Combat fitness training. Body Combat – an hour of fighting with an imaginary opponent
A group of fitness trainers have developed a cardio workout that is suitable for both beginners and experienced athletes. The New Zealand company "Les Mills" has created "Body Combat" - a fitness program with a unique training system. Its duration is approximately 1 hour, during this time the cardiovascular system, muscles of the back, arms, and abs are being qualitatively worked out.
Who are Les Mills?
In 1990, one of the founders, Olympic champion Les Mills, developed a unique system of high-intensity training. The training was carried out in his own gym, and Les did not think about worldwide fame. However, news of the program's appearance quickly spread throughout New Zealand and spread to Australia. In 1997, the association “Les Mills International” was created. The organization provided standard fitness training and improved the existing Body Pump.
Now gyms in more than 75 countries around the world know about training. The total number of students is over 6 million. Interest in the program is growing, new followers appear daily around the world. Philip Mills has received many awards not only as a trainer, but also as an entrepreneur.
Today, 11 Mills workouts exist. Here they are:
- Body Pump;
- Body Attack;
- Body Balance;
- Body Jam;
- Body Step;
- Body Combat;
- Body Vive;
- CXWorx;
- Grit;
- SH'BAM.
Les Mills became famous thanks to the Body Pump program. Trainers claim that in an hour-long lesson If you do the exercises correctly, you can burn 500-700 calories. Classes in the gym take place to energetic music, at a high tempo, with heavy weights. A barbell is used as the main weighting material. It is the combination of strength and aerobic training that helps you lose weight and create a sculpted body. The system is designed in such a way that when the muscles adapt to the load, a sharp change in exercise occurs.
Description of "Body Combat"
“Body Combat” allows you to get your body in order in the shortest possible time. The exercises were based on martial arts such as karate, kickboxing, and tai-bo. This allows you to develop flexibility, dexterity, coordination of movements, and accordingly, improve not only your appearance, but also your well-being. Trainers recommend starting the exercises with preliminary preparation, because an increased load is expected.
In order to verify your abilities, you should analyze the difficulty of performing simple aerobic exercises. If dancing, running or swimming is difficult, you should start small, gradually increase difficulty and only then move on to the Body Kombat program. Sometimes they give one trial lesson so that a person can fully experience the intensity of the training.
Typically, classes are attended 3-4 times a week, adjusting the number depending on the desired results and your own strengths. In addition to this, eat properly and get enough time to get a good night's sleep. Sometimes two workouts are combined: “Body Kombat” and “Body Pump”. They combine well with each other, so there is no need to create an individual training plan.
Disadvantages and advantages of training
The disadvantages include restrictions that the system imposes on a person due to the characteristics of the body.
- Since the exercises are very intense, the trainee must have minimal running or dancing skills. It is not necessary to be a professional athlete and have any achievements in these areas, it is enough to withstand prolonged loads.
- Body Combat is designed for use only as an anaerobic exercise. To strengthen muscles, it is combined with other types of training, for example, “Body Pump”.
- The program is not recommended for people with problems in the spine or joints.
- Not suitable for those who want to do traditional exercises such as running, jumping, etc. The uniqueness of the system is that it combines basic movements from martial arts.
- Due to the high load on the body, a balanced diet should be maintained. In this case, a low-calorie diet will not work. Training on a calorie deficit can cause harm. Even the use of various pre-workout supplements will not provide the benefits that a balanced diet will provide.
Home workouts with Body Kombat
Not every gym offers the Body Combat training program. For such cases, the Les Mills group released training materials “Body Kombat”, "Body Pump". The video tutorial allows everyone to exercise their body using a new revolutionary system at home.
No additional equipment is required to start classes. In the video, the trainers clearly explain how to do the exercises in order to achieve the most effective results. If you have any questions, you can consult with a trainer online.
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Body Combat is an intense cardio workout developed by renowned New Zealand trainers Les Mills. After the success of the Body Pump program, trainers began to think about creating an aerobic exercise. This is how Body Kombat training appeared in 2000, which instantly gained popularity in the world of fitness.
Currently, Body Combat programs are practiced in more than 96 countries. Along with Body Pump (barbell training), Body Combat is the most successful project of New Zealand trainers Les Mills.
Body Combat training is carried out within the framework and represents a complex of movements from various martial arts, which are united by simple choreography to fiery music. You'll train your entire body (arms, shoulders, back, stomach, buttocks and legs) while also developing flexibility, strength, coordination and cardiovascular endurance.
About Body Combat
Body Combat is an aerobic workout that will get your body in shape in record time. The program is developed on the basis of such types of martial arts as taekwondo, karate, capoeira, Muay Thai (Thai boxing), tai chi, boxing. The impactful combination of such varied movements makes the exercise effective not only for losing weight, but also for developing your flexibility, dexterity and coordination. You will lose weight, strengthen your muscles, improve posture and coordination, get rid of excess fat and cellulite, and develop endurance.
Pros and cons of Body Combat training
Like any other program, Body Combat has its advantages and disadvantages. Before you start exercising, be sure to analyze for yourself all the pros and cons of this workout from Les Mills.
Pros:
- Body Combat helps burn excess fat, improve metabolism, tone the body and reduce volume.
- Such workouts are excellent for developing endurance and strengthening the cardiovascular system.
- The exercises used in Body Combat are quite simple and straightforward. There will be no complicated sequences here, the workouts are very easy to follow.
- In one workout you can burn about 700 calories. This occurs through alternating intense movements that engage all the muscles in your body.
- The program is regularly updated, every three months a group of Les Mills trainers create new editions of Body Kombat with updated movements and music. Your body does not have time to adapt to the load, which means your exercises become even more effective.
- The workout develops your coordination and flexibility, improves your posture and strengthens your spine.
- Body Combat is literally designed to be combined with Body Pump strength training. These Les Mills programs will get you in great shape.
Cons and limitations:
- The training is very intense, and it is not suitable for everyone because of the serious stress on the body, especially the heart.
- The program is aerobic, designed more for losing weight than strengthening muscles. If you want to get a beautiful body contour, then Body Combat is better to combine with strength training.
- It is not advisable to start the program for those who have any problems with the spine or joints.
- Body Combat is distinguished by non-standard exercises. There will be no traditional jumping and running in place, which we are used to seeing in cardio classes. A mixture of several types of martial arts at once may not be to everyone's liking.
- Attention! Intense workouts like Body Combat are not compatible with a low-calorie diet. With such a serious load, you must eat a balanced diet.
Body Combat is the perfect workout if you're looking for a quality cardio workout. It is more intense and more fun than, for example, exercise on a treadmill, and it also uses a larger number of different muscles. The results of the program will be noticeable on your figure after three to four weeks of regular exercise.
Sports clubs offer a variety of training programs, from which you can definitely choose what you like.
How did Body Combat come about?
Philip Mills, the son of famous Olympic champion Les Mills, developed an effective training system in the 1990s, which he refined over several years. His father's dream was to create a fitness program that would suit anyone from beginner to professional athlete. A team of trainers, doctors and choreographers worked on the system. In 1997, Les Mills International was created, which actively sells training to all corners of the world to this day.
At the moment there are already 11 types of Les Mills. The first workout, Body Pump, consists of high-intensity exercises using a lightweight barbell accompanied by rhythmic music.
What is good about this training system?
The secret is in a special technique. Properly selected music sets the mood for performing a set of exercises, lifts your spirits and motivates. The music program is updated every season. In addition, program instructors undergo special education and training, after which they receive certificates to conduct them. All programs require an individual approach, and interference with the sequence of exercises is strictly prohibited.
More about Body Combat
Body Combat is a high-intensity workout that incorporates elements of karate, taekwondo, tai chi and kickboxing. It helps to engage and strengthen muscles throughout the body, burn 500 to 700 calories and improve coordination.
Instructors advise starting training after preliminary preparation, for example, dancing or athletics. By gradually increasing the load and rebuilding the body into a new regime, you can begin to master the Body Combat program.
The training schedule directly depends on the goal. To lose weight and get in shape, 3-4 classes a week are enough.
Let's weigh the pros and cons
Because there is no limit to perfection, the Les Mills method has not only positive aspects, but also negative ones.
Of course, with regular training and proper nutrition, excess weight will go away, the cardiovascular system will become stronger, and the body will be slimmer and fit. However, behind high intensity there is a risk of excessive stress on the entire body, and especially on the heart.
Frequent updates to your training program will keep you from getting bored and will help your body get used to the stress, so it will become more effective. But if you want to strengthen and develop muscles, Body Combat alone will not do it. The aerobic program will have to be combined with strength exercises.
Easy warm-up - and go!
The workout begins with a light warm-up, during which basic combinations of movements are learned (or repeated). And then it begins: “We punch and kick imaginary opponents using elements of boxing - this is real wrestling! It was my first time and I was afraid to fall behind the others, because the others seemed to be experienced athletes and fought very convincingly.”
The combinations for the first lesson may seem a little complicated, but in the next lesson it will be much easier. All combinations are performed with the weight of your body - no aids are required. Body Combat cannot be compared with training in the gym - in the gym you can relax, sitting on a bench, but Body Combat does not provide such indulgences. The breaks to quench your thirst are also very short: a small sip of water and back. And for dessert, a series for the abdominal muscles awaits you.
This is a very intense workout and the most effective hour spent, for those who do not have extra time. The next day, the training is felt well throughout the body. This group training is very motivating and does not allow you to shy away. Body Combat squeezes out all the juices from the trainee, and also frees the head from work thoughts.
Body Combat – what kind of workout is it?
It is part of the Les Mills system and draws inspiration from various martial arts techniques. The workout is based on exercises and combinations of movements that vary every three months. Great for both women and men.
Movements include kicking and punching, as well as self-defense techniques. The workout lasts 60 minutes and is divided into 10 different parts. To begin with, warm up and study the blows, then intensive training, where the whole body is worked out, and at the end - stretching.
NB! Be prepared for the fact that after the first lesson you will feel muscles that you never knew you had before!
Before starting training, consult a specialist!
MyFitness trainer Raido Ilp gives men recommendations on group training.
“Before you start training, listen to the coach’s advice. Consult with a physical therapist or personal trainer to find the right intensity and training style. It is wise to find a coach who is ready for long-term cooperation. Start with simpler workouts - Les Mills Body Pump, included in the training plan of all major sports clubs, is great. Next, you can try group training, which requires more complex coordination.
Form a habit of moving every day. As a coach, I recommend moving every day, but it doesn’t have to be an intense workout - 2-3 intense workouts a week are enough, and between them you can move more calmly, while taking into account the person’s general fitness. Exercise and movement should become an integral, enjoyable part of everyday life, not a depressing chore.
Try different types of training so that training does not turn into a tedious task. At the same time, the social factor is also important: different training sessions in different sports clubs are also attended by different people, which will enrich your communication. The body must rest. As a coach, I believe that recovery training - gymnastics, walking with poles, jogging - is also a break, but you need to take into account the fitness of the body, because for a person with little training, even walking with poles may seem like an intense workout. It is very important to restore your body between workouts.
Do not forget to supply the body with the so-called. building material - without it, high-quality restoration is impossible. Already during training, the body needs carbohydrates and proteins. Carbohydrates should not be a serious concern for the recreational athlete, but eating protein immediately after an intense workout should become a sporting habit.”