Body Combat

I recently discovered my new favourite type of workout - combat! When the gyms reopened after the first lockdown I went back to the Aberdeen Sports Village and tried out some of their fitness classes. Much to my surprise, my favourite by far was the body combat class. I’d never done any kind of combat before so had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Some Youtube workouts I’d followed in the past had had sections of kickboxing in them and I’d hated it so my expectations were pretty low going in. The class was like nothing I’d ever tried before with punching, kicking, jumping and lunging. Body combat combines moves from multiple combat disciplines and martial art forms. It was fast-paced cardio and I absolutely loved it. It felt amazing to be learning some combat moves and practising them without actually having to do any fighting! I was sweating so much by the end of it and I went back every week after that!

Moving away from Aberdeen and no longer having access to the class, I looked online for an alternative workout I could do at home and, whilst nothing beats punching and kicking with a real group of people, I have managed to find some replacements on Youtube which are almost as good:

• Puregym

Puregym currently has four combat classes available. I love all four of them and have done each several times over. They’re not too difficult and the trainer, Dave Cross, talks you through each combination. Still an intense class which gives you a great full-body workout.

• BodyAttack BodyCombat & GRIT Combination Class | Challenge Yourself

This video is 54 minutes in length which may seem long but I promise you, if you love combat, it is absolutely worth every minute of it. This is my favourite workout video on the internet and I have done it multiple times. It is a high intensity routine, probably not the best for beginners as some of the moves are a little more advanced but quite easy to follow and just so much fun!!

• Fitness with Cara

Cara Maker has two full-length combat videos available on her channel at the moment and they are both great. I really enjoy her workouts and the combination moves really get your brain working as well!

• Joey Tng

Joey Tng is a fitness coach from Malaysia and she has a number of body combat, cardio-kickboxing videos on her channel. They are fast paced but still doable for beginners. I like her choice of music and her video format.

If you’re looking to mix up your workout routine and you’ve never tried combat, consider giving it a chance. It’s not for everyone but I personally love it and I hope you will too!