Gym chronicles: Body Combat

We were supposed to do Wushu yesterday, but Eleanor had to work extra hours for an urgent deliverable. It's one of those rare ones that she couldn't say no to. So we decided to go to Fitness First North Edsa for group exercises instead. We checked the timetable and on the menu was Body Combat at 6:30pm.

Here's what the Les Mills website says about Body Combat:

BODYCOMBAT is the empowering cardio workout where you are totally unleashed. This fiercely energetic program is inspired by martial arts and draws from a wide array of disciplines such as karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi and muay thai. Supported by driving music and powerful role model instructors, you strike, punch, kick and kata your way through calories to superior cardio fitness.

We haven't done this before, and because it sounded martial-artsy, and we were supposed to do Wushu anyway, we decided to try it.

Popular class
The group exercises studio was packed when we got there. We were late only a couple of minutes, but already the room was filled to almost overflowing. I figured some people had been waiting outside way before the class started. That's an indicator of how popular a class is. Other popular classes I've gone to are Hip Hop and Body Jam. Body Step had only eight or so students the last time I joined in. Body Attack and Body Pump get decent crowds, but not overflowing like Body Combat.

But as the case usually is in gym classes, people always crowd around the back. So Eleanor and I thought of pushing our way across the room, towards the middle right area, which we figured would be less packed.

True enough, we found ourselves a couple of square meters, just enough for us to move around. But I soon found out that space would have been too small if the people around had long legs, because Body Combat routines had a lot of front and back kick sequences.

And so the class started. The instructor was a shortish, stocky guy, the kind that reminded you of Bulldogs rather than sleek German Shepherds, but he had the energy of a Mini-Pinscher. At least his sound system worked okay, and I could actually make out what he was saying over the loud, 'energetic' music.

We did the slow Tai Chi-like moves first. After a couple of those, the routine accelerated. Mostly it was a combination of punches--jabs, hooks, uppercuts--front and back kicks, and basic footwork, all done in varying speeds. Form was important, as the instructor kept saying. But I could barely see the forms he was demonstrating onstage, so I just copied what the serious students out front were doing.

Serious signs
I could tell they were serious because 1) they looked fit and confident (not hyperventilating or looking around copying what others were doing, like I was), 2) their workout outfits were snug and stylish (not old T-shirts soaked in sweat--even I wouldn't wear that), and 3) they had their game face on (that intense look when a person is really about to punch someone).

And so we punched and kicked, shuffled our feet, punched and kicked again, shuffled our feet, and then did everything faster. A little more than halfway through, I looked around and saw the crowd had actually thinned out. I realized that to most people such cardio workout was a little too intense.

Overall, I think Body Combat is great for moderately fit people whose heart can withstand some heavy pumping. Beginners may want to take it easy, while advanced students will enjoy the endurance challenge.

Lucky for Eleanor and I, our hearts have been pushed beyond their normal capacity in Wushu class. So even if at some point our postures were awkward, or we looked to the left when everyone else looked to the right, or vice versa, we were able to take the intense cardio punishment. Not only did we stay all the way to the cool down portion, we also still had energy left for another class.

But Eleanor had to go to a dinner party. I considered joining the Pilates class, but decided to go home early, which was just as well because the traffic was really bad last night. And it was our housemaid Jovy's birthday, so we had a post-dinner caloriefest of cake and ice cream.