Warmup:
In a deviation from normal, we start with a wide-grip. Thereafter it’s fairly standard stuff warming up the back first before moving onto the shoulders. Our legs yet again get pretty scant chance to build any heat with only a dozen squats and the usual 8 lunges per leg. The transition from the lunges feels a bit rushed so you have to be on the ball to get into set position for the underhand rows and lifts. As always we finish with too many biceps reps.

Squats:
This is billed as an easier track than normal, mainly as it’s shorter than we typically get. As such you’ll be advised to add extra weight. I didn’t think it was soft by any means mainly due to the 49 bottom-half reps. The track compromises 4 rounds with the latter two with wide stance. Quick reps are interspersed with slower ones to allow some recovery and the bottom-halves are all in sets of 4 so fatigue isn’t too bad a factor. The intensity does build throughout the track so save something for the last round.

Chest:
A basic but solid track with this release. Rather than try to be too clever it sticks with 4 rounds of near duplicate rep sets. As with Squats, bottom-halves are the order of the day. Each round uses the standard order of slow reps, singles and then the aforementioned bottom ranges. We get a break between rounds 3 and 4 just to shake out some lactic acid, but it’s not a long one and almost worth not bothering to sit up for.

Back:
Be prepared for something very different with this one. The new “innovation” is a clean, press and then rather than bringing the bar back to the knees, we are asked to overhead press it two more times. The track starts with a short warmer round of underhand rows. Then there are 3 main working rounds of lifts, the “innovation”, and then the seemingly obligatory wide-grip triple rows. Each round we are asked to do repeat the overhead work 4 times, so by the end of the track you will have overhead pressed your back weight 36 times. As a result, I’d strongly recommend dropping your weights significantly. The official line is to use Chest weight, but I think even this is too much otherwise loss of technique is almost an inevitability. The inclusion of this move seems rather illogical to me as it puts almost no work into the back muscles (save the trapezii). Instead it becomes a second shoulder track and this is a whopping big error in judgement by the program directors.

Triceps:
This is another good track with enough variety to keep interest, yet sensible structure to maintain the pace. We get 3 rounds on the bench with overhead extensions, presses and the now familiar pullover move. There is a short break after round 2 for a little light relief, but the mix of exercises is such that this break isn’t really necessary. Then we finish with some standing overhead extensions. Normally this type of round seems to be just put in to run out the clock, but this time there is some real bite. There are loads of singles, so to keep proper form and not flare the elbows requires real grit and muscle tone.

Biceps:
Now for the highlight of the release and the pick of the tracks. I’ve roundly criticised many recent releases for having too fast a beat to make the workout worthwhile and feasible. This time the tempo is just right and while the slower ranges almost seem prolonged, it provides sufficient time for the singles not to feel rushed. As with other tracks, bottom-halves are supplied by the truck-load. We also get some full range singles, but there are only 4 each set sandwiched between the bottom-halves so fatigue is more manageable. The last round seems to go on forever, but such is the chop-and-change in rep type that you can keep going.

Lunges:
A rather soft lunge track again, mostly because we only use free weights for the lunges and then only for the static ones. The sets are also pretty short but even with loads of singles both in the static and dynamic lunges, I still barely felt out of breath. There is an option to use the step and you might as well take it as this track needs all the added challenge it can get. We finish with squats which add some intensity into the track but depend on putting a decent amount of weight on. The two sets of 8 bottom-halves finish nicely, but it’s too little too late.

Shoulders:
This is one of the tougher tracks of the release, mainly due to the fast incessant pace. We start with a quick burst of push-ups as a warm-up so no excuses for not doing them all on your knees. Then the reverse fly from #76 gets another run, only this time there are way more reps. We get slow ranges, singles and more slower reps and your rear-delts will definitely feel the strain. Then there are lateral raises and rotator cuff singles. There’s nothing too fancy this time, just a robust challenge. If there is any gas left in your tank, then grab you bar and push out some overhead presses. There aren’t too many but you can be forgiven for feeling them after the punishment of the back track.

Abs:
To start with this track is a good one. We get some crunches with the option to hold a weight for added resistance. Then a sound addition, the oblique crunch. We’ve had this move in Pump before, but not for some time and it’s always good to work muscles outside the rectus sheath. So far so good, but then it all gets let down with the hovers. The plank is a valuable means of building core muscle endurance and working the deeper abdominal muscles. But the program directors have sacrificed function in their quest for “innovation”. We are asked to do the walking legs and walking hands as in previous releases. They are hard enough to do when clustered but now we have to alternate arms and legs. This move is extremely challenging even for those with fantastic core stability and way beyond the bounds of the average Pumper. I’ve been doing a lot of core work recently to get my back strong again and even I found this too much. The studio was full of rocking hips and backs as technique went out the window. Instructors should cue the basics and then offer the LM version as an advanced option to be tried if managing well.

Cool-down:
A relaxed track with all the usual moves. It seemed to be over rather quickly so I wonder if too many minutes are being devoted to the working tracks at the cost of the beginning and finishing tracks. Not much else to say.

Overall Impressions:
On the whole this is a pretty strong release. The music seems to work quite well with the moves and is sufficiently motivating even for dance-heads like me. However there are two major flaws in this release. No prizes for guessing which I’m going to mention – the dangerous inclusion of overhead presses in the back track and the over-complicated hovers.

I think this is becoming an increasing problem for Les Mills and their BodyPump program. It’s been around for quite a number of years now and they are faced with two options. They could stick with getting the basics right and delivering a sound and dependable workout each time. Unfortunately this will be seen as boring or predictable and participant attrition will inevitably accelerate.

The other option would be to keep trying new moves as they are. This works on the gym floor where the variety of machines, decks and weights allow for endless ways of challenging muscle groups. Indeed it is a proven regime keeping the muscles in shock and mandating development of fitness, strength and endurance. However in the studio, there is only so much they can do with a barbell and gravity. As a result, the available exercises are restricted by the limitations of what can be achieved with the available resources. The program directors are obviously keen to try as many variations as possible. But in doing this, they keep finding lemons. And far too many, far too often for my liking. It risks making the program seem confused and directionless. They also keep finding exercises that are frankly too risky and it’s only a matter of time before injuries occur amongst participants … maybe they already are.

The solution has always been to encourage participants to use such small weights that injury risk is negated even if technique is sloppy or exercises unsafe. But this is another problem as it discourages use of decent resistance and, as a result, too many people never add anything and, thus, never really exert any change on their bodies. Too many missed opportunities.

As a result, I’m starting to question the value of BodyPump for anyone other than the casual gymgoer. It’s simply too limited for anyone looking to build serious condition. The cardio components are neither long or frequent enough and the strength components are restricted by the limitations of what can be done with just a barbell.

My fitness levels and strength have increased just from getting back into the gym for the past two months. So maybe I’m going to have to view Pump as just a fun distraction or variety item rather than a core component of my exercise regime from now on.

Those “Sizzlers” published on websites, fora and blogs (including this one) tended to be copy&paste jobs straight from the PDF version of the magazine which was always made available on the LMAP site.

It seems that the magazine has ceased publication as all mention of it and all back-issues have disappeared without trace. Revolution used to mainly act as notice of when the instructor training sessions were due, but now that information is freely available directly on their website so it probably won’t be coming back.

The net result is that, in all likelihood, we won’t get any more “Sizzlers”. Les Mills are even being somewhat coy about the new release as there is no mention of it on their official website.

However, the song/track listing has still leaked and will be:

Warmup: Commander – Spacegliderz
Squats: It’s My life – Swade
Chest: DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love – Usher feat. Pitbull
Back: Hold Me Tonight (Manox Remix) – Manian
Triceps: I Like It – Tokyo Haze
Biceps: Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom) – Shinedown
Lunges: Only Girl In The World (E-Nergy Remix) – Nick Skitz vs DJ Lotus
Shoulders: Ti Sento – Scooter
Abs: We No Speak Americano – Yolanda Be Cool vrs DCUP
Cooldown: One Last Chance – Daughtry

South Australia gets the Instructor Quarterly Workshops next weekend. Which means our local clubs should be launching in early April …. a very late Quarter-1, especially since last year we launched at the end of February, and 76 was as long ago as November.

With my back still under reconstruction, it’s hard to know whether I’ll be able to get into the #77 launch class or not. Either way I’ll still put up a review, but it may be a “side-line” one.

Warmup:
Right from the start something different … ish. The usual opening deadlifts and rows are done in wide-grip rather than the usual “hands just outside the thighs”. A good opportunity to concentrate on posture so the back isn’t pulled before its warm. Thereafter we get no surprises and the usual moves follow predictably. Fortunately this release there is a little more leg work than of late which has been sorely missing from recent releases. The music is reasonably catchy but only if the volume is turned well up: The Climb (Almighty Essential Radio Edit) – Almighty Pop Factor.

Squats:
This track is apparently shorter than usual, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. It is broken up into 4 rounds with the first being a taster for what’s to come. The latter 3 follow the same format and feature a drop-slow-rise with a 1:3 count. These are slightly different to the down-hold-up moves we’ve had in the past 2 releases and they certainly sting towards the end. To really fatigue the legs there are plenty of bottom-halves with 3 sets of 4 coming almost too frequently. This is definitely one for usual squat weights but be prepared to sweat as its no walk-in-the-park. Music is a cover of Lady Gaga’s Telephone by Pandora BX.

Chest:
Another toughie following suit from previous releases. We get 5 short rounds with a break between rounds 3 and 4. Each has the usual format of slow then quick ranges. Be prepared for lots of singles, 40 in all, and a fair number of bottom halves too. Otherwise there’s nothing unusual about this one as it follows the typical format. I did my usual weights and made it through …. just. The break feels very short but does give the chance to shake some lactate out of the chest. You will need it though as the final lap seems to go on forever. Music is a somewhat jerky remix of U2′s Beautiful Day by Lee Jones.

Back:
Now for something very different. This release the order of clean-and-presses are mixed up versus what we’ve come to expect. We do 2 consecutively then 2 single rows, then 2 more consecutive C&Ps before finishing that section with 2 more rows. It seems to work reasonably well, but does mean we get slightly off the flow of the chorus. The track starts with a short warm-up of underhand lifts and rows and then we get 3 main working sets. It’s a pity that with the innovative approach that Glen couldn’t resist sticking in his trademark wide-grip triple rows. There was much opportunity to be radical here, but their inclusion brings the chore down. Either way, it still makes for a really hard track and I was puffing away even after dropping my weights slightly. Music is a cover of Cascada’s Pyromania by Sun Flash. Before anyone rushes to criticise them raiding Cascada’s discography again, it does sound sufficiently different to their usual stuff that it works well.

Triceps:
Throw the bar aside for a while as this is all supersets with plates or bodyweight for resistance. We start with quite a few dips and there is an option to put a plate or two in your lap. I would warn against loading up too much as it’s a long track and there is plenty of opportunity to fatigue later. Then each arm gets a whole load of kickbacks sandwiching a round of push-ups. Then to finish off we push out some standing overhead extensions. They certainly finished me off. It’s a hard track to do with good technique all the way through especially trying to keep those elbows in for the last set. Music is: My First Kiss – 3OH!3 feat. Ke$ha.

Biceps:
Now for a real challenge! I’d suggest dropping weights back a little for this one as it’s long, tough and requires real control. The main reason for the latter is the new combo. We get a mid-range-pulse then two singles so it combines the moves from 75 and 59. All told we do this 15 times and it really stings by the end. This is a busy track with 6 short rounds and, unusually, 2 breaks. These come after rounds 3 and 5 so we get 1 less working round each time. This doesn’t help much as you will find it progressively tougher towards the end. Music is: Not Myself Tonight – Christina Aguilera

Lunges:
Another bit of variation here with the step, a bar and some plates required. We start with some squats just to pre-fatigue the quads. You’ll be advised to use normal squat weight but this is very much at your own risk. I did Chest weight and that seemed plenty. Then it’s lunges with the front foot up on the step, 1 full set per leg. There’s nothing special about the rounds themselves with the usual format of slow ranges, singles and bottom-halves. We drop the bar for these and use plates instead. I’d suggest holding them on the side that has the leg back as we did in 66 as an additional challenge to engage all of the lower core stabilisers. If you do this, make sure the hips stay square and good technique is observed. Music is: Storm – DJ Lotus.

Shoulders:
This one has it all and will make even the strongest participant suffer. Right from the start we are challenged with decline push-ups with feet on the step. These should be done on the toes for best results otherwise the step becomes a little redundant. Then we get a “new” move: the reverse fly. It’s a bit like the rear-deltoid raises but is done with a straight arm. I’d strongly suggest using a lighter plate that normal until adaption occurs as the lever forces involved make these are tough to execute well. Then we stand for an awful lot of lateral raises and Mac raises. As if we weren’t tired enough already by this point there is a quick transition to overhead presses. The final set of singles do pose a real risk of back injury due to trying to work fast with fatigued muscles so there is no reason why they shouldn’t be substituted for some 2:2s or even upright rows if struggling. Music is: Bring It Back – Paffendorf.

Abs:
The bench comes out again, so woe betide all those who put theirs away early. We have alternating sets of normal and reverse crunches with a plate on the chest optional. These will feel like bliss by comparison to our final round. We do the now-obligatory hover but this one has evolved from 75′s to have a large arm movement component. While balancing on one elbow we straighten the other arm out in front, then sweep it round to the side at 90 degrees before returning to in front. Then it’s the turn of the other arm, and so on for what seems like an eternity. The challenge is to keep the hips and shoulders utterly static and level while doing this so the abs have to provide all of the stability. I certainly felt it and the plank is usually my forte so be warned. There is, of course, the option to put the knees down, but I’d advise doing as many as possible on toes to really develop core strength and endurance.

Cool-down:
The legs get a much-needed stretch and this one includes the strange sitting up glute-pull. I tend to do these lying down as it’s easier to control and catch my breath. Thereafter we do the usual upper-body work but the track felt very short and we didn’t seem to pay very much attention to any one group. Perhaps they had to cut down the track length to allow for the longer working tracks. The music was pretty insipid and forgettable (The Truth – Kris Allen), something that seems to becoming a bit of a habit. Perhaps a decent ambient trance track would work better, but unfortunately Glen seems to like bland-rock too much.

Overall Impressions:
This is a good release on reflection. It is certainly no slouch in terms of intensity and there is no easy or coaster track. Each has it’s own challenge and my heart-rate was up in the higher ranges for much of the class. The mixed-up C&P seems to work well enough and it’s nice to try something a little different just to prevent stagnation. Reverse flyes seemed universally popular here even though they are by no means easy. It’s good to see alternative moves being tried as otherwise muscles accommodate too much and we will never develop.

The music is generally pretty good this time with more of a dance feel than recently which suits my taste. Having said that, there were no real stand-outs amongst the bunch. It’s a sign of the times that they can’t afford the licensing for even relatively niche acts like Cascada any more. While the covers are faithful enough they can’t match the originals for quality. So feel sorry for us in Australia who have to make do with all covers due to the PPCA’s interference.

This release should be a stayer and I’m looking forward to revisiting it again over the next few weeks. There are the typical flaws in this release as every one, but they are fortunately few. So, we have a winner.

The pop divas of BODYPUMP® may seem a little flirty, but don’t be fooled – this release packs a punch with a solid workout that targets small muscle groups, while bombarding the bigger ones with short sharp shocks of intensity.

A feature is the use of big weights and compound exercises at the front end of tracks to lift intensity.

The warm-up helps you Climb into your work by preparing you for what’s to come, setting up the 1/3 rhythm that comes back to haunt in the very next track – Squats.

Another of those big muscle groups – the chest – gets the treatment in Track 3, really stressing the Singles and Bottom Half Presses. Then we get the fire started with Pyromania, attacking the back with a double shot of power and strength – two Clean & Presses/two Deadrows.

Track 5 is the highlight of the release, Your First Kiss was never like this, but the song’s playfulness can’t disguise the punch you feel as an opening series of Dips softens up the triceps for a circuit of Pushups and Kickbacks, then closing Overhead Presses.

It’s all on, now! The smaller muscles are getting bullied and it’s the biceps’ turn to suffer, courtesy of a new and nasty combo – Mid-Range Pulse, followed by Single Curls.

Youch!

Then, you unleash the perfect Storm on your legs, surprising them with heavy–loaded Squats so they’re burning by the time the lunges hit home. Go to new depths on the lunges with the bench option.

BODYPUMP® 75 highlighted the “pec dec” shoulder track and you learn another new move this time – a Reverse Fly that tests the rear deltoids, trapezius, the rhombus and smaller shoulder muscles.

Finally, you will need every ounce of strength left for a Hover with Pointer that rocks you to the core.

Next morning, this workout will hurt so good!

Warmup:
A punchy song (Fever – OneZeroOne) for this one gives an optimistic feel for a strong release. Unfortunately the track is let down by some lacklustre choreography. I have no problem with the usual pattern being followed, but yet again our legs barely get lip service while our biceps get almost a minute of work. A new “innovation” is the wide-grip dead-lift. This is actually a valuable move as it encourages a far stronger posture than the usual narrow-grip ones. This release Les Mills are emphasising the set position, so take the opportunity to really nail it.

Squats:
This is one of many tracks that they will advise increasing your weights, but for those of us who already lift heavy, I’d stay with the usual load. It’s a standard length track that I don’t think is any easier than some of the recent ones, so no need to overload. The track is a little more complex chore-wise than of late. It’s 5 rounds with a pattern of similarities between 1, 3 and 5. Same for 2 and 4. We see a return of the bottom-half pulses in 1, 3 and 5. Then the down-hold-slow-up from #74 reappearing in 2 and 4. A couple of short rests allow a little chance to recover and there is the option to go wide for the latter part of the track. A fairly rocky track (Watcha Say – Henry Blank) does carry momentum through, but I can’t say it really motivated me that well.

Chest:
Be under no illusions, this one is quite tough. Mostly due to the sting at the end. It starts simply enough with 4 rounds of bar work, each ending with 4 slow ranges. These get progressively harder and that time-under-tension principle certainly comes to the fore here. Interestingly, there are no bottom-halves this release but those 4:4s more than make up for it. Then, the new addition is push-ups … but these are no ordinary ones. Instead we are asked to do them “decline”, that is with feet on the bench. It’s quite a challenge on some already fatigued pecs but, since we only do 8 of them, there is no reason to skimp. Music: Shut It Down – Pitbull featuring Akon

Back:
Another slightly different one. And another move away from the predictable cheesy trance track. Wherever You Will Go by Jan Wayne is another rock-pop track with a dance flavour. It starts with a fairly slow beat as we do more of those wide-grip-dead-lifts from the warm-up track. Then onto some rows as the tempo picks up into the first break. Thereafter we have 3 rounds of the usual predictable Glen. The transition into the clean-press-row is poorly executed and the first one starts almost before the chorus kicks in, which makes them feel a little rushed. The last round has no finishing rounds which may be why we’re advised again to go heavier than usual …. but, as before, I’d stick per normal and concentrate on technique instead.

Triceps:
After some intensity, this is a relatively easy track. It starts with 2 facsimile rounds of overhead-extensions and both single and bottom-half-presses. These are fairly short so all the more reason to concentrate on keeping those elbows in. Then time for kickbacks with multiple reps per arm. Again, the rounds aren’t that long but finishing with 8 top-half-pulses do sting a little. The transition between arms is pretty quick so be ready. There is always the option to drop the last single rep from each arm, but in practice this shouldn’t really be necessary. Music: Bad Influence – P!nk

Biceps:
This is the shortest biceps of late clocking in under 4 minutes. Again, we are given the option to go up on weight but the tempo is pretty quick and full-range singles feature, so I’d stay pat to avoid the risk of “swinging”. By comparison to the last release, this one is much more straightforward chore-wise and features a break between rounds 2 and 3. Glen’s favourite bottom-half-pulses feature yet again but only 6 per round make them more accessible than ever before. This should be an easy track, but I actually found it more difficult than the well-controlled track in #74.

Lunges:
In the grand scheme of things, this would probably be considered a fairly standard lunge track, but having done some very intense ones recently, it feels pretty easy. I actually went back up on weight to my previous levels and didn’t struggle at all, so everyone should be able to do more. We start with static lunges, with a round per leg. There’s nothing new here but 2 sets of singles per round add some challenge to maintain technique and depth. Be warned though, the transition between legs is virtually instantaneous. Then, to finish, we have squats. There aren’t many of them, and on lunge weights it’s no problem to push them out properly. Music: I Will Be Here – DJ Lotus

Shoulders:
With this track we return to the punishment as this track rates amongst one of the hardest of recent times. Interestingly all the moves are in almost perfect reverse order to normal. We start with bar work with upright rows and overhead presses. Thankfully Glen has dropped the dangerous upright-row singles this release. Then we have many lateral raises and Mac-raises of varying rep speeds. By the time we went into a short break I was already feeling somewhat tired. But this is just the beginning as the real work comes in the form of rotator-cuff-raises and the new “pec deck”. The former should be well-known but the latter requires a little explanation. We start with a rotator-cuff move but rather than returning to set position the elbows move in towards the midline while keeping the arm up at 90deg to the body. Essentially the finish point is the bottom of an Arnold Press. Then move back to the top of the rotator cuff and alternate again before releasing to starting position. It sounds somewhat complex, but is easy enough in practice. However, it is a very tough move to execute with good technique as fatigued. As if that wasn’t hard enough we have to quickly drop into a finish with 16 single press-ups. Music: Ravers In The UK – Manian

Abs:
This track builds on recent work with the plank with development of intensity. That is an interesting tactic by Les Mills and I think a successful one. The track starts with some weighted and twisting crunches. These are little more than a rest for the shoulders, and a good strategy as I, and others, have heavily criticised tracks that have worked fatigued delts early in the track. The hovers come in two flavours. Firstly we walk the legs out-and-in similarly to #74. Then, keeping the feet wide to provide stability, we walk the hands out-and-in alternately. The challenge is to keep the torso utterly motionless while shifting load to-and-from limbs. The moves themselves are not hard per se, but to keep from twisting is. Especially since the core will already be fatigued from earlier tracks. Pity the music is another insipid Usher track (More) as this could have benefited from a stronger feel.

Warm-down:
This one is completely forgettable and the music and moves fail to inspire. Too much floor work and lack of a “warm” track let down any feeling of accomplishment. The warm-down track has always been more placebo than effective, as doing so little time per stretch is pointless, but it does serve purpose as a chance to reduce heart-rate safely. Pity we can’t have more motivational songs than Whataya Want From Me by Adam Lambert.

Overall Impressions:
There are many positive attributes to this release. I like the decline press-ups in Chest for an achievable challenge. The Back track too has an unusual approach with the wise use of slow reps at the beginning to achieve control and offer a modicum of pre-fatigue. The shoulders too present a new opportunity to develop muscles differently and work outside our comfort zone.

It’s a pity then that many transitions within the release are very quick. This likely results from an inability to edit music as Les Mills once did. But the flaw remains and presents a choice; rush and risk injury or just drop a rep or two. It isn’t that big a deal, but does give a feeling of amateurism.

The music, for the most part, melds well with the choreography and there is a sense of consistency throughout. Having said that, there are no stand-out tracks and this release will likely slip into obscurity from a music standpoint. While I do support a break away from relying on Cascada or E-Type for the Back track, we seem to lack any quality of dance track at all. It’s an interesting commentary of music taste of program director with Glen seeming to be more of a rock-fan while Mike obviously valued the motivational quality of dance and trance numbers. In that respect the incumbent director has something to learn from his predecessor.

On balance this is a fair release. While not impressing as an immediate hit, it still has enough to hold my attention. The shoulders track is probably the notable feature with the remainder likely to remain forgettable. It provided enough challenge for me to finish sweaty and achy but my calorie burn has been modest (around 625) by comparison to some of the more recent hellish workouts.

We’ll be doing this one for a few more weeks to come, and my opinion may change in time. I’ll feedback if this happens, and naturally will be interested to hear others’ viewpoints.

BODYPUMP® fans are already describing the shoulder track on this release as the toughest ever and who would argue?

The opening track – Fever serves as a preview of the carnage to come, as you find the perfect SET position over the punchy big beats. Game on!

Track 2 engages the legs with heavy Squats and sets the tone for the rest of the workout, with a barrage on the upper body and a chest section that lays down a challenge – Press-Ups off an elevated platform.

The first new element arrives in Track 4 – a wider lift grip for Rows that has you feeling the intensity build-up behind the shoulders – then go slightly heavier than usual to target the triceps, culminating with One-Arm Kickbacks for best isolation.

In Track 6, Susan Renata straps on her spurs and holsters, and has some fun riding the range, while working the “guns” to Cowboy Casanova, the real showpiece of this release.

But the levity doesn’t last long. Track 8 gives the shoulders a hammering with the new Rotator Pec Dec move… BECAUSE WE NEED MORE HARDCORE!

Then it’s time for yet another innovation – wider feet set in the Hover position to stabilize and challenge the core as you walk the hands, one by one, to Press-Up width and back.

By the time you warm down, your body will be confirming what those fans already knew.

We’re due to launch tomorrow, so this is just in the nick of time. Hopefully I’ll get my customary review up in the next couple of days.

Those elsewhere in the world will likely be blissfully unaware of the recent feud between the music and fitness industries. By way of contextual background, any music played in a non-private arena is subject to public performance licensing restrictions. The same applies to music intended for personal use, and much of the sale cost is actually for a license to listen to that music. And why all music sold to the general public carries disclaimers forbidding its use anywhere people are likely to be gathered.

All music played in gyms is also subject to licenses, with separate arrangement for that played in general areas versus that played in group classes. Up until recently, a benign scheme operated under which gyms paid a dollar per class up to a ceiling of $1500 per year. This provided a great incentive to run a full schedule, and the vast number of clubs nationwide provided a steady, if not considerable, source of income for musicians.

But a couple of years ago all of that changed as the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia, a quango setup by the music industry to collect royalties, decided that to exercise its increasing greed. Without going into the specifics of their demands the net result would have resulted in a near 40,000% increase in fees. Unsurprisingly, the fitness industry didn’t take too kindly to the prospect of being priced out of existence so objected, and the entire affair was thrown to tribunal.

After much speculation, in May of this year their decision was released. Good news and bad news in varying proportions, of course. The good news being that the PPCA didn’t get as much as they had wanted. The bad news being that the fee increase was still beyond reasonable measure, with the new proposal being a charge of a dollar per class per person, or a flat fee of $15 per class. In other words, at least a 15-fold levy on what they already paid.

Now, I’m all for artistes being paid a fair price for their hard work. But much of the money the PPCA collects disappears on administration costs and profits for the big companies that underwrite it. In any case, the dramatic rise was untenable and simply couldn’t be met by most clubs without a proportional increase in member fees.

In a predictable backlash, some gym chains here took the radical step of dropping use of all music regulated by the PPCA. This hasn’t been easy, but LesMills and other group-exercise program producers have facilitated this rebellion by releasing versions of their classes with music by independent musicians. This has allowed these gyms to remain sustainable while still being able to deliver popular programs.

The gym we go to, for example, changed their license earlier this week in line with the national doctrine. It means we have been restricted to the past couple of releases, but at least we haven’t had to pay any more money for the privilege of attending classes.

It would seem that this has been noticed by the PPCA who are facing the very real prospect of a significant loss of income. As such, they have tried to offer incentivisation schemes to encourage uptake. Unfortunately this is too little, too late and still a poor attempt at compromise. It doesn’t matter how the new fees are portrayed …. it will still be mutton dressed as lamb.

In a, likely futile, attempt to reverse the tribunal findings, the fitness industry have taken the matter to the appellate court. There is also talk of some direct mediation in face-to-face meetings. But all of this won’t matter in the end. Whether the music is produced by an original or cover artist, with careful preparation most people shouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The opportunity to have their material aired widely, given the massive international following of group exercise, should act as great publicity. This could be the next X-Factor.

The main upside, loss of original music aside, is a triumph of common sense over global commercial hyper-greed. I’m sure the music industry will find excuses to justify their actions, but if the fitness industry don’t back down, it will be a phenomenal case of cutting-off-their-nose.

Many of you will be wondering why you should care, as the PPCA only have jurisdiction in Australia and the tribunal findings have no impact elsewhere. Well be nervous, precedent has been set and you can bet that your local equivalent is already planning the same thing.

Warm-up:
A reasonably uplifting track this time with Run (Almighty Anthem Radio Edit) by Jamie Knight getting us off the mark. Thereafter it’s all downhill, unfortunately. We only get 4 slow squats yet 12 biceps curls over 2 separate sets. This flaw existed in the previous release, and nothing has been learnt. I wonder why we need to spend so much time on the smallest muscle group that won’t be used again for another 20 minutes at the expense of the largest muscle group that will be used next. It’s supposed to be a warm-up track for the whole body, not to mention a means of getting one’s heart-rate up to working zone, and this one just doesn’t cut it.

Squats:
This one is billed as a hard track, but I didn’t really find it that tough. It comprises 5 almost duplicate sets with the usual range of slow ranges and singles. The new “innovation” in this track is a combo of down, hold for 2 and then up. It takes up the same amount of time as a bottom-half pulse, but obviously here the move is static at the bottom. The beat is fairly quick which might have helped as you can throw out the singles rather than do them with perfect control. Music is the Annie Lee cover of Vanessa Amorosi’s This Is Who I Am.

Chest:
Another track that was previewed as harder than usual, but didn’t feel it. There’s nothing new here with the predictable procession of slow then single reps. We get quite a few bottom-halves (40 in all) but only 4 at a time, so fatigue isn’t too much of an issue. The whole affair is spread over 4 round with a quick break before the last one. So, I’d suggest normal weights as there is always the option to drop a plate or two in the break. Quite a slow rocky track: OneZeroOne’s cover of We Weren’t Born to Follow by Bon Jovi.

Back:
This was supposed to be the easy track, and on paper seems like it. But for some reason I struggled a bit. Maybe that isn’t crucial as it’s a very anonymous track chore-wise. So, 3 rounds of predictability following the same format as it’s predecessors with dead lifts, clean’n'press’n'rows, and lots of rows. The only difference this time is that the single rows are also wide-grip, not just the triples. However, the program directors do get some credit for trying a different music style this time. Rather than just trot out the typical boring Euro-pop number, they have gone with a cover of No Doubt’s Don’t Speak by Alex Cortez. It’s a little unusual, but works due to the heavy, driving bass-beat for the clean’n'presses.

Triceps:
A return to a bar-less track (as with 70 and 68) again. Only this time we get every possible option starting with a few token push-ups, then lots of kickbacks, then onto dips with the option of a plate or two in your lap, before picking them up and going into overhead extensions. It’s quite a well paced track although the transitions are a little quick. Without the bar there’s always a danger of not challenging oneself enough, so I’d suggest push-ups on toes, easy on the kickbacks to ensure good technique and then loading up for the latter stages. Music: 3 – Britney Spears

Biceps:
Now for something a little different. For starters, the music is somewhat different to the usual rock number with the Black Eye Peas contributing Boom Boom Pow (covered by Beat Factory). The chore follows suit with some of the irregularity last seen when a Black Eye Peas track featured. So don’t expect 4 rounds of facsimile as seen with the earlier tracks. We also get a a “new” move – the mid-range pulse. The expected range is quite small with a little less than 3/4 to 1/4 of ROM. This is surprisingly effective as the first few sets don’t feel too bad, but the burn definitely sets in towards the end.

Lunges:
Those who remember 71 will find this all too familiar … in fact it’s almost identical. But for those who don’t recall, we get static then dynamic lunges off the bench. There are a lot of static lunges per leg with lots of singles and bottom-halves sandwiched between slower reps. Then it’s back-stepping lunges with the option to lift the knee on the faster reps. All-in-all it makes for a tough track with a guarantee of fatigue and pain towards the end. On the plus side, this is a return to what we’ve all been asking for: lunges in the lunge tracks. Music is the Rhythm Twins cover of Cascada’s Dangerous. A shamelessly cheesy track but it’s infectious beat will carry you through and distract from the agony.

Shoulders:
We get quite a smorgasbord of reps and disciplines this time, and pretty much every muscle gets a turn. We start with push-ups, then rear-deltoid raises, back down for more push-ups, back onto one knee for lateral raises before dropping for yet more push-ups, albeit just a quick set. Then jump up for some upright rows, including some singles, which are hard to do with control. A quick break follows before pushing overhead for the last round, which isn’t too long. So load up your bar and tough it out to the end. The main problem with this track are the very quick (nay even instantaneous) transitions that make for lots of missed reps. Music is Jet’s She’s A Genius, covered by Badlands Inc.

Abs:
This is an unusual one, and it won’t be easy to describe it here. Needless to say, instructors will wind up taking a long time cueing it up, thereby wasting time. To get to the point, we have alternating leg extensions, then crunches – 3 rounds worth – all done off the bench. The leg extensions are “innovative” as they are done from a slight reverse crunch position. The idea being to keep the deep abdominal muscles engaged the whole time. Then to finish, we get a long hover with the same alternate stepping on and off the bench as we did with 72. At the end of a hard workout, I feel this is a step too far, but perhaps with time it will become possible. Music: In My Head – Jason Derulo.

Warm-down:
A fairly standard mix of stretches, though I’m yet to be sold on sitting up to do the glute pull. It feels far more natural to lie down and pull the leg in than have to lean forward to lengthen the muscle. Otherwise it all flows fairly well albeit with two side stretch moves but no back or chest attention. Music is typically bland, yet inoffensive: Art Of Love (featuring Jordin Sparks) – Guy Sebastian.

Overall impression:
This is a pretty tough release all told, with the Biceps and Lunges ranking pretty highly on the difficulty scale. As far as new moves go, I’m fairly sold on the squat hold and mid-range pulses in Biceps. Neither is particularly radical but they are sufficiently different to pique interest. I’ve already mentioned some of the problems with this release in comments above, but the main one is the far-too-rapid transitions between moves. It forces us to chose between missing out reps or the risk of injury from moving too quickly under load.

Musically it’s not too bad, though I would have preferred not to have yet another insipid Britney song. I’ve noticed a distinct change in genre with far more rock songs appearing recently. This doesn’t really suit me as I’d far rather have wall-to-wall dance numbers as more common with the 50s. But each to their own.

On balance it’s a reasonable standard release and provides a good challenge. However, the flaws take the edge off what would otherwise be a polished effort. There are many good aspects to BodyPump as a program … pity it continues to lack in a number of conspicuous areas.

Get ready for what may be our fiercest release yet. Right from Track 2, the hammer goes down and the intensity does not back off. Watch out for exciting new tempos and some killer supersets. Quick transitions and the shortest recoveries in the history of BODYPUMP mean your muscles are working from start to finish.

The massive energy and drive of This Is Who I Am sets the pace upfront. The new tempo challenges the legs, driving the heart rate up. We Weren’t Born To Follow and we prove it in Track 3 as the classic Rock sounds grounds the workout into the bench, bringing great muscle isolation to the chest.

Track 6 delivers a Boom Boom Pow to the biceps. This was a massive hit for the Black Eyed Peas originally – this one breaks the mould and you’re gonna love it!. We’re getting Dangerous in Track 7 with some Static Lunges followed straight up by some Dynamic Backward-Stepping Lunges for explosive glute training.

Track 9 brings the introduction of an exciting new move. The cool R&B sounds of this cruisy number creates massive contrast from the Shoulder Track. then, just in case you thought it was time to relax, there’s Walking Hovers to challenge even the strongest abdominals.

The video promo:

Warm-up:
An utterly standard run through of the usual muscle groups and exercises, in the usual order. As with the previous release, our legs don’t get much attention and, with the small number of overhead presses, this feels like a particularly easy track. Fortunately the music comes to the party and I found this one more motivating and uplifting than many of the previous offerings. BodyAttackers will recognise it from the last release, Release Me by Linzi Paul.

Squats:
The intensity ramps up with this release. Unlike the previous release, this track better combines strength and cardio training, with plenty of full-range and bottom-range singles. We get 4 rounds, with a very short break in the middle. The first two rounds just have full-range singles with the latter two rounds getting both types. I also felt that the beat was a little fast and, as a result, the singles feel a little rushed. Music: DOA by Telstarr.

Chest:
This is going to be a good test of our endurance, and comes as a good contrast with some of the easier tracks recently. The reason for this is the long final round. We start with two identical rounds of slow ranges, bottom halves and singles which aren’t too arduous. But after a short break the real work starts. After similar slow ranges as the first two rounds, we get alternating sets of bottom-halves and full-range singles, 16 and 24 in all respectively. The test here will be to maintain form even while fatiguing during the latter phase. Music: I Gotta Feeling by TransNoise.

Back:
An unusual track this time. And not just because we see a welcome return for the consecutive clean-and-press. The chore is straightforward enough with 4 very similar rounds. The first one starts with dead-lifts and rows before moving onto the clean-and-presses back to rows before finishing with the, now obligatory, wide-grip triple rows. The subsequent rounds go straight into clean-and-presses with only the last lacking the triples. Now for the unusual aspect, the choice of music – Mysterious Times by Sash feat. Tina Cousins. While it is a standard enough dance number, the whole sequencing doesn’t really work and it feels like me should be doing dead-lifts while we are resting and doing rows much of the time. Perhaps this is because it previously featured as the lunge track in BodyPump 31.

Triceps:
A fairly busy track this time, but it flows well, starting with supine bench work before finishing with some standing overhead extensions. The track also features lots of bottom-halves presses with 12 sets of 4, in all. We also get a return of the pull-over combo that has featured too often to mention … so much so that it could become a standard inclusion. Fortunately we do get a short break during the bench work as I found this a pretty tough track overall. Music is a cover of Cascada’s Evacuate The Dance Floor by Studio88. RPMers and Attackers will recognise this one as it features in the current releases for those programs too.

Biceps:
A short and punchy track this release. And again, fairly straightforward with the choreography with 3 very similar rounds. The innovation this time is a 3/4-range single, concentrating on the top-of-range. My speculation is that they are designed to eliminate the rest phase at the bottom-of-range and increase time-under-tension. In reality, unfortunately, they don’t work as a move. Stopping abruptly at 1/4-of-range is too much encouragement to let the elbows slip backwards and momentum to occur. I’ve adapted this and instead do bottom-to-3/4-of-range, which works better as it eliminates the rest phase at the top-of-range and doesn’t promote swinging so much. You’ll all have to try the two for yourselves and decide which is better for you. Music is a cover of Linkin Park’s New Divide by Crimson Ltd.

Lunges:
A great return to form with this track. There’s nothing complicated with just static and dynamic lunges. After all the recent fancy innovation tracks this one works well and actually feels surprisingly hard and will make your calves ache. Long static rounds per leg really enhance that fatigue especially with 2 sets of singes and 2 sets of bottom halves, both pulsed and 8-rep-sets. The dynamic ones are standard enough, but push the cardio endurance aspect. Music is a poor-quality sped up cover of David Guetta’s When Love Takes Over by Olsen Bjerre.

Shoulders:
In keeping with recent tradition, we get the opportunity to punish our shoulder muscle groups with this one. Start off with quite a few push-ups before moving onto rear-deltoid raises, lateral raises then grab the bar and finish yourself off with some overhead presses. The new move here is the top-half-2:2-pulse, very similar to what featured in 72′s Chest track; the idea being to move slowly within ROM while maintaining the contraction. A clever feature of this track is having the singles early and completing each set with slower ranges, which means we can still maintain form at the end, even while fatiguing. Probably the best thing Glen has done since taking over. Music is a cover of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit by Warp Brothers, which has previously featured in RPM 34 (thanks Fi).

Abs:
A mixed bag with this release, some good and not-so-good aspects. The track starts with crunches, this time standard and reverse simultaneously bringing shoulders and bum off the mat. These are alternated with twisting crunches, with the option to add in leg extensions. Then we finish with some hovers. To start with they are cued as twisting as we did in #70, but given they plagued my shoulder injuries, I did the “threading the needle” version from #66. Then we complete the working phase of the release with some travelling hovers. We lose the benchtop this time and it makes for a better paced track.

Warmdown:
Again nothing special, not there needs to be, with less leg stretches than recently. Overall a pleasant way to finish the class. But not perfect, as the insipid-rock track No Surprise by Daughtry doesn’t really inspire a feeling of achievement.

Overall Impressions:
A great release this time round. For the first time in a while I liked it straight away, and having done it a few times now, it only gets better. With a couple of exceptions, the music suits the tracks and is upbeat enough to carry us through fatigue and discomfort.

I also like the simple back-to-basics approach with most of the tracks having facsimile rounds, which makes for a consistent work-out and means the instructors can concentrate on technique and tempo without the distraction of complicated routines.

The only fly in the ointment is that illogical 3/4-range in Biceps. I suspect it was included because the fast beat of the music precludes full-range singles and in a flawed attempt to carry through a theme from 72′s shoulders. Pity they didn’t do a bit more consultation before including them in this release.

But I’m not going to let that detract from an otherwise accomplished release. Most importantly, while having no easy track, the pace of intensity is a lot better paced than 72 and, as a result, the whole class feels more polished and accessible.

As always, please post your comments below.