This Body Combat class review is based on a short but seriously intense 30-minute class with Catarina Mesquita. The session had strong energy, clear coaching, technical punch and kick cues, and one Body Combat 100 track that completely finished me.
If you want to know what this Body Combat class really felt like from a student’s perspective, here is my honest experience.
Quick Verdict
- Intensity 1 to 10: 8
- Good for: people who enjoy cardio, martial-arts-inspired movement, clear technical cues, strong energy, and a short class that still feels powerful
- My after class mood: exhausted, happy, proud, and fully trained for the day
Class Snapshot
- Duration: around 30 minutes
- Format: cardio combat class with punches, kicks, conditioning energy, and strong musical impact
- Equipment: no equipment needed
- Instructor style: Catarina Mesquita was warm, technical, energetic, encouraging, and very present throughout the class
- My focus today: follow the punches and kicks properly, stay with the energy of the room, and survive the intensity
- Body notes: this class was short, but the intensity was high enough to leave me completely done
What My Body Combat Class with Catarina Mesquita Really Felt Like
Today I decided to venture out to another Solinca location: Laranjeiras. I had been there once before, for a Stretching class. This Solinca also gets a lot of natural light. And I love having the pool right there in view. LOVELY!
Free parking, I arrive just in time (as always…) and run into the wonderful Dulce Silva, who was also there for Body Combat with Catarina Mesquita. A proud mum moment? You can absolutely count on it! And with EVERY reason to be!
This young woman called Catarina has an incredible presence. She had already impressed me in RPM class, and in Body Combat the impact was no different.
She is wonderfully warm, was in great spirits, and got everyone fired up from the start, knowing full well what kind of workout this Body Combat 100 was going to put us through.
I really appreciated the technical explanations she gave, especially where to aim the punches and kicks. That detail matters a lot to me, because knowing exactly which part of your opponent’s body you are targeting makes all the difference. That visualisation is essential.
This was a 30-minute class. No burpees… But there was the “bang bang” track! At the choreography launch event, I had filmed that track instead of doing it. So beautiful to watch when others are the ones doing it. Now, when it is your turn… GOOD LORD! What an exhausting track! SERIOUSLY! I was completely done for. ABSOLUTELY! What a WONDERFUL feeling!
Catarina had warned us it was going to be intense! When you know exactly what something costs, your respect for it only grows… And my respect for the instructor tripled, because she was there with incredible energy, SMILING, and pushing us every step of the way. Phenomenal!
I LOVED the class. Catarina gave us her most contagious smile, pushed us hard, cracked jokes, delivered an intense workout, and made sure I walked out of that gym with my training for the day completely done. No need to work out again today. Those 30 minutes of Body Combat were more than enough!
Instructor Notes
Instructor credit: Catarina Mesquita. She is the instructor featured in this class experience.
What stood out most in this Body Combat class was Catarina’s combination of technical clarity and strong class energy. She did not just push the room through the workout. She explained where the punches and kicks were going, which made the movements feel more intentional and easier to visualise.
Her energy also carried the class. The workout was intense, but her smile, humour, and confidence made the experience feel motivating rather than intimidating. For a short 30-minute class, that presence mattered a lot.
This was one of those classes where the instructor’s delivery changed the whole experience. The choreography was already demanding, but the way Catarina led it made it feel powerful, focused, and memorable.
How I Felt After Class
Right after: completely exhausted, but in the best possible way. The class was short, but it gave me that full “training done” feeling.
Later that day: satisfied, energised, and glad I had chosen Body Combat instead of thinking 30 minutes would be too little.
Next day: this felt like the kind of class I would remember because of the energy, the technical cues, and that brutal “bang bang” track.
Final Thoughts
This Body Combat class with Catarina Mesquita was intense, technical, energetic, and genuinely enjoyable. It reminded me that a 30-minute class can still be more than enough when the structure, music, coaching, and energy are all strong.
From a student’s perspective, this was a powerful short class. Catarina brought warmth, humour, precision, and serious motivation into the room. I left tired, happy, and fully convinced that those 30 minutes had done their job.
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