Well, I mostly kept it under wraps... until now! I, along with 30 other very lucky instructors, got to attend the BodyAttack Advanced Instructor Module with none other than Lisa Osborne herself this past Monday in Orlando, Florida. I decided not to really tell anyone beforehand, and unless you saw updates from Facebook you may have missed it entirely.
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that was too good to pass up. I had been checking the website to see what Attack AIMs were available, and compared with Pump and RPM, there were hardly any. In fact, only 2 have been held in the entire USA since the first of the year. I had been planning to attend the first one in Baltimore, but the scheduling ended up not working out. I was checking the website every day, and this one virtually popped up (and sold out) overnight. Obviously, being held by the program director, as well as Lizzy Troutman who is a little firecracker of energy, it's easy to see why. I was lucky enough to attend. *Insert jumps for joy and cries of gratitude here*.
The module itself was incredible. Due to legalities, I can't give much away as far as what you do. I will say that we presented directly to Lisa twice and received on the spot feedback to improve our teaching. We also did technique drills, worked on perfecting our posture/form, and some other exercises on what the essence of BodyAttack is and how to teach within that. One tip that I think is too helpful to NOT share: before teaching/taking your next class, get a roll of duct tape. Roll your back/shoulders into set position, and then have someone tape each of your shoulders from the top down to the end of your back. Whenever you might start slipping out of set position, you will feel the pull on the tape. This forces you to engage your back muscles (and boy will you feel it the next day...)
Although all of the technique stuff is very helpful, what I took away much more was how to present within the essence of the program and how important it is to create a contrast. Teach differently from song to song, especially with the new BodyAttack 3D. There are times when it's important to dial down, and this is something I haven't been good at in the past. We also got some very simple and helpful coaching cues to implement, and other small things which add up to make a huge difference.
Another thing that I want to point out... I was very much intimidated going into this. It's not a big secret to people in my local circle that I'm a one-of-a-kind Attack-aholic. But going into this situation... I would be amongst other Attack-aholics. I've only been to 3 quarterlies, but I have to say that the ones I've been to always end up turning into competitions, where people vie for the front row up to and including pushing, crowding out, and it can get ugly. That's not what I go for. I don't want to put on a show for anyone. I compare it to going to a concert... if you could watch from the front row, why wouldn't you? I always go to the front when it's Lisa. She's one of my idols and I make no apologies, but I'm not there to compete with anyone or outdo anyone. So, going to an AIM, I thought for sure it'd be way worse...
NOT AT ALL. Every instructor I encountered was lovely, encouraging, inviting, and passionate in all the ways that matter most. We were all there to experience this amazing atmosphere together, and we were all there to push each other to our best. They are some of the friendliest people I've met and I am so grateful for each person I met. They'll all rank up there with everyone else who's been part of my journey. Within 24 hours, almost all of us were friends on Facebook. We've shared pictures, stories, and just an amazing energy.
Lisa is EVERYTHING she appears to be on the DVDs... passionate, happy, spunky, positive, and always full of energy. The woman could do 4 classes back to back and never miss a beat. She got right down in the trenches with us when we were presenting the second time, participating from the front row (can you say intimidating?). She is also one of the most humble people you'll ever meet. No ego there, just pure passion and a desire to improve the lives of others by doing the best job she can. I hope that someday I can teach with as much grace and excitement as she does.
Lizzy is also such an amazing resource for the USA team. She is going to be on the next Step DVD, and Lisa told us a lot about how Lizzy has developed her "BodyAttack essence" teaching style. I've never seen a Step DVD, but apparently Step is a much more "Guy Smiley" happy, sappy, essence if you will, where Attack is more athletic and edgey. So Lisa said it's been fun to see Lizzy transform from pure Step into a hybrid. She is equally personable, passionate, and a great role model for us.
So needless to say, I've come home with a bunch of new objectives and goals, and renewed passion to make my dreams come true. I'm so grateful for the opportunities I've been given, and hope I can enrich other people's lives the way mine was enriched in Orlando!
And here are some pictures from my weekend. First the LMSE quarterly:
Nicole Hagar, one of my heroes from LMWC
Susan Renata, Head Trainer for BodyPump - she is one tough chick and very gracious!
I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa at the Laguna Niguel quarterly last August. She remembered me!
I was letting her know I couldn't pass up a chance to AIM with her (she wanted to know why I was so far from home).
Can I get one more Lisa??
A snap of the Shbammers goin to town! I tried snapping more but they all came out fuzzy.
A few from the AIM:
After 8 hours of pure Attack adrenaline and passion, I made it. And she is fantastic as always... who would ever know she had a baby on Christmas Eve??? (PS he's so cute! He was there too! :) )
Lisa and Lizzy autographed my Attack 71 chorey notes! I figured that was appropriate since that's the release we AIMed on.
31 amazing instructors plus 1 amazing trainer and 1 phenomenal program director... definitely a career highlight and an experience I will never forget!
And finally, a couple of fun shots during the travelling process.
Even across the country, Starbucks always takes care of me!
I thought this was hilarious... a list of electronic devices and their permitted use on flights. How very gracious of the TSA...
That's it for now! The BodyAttack 101 plyo track will be coming very soon! Stay tuned!
Recently, I've been going through some hard times as an instructor. I tell you this not for pity, but in order to explain any misinterpretations that are going on out there. My hope is that this will put all the drama to rest and help mend relationships. I don't know if this is the case, but it's all I can do on my part to try and bridge the gap.
I became a Group Fitness Instructor for one reason and one reason only: to share the passion that has so richly impacted my life with others. I found myself wanting to
be part of something while going to my classes. I wanted to be part of a team of fun and inspiring individuals who help others reach their goals. This is because I myself know what it feels like to be alone in a world of extra weight... to feel hopeless and out of control is bad, but to suffer alone is what makes it
unbearable.
Recently, some in my circle feel as though I've gotten a bit carried away. I've been called arrogant, overly-passionate,
pretentious, and unofficially blacklisted by several of my peers. I've been told I have no business writing a blog and that I should essentially shut up and go away. The only reason I started writing a blog in the first place is because I needed somewhere to channel my energy since I wasn't getting to teach at all for a while.
My teammates, I love all of you, and you've all been part of my journey to try and become a better instructor. When I ask to work with you or team a class, it is because I want to draw from your strengths and also because I enjoyed feeling like part of a great team. I've never intended to "outdo" anyone else and while I do want to make a career out of this, I never meant to ruffle
anyone's feathers. I welcome all feedback and if anyone wants to tell me things to help me improve in a civilized fashion, I would gladly listen. I'm sorry if I suck as an instructor, or if I get on
anyone's nerves. I just wanted to be part of something great.
Many of you have been nothing but gracious and welcoming of me, and you have all been a Godsend. I appreciate all of you and really wish nothing more then to be friends and work together to share our common passion.
Some of the silence of late in my blogging schedule has to due with the fact that BodyAttack 72 is now in my hot little hands. I've watched the release twice now and, while I'm still ironing out whether or not it is ok to mention choreography yet (since this release hasn't been launched as of this writing) I do want to offer a few initial reactions and sneak peaks:
- Lisa was 8 1/2 months pregnant when this was filmed. She does the entire class LOW IMPACT and shows that you can still get a great workout regardless of fitness level OR pregnancy level! She was so inspirational. There's also lots of great information for us instructors to pass forward about how to do Attack safely while pregnant.
- There's innovation pretty much throughout the entire release. The warm-up and track 2 both have some really fun modifications of standard moves, track 3 is sans-Superman. The running track now has options for running in place if you're in a small room as opposed to running in a circle, which I might actually implement more for variety than for anything else. Agility has some newer moves that have been brought back, and Track 10 has some new moves as well... I don't remember the 2nd cardio block as well (I watched it before bed) so I'll make more comments in the review.
- My first impression of the music is that I don't like it as well as BA71, but that's usually the case when I first get the releases. They grow on me over time.
It looks to be a fun quarter with some new stuff to figure out!
I've suddenly realized that review writing is kinda hard!!! Especially when you review different choreography constantly. Eventually all the tracks start running together and your mind starts to spin! With that said, I've gotten some positive comments on my reviewing so I'll keep plugging away! Next up:
BodyAttack 70.
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that the content below is my own personal opinion of the release. I welcome all feedback and acknowledge that everyone has personal tastes!It's been almost 4 months since I've done this release in it's entirety. With that said, I remember most of the tracks pretty clearly and will try to give some thoughtful ideas about how I felt while teaching them.
In a word: Fun. Where
BodyAttack 71 is a techno club, 70 is a little lighter, a little more "boogie" if you will. It's by no means
BodyJam, but it definitely has a bit of a flair to it. When I attended the Q3 quarterly with Lisa, she mentioned that she intentionally had a bit of fun in celebration of this being the 70
th release, and that most of the "fun" moments will not be typical of the new 3D Attack format (
especially track 9 which we'll get to). In addition, the sports theme of the release is basketball, and they did a great job of integrating it throughout the class. The thing I probably love most about 70 is that you
know they had fun doing it, and it really came across at the quarterly and on the DVD. Let's take a look at the track list:
- Feels Like A Prayer 2010 - So much fun!!! I love the energy of the song. It's fun, it's energetic, it's cheeky. Most people know and love Madonna... what's not to like? There's some innovation in this track where the "walk-it-up" moves from corner to corner. The choreography blocks build in the 3rd round where all the combinations get put together. It's well organized and a great way to start off the class.
- Bad Romance - I was really excited when I saw the track list for this release. I love me some Lady GaGa. However, honestly... I don't like this remix. I like the song, I like the choreography... I just don't like this particular remix of the song. For one thing, a lot of the original song plays off the rhythm, and this remix totally zaps that. The song sounds a bit too choppy to me. The innovation here is a modification of the step curl. You step one foot to the side, one foot to the front, put the back foot back down, and step the other foot back.... confusing enough? Basically one foot stays stationary, and the other alternates between stepping forward, and back into set. It's a fun modification and I like the creativity Lisa is utilizing.
- Me Against The Music - I guess I'm in the minority with this one as far as music is concerned... I really liked it! Granted, I've not heard the original song, and the complaints I heard were similar to what I just said about Bad Romance. Apparently this is a bad remix in a lot of people's eyes. In the world that is Chad's review, I liked it. AND... for the first time ever (as near as I can remember), there is NO Superman in this track! I'm not cheering as if that's the best thing ever, but it is absolutely big. In its place, we have a new move called the "Bow-Tie-Run". You run forward to one corner, run straight back, run to the other corner, and then back again. Eventually, this progresses where you "run and reach" to one corner, shuffle back, "run and reach" to the other, then jack back. I have to admit I was sad not to see Lisa do a Superman in person at the quarterly, but we had fun with this one! It's actually one of my favorite Aerobic tracks, and I love how different it is from "the formula".
- Music Is Moving - A basketball track with a jumping square pattern. I think the basketball theme was applied brilliantly here, although it's not my favorite song in the world. I personally think the track would've worked better had the plyo lunges been touch downs or single jumps instead. (*NOTE: I've now seen BodyAttack 72, and it includes plyo lunges. We haven't had a plyo track without lunges since 64... it's time!)
- Feel It - A fantastic track for working on core stability. You do a "jumping" plank if you will. Basically, you're in a plank, and then you jump your feet in, then back out, then walk them side to side. The song is a bit intense, but there's a lot of room to play on lyrics and I feel like it's appropriate considering the choreography.
- Take On Me - FUN!!! The first time we launched this at my club, I was so excited that I got assigned this track. What's awesome is everyone knows the song, but nobody knows what it is until about 20 seconds in when the main riff starts, and then they all cheer big. Plenty of opportunities for audience participation here! In the choreography notes Lisa says she'd been wanting to use this song for a long time. I'm really glad they did. Simple moves, fun and interactive... definitely a favorite of mine.
- Stamp On The Ground - The basketball theme continues! I was so happy when I heard the song... the prior few agility tracks hadn't been my favorite... but I loved this one! Moves that help you be quick on your feet, some step-pass drill moves, and some opportunities for side to side "defense" with the arms up. When we were at the quarterly, Lisa said to me "I wouldn't want to go up against you!" in reference to my 6'5-6'6 height! It was funny! I like this one!
- Battlefield - This was a case of me hating the song when I first heard it, and by the time we launched, it was one of my favorites! I think the choreography goes really well with the song, and you do shuffling in it which isn't typical of an Interval track. I think what I love so much about it is the building of the energy with each 4X8 count. It gets higher and higher until you explode into the run and reach. Plus, I just love shouting "I never meant to start a war!"
- Proud Mary - I can appreciate this for what it is. It was Lisa's way of saying "Happy 70, BodyAttack!" She takes a classic 70s song and makes a really fun, flamboyant, jiggy track 9. I actually think the track is really challenging... the rounds are long and there are plenty of jacks. However, it's not my favorite. It's a bit too happy for a track 9... I'm more of a Nowhere Fast kinda guy... where the song is a race, not a dance festival. Just my opinion. Lots of people like this, and I still teach it. It's just not my personal favorite. :)
- On And On - Since Down from 69 is arguably my favorite track 10, I was expecting to be really disappointed. Surprisingly, I really liked it! I think this is a case of BodyStep making a cameo in BodyAttack. As long as there's not a step involved, I have no problem with that (for those of you who don't know... I have size 14 shoes and am a klutz... as such, BodyStep is a medical hazard for me.) There are some step-jumps, which are actually fun and very challenging. I liked the choreography a lot... cool looking moves that you want to do correctly just because they look cool!
- Holiday - Another one where I hated the song at first, but it grew on me over time. There's a side plank-ab crunch move, and then you do butterfly crunches at the end. I have to say... 32 pulses at the end where you just want to rip the stereo and throw it through a window. But... that means the track is doing its job!
- State Of Mind - I must say Les Mills does an amazing job when it covers a song. They get really close to the original... capturing most of the same feel. As you know, I like a cooldown to deliver a particular message or feeling, and this isn't exactly it. With that said, it's not bad. Plenty of people love this song, so it's another chance to appeal to the top 40ers in the room.
Overall... this release does a really good job of integrating the basketball theme throughout the class. All of the innovations incorporated are moves you would drill as a basketball coach. In addition, there are some fun moments that help celebrate 70 releases, and the energy is pretty consistent throughout. It's not my favorite, but it's a good release that I will refer back to. Great job Lisa!
So here I go! This is the first in a line of release reviews I'm going to be doing. Please keep in mind that the content below is
my own personal opinion of the release. I welcome all feedback and acknowledge that everyone has personal tastes!
This release was marketed to us with a couple of different things in mind. First off, the teaser and Lisa's intro of the class mention "club atmosphere". Although Studio One was set up for a club feeling, only Track 9 immediately jumps to my mind as being
particularly clubbish. Otherwise, most Attack music could arguably be heard in a club, since most of the songs are remixed and techno-
ish sounding anyway. Second, it was stated that this is the first full release under the new 3D structure. The tracks were supposedly scripted and presented using hand-chosen cues and each dimension was supposed to feel different. As far as coaching, this wasn't always as obvious as I think Lisa would like. The choreography
definitely shows the 3 dimensions this time around. I'll get back to that in a minute, but it is something to keep in mind while reading and reviewing.
My initial impressions were that this release is challenging. Both peak tracks and the upper body conditioning track are absolutely killer when done high. I had to train on this release for a good 2 months (once a week) to build my stamina enough to do it all high (I still can't do the upper body all high... more on that to come). With that said, there is plenty of innovation (Lisa is amazing) and the choreography shows the 3 different dimensions well. I really like most of the songs too!
Let's break it down:
- One Love - Let's start off with the music, since I'm definitely a song person. LOVE the song. The message is awesome and the song is dark and soldier-ish. This is a nice change for the warm-up. As far as choreography, I like the innovation with the walk-it-up/grapevine combo. I don't really have any complaints about this warm-up by itself. One thing I would say is that when comparing to others, the first sequence of choreography is identical to the Attack 70 warm-up... literally. From the beginning all the way until the step curls begin, it is identical. We've seen a lot of the first half of that sequence recently... 67, 69, 70 and 71 all have it. Of course, this is only really noticeable to the diehards, so it shouldn't be a problem really.
- Good Times - The song is OK. We have a new arm-line! When I first saw this, I thought "wow... the 80s are making a comeback." It's fun for variety though, and working in the corners is always fun. The song is a bit repetitive, but with the new arm-line, there's plenty of opportunity to get the feel for it.
- Mama Do - A fairly straightforward aerobic track. Personally, I don't care for the song. The choreography is pretty standard, save a 2-bounce/2-jack combo. This makes for easy work on technique improvement!
- Swing - Great song, great choreography, challenging, crowd favorite... I love it! One thing I would've done differently, is instead of doing 4 double hop curls and 4 skaters at the beginning, I would've written in 4 low-option skaters followed by 4 high skaters. This one is definitely a butt-kicker. Make sure you precue and stay on top of it. There are lots of quick changes.
- Gettin' Over You - HARD! HARD! HARD! I swear Lisa's new mission is to kick everyone's upper body into shape! The last few upper body tracks have been getting harder and harder! There's innovation here with the alternating one-arm planks. Unfortunately for me, my upper body is my weakest point, so I really feel these ones. One thing I like about it? No tricep pushups. :) Lisa does an amazing job at varying up upper body tracks.
- In My Head - Remix of the Jason Derulo hit. I love this song in Pump, so it's fun. This running track has 2 basic combos that repeat. Easy, fun, and interactive. I like!
- Would You Raise Your Hands? - It's teased as soccer inspired, but I don't really see that here. The song is really good, and the 4-step L-hop move is an awesome workout for the legs. The 3-step skaters at the end were a little random.
- On My Way - Motivating, inspiring, uplifting... everything a good interval track should be. I like the song, and again, the choreography is standard for a track 8. This is not bad. At the Q3 2010 quarterly I attended with Lisa Osborne, she voiced that she would never change or complicate the track 8 choreography. It's really intended as the core "aerobic" track, and is dedicated to those hardcore Jazzergetics/Attackers of old.
- Welcome To The Club - AWESOME!!! For sure the highlight of the release to me. One comment I got from some of the members who've done this release is that the choreography fit the music right on. I think this track displays that perfectly. It's a different feel for a track 9... you can see the sports dimension take over and it's very challenging. Can't say enough good about it!
- Upside Down - Another challenging leg track! One legged squat/pushback which requires work on balance and forces you to load the grounded leg. Then we have repeaters and a squat-lunge combo that's killer! The song is OK. Not as fun as 69 or 70, but good nonetheless. :)
- Winner - INNOVATION! I like the new combo a lot! The thing that's great about this track is the tempo is slow... much opposite of 70. It's nice to see different combinations of things work really well, as it provides lots of variety and allows you to challenge the muscle in a different way. Reps vs time spent in each rep, load vs stamina and etc.
- Sign Of A Victory - FINALLY!!! A really great cooldown song after the last few were more top 40 focused. I love the message of the song and the choreographed victory moves. There are a few non-standard stretches in this one. If you like the song, it's also in this quarter's Flow/Balance release. :)
Overall, 71 is challenging. It pushes you, but the music is still enjoyable enough to keep you on track. There's only a couple of tracks that I personally won't re-teach very often, but none that I'll scrap entirely. AND it has a couple that are now in my top 5!
Great job Lisa!
