Published on Wednesday, 14 July 2021 at 7:52:00 AM
Brought to you by global group fitness giants Les Mills, BodyCombat is a martial arts inspired cardio workout that’s guaranteed to make you sweat – a lot.
With regular BodyCombat classes in your exercise arsenal, you’ll literally punch and kick your way to your fitness goals.
But don’t let the name put you off. It’s totally non-contact – you won’t be going pound for pound with anyone.
In a BodyCombat class you’re guaranteed to sweat. No taking it easy on the elliptical cos nobody’s watching. Group fitness means you’re all in it together – and there’s nothing more motivating than pack mentality.
Here are five more reasons to give BodyCombat a go.
1. It’s a fun way to get your cardio in
You know why cardio is good for you. Improved heart health, lower blood pressure, better sleep and all that jazz.
But let’s face it. For some people, cardio can be boring. Especially if you’re stuck in a treadmill rut.
BodyCombat – and group fitness classes in general – are a mega fun, mega motivating way to get those cardio workouts in.
Group fitness instructors are a different breed of people – they’ve got buckets of energy and a burning passion for fitness. Not only is it hard not to be motivated when they’re shouting encouragement at you, but it’s hard for their undeniable enthusiasm not to rub off on you.
2. It burns bulk calories
Most of us want to be burning as many calories as possible with cardio. Well, you’ve come to the right place!
BodyCombat is the biggest calorie burning Les Mills class out there – weighing in at a whopping 740 calories burned per 55 minute class.
While calories burned varies depending on fitness level, height and weight, the averages don’t lie.
Compared to an average 675 calories for BodyAttack, 560 calories for BodyPump and 480 calories for BodyJam, it’s pretty clear – you get more bang for your buck with a BodyCombat workout.
3. It’ll chisel your core
Fun fact: One BodyCombat class reaps the same core training benefits as 1,700 crunches.
In a study conducted by Les Mills, 20 people were hooked up to an EMG machine to measure muscle activation. Basically, the greater the muscle activation, the better the core workout.
Researchers found that double front kicks resulted in 2.3 times the core activation of a crunch, while fast alternating jabs created 1.6 times the core activation of a crunch.
Maintaining functional core strength gets more and more important as we get older. BodyCombat offers “reactive core training” – a type of training that forces your core to automatically respond as it should, helping you maintain stability and balance for everyday life.
4. You’ll train and tone your whole body
All those kicks, jabs and high knees – combined and repeated in varied intensities – are the perfect recipe for a full body workout.
Unlike traditional cardio workouts like running or cycling, those martial arts moves train your upper body, lower body and core.
In 55 minutes, you’ll not only get a killer cardio session in, you’ll also cover strength and conditioning through push-ups, burpees, squats and lunges – making it a much more efficient workout.
5. You’ll feel like a champ
Regular BodyCombat classes are great for building your endurance and stamina.
According to Les Mills, a BodyCombat workout is based on cardio peak training. Similar to high intensity interval training (HIIT), cardio peak training involves maintaining your heart rate at an aerobic training base (60-80% of your max heart rate) with interspersed peaks of intensity (85-90% of your max heart rate).
Blending steady state with high intensity helps you get improve your cardiovascular health, getting you in peak form fast.
At Beatty Park, we run over 100 group fitness classes a week – including BodyCombat.
Check out our timetable here or talk to us today about our gym and swim memberships.
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