I started Les Mills Combat a couple weeks ago, but succumbed to a cold on Day 3, so I had to suspend that activity for a while. I still have a bit of a nagging cough, but, unable to sit still any longer, I started the program again at the beginning of this week.
I really cannot describe how much I enjoy it, and this is coming from someone who is not a fan of Les Mills Pump. I like Combat so much, in fact, that I ordered the DVDs with the additional workouts.
I was pretty sure I’d enjoy Combat, because when I was doing P90X, I really liked Kenpo X, and also Kenpo Cardio from the P90X Plus series. I think that doing Tony Horton’s kenpo — which I am sure martial arts purists would poo-poo (pu-pu?) as “not the real thing”, but, whatever — makes me feel as if I am learning a useful skill. Hey, I do spend a lot of time in bars and clubs, so there might come a time when I need to mix it up, right?
(Okay, so maybe I only know enough to get my own ass kicked, but at least psychologically, I feel a little better prepared for a fight. I guess it’s like owning a gun — the most likely person to get shot with it is probably yourself….)
Les Mills Combat bases its moves on a variety of martial arts, including boxing, karate, tae kwon do, capoeira, kickboxing, and jiu jitsu. As you might guess, there is a lot of punching and kicking, and my heart rate stays in the target zone for about the entire workout. I kinda wish now that I’d bought the package with the weighted gloves, which would add intensity to the workouts, but I didn’t.
The only caution I need to take is to ensure I stay back when I am in a squat stance, which is somewhat often during straight punching sequences. I tend to stay up on my toes, instead of farther back on my heels, and that will manifest itself as low-grade knee pain the next day.
I know I am only one week into it, but I’ve done all the workouts, and the only one I found a bit boring was the Combat 45: Power Kata. I didn’t have a hard time getting through it — it was not booooooooring — but I did find myself looking at the clock a couple times. Maybe I do need to get those weighted gloves, or at least add some weight to my hands to keep things more intense.
The instructors are only a little annoying. Dan and Rachael — they are in the advert to the right — are the primary gurus. They say stupid shit, of course — that’s the standard, right? — and Dan tends to get a bit overzealous, you know, making his eyes bug out, and acting a bit on the crazy side. However, all in all, these instructors do a good job keeping things flowing without getting too annoying.
At only around $60, Les Mills Combat is a great deal. You get a 60-day workout plan, and, while I say I’ve done all the workouts the first week, they seem difficult enough that I won’t be bored. That is to say, I really need to build my coordination and get these things right! Remember, though, I did say up top that I’d ordered the 4 additional workouts, because I like to keep things fresh as possible. I remember that as I approached the end of P90X, I knew I wanted to continue the workouts, but not necessarily those workouts, so I ordered other Tony Horton workouts. Ordering the extra Combat DVDs is a pre-emptive strike against that, and I’ll be able to integrate them into my 60-day program whenever I feel like it.
If you are already into fighting or mixed martial arts, these workouts may seem a bit pedestrian to you, but if you are curious about those things, and want to learn some moves, or if you just want a workout program that requires little to no equipment — dumbbells are used during some of the workouts — then you will find Les Mills Combat to be a really good way to either get into, or stay in, shape. As I said above, at only around $60, Les Mills Combat is a great deal!