BODYJAM™ #112
Presenters: Gandalf Archer Mills, Bianca Ikinofo and Meno Thomas
With a sense of play and personal interpretation, BODYJAM 112 sets the tone with warm-up electronic hit 'Backbone'. Take your participants on a journey of contrasting light and dark tracks – giving you room to play with texture and energy.
“There are some big moments that have a base of choreography, but there's encouragement to play and make it your own,” says Bianca Ikinofo. “‘Talk to me’ and the ‘Rumble’ move, in particular, really connect the room and help participants stay present in the class. I'm super excited to see how these moves land in the world.”
This release also dials up the focus on cardio. “The cardio is a beast in this release,” says Meno Thomas. “You’ll get fit just by jamming a couple of BODYJAM 112 classes a week, so think about really pushing yourself to the next level in both fitness and movement with this release.”
When it comes to favorite moments, 'Rumble' is the standout. “The rhythmic performance piece in this track is going to be a really fun moment in your class where you and your members can experiment with movement, rhythm and feel,” says Meno.
Bianca agrees, adding: “The song is just incredible and creates an amazing energy in the room along with the movement. I feel like Instructors and participants are going to have fun with it because there’s so much room for interpretation, but it also really makes you tap into timing ... if you don’t hit that timing, IT IS SO WEIRD haha.”
Behind the scenes – Feeling grounded (and very hot!)
Filming at the iconic Auckland City gym was a grounding experience for the team.
“We teach together at this club every week, but it was truly special to have our community bringing the heat from the floor! There’s no better feeling than jamming with your people, and I’m sure other Instructors around the world can relate to this,” says Meno.
And heat is no exaggeration!
“When we filmed it was soooooooo HOT! Enjoy our slow death through this release haha,” sweats Bianca.
BODYPUMP™ #133
Presenters: Glen Ostergaard, Ben Main, Reagan Kang, KB Fitzsimons-Nu'u, Khiran Huston, Vili Fifita and Des Helu
“It felt like I was filming BODYPUMP on Mars. Yes, the planet Mars. That’s what it felt like! Who knows, maybe I’m an alien!” says Vili Fifita, describing the otherworldly filming location of Auckland’s West Coast.
Back down to Earth, this release gets super creative with how the choreography is put together – it’s functional, challenging, and packs a punch.
For Reagan Kang, this release has something for everyone: “If you’re new to BODYPUMP, you’ll enjoy the simplicity and the intensity it delivers. If you’re a seasoned BODYPUMP attendee, you’re going to love the challenge it provides through the choreography and overall workout intensity. Goes without saying, the music always delivers!”
Despite the epic lunges track, which Reagan says has the potential to “go down in pulses history”, and a biceps track that “puts a smile on everyone’s face,” it is the shoulder track that stands out for Vili: “I enjoy working all parts of the shoulder, especially after tracks 1–7. I love the mental challenge of trying to maintain solid technique – this one bites hard. It’s dynamic, with minimal recovery. TOUGH.”
Reagan agrees: “The shoulder track’s combination was one of the most challenging I’ve done. If you love to train your shoulders with high volume and varied range, this is the one for you.”
Overall, this release strikes a balance of intensity and simplicity. Every track is matched with a great musical journey from beginning to end.
Behind the scenes – Midnight alien whispers
It was way past Vili’s bedtime when shooting this release: “We finished filming this BODYPUMP release at midnight. Last track to film was the bonus lunge/shoulders. I taught it with Des & KB. It was way past my 9:30pm bedtime. It was a mental fight – I started hearing voices, again, maybe it was the aliens. Damn, now that I think of it – what an experience!”
GRIT™ CARDIO #52
Presenters: Bas Hollander, Erin Maw and Natasha Vincent
With its ‘fast-force’ approach, lower complexity, and full-throttle intensity, GRIT CARDIO 52 is what Erin Maw calls a “go-to release.”
“Every few releases, there’s a class that just hits all the marks – music, intensity, and ease of learning,” says Erin. “These are the releases Instructors keep in rotation and always go back to. I think we’ve created that with GRIT CARDIO 52.”
It features a track especially close to Erin’s heart – ‘Rocksteady’ by the Bloody Beetroots was her motivational anthem during her postpartum fitness journey. “When I felt low energy or unmotivated, I’d crank it up, and it would instantly put me in the right headspace to train. It had to be in 52.”
This round focuses on streamlining the experience for both Instructors and participants. “Instructors can expect lower complexity,” adds Erin. “It’s easier to learn, easier to teach, and participants won’t need to overthink it.”
Fellow presenter Bas Hollander agrees: “The simplicity of the workout plan is great. It’s quick to learn for us as coaches, and for participants. It means they can fully commit to the effort – no distractions, just intensity.”
Layer 2 coaching shines in this release, with ‘fast-force’ as the central theme. “You’ll hear ‘catch and drive’ a lot – it’s about using power in short bursts. If you’re not already bringing these cues into your class, try them. You’ll be amazed at how much more intensity your members can bring,” says Erin.
For Bas, track 2, the ladder track, is the standout moment: “Round 1 you think, ‘Okay, this is hard but doable.’ By round 2, it’s ‘What happened to my legs?’ Then round 3 hits, and it’s your chance to go all in – early in the workout. It sets the tone brilliantly.”
Behind the scenes – Dialled-in coaching
Before filming, the team dialled in on floor coaching to make it as impactful as possible. The mission? Help participants work better, move sharper, and push harder.
“Tash and I were alert throughout for those coaching moments. Most of the time, we didn’t even have to leave our spots – we could coach and give the workout everything we had. And by the end? We were absolutely cooked. Just like it should be in GRIT,” Erin says with a smile.
LES MILLS TONE™ #29
Presenters: Khiran Huston and Vili Fifita
Packed with innovation as always, LES MILLS TONE 29 delivers a powerful blend of strength, cardio, core, and conditioning. This all-around release continues to raise the bar.
“Diana and Khiran put together another amazing release,” says Vili Fifita. “In the peak tracks, there are exciting running drills and a variety of creative movement patterns to increase running speed and acceleration with options to boost athletic performance. This is the best blend of strength, cardio, and core conditioning. So smart and accessible – This release is magic.”
Behind the scenes – Fueled for filming
Great workouts demand great food. Fortunately, Les Mills Creative Director Diana Archer-Mills was on hand to keep the troops fueled with the ‘30/30’ method, according to Vili, who recalls: “Diana brings mountains of food to our LES MILLS TONE rehearsals, and they are all healthy treats. It’s the best. Sometimes we eat and chat for 30 minutes, then train for the next 30 minutes, haha.”
BODYBALANCE™ #108
Presenters: Kylie Gates, Khiran Huston and Dannielle Lally
BODYBALANCE 108 features fresh music and offers Instructors more autonomy over their workout.
“We build heat slowly through the postures and hold that heat with the breath. There are lots of physical challenges, and as always, we have the duality of strength and surrender elements,” says Kylie Gates.
“There are new feelings on poses and postures we know and love,” she adds. “The sun salutation tracks mix balance and strength. We approach core work finding foundations from the elbow position before progressing to the downward dog firefly flow.”
Every BODYBALANCE release links the mind to the moves, but the standing strength track in 108 was especially poignant for Kylie: “This was a favorite track, as the song connects to a special memory of my wedding. I love the strength of standing poses, as they provide a physical challenge that, when completed, gives such a sense of empowerment.”
BODYCOMBAT™ #103
Presenters: Dan Cohen, Rachael Newsham, Reagan Kang, Vili Fifita and Natasha Vincent
“New angles for strike patterns, plus the warmup and track 5 will have you like ‘OHHH’. I won’t give too much away, you’ll see,” teases Vili.
Filmed under the searing heat of the New Zealand sun, this release was a true test of endurance. But despite the challenging elements, it translates into a high-energy, fun release with simple, effective choreography.
“Our scripts focus on bringing more attention to detail within each martial arts discipline for the workout,” adds Vili. “Look out for the knife strike in track 5! The challenge it provides in switching from speed to power gives the body a chance to train different energy systems.”
Reagan Kang is a big fan of the Muay Thai track, with its “beats and never-ending knees!” But for Vili, track 2 is the standout: “Because there were so many details to cover, mentally and physically – whooo!”
Behind the Scenes – Sand, sweat, and surprises
Filming track 5 wasn’t without its surprises, says Vili. “Some of us were in pushups and a massive gust of wind blew sand into our faces. Sand got in our eyes, nose, mouth – but we laughed it off and carried on like true professionals. We even made a joke of it! So funny.”
BODYSTEP™ #139
Presenters: Mark Nu'u-Steele, Kaylah-Blay Fitzsimons-Nu'u and Bianca Ikinofo
Bulgarian split squats make an appearance in this release, which is super easy to pick up, meaning you can really push yourself within the movement.
“With its big booty burn – I love it. It feels so rewarding when you get to that happy stretch moment,” says Bianca Ikinofo.
Kaylah-Blayr Fitzsimons-Nu'u picks peak 2, track 6 – Maneater remix, as her favorite track: “I love the original song, but this remix gives it new life and feels so motivating. It’s great to have something familiar so people know the song but are inspired to work hard.”
“BODYSTEP 139 has a great balance of nostalgia (hello Sugababes!) and freshness. I love how there are big UP sounds that motivate you to jump or stay with the cardio, and sounds that drop DOWN which are perfect to help you stay in the burn.”
For KB, it’s the groove track that stands out: “The groove track will take some practice; so stand in front of the mirror and get the ‘down’ movement into the body so you can give your members the best chance of nailing it.”
LES MILLS CORE™ #58
Presenters: Kylie Gates, Reagan Kang and Summer Bradley
LES MILLS CORE is back, and this release is all about innovation through simplicity, with a focus on slowing down the movements to increase the burn.
Kylie loves the sense of flow built into this release: “We don’t need to stop the music, so the class flows from start to finish – it creates this beautiful blend. The music is always banging in LES MILLS CORE, and we’ve been super mindful to stay longer in movements. That means more intensity in the work, and more simplicity for Instructors to coach from.”
Track 4 is a standout, with Kylie saying, “We intentionally slowed the movements down – this demands more control, which means deeper muscle activation and a stronger burn. It delivers serious results.”
Summer Bradley’s favorite is track 6: “The song has a great feel, and the chorus drops match the choreography so well.” Her favorite move, however, is in track 2: "Unpopular opinion, but I LOVE a Hover, so track 2 never disappoints! Sign me up for anything that moves slow and with control."
With clean choreography, extended time under tension, and big sound throughout, this release is a go-to for Instructors who want maximum impact without complexity overload.
Behind the scenes – Singing in the rain
“Kylie and I were trialling this class for a few weeks before filming and we were totally singing the cooldown lyrics wrong (and loud) every time,” laughs Summer. “Instead of ‘dancing in the flames’ we were ‘dancing in the rain’!”
LES MILLS DANCE™ #8
Presenters: Dannielle Lally, Bianca Ikinofo, Summer Bradley and Meno Thomas
Simple, fun, and with a little pop! Get ready for layers of sass, style, and alter ego with LES MILLS DANCE 8 – delivering a 10 for energy and mover satisfaction.
Meno Thomas explains: “Every track has a unique style and feel for everyone to embrace. There’s so much contrast in the incredible music and movement that blends so beautifully together.”
Bianca Ikinofo loves the “less is more” approach: “Overall, simple moves that are easy to pick up, but you can push yourself in the simplicity, whether it’s through texture or energy levels, to create a great, motivating class. Less time to learn, but more time to push!”
You’ll also notice a shift in some of the music, with lighter electronic tracks. Look out for track 3 (Bass House) and track 9 (Techno), which give the class a unique feel. A standout is track 8 – DOECHII.
“This track purrs with energy and confidence that everyone in the world should feel,” says Meno. Bianca agrees: “It gives a breath of fresh air in the class before you hit that big track 9 and encourages you to bring out your personality. Also, that hip move gives you a surprise burn – which I love. The track is empowering, strong, and a big confidence booster.”
Behind the scenes – In the clear
“This is the first (and probably only) time when all the music that we wanted got cleared. As you know, music can be a bit of a struggle due to many factors, so it was a huge celebration when everything cleared,” says Bianca
