Burning It Off

I’ve done BodyPump 85 twice now and it’s one of my favourite recent releases. Here’s my review of each of the working tracks:

Squats – the music is pretty monotonous but at least it’s not Adele again. Like some of the other more recent releases, the squat track in 85 is comprised of two really long sets. My legs started burning like crazy just before the halfway point – definitely a tough one.

Chest – the song (a cover of Muse’s “Uprising”) is one of my favourites and perfect for the chest track. Two of the four sets start from the bottom instead of the top and just that small tweak makes a huge difference. I used a slightly lower weight for this one and was still struggling through the final set.

Back – The first time I tried this release, I used my regular back weight and found it too easy. For the back track, I typically struggle with rows the most and there aren’t as many as usual here. There are, however, lots of dead lifts, clean and presses and power presses. I added weight the second time around and it made a big difference. I think this is the track I want to focus on adding the most weight for this release.

Triceps - As in the last release, you only use the bar for presses so most people can probably go a little heavier. I recently increased my triceps weight so I kept mine the same. After two sets with the bar, there are tricep dips and overhead extensions with the plate. The hardest part is the tricep dips – ouch!

Biceps – nothing too crazy in this track until you get to the end and have to do back-to-back sets when you’re already fatigued. So far, I’ve had to skip a few reps at the end so my goal for this release is to just get through it without skipping reps.

Lunges – this one is nuts. Sure, there have been plyometric lunges and squats in several releases but none have jacked up my heart rate as much as this one. After two pretty long sets of squats and lunges with the bar, you do two sets of plyometric jumps on and off of your bench followed by a short rest and then two more sets of plyos. Welcome to BodyPump boot camp.

Shoulders – this one begins with a crossover push up, followed by plate work and bar work. I actually managed to add a little weight to my bar, which made it really hard.

Abs – bleh. Both the song (“One More Night” by Maroon 5) and choreography are pretty boring here, not to mention easy (no planks in this one). You’d probably be better off using this time for some extra stretching.

Overall, a great release. The only track I’m not crazy about is abs but working out my abs isn’t really at the top of my priority list. All of the other songs are challenging and have something new and different about them. I like the music a lot too.

To conclude, here’s a little sampler of the workout from Les Mills: