Craig writes: I just got done reviewing our mix for this week. I think we have a little bit of something from almost every release between 38 and 52 (yes I know that would be more than 10 songs, but you get the picture). Tami and I trade weeks - this week I have what we call "odd numbers" - warm-up (#1), chest (#3), triceps (#5), etc. - and Tami has evens - squats (#2), back & hamstrings (#4), etc. Next week we swap.

Well I've started writing dates next to each song that I've done so that I don't repeat it for awhile. So the set I pulled up this time were the ones that have "gone the longest" since I last did them - and now I know why: they're also some of the toughest. I hope the class doesn't start throwing their weights at me...

Last week we did a bunch of songs that we either haven't done in many months, or ever at all. Really old stuff from 37, 38, 39. So it was sort of like doing a launch, but with old music (new to us music though). We were really excited about it but couldn't tell if it made such a big splash with the class. (I think probably we as instructors get into the music more than people in class because we have to listen to it over and over again!)

Two more things on BodyPump 53. First, Mike McSweeny (BodyPump inventor and choreographer) went somewhere with this music that I've been hoping he'd go for awhile. I'm talking about the biceps track (#6). I won't spoil it for anyone reading this who isn't an instructor - just make sure you're there for your club's launch, and I promise you won't forget it! Second, one of the things I really like about the BTS music is that they always manage to pick something "current" for each release. In this case it's the abs track, which - although not new on the Top 40 charts (it was there in 2004) - is featured in the newly-released movie "Hitch". Which means my teenager doesn't complain too loudly when we have to play them in the car.

Craig writes: We received the new BodyPump 53 DVD and CD in the mail this weekend. I really like this release. Maybe not as much as 51 or 47 (those were pretty hard to beat) but it's very listenable. Tami and I both had trouble swallowing 52 at first because of all the techno-style music - but it played really well on the floor. That's one of the tough things about the music - often times the things you think you won't like play really well on the floor, while the good stuff sometimes just falls flat. Shoulder songs are a good example of that: "War Machine" BP 52, "We Will Survive" BP 43, and "B-Boys & Flygirls" BP 37 - I really wouldn't enjoy listening to any of those on my stereo, but put a set of weights in motion with them and they rock. Yet a chest song like Van Halen's "Jump" BP 39 never seems to spark much interest. Funny how that works.

So I fired up iTunes and loaded up the music. We have everything organized by both release and track - each release gets its own playlist, then each track (warm-up, squats, chest, etc) also has a playlist. Makes it easier to put together a mix that way.

By the way, BTS had sent an email a couple months back saying they were going to copy protect their CDs. Whatever happened with that eh? Either the copy protection is pretty lame or the instructor community gave them an earful. Personally I don't think they have much to worry about - we pay a pretty good price for these CDs, there's no way we're going to start distributing them for free anyway!