>>> Updated 11/7/05:
>>> We now have BodyPump 56 in our hot little hands!
>>> Click Here to read our full review...
Now that 55 is in instructor's hands, we're beginning to get some preliminary information on the upcoming 56 release - and from all accounts we're in for some serious sweat. According to the pre-release promo, BodyPump 56 will put "muscles under a bigger load for longer through the working tracks and putting a real bite into bottom half squats and tricep kickbacks." It goes on to say that "participants will also come face to face with the real essence of BODYPUMP", confirming recent posts on Reymond's Journal and Kia Kaha about how tough this release really is. By the way, BodyPump 56 includes tunes from Rogue Traders, Fine Young Cannibals, Annie Lennox, and Robbie Williams - plus a bonus biceps track. Look for it sometime in November-December! (source: www.fitpro.com/bts/workshops.cfm)

>>> Updated 3/21/06:
>>> We now have BodyPump 57 in our hot little hands!
>>> Click Here to read our full review...

Our friends at Kia Kaha have announced that the filming date for BodyPump 57 has been set for 7 November 2005 7:10pm in Studio One at the main Les Mills club in Auckland, New Zealand. Perhaps you will consider joining them - and if so, their announcement includes an email link for your RSVP!

By the way, here's Susan Tolj's first-hand account from the recently-completed BodyPump 56 filming...

When BodyPump head choreographer Mike McSweeney introduced "Crack It" to the worldwide instructor community on the release #50 video, his words were "Take the hardest shoulder song you know and just double it". No kidding - to my way of thinking, "Crack It" reigns supreme as the toughest shoulder song we've ever done.

So when some of our class members pointed out that "Tribal Dance" (48) was tougher than "Crack It", I couldn't resist the opportunity to have a little show-down. We ran "Crack It" that Friday and Saturday, followed by "Tribal Dance" on Monday - and I'm here to tell you both songs deserve respect. Alright, so maybe "Crack It" isn't twice as hard as "Tribal Dance" - but I still say it's the tougher of the two. Agree or disagree? Click the comments link below and have your say!

A couple weeks ago, I spent the evening running wires for some low-power lighting on the undersides of our kitchen cabinets. The best way to do this was for me to bend over backwards - literally. Five years ago I wouldn't have been able to walk the next day. In fact I probably wouldn't have been able to get into bed without assistance, let alone get out the next morning. But sure enough that next day I was right by Tami's side teaching our BodyPump class.

This past weekend Tami and I ran the Marine Mud Run, a 5K (roughly 3 miles) dash over cross-country terrain and through a mud pit at the end. We haven't had much time to practice thanks to our nifty little kitchen project so we pretty much went as we are. Okay maybe we didn't set any records, but we ran the thing and didn't skip a beat the rest of the weekend.

If you're new to BodyPump, don't be discouraged if you don't see the results you wanted right away. Sometimes it's what you don't feel that matters most - like not being winded when you climb a long flight of stairs, or not having a sore back after working all day, or not feeling so overwhelmed with household chores. As with any exercise routine, you gotta stick with it to get the results you want - and yes, you will definitely get results with BodyPump. But sometimes the results that matter most are what you can't see, and don't feel!