Les Mills Classes New Releases

Finally...! I think this time, my gym was the slowest in launching the new releases among the other gyms in the Klang Valley.

Here are my 2 cents about the new releases:

BODYPUMP 62
Music: Ok, not great but not too bad either. I like the songs for the warm-up (I Believe in Dreams) and chest (Rock This Party). As for the tracks, the "highlights" in this release must be the Triceps and the Lunges. I have been forewarned about these 2 and was expecting the worst. The first time doing it was always the hardest but it gets easier from then on. I went back to carrying 6kg per side for triceps since I started not feeling "so sore" from carrying the downloaded 5kg per side after a few tries. It is still one of the harder tracks but not the most difficult ones. Still, I like that it has interesting combinations of the usual extensions to pullovers and then the standing overhead extensions before finishing with 8 push-ups. Hmm..., I just hope that my arms won't turned too bulky from carrying the additional weight since 6kg is slowly turning into the norm for me now
Lunges: Again, started with lunges on the board (hmm...., seems to be a favourite in the recent BP releases) but it has something new. Backward power lunges with one foot on the step board. Although harder this way, I am not too concerned with power lunges. For some reason, I can take any form of power lunges rather well. *wink*
Others: I feel that the squats, chest, back and shoulders are on the easier side. Increased squats to 17.5kg per side and it was ok for this track Increased weights for back too to 9.5kg per side after a few classes and that was when it became more challenging. Biceps, although short (song was less than 4 mins) it wasn't as easy as I thought. For chest track, it gets challenging after the short break (but then I increased the weights to 8.5kg after the break). Shoulders not really difficult since we do not need to use the bar.

RPM
Overall impression: Feels that it is tougher than the previous release especially if the instructor goes by the book and plays the track without any breaks in between. The "star" is obviously the 5th track (interval track) with what feels like the longest ever 2-min time trail at the end. I got fooled by the instructor during the first class where the instructor lied (for her sake, she said it was "recommended" in the book) that it was only 1 minute instead of 2. So members were already pushing hard in that "1" minute which obviously stretched to 2. So at the end of it, I was barely able to breathe. From then on, I learned that the key to surviving this track is to pace yourself. Not too much too soon but yet at the same time, don't hold back too much. Track7 is also quite challenging with 5 mountain peaks.

BodyStep
OK music, I feel. Quite fun. Not overly challenging but still provides quite a good cardio workout. However, my mind always plays the late Anita Mui's "Cheong Ping San Pek Hoi" during the party track when the English version of this song plays. Believe it or not, this was the first time I heard the English version of this song.

BodyAttack
I really like Track 6, the "samba" track. Very gaya leh.... The first 4 tracks are pretty alright too. Track 5 (body-conditioning) was rather tiring with what seems like endless push-ups throughout the entire track. Ouch...! But the climax (Track 9) was a bit of a let-down though. Not challenging enough.....