Les Mills Combat Review: Core Attack Workout

The Les Mills Combat Review: Core Attack workout is the ab and core training workout included in Les Mill’s Combat high-intensity interval training workout program you can do at home.

I’ll share my assessment below. Usually when it domes to an ab workout I tend to think I will do pretty well as I like to think I have a strong core. More times than not, I am greatly humbled. This workout had me taking breaks often. I expect improvement each time I do it, but I love the various moves within this workout. There are ways to modify every move and also intensify.

Unlike other Les Mills Combat review workouts, there is not an official warm up or cool down. You you get right into it.

The whole workout is only 17:00 minutes long.

Les Mills Combat Review: Core Attack Track 1

This series is 2:40 long. All of the moves in the first track of Core Attack in this Les Mills Combat Review are done laying on your back and alternate between leg lifts, crunches and crawls. This gets the abs to firing to be ready for the rest of the workout. Here are the moves:

• Double Leg Lift
• Alternate Leg Lift and eventually a
• Scissor Switch (a faster version of alternating leg lifts)
• Cross Crawl (bicycles)
• Bridge
• 2/2 crunch – Isolating upper abdominals
• Scissor Switch
• Cross Crawl

I found these exercises to get the core engaged and ready. I was thinking the rest of the workout might be at the same pace, but I was soon to be humbled and find out how this core Attack truly attacked the core! Let’s move on with the rest of this Les Mills Combat review.

Les Mills Combat Review: Core Attack Track 2

Track 2 is 6:45 minutes long and I found it to be a beast! I love hover work and you actually start on your knees. So the first time I did this workout I scoffed at doing anything from my knees and went right to my toes. The salute is a fun move doing a salute move while in a hover. You really have to tighten up the core to stabilize yourself. The move that really gets you is the V-Up and C Crunch. The first two rounds are doable, but then the last round has you using a weight and WOW! Have mercy! I had to take a few breaks during that series.

• Hover (on your knees)
• The Salute (slow and then fast)
• Alternating Leg Drop
• V-Up and C Crunch Combo
• Hover
• The Salute (on Toes slow and then fast)
• Alternating Leg Drop
• V-Up and C Crunch Combo (this time with a dumbbell) KILLER MOVE

 Les Mills Combat Review: Core Attack Track 3

Track 3 is only 3:21 minutes long and it gives you a nice break from those killer V-Up Combos! This set of moves has you working on the transverse abdominal muscles and obliques with mountain climbers and the side hover (side plank). The mountain climbers will be familiar to most people and this move has you bringing your knees in to the opposite elbow. I found this routine doable and didn’t need any breaks. Still, it seemed longer than three minutes in length! Here is the sequence of moves in this track:

• Mountain Climbers (knees to opposite elbow)
• Side Hover
• You do these 3 times each side and finish with a set of Mountain Climbers

Les Mills Combat Review: Core Attack Track 4

When working on your core you need to work the whole core and that include the back. This track is 4:02 minutes in length. This is a progressive set where you get down the basic move and then add on to challenge yourself. You start out on all fours and extend a leg out and tap side to side while keeping your body stable. Eventually you add and extension of your opposing arm. Then you do a series of moves laying flat on your stomach. You do leg lifts and extend them outward like a V. Then you do a set of arm lifts. Eventually, you add the two moves together and this is called the star pose. This lower back and glute work can sure wear on you! The sequence finishes with leg extension taps on the opposite leg. Here is the sequence of this track:

• Right Leg Extension Tap (add opposite arm extension) from hands and knees position
• Leg Lifts Extension (laying face down on floor)
• Arm Lifts Combo
• Star Pose (combining Arms and Legs Extensions)
• Left Leg Extension Tap (add opposite arm extension) from hands and knees position

 Les Mills Combat Review: Core Attack Workout Will Challenge You!

This was a refreshingly challenging workout. One that I hope to get better at each time I do it. Like many ab/core workout such as P90X, P90X+, P90X2, and Insanity the moves take time. Most people will not conquer this workout right out of the gate. As a matter of fact, you can benefit fro following the modifiers and still get an amazing core workout. This Les Mills Combat review of Core Attack gives a big thumbs up to how the workout targets all of the core muscles as opposed to just doing a boatload of traditional crunches. As a matter of fact, I think Beachbody’s workouts do a great job putting together routines that have you engaging the core throughout each program while including an additional workout or two that specifically work that area.

Final Assessment of this Les Mills Combat Review of Core Attack: Try It! You’ll Like It! I Highly Recommend It!