively with a big beat. Not as ‘heavy’ a sound as we’ve had over the last couple of releases. Then come the abs… ermm…not quite sure what to say here.. Not the sort of music you’d usually hear in a BodyPump class, that’s for certain. Points for variety though… :) The cooldown is another big guitar based song you’ll probably know. Nice finisher.

So overall… Very different feel to BodyPump 66. Lots of guitar and not as ‘dancey’ (Yes, i know it’s not a real word) as the last release. I love that every release has a quite unique feel to it. Bodypump 67 is going to be another big workout, as always. Can’t wait!

Hi Everyone.

Well, we just finished our first week of Bodypump 66 classes. So, what’s the verdict from the crowd ? They love it!

I’ve had some real positive feedback about the warmup track. It’s a nice upbeat song with a really good bass line. It sets the mood very well. The Squat track is awesome with it’s three big rounds. For me though, the real fun is in the Chest track. Now, do yourself a favour : Go heavier on the weights ! The track is designed to allow you to put a little more weight on the bar as we finish early on the bench to hit the pushups. For my first class, I used my normal chest weigths and it simply wasn’t enough. Since then, I’ve been putting an extra 2.5kg on each end and it really makes a difference. You need to overload the muscles in the ‘Get Down’ part to make the track work properly.

The Back track is the next big one. Four sets of clean & presses is a lot of work ! You really have to focus and pull together to finish the last few sets of triple rows in good form.

As I said before, I love the Tricep track. Again, the choreography works very very well. I like it that much, I wish the whole track were longer. I’m sure my participants feel otherwise about the dips at the end though :)

The next big track is the Lunges. It looks easy on paper, but, wow, does it hurt. You get a few dynamic lunges to warm up, then 32 proper ones to really hit home. Each Leg. Once again, I had one of my usually so well mannered front row ladies whisper some pretty harsh obscenities during the track. That’s when you know the workout is doing it’s job… :) I really like the lunge tracks from the last few releases.

For the shoulders, again, go with the heavy option. Towards the end, you have the choice to very quickly grab a bar instead of using the hand weights. I highly recommend that one. Don’t get me wrong though, the track is hard, real hard. The Arnold Press move tires out every part of your deltoids. Using the bar at the end though really makes you feel though you couldn’t have done another press if you wanted to.

The Abs track is another one of my new favourites. The song itself is really good, but the rolling side plank move is my new favourite. It’s another one of those things that looks easy on paper but is quite hard to do properly. Watch your hips! Lock them into place. The idea is that you move your upper body and use your obliques to stabilise and rotate. If you move your hips forward during the movement, you take all the work right out of it. Don’t worry, once you’re doing it right, you’ll know it :)

So, once again, BodyPump 66 is a fantastic whole-body workout. The use of body weight exercises throughout the class really gets in deep. The music is fantastic, the choreography is perfectly matched and workout is hard. If you have friends that think group exercise classes are the easy option instead of going to the gym ‘properly’, bring them along to this one.

Enjoy your workout.

BodyPump. One Tribe, One Bar, One Workout.

Kia Kaha!

It’s May,so it is time for the quarterly BodyPump workshops. We just had ours this morning. Once again, massive room, heaps of people and a concert style sound system. I so wish we had the same sound system at our gym. 20,000 watts worth of Bass would make a fair difference to the atmosphere :)

First Impressions of BodyPump 66… Wow! If i didn’t know better, you’d think we’d gone back to the mid 40’s in terms of huge workout intensity. This one is massive! The squat track is huge, the chest track hurts, the lunges burn and the shoulder track brings a world of pain. Yay :)

The theme for release 66 is: Heroes Made Here. The focus for this release is on tough sequences of work combined with functional innovations. There are lots of body weight exercises that target the main muscle groups as well as hitting the smaller stabiliser muscles.
As always, the official rundown by Les Mills Program Choreographer Glen Ostergaard can be found here.

If you just want to look at the tracklist for this release, please have a quick look around in Google. There are plenty of sites by now that have it. Like I mentioned in my previous post, Less Mills would prefer us to not post the track list until the release has been launched around the world, so i’m going to give you this preview without spoiling the fun :).

**Edit 09/07/2008: Now that the quarterlies are well and truly over, here is the tracklist for BodyPump 66:

01. Rain Down Love - Freemasons Feat. Siedah Garrett
02. Cisko Disco (DJ Radio Mix) - Rico Bass v.s Deejay Bonito
03. Get Up - Technotronic
04. What Hurts The Most - Cascada
05. Time After Time - Quietdrive
06. On Your Way To The Disco - Rogue Traders
07. Show Me Heaven - Micky Modelle vs Jessy
08. Where Are You 2007 - Paffendorf vs The Real Booty Babes Club Mix Paffendorf
09. Extreme Ways Bourne’s Ultimatum - Moby
10. Always On Your Side - Sheryl Crow

Here is a track-by-track preview of what you can expect from BodyPump 66:

Warmup: As usual, the theme of the song centers around ‘Love’. That’s ok though, because you’ll love this track as much as I do. Here we have a happy track with a good beat, good lyrics and a good range of exercises. Definite toe-tapper. By the time you’re finished here, you’re definitely in the mood for an awesome workout. This one is also really good for beginners as we do an introduction to quite a few of the moves in the 4/4 slow-motion mode.

Legs (Squats): You know this one. As the sizzler mentions, a lot of instructors may yell ‘Oooooh.. we’re half way there…’ way too many times :). It’s a great remix with a huge beat! Lots of slow work and lots of singles. I love the setup from the 3/1’s to the Singles. Energy ! Energy! Energy! By the time you’re finished with the bottom halves, it’s straight into the next round. If this one doesn’t make your legs burn by the end, I don’t know what will.

Chest: Oh my goodness.. The never ending Chest Track. Don’t worry, it does end eventually after about 5 and a half minutes, but if feels like forever because we’ve gone a bit heavier on the weights. This one feels straight out of the mid 40’s. Even the song is appropriate for an old-school workout. Funky beat and lots of work. We get familiar with the normal power moves and then we hit a new little innovation that will totally overload your muscles. The extra time under tension we get in this track will make a huge difference. Best of all, once you think you couldn’t possible lift another round, it’s time for push ups. Not just normal push ups either.. Evil Push ups ;)

Back: Peak Time! As usual, Cascada does not disappoint. Big track with a massive beat. All the moves you would normally expect, and at nearly 6 minutes long, you’ll know you’ve done some hard work by the end. This track is so long, in fact, that there is room for another round of Clean & Presses. That means your break is pretty much smack bang in the middle! Lots of rows too, normal and wide.

Triceps: I love this song! It’s a remix of the old Cindy Lauper - Time after Time song. The song fits the movements perfectly. We split our time between the bench and dips, so you can really afford to go a little heavier on the bar than you normally would. You’ll be too busy humming along to the music to notice the pain anyway :) We have a great new pull-over combo move that will really put some load into the triceps. A couple of rounds of presses, extensions and combos and we’re ready for the dips. You remember them from release 64, right ? How many this time ? Too many to count.. Well over 20.. Ouch!

Biceps: Rogue Traders hit us once again with a tough workout. It’s only 4 minutes long, but you’ll feel every second. The track is designed to keep your arms pretty much under constant tension the whole time. Good variety of moves including plenty of bottom halves with a short break towards the end. Watch out for the final round though. We finish it off with some real burners!

Lunges: Another remix. Huuuuge techno beat that kicks in as soon as we’re done with the stretches. We start off with some wicked backward stepping lunges off the bench and finish the log off with a nice long set of normal weighted lunges. Shake, rinse, repeat on the other leg :) Once again, we have the option of using the single pate to really utilise the core muscles. The lyrics work really well on this one. You just can’t help but smile during this track. It’s just a fun, uplifting song.

Shoulders: The first time I heard this song, I thought to myself…’This isn’t going to be pretty’. Let me assure you, I wasn’t wrong. There are virtually no lyrics. Just a big dance beat. It sounds almost robotic. Again, a workout straight from the early 40’s. Like any good shoulder track, we start with a big set of push ups before we step into a world of pain :). We hit some delt raises and then the real fun begins! You remember the Modified Arnold Press from a few releases ago ? Well, it’s back. With a vengeance. Not only do we do them both slow and fast, we also change the move slightly to get even deeper into the shoulders. Use your normal weights for this one and pray that you’ll make it to the end.

Abs: Beautiful, atmospheric sound by Moby. This one is not so much a normal Ab workout as a full-on oblique workout. The focus here is very much on giving you that nice V shape in your body. We’ve got a new move here, the Side Plank Roll. You may know this move from Body Balance. It’s basically like a side plank but then we thread the top arm under the bottom of the chest while keeping your hips in place. If it sounds hard, that’s because it is :) We finish the workout with nice modified oblique crunches. I really like this Ab workout. I think it’s it’s one of the best we’ve had in a while (with the exception of 65, which was also awesome).

Cooldown/Stretch: Nice slow duet by Sheryl Crow. The best part of this song is that the stretches really last a long time. We get plenty of time to relax and reward some tired muscles. Not much else to say about this one. It’s just a nice and relaxing song.

So, overall, another massive workout from the Les Mills team. Glen Ostergaard and the rest of the choreography team have done another great job. Once day i’ll have to make it over to New Zealand for a filming. The Bodypump 66 DVD looks simply amazing. These guys have built an absolute empire on fitness and it’s easy to see why. Solid workouts, fantastic music and constant innovation. Well Done!

Can’t wait to get into this release. With quality like this, I can’t wait for BodyPump 67. Bring it on!

The other big news is that starting with this release, Les Mills are introducing a new 30 minute ‘express’ class format. In this configuration, you do 6 tracks : Warmup, Squats, Chest, Back, Lunges or Shoulders and then Abs (Core). No cool down and we skip the Triceps and Biceps completely. The workout is focused on moving the major muscle groups and using the maximum calories possible for that class type. You will still need to cool down and stretch after the class yourself.

There has been growing demand for shorter classes that people can fit into their lunch breaks. I think these could also be fantastic as introductory classes or as a ‘warmup’ to an RPM/Attack/Combat class. By my way of thinking, anything that will get people in the gym to keep fit and healthy is a good thing. There is a good chance that a newcomer who has started with an express class will move up to the full classes. That has to be good. We still keep the 45 minute format as well though. This new class style is just another weapon in our arsenal against the growing ‘globesity’ problem.

Have an awesome workout. Let me know if you like it!

**UPDATE**: I’ve got a preview/review of the new BodyPump 66 release right here

Sorry all. You were probably expecting to find the tracklist for BP 66 here. It turns out that Les Mills are pretty keen to wait for all the states and markets to go through their release cycles before we post full lists. So, in the spirit of keeping it fair for the others, I have removed the list.

You’ll just have to wait for your local release :)
In the meantime, you can check out Glen O describe it himself here

**Edit 09/07/2008: Now that the quarterlies are well and truly over, here is the tracklist for BodyPump 66:

01. Rain Down Love - Freemasons Feat. Siedah Garrett
02. Cisko Disco (DJ Radio Mix) - Rico Bass v.s Deejay Bonito
03. Get Up - Technotronic
04. What Hurts The Most - Cascada
05. Time After Time - Quietdrive
06. On Your Way To The Disco - Rogue Traders
07. Show Me Heaven - Micky Modelle vs Jessy
08. Where Are You 2007 - Paffendorf vs The Real Booty Babes Club Mix Paffendorf
09. Extreme Ways Bourne’s Ultimatum - Moby
10. Always On Your Side - Sheryl Crow

Trust me though, it’s going to be a big one!

Shamelesly stolen from various BodyPump forums and blogs, but it’s just too true not to post again :)

You Know You’re A BodyPumper when:

• Every other song you hear in the grocery store makes you look around for a bar
• The people in the next car next to you at a stop light wonder why you are doing bicep curls
• Your entire wardrobe is red and black
• You avoid ANYTHING that will interfere with your classes
• You get up at 4:45AM to go lift weights!
• Most of your friends are body pumpers
• You pick up a box with a three and one rhythm
• You keep your elbows in when scratching your nose
• You stand in line with your knees slightly bent
• You look forward to using the porta-potties at the state fair
• You judge every person you see by what BP could do for them
• Your bed is up on 2 risers
• You open your own pickle jars, thank you very much!
• You carry all the groceries in from your car in one trip
• You have more workout outfits than work clothes
• Your kids are astounded that you know so much about their music
• When you’ve got a little extra cash and buy a new BP top when you really don’t need to!
• You’re in a nightclub, the DJ plays ‘Flaunt It’ and you automatically start tapping your foot, chest proud, shoulders back, lock your elbows in and curl up that air bar suuuper slow!
• You’re non gym junkie friend gives you ‘the look’ when you keep saying ‘hey this is our chest track!’
• You’re at the Pink concert listening to Who Knew and instead of swaying and bouncing with the crowd, you suddenly realise you are halfway through a mental tricep track and about to hit the floor for dips.
• You sit in the toilet, you pull your hips back, pull out you chest and check that your knees don’t go beyond your toe line.
• You pass by a construction site you start yelling things like: good work, let’s take it home, watch your back when lifting that steel post or squeeze your glutes on your way up!!!
• You go to the disco, on your first song, you move every major muscle group to properly warm up.
• You prefer to eat donuts with your thumb in the hole!
• You get mooned and instead of being offended you correct their form!
• You’ve never been back to the weight room since you started BP!
• The traditional weight-lifting wisdom of 3 sets of 12 repetitions simply isn’t satisfying enough.
• You can’t lift weights without the music!
• You think a song sounds better in BP class, than it does on the radio.

So, you would like to become a BodyPump instructor ?
Awesome choice :)

It is a fantastic way to help people make a real difference in their lives.

To help get you started and to see what is involved, I have started to write a little ‘totally unofficial’ beginner guide to becoming an instructor.

Check it out over here : Patrick’s BodyPump Instructor Beginner’s Guide

It’s a constantly growing document. I will add more as I have the time. When I started this morning, was was a bit surprised that a couple of hours later I was staring at a 6 page, 2000+ word document :)

Let me know what you think of it. Leave a comment or send me an email.

If you’ve been to a BodyPump class over the last year or two, you’ll know Cascada. They’ve been featured on a number of releases:
57 - Back - Everytime we Touch
61 - Back - Miracle
63 - Squats - Truly Madly Deeply
66 - Back - What Hurts The Most

The common theme here… Back. The funny thing is, if you have a listen to their new album, pretty much every track sounds like a perfect back track!

Check out: What Do You Want from Me (Club Mix)
Quick Single and Triple Row warmup, break, 3/1 Deadlifts, 4 * Clean & Press, Triple Rows, etc… It’s amazing, the choreography writes itself :)

Another great one would be a better timed remix of Because The Night.

I quite like the whole Euro Dance sound, so i’m looking forward to more from them.

It does bring up the question though: Did they get jealous of E-Type (Featured very heavily in the 40’s and 50’s) ? ;)

Which Cascada song do you want to hear on an upcoming BodyPump release ?

PS: Did you know that you can suggest a song for any of the programs on the Les Mills website ?

**UPDATE**: I’ve got a preview/review of the new BodyPump 66 release right here 

Wow, how time flies. It feels like only a few weeks ago that were were previewing BodyPump 65 and now 66 is on its way already.

The Les Mills site has the new Revolution magazine available for download and they give some hints on the upcoming BodyPump 66:

Transform yourself with BODYPUMP® 66.
This release delivers a challenging workout with some tough sequences and functional innovations. Body-weight exercises are a focus and they bring intensity by increasing the recruitment of stabilizers and the power muscle groups. So watch out for Pushups in the Chest and Shoulders Tracks, dips in the Triceps, Stepping Lunges on the bench and the Side Plank Roll in the Abdominals Track. This move challenges the core and shoulder stabilizers and really hits the obliques — hard!
The Modified Arnold Press is put into reverse for a new combination in the Shoulders Track. Working both ways gives the shoulders a complete workout, mixing the direction of eccentric and concentric phases of training. And it’s tough — great for really isolating and chiseling the shoulders into shape.
The music is huge! Be motivated by some big powerful songs from Technotronic and Cascada, sing along to On Your Way To The Disco and Show Me Heaven and enjoy remixes of the huge Rock songs Time After Time and Livin’ On A Prayer.

BODYPUMP® 66 is a truly memorable group fitness experience.

Also, I hear that this may be our warmup track.

Sounds like another awesome release!

Oh boy… i can see it already… During the “Livin On A Prayer” track, every instructor in the world is going to be singing ‘Whooah, were half way there..’ on every chorus. I promise to you right now that I will only ever sing it once we’re actually half way there :)

The moves look fantastic though, all my favourites. The Arnold Press is a great move that makes a very welcome return with its fantastic range of motion. More Dips in the triceps, very good. Side Plank Roll… Can’t wait to see that one.
Looks like the choreography team is really turning up the heat in these new releases. Well done again Glen.

If you’re an instructor in Australia, make sure you come along to the Super Workshop in Sydney in April. Glen Ostergaard (program head choreographer) is going to be there too!
If you’re not in Australia, maybe it’s time for a holiday :)

PS: Congratulations to Susan Tolj and husband Steve on the birth of their daughter Grace. Susan is the head trainer for BodyPump and has been one of the main presenters on the DVD instructor kits for some time. Her energy and enthusiasm are second to none and I wish them all the best in their life and with the new baby.

Hey you, participant near the back of the room.. Yes you know who I’m talking about.. The one that’s been coming to the BodyPump classes for the past year, using the same one or two kilo weights every week and hardly breaks a sweat when we’re done. As Dr Phil would Say : Time to get real!

This morning, I tried something different. What I like to call High Performance Body Pump. Same music, same choreography… different mindset!

You see, it’s very easy for us to get in a bit of a rut whenever we do something for a long time. You see it at work, home life, food, everything. Exercise is no different. I could pick many people on the gym floor that are doing the same thing day after day and never get any real results. When I chose to become an instructor I decided that that was not going to be good enough for me anymore. I want to make a difference in people’s life. An actual real visible difference.

Now, I’m a high-intensity instructor at the best of times. If I make the mistake and have a coffee too late in the afternoon, evening classes look out :) People come to my classes for the high intensity and energy. Admittedly, I’ve lost a few participants along the way that just wanted to turn up and go through the motion, but that’s ok… More room for the people that want to make a difference.

So, this morning, I thought I would really focus on the mindset of coming to a group exercise class (or exercising in general). Yes, form and weight selection are very important, but what really matters is… Why Are You Here ?
The funny thing is, when I asked that question, quite a lot of people gave me a blank look that simply said ‘Because it’s 7am on a Wednesday, and that’s what we do…’. Most of the participants were not really thinking about what their outcome of this was, and that’s quite understandable with our busy lives. Sometimes you just want to turn off and follow along.

Very quickly after that, we made a conscious effort before the class to realign our goals and reasons for doing this. Why did you first chose to come here ? How do you feel when you leave ? What are you here to achieve ? How will your life be different when you achieve when what you came here for ?

Suffice it to say that a few light bulbs got turned on this morning. We had one of the best workouts ever. The form was better, the range of motion was better, the squats were deeper, the look of anguish was more intense and the sheer fire in people’s eyes was plainly visible. No one quit. No one took the easy option. People that would always do the pushups on their knees get up on their toes. We were a team with a common goal.

Everything you do is different when your purpose is clear. Work. Life. Exercise.

So, next time you ’step into my office’, maybe ask yourself.. Why Am I Here ? Why did I make the decision to do this rather than just take a half hour walk on the treadmill ?

I appreciate every single one of you that comes to my classes. I appreciate and respect the time that you are entrusting me with. I do my best to coach you through the most effective workout I can. Are you ready to challenge yourself ? When you walk through those doors, is your mindset ready for you very own personal High Performance BodyPump class ?

Patrick.

PS: Naturally, i used BodyPump 50 (One of the toughest releases…ever) to help us along today. If your local instructor has it, do yourself a favour and request it. High energy, lots of fun and the choreography team seem to have forgotten to put breaks into the triceps, biceps, lunge and shoulder tracks :)

Ahh… Just finished the first full day of BodyPump 65 release classes. As we all expected, it went absolutely awesome.

The Squat track really hit the spot right from the word go and the new choreography really makes sure your legs are pre-fatigued nice and early. As we were getting towards the last 20 seconds and the class started to get idea of what was ahead, I started to get the most beautiful looks of pain and disbelief. It was a struggle to do the stretches at the end.

I think i had the biggest reaction i’ve ever had out of a chest track. The lack of a break and the many many bottom halves really bites at the end. My classes, located right in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, are always quite reserved and not very vocal. This time though, groans, moans and a quiet expletive from one of my usually very well mannered front row ladies. What more could you ask for…

The rest of the class went equally as well. Massive energy in the Back track, more looks of hard work during the triceps and biceps. Love the Lunge and Shoulder tracks. Fun songs, great vibe and a massive workout.

After that shoudler track, the Abs were a killer. Moving hover, side plank, crunches, twists… arggh.. Love it. Good use of options from the Choreography team to really let everyone get to the end.

As i’ve said before, it’s an awesome release, get to a club as soon as you can and give it a try.

Also, over the enxt few weeks, i’ll be giving pointers on all the major BodyPump moves. I want you to get the best workout possible by targetting the correct muscle group for each song and executing it the best way you can. I spend as much time as i can during the class coaching the right technique and i would like to share it with you here too.