Good morning! How was your weekend?
This one seemed to fly by. I’m glad I was able to enjoy it after a rough stretch late in the week. I spent Thursday afternoon and Friday battling a stomach bug and body aches, which left me mostly on the couch or in bed while juggling a clingy, crawling toddler. I managed to get my Friday class covered and hoped rest would help before Saturday’s launch—and it did. I woke up feeling much better and ready to teach two classes that day.
After the morning workouts, Jacob and I relaxed a bit before heading to my brother and sister’s house. I think Hunter may have caught my bug and felt unwell Saturday night, so after a tough night we took it easy on Sunday. I even slept in some while Jacob took care of Hunter—so grateful for him. I curled my newly short hair for the first time since cutting it and thought it looked cute.
Later we ran errands at Costco and Chuck’s, then enjoyed more downtime the rest of the day—exactly what we needed.
BodyPump 85!
I love launches. Introducing a new release to members is always energizing, and release 85 brought plenty of fresh challenges.
If you aren’t familiar with BodyPump, check out the body pump section on the group fitness page to learn more. For this launch I wanted a fun, visual theme. It took a bit to settle on something creative, but I finally did: bright, encouraging headbands. I bought green, pink, and blue stretchy fabric, cut strips, and my mom and I wrote encouraging words on them. They looked great, and nearly everyone in class—over 45 people—wore one!
Here’s a breakdown of BodyPump 85:
Warm up – Heartbreak on Hold
A lighthearted, upbeat warm up that sets a positive tone for the class.
Squats – Antidote
The squat track brought real intensity to the legs. The work was structured as two long sets with lots of bottom-range repetitions. Your legs beg for a break after the first set, but the second set keeps the challenge going strong.
Chest – Uprising
This track was a favorite—especially since I’m a Muse fan. A notable new challenge in the chest track was working from the bottom range up for two of the four sets, which adds a big difficulty and feel-good accomplishment when you finish.
Back – The Rhythm of the Night
The back track felt powerful. With both power presses and clean-and-press movements, there was plenty of overhead work that also raised the cardio intensity.
Triceps – Let It Roll
This upbeat song kept energy high through challenging triceps sequences. The choreography demanded maintaining back weight on the bar during triceps presses—tough to hold but effective. Bar work, dips, and extensions left the triceps thoroughly worked.
Biceps – Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
The biceps track was longer and intense, especially the final set. Pink’s track brought tempo and power, making the bicep work feel especially effective.
Lunges – Spectrum
Although I wasn’t immediately sold on the song’s first half, the lunge track introduced a strong new challenge: the plyometric straddle jump. The structure involved a set of 16, a brief rest, then another set of 16—brutal but rewarding for the legs.
Shoulders – This Is How We Rock!
The shoulders started with walking push-ups and 16 single push-ups, building intensity from the outset. Two plate-based sets followed by bar work made the finish especially challenging when heavier weights were used.
Core – One More Night
The core track emphasized upper and lower abs more than obliques, with many leg extensions and lifts using a plate. I was still feeling my abs two days later.
Cool down – Forever
A soothing cool-down track that slowed everything down and helped muscles recover. As an instructor, I found some of the choreography flow a bit confusing, but it did the job.
I was proud of everyone and loved the class energy. I team taught with Suzanne, which is always a great experience.
This morning I’m back to teach BodyPump again. Since I’m teaching the full release solo this time, I’m hoping it goes just as well.
Here’s to a happy Monday and a fit week!
Have you tried the latest release? What did you think? What was your favorite workout of the weekend?
Heather