The weather outside my window was certainly frightful this morning, with messy snow and ice blanketing the Northeast throughout the weekend.
Christmas, as usual, came in November throughout the Les Mills world as new releases appeared in mailboxes from Maine to California. Having watched BodyPump 88 once and done it once, this is going to be yet another fantastic release. Here’s a preview and an update on how registrations for New Orleans are shaping up.
Warmup – Tonight: The transitions in this opening track aren’t overly funky and easy to follow along with. Make sure you coach NETT – Name of Exercise, Tempo and Target Zones – to get your class moving correctly. The energy in the song will get your class pumped up for the workout ahead.
Squats – Killer: The name of the song says it all. Three sets with minimal recoveries, all in different stances, as was the case in BodyPump 87. Be sure to coach the feel between the three stances, quads in the mid-stance, glutes in the wide stance and glutes and side glutes in the wider stance. The killer combinations – no pun intended – feature two singles and a quick-slow tempo. Ouch!
Chest – A Little Party Never Killed Nobody: We’ve got a new move here, the A-press, and yes, it is slightly different than the chest fly. Only two sets with the barbell here, so be sure to go heavy, take off only a third of your squat weight, and have some heavy plates ready. The new A-Press isolates a lot of pressure into the chest, but to achieve that, make sure to keep your elbows bent straight down and above the bench. A barbell can be used for the duration of the track if need be.
Back – Somebody: This back track is KILLER, with a ton of clean and press combinations, and hang cleans as well, then we really hit it hard in the final set with power presses. Explosive training here, which is a surefire way to get into shape quickly. The posterior chain – the hamstrings, glutes and lower back – are the focus. Make sure to keep the intensity high in the clean and press combinations, and really make it explode once those power presses hit! That last set is brutal, so keep your class motivated!
Triceps – Can’t Hold Us: Probably one of the toughest tricep tracks that I’ve ever seen. Only three moves – kickbacks, pushups and overhead extensions, but there are a lot of the latter two exercises, including 27 pushups! Full range is going to be key in this track to achieving that full change, i.e. bringing your heavy plate all the way to the base of the neck in the extensions, driving all the way to the bench in the pushups and keeping those elbows high in the kickbacks. Maximize the effort for maximum results!
Biceps – Up In The Air: Another challenging biceps track. This time, we start with the bar and then pick up some heavy plates. You’ll get a different feeling in the biceps with the different range of motions with the bar and the plates. We’ve only got one set of plate curls in the end, but its a long one. Be sure to motivate your class through the final 45 seconds once you hit the singles in Set 3.
Lunges – Play Hard: The legs will certainly be playing hard here! Again, only three sets, but don’t be fooled. This is a challenging track. Once again, we start with squats – in wide stance – and work our way to lunges. Range of motion is especially pivotal here, try to keep your front thigh parallel to the floor to keep the tension in the glutes.
Shoulders – Raving: I wasn’t raving about this track when I first watched it – no pushups will do that to a hardcore instructor – but it’s starting to grow on me a little bit. We start and end with the bar, and adding in combinations with slow work in the final set will make this track a challenge. You’ll really have to focus on keeping your core braced and your lower body isolated. In between the barbell sets, we’ll have two sets with plates, so keep them light.
Core – Only You: Great way to finish the class as we target all facets of the core. This track isn’t too busy, with crunches and leg extensions, so keep your cuing short and to the point and don’t over-talk it.
On a side note, registration figures for next summer’s fitness party in New Orleans are steadily increasing.
This party, set for next June 20-21 at the Morial Convention Center, will almost certainly sell out, so don’t dawdle!
Remember, ticket prices only go up after Dec. 31st. Between now and then, you can sign up for $199, but once Jan. 1 hits, the price increases to $225.
All GRIT sessions save for one Plyo class on June 21 are sold out, and as of Monday morning, only 13 slots remained in that GRIT session. Additionally, less than 500 bikes remain for RPM and close to 1,000 benchtops are left for BodyPump. While that seems like a lot for PUMP, they won’t last.
This would make a perfect gift for the Les Mills fanatic in your family, and let me also remind you that program directors – Les Mills, Jr., Glen Ostergaard, Dan Cohen and Rachel Newsham, to name a few – will be taking the stage.
If you haven’t registered yet, follow this link to sign up: https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1324281
