This Les Mills BodyAttack and GRIT Athletic review covers one of those training days that makes Tuesday feel much more respectable.
Tuesday is such a strange day. It is not the beginning, the middle or the end. I usually never know what to make of it. But Suzike and her reflections moved on, because this was clearly going to be an intense training day.
Last Tuesday I had gone to Sprint.
This time, I was going to Attack.
And after that, GRIT Athletic.
It turned into one of those sessions where the body is pushed from the first class to the last. BODYATTACK brought jumps, squats, teams, burpees and that playful but brutal Igor energy. GRIT Athletic followed with heavy plates, clean-press-squat regret, step jumps, mountain climbers and the kind of challenge that makes you end up flat on the floor afterwards.
This was not a casual gym day. It was an intense training day, exactly as promised.
Quick Verdict
Les Mills BodyAttack
- Intensity: 9 out of 10
- Good for: cardio conditioning, jumps, squats, stamina, coordination and full effort
- My after class mood: breathless, entertained, pushed and very aware that the warm-up was a lie
Les Mills GRIT Athletic
- Intensity: 9 out of 10
- Good for: speed, agility, explosive movement, jumps, athletic conditioning and learning what happens when you choose heavier plates too quickly
- My after class mood: finished, flattened and weirdly delighted
Class Snapshot
Les Mills BodyAttack
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Format: high-energy cardio training with athletic movement, explosive work and plenty of intensity. Les Mills describes BODYATTACK as a high-energy cardio workout that blends athletic training with explosive moves to build fitness, endurance and stamina.
- Equipment: training shoes, towel and water bottle
- Instructor style: Igor was playful, energetic and very committed to making the room work
- My focus today: skip as many modifications as possible, survive the burpees and keep moving
- What stood out: the fake feeling that we were already training during the warm-up, the teams, the jumps and Igor making hard things look simple
Les Mills GRIT Athletic
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Format: athletic HIIT with explosive movement, speed, agility, bar work and hard transitions. Les Mills says LES MILLS GRIT workouts are HIIT sessions designed to improve athletic fitness, and the GRIT Athletic option includes functional speed and agility training moves.
- Equipment: bar, heavy plates, step, towel, water bottle and training shoes
- Instructor style: Rita was sharp, demanding and completely convincing when it came to making people jump further than they thought they could
- My focus today: survive the clean-press-squat sequence, improve my jumps and avoid regretting my bar setup too loudly
- What stood out: putting 20 kg on the bar too early, the jump work over the step and the fact that Rita makes difficult things look effortless
The Workout: Les Mills BodyAttack + GRIT Athletic
What an intense workout! OMG!
I started with Body Attack and Igor Angélico.
I love this new Body Attack. At S-Day it was incredible. I remember so many fun moments, especially when Igor did a cartwheel and the whole room went wild.
When we finished the warm-up, my eyes went wide, because I heard Igor say: “warm-up done.” I SWEAR I thought that in the second part we were already training. Jeez! 😅
I was ready to give everything, so I skipped the modifications as much as I could, and I did not hold back on the burpees… not that Igor gave me much choice… so many… so many…
We formed teams and got into the squats and jumps, not to mention so many other exercises that left me completely KO!
Igor does the exercises with such ease and in such a playful way that it almost looks simple. And we all know that when he comes over… it is time to bring your best. No slacking in front of the instructor. At least I do not want to slack… or I try not to…
The class was VERY intense! I struggled multiple times! SO GOOD!
IMPECCABLE instructor? Check! TOUGH workout? Check! Oh… and I will just say that Igor is VERY committed to July 20th! Well Done!
I moved on to Grit Athletic with Rita Calaz.
Rita told us to load up the bar with heavy plates and Suzike, thinking she was being clever, put on 20kg. IMMEDIATE regret! The clean-press-squat sequence today had a very bitter taste! However, considering mountain climbers were coming right after, pick your poison!
I am determined to improve my jumps and today I had the chance to do just that: we jumped over the step and I discovered I can go further than I thought, and when we used the step as a trampoline I managed to slap my thighs from above. On the second challenge, my hands have not yet made it under my thighs, but I will get there!
And how EXCITING is jumping! The push, the drive forward! SPECTACULAR! I am enjoying these classes more and more! And how well Rita jumps! It looks so effortless… but it really is not…
PHENOMENAL class? Check! Rita was MAGNIFICENT? Check!
I LOVED THIS TRAINING DAY! I ended up flat on the floor, but it was so good and so much fun! INTENSE TRAINING DAY? DEFINITELY!
Instructor Notes
Instructor credit: Igor Angélico and Rita Calaz
This was one of those days where both instructors shaped the entire experience, but in very different ways.
Igor made BodyAttack feel playful and brutal at the same time. That is a big part of why the class works so well. He makes the room work hard, but he keeps the energy light enough that the suffering still feels fun.
Rita brought a different kind of challenge to GRIT Athletic.
Her class felt sharper, more explosive and more technical. She pushed the athletic side of the workout properly, especially in the jump work and the bar sequence. She also has that very specific quality of making difficult movement look almost too easy, which is inspiring and slightly offensive at the same time.
Together, they made the whole training day feel bigger than just two classes back to back.
Is BodyAttack Before GRIT Athletic a Good Combination?
For me, yes, but only if you are ready for a genuinely hard session.
BodyAttack starts by taking a lot out of you very quickly. It is cardio, jumps, squats, burpees and athletic energy from the beginning. Even the moment when you think you are probably already training turns out to be just the warm-up.
GRIT Athletic afterwards keeps the intensity high, but changes the type of challenge.
The work becomes more explosive, more technical and more obviously athletic. Speed, agility, jump distance, step work and hard sequences all start to matter much more once the body is already tired.
That is what makes the pairing so strong.
BodyAttack empties the tank.
GRIT Athletic asks what is left.
How I Felt After Class
- Right after: finished, sweaty and very satisfied
- Later that day: physically wiped, but mentally full of that good post-training feeling
- What stayed with me most: the warm-up shock in BodyAttack, the jump progress in GRIT Athletic and ending up flat on the floor in the best possible way
Final Thoughts
This was exactly what an intense training day should be.
BodyAttack gave me cardio chaos, jumps, burpees, teams and that feeling of working much harder than the playful atmosphere initially suggests.
GRIT Athletic gave me heavier plates, explosive movement, jump work, regret, progress and a very convincing reminder that I can push further than I think.
That combination worked.
It was hard.
It was fun.
It cost me.
And I loved it. 💪🏾🔥
My Gym Essentials
Everything I actually use and love during my workouts. Tested, approved, and perfect for busy women who want efficient results.
- Water Bottle: Stay hydrated without wasting time refilling.
- Training Shoes: Stable, comfortable, and perfect for cardio and step workouts.
- Gym Bag: Compact but spacious enough for everything I need for my sessions.
- Shockproof Phone Case: Keeps my phone safe during intense workouts, because I drop it more often than I admit
- Smart Fitness Watch: Tracks heart rate, calories burned, and workout intensity.
