BodyPump 83, a review

Over the weekend, Team USA finally released BodyPump 83 to the group fitness world of eastern Maine, and judging from our class numbers, it was a rousing success.

All three of our launches drew a packed room, and all of our participants seemed to enjoy this challenging, inspiring release.

Without further adieu, here is my review.

Warmup: The transitions in this warmup are funky with the upright row-overhead press combination, but it gives participants a sneak peak of what to expect in the clean and press in Track 4. The song is peppy and got the participants revved up and excited for the work ahead, which would feature a whopping 800 reps!

Squats: While a few instructors weren’t too thrilled about a song from a squat track three years ago making its grand return, the choreography certainly put a fire in people’s legs. The “pressure cooker” at the end of the track – seven sets of four bottom-half singles – drew a lot of smiles, sweat, and hard work. From a music standpoint, this version of Summer of 69 is way better than the prior. More of the lyrics are featured, and it was easier for us to tie them in to use some fitness magic.

Chest: Even though some folks were griping at the fact that this was a Chris Brown song, the choreography here was awesome! Only three sets of work, but the second one surely set the tone, especially with those quick-slow tempos smack dab in the middle. None of my participants had anything bad to say about this one, music wise or choreography wise.

Back: Ohh, another Adele song! While I’m sick of all the damn Adele songs in BodyPump, Les Mills did a fantastic job of turning this into an uplifting, inspiring back track. It’s not the toughest, with no triple-wide rows, but that last set of power press combinations – three to be exact – takes the cake. Big cardio kick, spiking the heartrate, toning the back and burning calories

Triceps: On paper, this didn’t seem like a challenging track, but it certainly was! Three sets without a break doesn’t seem like much, but this one was no walk in the park. Not the best song in the world, but the choreography made up for it, and the participants got a nice kick out of it.

Biceps: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!! Another short yet challenging bicep track that had our participants smiling and toning those guns! It’s a perfect song for a bicep workout, and we did an outstanding job of tying the lyrics into the workout. This is one I’ll be keeping in the mix for quite some time!

Lunges: First off, I’ll say that I hope jump squats are here to stay for a while. Judging from what people are saying about them, it’s a safe bet they aren’t going anywhere for a while. This track is a lot tougher than the jump squat lunge track in BodyPump 82, because we pick the bar back up for more weighted squats and lunges after the first set of jump squats. It kicks the heart rate for sure, and a lot of my participants got their feet off the ground! Our heart rates were certainly racing!

Shoulders: My favorite track in BodyPump! The song and choreography in this release were off the charts, and with 36 pushups in the track, it was perfect! I’ve always said the shoulder track is the peak of the workout, and this one really gets us to the top of the BodyPump mountain. We don’t get to the bar until the end, and your shoulders are definitely burning, but they’re burning with tension and fire!

Abdominals: Another challenging core track here that showcases a little bit of everything. The crunch reach and pulsing crunches took our abs for a ride, and the twisting hovers at the end provided a challenge. The title of the song, “We Must Stand Together,” really ties well into the “One Tribe” mantra that BodyPump is all about. Awesome finish to the workout.

All in all, BodyPump 83 is a challenging, fun release, and the music is downright amazing.

Ryan McLaughlin

About Ryan McLaughlin

BDN sports reporter Ryan McLaughlin grew up in Brewer and is a lifelong fan of the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins. In "The Boston Blitz" he'll be sharing his perspective with BDN readers about what's happening on the Boston professional sports scene.