BodyCombat is an intense cardio workout for the group gym that has been distributed by one of the largest international fitness companies, Les Mills International, since 2000. The program consists of movements from martial arts combined into sequences accompanied by famous music. World class trainers Dan Cohen and Rachel Newsham are the creators of BodyCombat choreography.
Body combat - what is it in fitness?
Bodycomb is a high-intensity aerobic fitness movement that combines martial arts movements with choreographed elements to create a sequence of intense, yet clear movements.
The creators of this trend are Les mills - a group of trainers, authors of many fitness programs.
With this workout you can develop speed, endurance, strengthen your cardiovascular system and lose weight. The load is aimed, rather, at fat burning. It is unlikely to get a sculpted body in such classes.
Since the exercise is aerobic, a person performs high-intensity movements, during which the heart rate rises and forces you to spend a lot of calories, and also trains all muscle groups. It is best to supplement this area with strength training, for example, training in the gym, functional training and other strength training areas.
Pros and cons of the program
Pros:
1. This is a set of strength and aerobic training that will help you make your body perfect. You will gain strong muscles, reduce fat and improve your shape.
2. The program includes 12 workouts, which offer a wide variety of loads. In two months you will be able to improve all problem areas, especially the stomach and legs.
3. The classes use elements of kickboxing, karate, capoeira, jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, and boxing. You will use the maximum amount of muscle and burn a huge amount of calories.
4. The Combat complex is suitable even for those who have never been involved in combat sports and other Mills programs. Trainers will tell you the basics and explain the technique of performing the exercises.
5. Les Mills compiled 3 options for the lesson calendar: from simple to advanced. You can exercise according to one of the proposed schedules depending on your physical readiness.
6. The combination of combat sports, plyometrics, aerobic and strength exercises makes the program very intense, but doable.
Minuses:
1. A large number of jumps and hops puts a lot of stress on the knee joints and ankles, so the complex is not suitable for everyone.
2. You may need time to get used to unfamiliar connections in video classes.
Reviews for the Combat program from Les Mills:
If you're ready to get into your best shape, try the Combat – Ultimate Warrior program. The original approach to training, which is based on sports arts and martial arts, made the Les Mills complex ideal for creating a perfect figure.
What does Body combat training consist of?
Since most of the exercises were borrowed from martial arts, you can see elements of taekwondo, karate, capoeira, Muay Thai, tai chi, and boxing in them. All of these movements are effective for high-intensity training because they are performed at a fast pace and non-stop.
Typically a workout lasts 55 minutes and includes a warm-up and cool-down with stretching. There are more intense workouts that last 30-45 minutes with virtually no rest.
Read more about post-workout stretching →
Advantages and disadvantages of bodycombat
Pros of Bodycombat training:
- Ideal option for weight loss. Working out requires a lot of energy, so you can burn over 700 calories in an hour. Also, all major muscle groups are involved in movement, which increases energy consumption not only due to aerobic exercise.
- The workout will be an excellent choice for those who have long been looking for an alternative to conventional cardio training on machines for losing weight and strengthening the heart muscle . Thus, body combat focuses on a variety of movements that will not get boring during training, and the effect of the classes and the athlete’s physical training will rise to a new level.
- The training can be combined with strength training and the gym. The load in this case will be the most complete: strength training will increase muscle strength and definition, and body combat will help reduce adipose tissue.
Disadvantages of training:
- Not suitable for beginners , as it will be difficult for an unprepared body to cope with the load. Not only are the movements highly intense and it is extremely unhelpful for an unprepared cardiovascular system to perform them, but it may also be difficult to repeat a set of exercises (ligaments). Therefore, it is better to initially prepare the body with light loads, then increase the complexity of the exercises.
- The training is aimed only at losing weight and strengthening the cardiovascular system ; it cannot make the muscles stronger, more prominent or more voluminous. And if there is a need for this, then additional loads can be connected.
Additional workouts
- Core Attack (20 minutes)
- Inner Warrior ~ Stretch & Strength (20 minutes)
Core Attack
A floor workout primarily targeting the abdominal muscles, but also involves all the corset muscles. A special feature of the program is the constant alternation of the starting position: you will perform exercises either on your back or in the plank position. Each new segment begins with a simple modification of the exercise, but gradually increases the complexity of the exercise to its maximum.
At first, it will probably be difficult for you to repeat classes on a complex version, but gradually the muscles adapt. The Core Attack workout gives a good workout to the abdominal muscles, so we recommend it to those who want to achieve a firm, flat stomach. You can use dumbbells to increase the difficulty of the exercises.
Stretch & Strength
Calm training, in which static load predominates. You will achieve beautiful long muscles and work on stretching. In this program there will be no endless changes and difficult positions, so the lesson is very pleasant and uncomplicated. However, your muscles will be engaged throughout the entire session. The last five minutes is devoted to muscle stretching. However, be careful with the ligaments; awkward movement can damage them.
With the exception of the last two workouts, all classes in the Combat program can be described in two words - explosive and intense. With regular classes with Les Mills, you will lose excess weight and tone your body. Well, if you are interested in this complex as a whole, then read more about it here. It is designed for 2 months, during which you will significantly increase your level of physical fitness.
Who is it suitable for?
Body combat training, first of all, can be recommended to those who want to lose weight, but do not suffer from diseases and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, for example, pain in the joints. If you are tired of jogging, exercise bikes, orbitreks - this is the ideal option for you.
The direction is also suitable for those who want to maintain their weight and physical fitness at a high level, but do not strive for muscle mass and clear muscle definition. Such activities will not make women masculine and pumped up; on the contrary, their shapes will become more feminine and their muscles will become toned.
If you want to maintain a healthy state of the whole body, but health training is not your thing, try body combat as an alternative to your usual cardio workouts. Choose the difficulty level that suits you.
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) training
Suitable for those who want to burn fat and strengthen muscles at the same time , and at the same time are not afraid of high loads. All classes are built on the principle of high-intensity interval training, which means you will give your best.
- HIIT 1 ~ Power (30 minutes)
- HIIT 2 ~ Shock Plyo (30 minutes)
- Warrior 1 ~ Upper Body Blow Out (25 minutes)
- Warrior 2 ~ Lower Body Lean Out (30 minutes)
HIIT 1~Power
This is a speed workout that includes strength exercises with dumbbells (or a barbell) for several muscle groups. For example, in the first segment you will find exercises that focus simultaneously on the shoulders, buttocks and hips. And you know, the more muscles are used in movement, the more calories are burned . In addition, you will have to perform strength exercises at a very high pace, and this will give an additional fat burning effect.
In the Power program you will find exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, dumbbell presses, burpees, and planks. There will be few repetitions of each exercise, but they are performed at speed and change frequently. It definitely won't be easy.
HIIT 2 ~ Shock Plyo
If you're not afraid of jumping, you'll love the Shock Plyo workout. The fat burning program is designed for a constant high heart rate and exercises with an emphasis on the lower body. The workout surprises with its intensity from the first minute. However, the most important thing is to survive the first half of the lesson. In the second part, the speed of the workout will decrease, and the last five minutes involves only static load.
The program uses the same exercises as the previous Power program. But in Shock Plyo greater emphasis on plyometrics and cardio endurance ; there is a minimal amount of strength exercises.
Warrior 1 ~ Upper Body Blow Out
Upper body strength training moves at a blistering pace with fast-paced exercises. The lesson begins with virtually no build-up, so get ready to work from the first second of the program. Some exercises work the legs, but most of the moves target the triceps, biceps, shoulders and chest . Cardio exercises have also been added to increase heart rate and burn fat. But compared to the programs described above, Upper Body Blow Out is slower in speed.
You will find push-ups, dumbbell presses, all kinds of jumps in the plank position and abdominal exercises at the end. Even if the upper body is not your priority, feel free to take on this workout . It will allow you to improve your entire body.
Warrior 2 ~ Lower Body Lean Out
The Lower Body Lean Out workout, with an emphasis on the lower body, is in no way inferior to the above-described classes in intensity and speed. This activity will allow you not only to reduce your thighs, but to significantly increase your cardio endurance. You will be in constant movement throughout the entire class, and only at the end will you have a short segment on the floor for your feet. There are practically no strength exercises, the maximum emphasis is on cardio and intensity.
The workout includes not only vigorous jumping and running in place, but also some kickboxing elements for the lower body. For the last five minutes, you will perform exercises on the mat for your hips and buttocks.
Briefly about the benefits of interval training:
- Thanks to the high heart rate that is maintained throughout the program, you will melt fat throughout your entire body.
- High-intensity interval training allows you to burn calories not only during, but also for several hours after your workouts.
- During classes, all muscles of the body are actively worked out with the help of strength exercises.
- you can significantly increase your cardio endurance.
- Half an hour of such training is equivalent in effectiveness to an hour of aerobics at an average pace.
The difficulty level of these interval workouts is advanced. But if you perform the exercises in a simplified version (as one of the girls demonstrates), then these programs are suitable for less experienced practitioners. Please note that most workouts contain a large number of jumps.
For some exercises you will need dumbbells. Les Mills state the following weights:
- 0-2.5 kg – for beginners
- 2.5-5 kg – for intermediate level
- 5-10 kg – for advanced
But you can choose your optimal dumbbell weight experimentally.
