{Workout Review} Les Mills Combat

It's been a tradition for the past four years for the brother and I to do a workout program together during the summer. We've done P90X (first 2 summers), P90X-2, and now Combat. It's just a 60-day program. And you're only looking at 30 minutes to 1 hour, 6 days a week. It's pretty fun. Different. But decently fun. The brother thought it was "fun and challenging," but he also wished the intervals were "longer and harder." Here are my thoughts...

Combat is a mix of Karate, Kung Fu, Capoeira, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Tai, Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do, and Boxing. It takes a little while to get in to. Once you have the form and rhythm down, it's easier to get more out of your workout. At the same time, you have to stay focused because it's also really easy to just kind of do it. I ended up adding weighted gloves and ankle weights to the mix, and I kept up with Zumba a couple times a week. When I started Combat, I had just finished Insanity...there's a great deal of difference in intensity level. And it was a little bit difficult for me to adjust. 

The Workouts:

• Kick Start (30 min.), Combat 30 Live (30 min.), Power Kata (45 min.), Extreme Cardio Fighter (60 min.), and Combat 60 Live (60 min.): These all focus on punching and kicking, with some pushups and crunches at the end. Nice little cardio blasts with some arm, leg, and core action. They're pretty fun. And you'll be sopping wet by the end. 
• Power HIIT (30 min.): This one involves some weights. I felt like I was doing the same exercise so much that I was just wasted. 
• Shock Plyo HIIT (30 min.): I love me some P90X-2 Plyocide, but this was not my cup of tea. Instead of mixing up the moves, like with P90X, I felt like I was doing the same thing so much that those muscles were done for.  
• Upper Body Blow Out (30 min.): It's upper body. It's kind of repetitive. I felt like I needed more. 
• Lower Body Lean Out (30 min.): Lunges. Lunges. Lunges. More lunges. I don't recommend doing this one with ankle weights...quad killer.  
• Core Attack (16-ish min.): Your core will burn. I did like that this went between moves in plank and being on your back. There's also some lower back and bum work. 
• Stretch & Strength (16-ish min.): It's just not Yoga-X. It's a whole lot shorter. But it's not Yoga-X. I do like that you can easily add it after a workout because it's not long.     

While I do enjoy punching and kicking, I don't think I would do the 60-day program straight through again. I like it as more of a supplement to P90X and P90X-2. There's probably some hybrid calendar out there that combines those programs. And, if I'm short on time, it's nice to have some 30-minute workouts available. I would recommend this more to people who are just getting into extreme fitness. It's got some great modifications to take the impact out too, if you're needing that. 

I'm currently into week 3 of P90X-2 again. It's been a year. I was unbelievably sore the first week. But it's incredible to see how much more I'm able to do. It's great stuff. It's my favorite. That is all.