Les Mills BodyCombat VR Fitness Program is an immersive virtual reality workout app that brings the popular martial arts-inspired fitness experience into VR and mixed reality (MR) environments. It is available on platforms like Meta Quest 2 and 3 and PlayStation VR, offering a dynamic, high-energy workout that includes punches, kicks, knee strikes, and dodges, designed to burn calories and improve fitness without contact or complex moves.

Key Takeaways

• Les Mills BodyCombat VR is a martial arts-inspired workout app built on the same program used in over 10,000 gyms worldwide — and it hits just as hard in your living room.
• No subscription required — the base game costs $30 and you only pay for optional DLC content when you want it.
• Real fitness data shows serious results — one week of tracked sessions averaged 156.75 active calories burned and a peak heart rate of 186 BPM.
• Available on Meta Quest, Steam, and PSVR 2 — making it one of the most widely accessible VR fitness apps on the market right now.
• Is it worth it for beginners? The intensity levels and structured progression make it approachable — but there’s a learning curve worth knowing about before you buy.

Les Mills BodyCombat VR Delivers a Serious Workout

If you’ve ever wanted to throw a roundhouse kick without leaving your living room, Les Mills BodyCombat VR makes that happen — and then some.

What Is Les Mills BodyCombat VR?

Les Mills BodyCombat VR is the official virtual reality adaptation of the globally recognized BodyCombat fitness program. The original program currently runs in over 10,000 gyms worldwide, combining high-energy martial arts moves from boxing, karate, taekwondo, capoeira, and muay thai into structured group fitness classes. The VR version brings that same training philosophy into your headset, letting you throw punches, kicks, and combos against virtual targets — all while following the same programming framework that’s made the gym class a household name in fitness circles.

Developed by Odders Lab and published under the Les Mills brand, the game is designed to be a genuine fitness tool — not just a fun distraction. The workouts are structured, coach-led, and intensity-tracked, so you’re not just swinging your arms randomly. Every session has a purpose, and you feel that from the first warm-up punch.

VR fitness has exploded as a category, and Les Mills BodyCombat VR stands out as one of the few apps backed by a legitimate, research-informed fitness brand. It’s worth noting that Les Mills as an organization has decades of programming expertise — which shows clearly in how the VR workouts are structured compared to most competitors.

Platforms Available: Meta Quest, Steam, and PSVR 2

Les Mills BodyCombat VR launched on Meta Quest on February 2, 2022, and has since expanded to Steam at a price of $30. PSVR 2 users are also in the pipeline, with Odders Lab confirming that all Meta Quest DLC content will be coming to PlayStation VR 2 in the coming months. That cross-platform reach makes this one of the most accessible VR fitness titles available right now.

No Subscription Required

One of the most refreshing things about Les Mills BodyCombat VR is its pricing model. There is no monthly subscription. You pay $30 for the base game, and any additional content comes through optional paid DLC packages. The VR fitness community has responded positively to this approach, especially compared to apps that lock core features behind ongoing fees.

What You Actually Get With the Base Game

The $30 base game is more substantial than it might look on paper. You’re not buying a demo or a limited sampler — you’re getting a full fitness platform with a meaningful library of content right out of the box. For a detailed look at what this platform offers, check out this Les Mills BodyCombat VR workout review.

• 50 workout plans ranging from beginner-friendly to advanced-level intensity
• Coach-led sessions with Les Mills instructors Dan Cohen and Rachael Newsham
• Multiple immersive environments designed to keep the experience visually engaging
• A driving, curated soundtrack synced to the pace and intensity of each workout
• Support for multiple languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese

The variety within those 50 workouts is more nuanced than a simple difficulty slider. Sessions are broken down by duration, intensity, and focus area — so you can choose a 10-minute upper-body-heavy session on a recovery day or a 30-minute full-body burn when you’re ready to push hard.

What stands out most is how structured everything feels. This isn’t a game that happens to make you sweat — it’s a fitness program that uses VR as the delivery mechanism. That distinction matters when you’re trying to build consistency in your training.

50 Workout Plans From Beginner to Advanced

Having 50 workout plans in the base game gives you serious longevity without touching a single piece of DLC. The range spans true beginner sessions — where movement patterns are taught gradually — all the way to advanced programming that will genuinely challenge conditioned athletes. The progression built into the plan structure mirrors what you’d find in a real gym’s group fitness schedule.

Coaches Dan Cohen and Rachael Newsham

Dan Cohen and Rachael Newsham aren’t just virtual avatars reading scripts — they’re established Les Mills master trainers with real-world coaching credentials. Their cueing is precise, motivating, and timed correctly to the movements, which makes a significant difference when you’re mid-combo and need a clear instruction rather than generic encouragement. Their presence gives the sessions a legitimacy that a lot of VR fitness apps simply don’t have.

Music, Environments, and Immersive Design

The soundtrack in BodyCombat VR is built to push you. Tracks are high-energy and synced to the rhythm and pace of each workout block — a detail borrowed directly from the gym class format where music timing is a core part of the program design. The environments, while not photorealistic, are visually distinct enough to keep things fresh across different sessions. Striking moving targets in a well-designed virtual arena feels genuinely different from staring at a plain gym wall. For a comprehensive review of this fitness program, check out the Les Mills BodyCombat VR Fitness Review.

Real Fitness Data From a Week of Training

Numbers don’t lie, and a week of tracked sessions using an Apple Watch on intermediate difficulty tells a compelling story about what Les Mills BodyCombat VR can actually do for your fitness.

The data below reflects consistent sessions across seven days, tracked for active calories, heart rate, and session duration. These aren’t ideal-scenario estimates — they’re real outputs from real workouts.

Average Session Length: 21 Minutes

The average session clocked in at 21 minutes. That’s a meaningful number because it sits in the sweet spot for high-intensity interval-style cardio — long enough to generate a genuine cardiovascular stimulus, short enough to fit into a packed schedule without negotiation. For anyone who claims they don’t have time to work out, 21 minutes is a hard argument to counter.

Average Calorie Burn: 156.75 Active Calories Per Session

Averaging 156.75 active calories per session across a week adds up to over 1,000 active calories burned from VR workouts alone. For context, that’s a significant contribution to a weekly energy expenditure goal — and it came from sessions that averaged just 21 minutes. The calorie output scales with intensity, so pushing into advanced workouts or longer sessions will push that number noticeably higher.

Compared to other VR fitness titles, this output is competitive. Many casual VR games marketed as fitness tools struggle to consistently hit this range. The structured nature of BodyCombat’s programming is directly responsible for the difference.

Heart Rate Performance: 143.5 BPM Average, Peaking at 186 BPM

An average heart rate of 143.5 BPM puts most sessions firmly in the vigorous-intensity cardio zone — the kind of output that improves cardiovascular fitness, not just burns a few extra calories. The peak of 186 BPM is a serious number that suggests the hardest combo sequences are genuinely pushing the cardiovascular system to near-maximum effort.

For fitness enthusiasts who track training zones, that peak means BodyCombat VR is capable of delivering high-intensity interval-level stimulus — something very few VR experiences can honestly claim. If your goal is improving VO2 max or building serious cardio capacity, those heart rate numbers are exactly what you want to see.

How the Workout Actually Feels

Strapping on a headset and throwing your first combo in BodyCombat VR feels different from anything else in the VR fitness space — there’s a weight and intentionality to the movement that casual games simply don’t replicate.

The sessions follow a rhythm that mirrors real martial arts class structure. You start with a warm-up that gradually introduces movement patterns, build into increasingly complex combo sequences during the main work blocks, and finish with a cool-down that actually serves a recovery purpose. It doesn’t feel like a game with exercise bolted on — it feels like a workout that happens to be incredibly immersive.

Full-Body Engagement: Arms, Core, and Legs

This is where BodyCombat VR genuinely separates itself from most VR fitness options. The combination of boxing, karate, taekwondo, capoeira, and muay thai moves means your entire body is recruited across a single session. Upper cuts and jabs load your shoulders, chest, and triceps. Roundhouse kicks fire up your glutes, hip flexors, and quads. The constant weight shifting and stance changes force your core to stabilize throughout — you’ll feel it in your obliques the next morning in a way that surprises most first-time users.

Intensity Levels and How Difficulty Affects Output

The game offers multiple difficulty levels that meaningfully change the physical demand — this isn’t just a speed adjustment. On beginner settings, the movement patterns are simplified and the target sequences are spaced out enough to allow proper form. On intermediate and advanced, combo complexity increases, rest periods shorten, and the cardio demand jumps considerably. For a comprehensive review of the program, check out this Les Mills BodyCombat VR Fitness Review.

The heart rate data supports this directly. Sessions on intermediate difficulty averaged 143.5 BPM with peaks hitting 186 BPM. Stepping up to advanced difficulty will push those numbers higher, particularly during the high-intensity blocks where rapid punch-kick combinations come one after another with minimal recovery time between them.

Choosing the right difficulty level isn’t just about comfort — it directly determines whether you’re doing a moderate cardio session or a high-intensity training block. Most intermediate-fitness users will find the intermediate setting genuinely challenging after 10 to 15 minutes, which is exactly where you want to be for meaningful cardiovascular adaptation.

Where It Falls Short: Repetition and Fun Factor

After several weeks of regular use, the repetition becomes noticeable. The base game’s 50 workout plans are structured well, but the core movement vocabulary — the punches, kicks, and combo patterns — starts to feel familiar in a way that can dull the experience. This isn’t unique to BodyCombat VR; it’s a challenge every structured fitness program faces. But unlike a gym class where a live instructor can spontaneously change things up, the VR sessions are fixed.

The enjoyment factor also sits a notch below what more game-like VR fitness titles offer. There’s no real narrative, no unlockable progression system, and no competitive leaderboard dynamic to chase. What you do get is a legitimate, coach-led workout — but if you need game mechanics to stay motivated, you may find the format gets mentally stale before it gets physically easy. The DLC content helps address this, but it’s worth knowing upfront.

VRFIT Ratings Breakdown for Les Mills BodyCombat

Breaking down the experience across five key fitness metrics gives a clearer picture of where BodyCombat VR genuinely excels and where it leaves room for improvement. These ratings reflect real tracked workout data and consistent use across multiple sessions at intermediate difficulty.

Workout Intensity: 5 Out of 5

Peak heart rates hitting 186 BPM and average sessions sitting in the vigorous cardio zone tell the whole story here. Few VR fitness apps can match the raw intensity ceiling that BodyCombat VR reaches on its harder settings. If pushing your cardiovascular system is the goal, this app delivers without compromise — a perfect score is the only honest rating.

Full-Body Engagement: 5 Out of 5

The multi-discipline martial arts framework is the key differentiator. Most VR fitness apps are effectively upper-body experiences — you’re swinging your arms while your legs stay mostly static. BodyCombat VR breaks that pattern with kicks, knee strikes, stance transitions, and movement patterns that genuinely recruit your lower body and core throughout each session.

The combination of muay thai knee drives, taekwondo-style kicks, and capoeira-inspired movement sequences means no major muscle group gets a full rest until the cool-down begins. That full-body recruitment is what drives the calorie burn numbers and the muscle soreness that follows a serious session. For those interested in exploring other fitness options, consider checking out the FitXR VR Fitness Program, which offers a variety of immersive workouts.

For anyone who has complained that VR fitness only works their arms, BodyCombat VR is a direct answer to that criticism. The leg engagement alone puts it in a different category from most competitors in the space.

Enjoyment Factor: 3 Out of 5

Three out of five is an honest score that shouldn’t be read as a criticism of the app’s quality — it’s a reflection of its design priorities. BodyCombat VR is built to train you, not entertain you. The sessions are engaging while they’re happening, the music drives the energy effectively, and the coach cues keep you focused. But the experience lacks the game-loop satisfaction of titles like Beat Saber or Supernatural that use scoring, streaks, and progression mechanics to keep users hooked beyond the fitness benefit alone.

If you love the Les Mills program from gym classes, you’ll feel right at home and the enjoyment score won’t matter to you. If you need the fun factor to stay consistent with a fitness routine, you may find motivation fading once the novelty wears off after the first few weeks.

Calorie Burn Efficiency: 4 Out of 5

Averaging 156.75 active calories in 21 minutes is genuinely efficient output for a VR workout. The four-out-of-five score reflects the fact that the calorie burn is excellent — but it’s also dependent on how committed you are to full-range movement. Users who go through the motions with minimal effort will see their output drop significantly. The app rewards intensity and full engagement, which is a feature, not a flaw — but it means your results are directly tied to your effort level.

Accessibility for Beginners: 4 Out of 5

The beginner-level workout plans are genuinely approachable, and the coach-led format means you’re never guessing what you should be doing next. Dan Cohen and Rachael Newsham provide clear, well-timed cues that help new users learn the movement patterns without feeling lost or overwhelmed. For those interested in exploring more about VR fitness, check out the FitXR VR fitness program for additional beginner-friendly options.

The one caveat is the physical intensity ceiling. Even beginner sessions involve more cardiovascular demand than many people expect from a VR experience, and users who are completely new to exercise may find the jump into full sessions steep. Starting with the shortest available beginner workouts and building duration gradually is the smartest approach for anyone coming in with a low fitness baseline. For those interested in a more comprehensive approach, consider exploring the integration of fitness and nutrition in VR to enhance your overall fitness journey.

The four-out-of-five score reflects the fact that the structure and coaching are excellent for beginners — but the martial arts movement patterns do require some coordination and body awareness to execute properly, which means there’s a real learning curve during the first few sessions regardless of fitness level.

Power Strike DLC: Is It Worth the Extra $8?

The Power Strike DLC launched on Meta Quest in 2024 before making its way to Steam alongside the platform’s official release. At $8, it sits in a price range where most fitness-focused users won’t hesitate — and the content justifies that spend without much deliberation. For those interested in exploring other VR fitness options, the Thrill of the Fight VR fitness game is another exciting choice.

What you’re getting is a focused expansion that deepens the experience rather than just padding the session count. The new combat moves introduced in Power Strike change the physical feel of the workouts in a meaningful way — adding variety to the movement vocabulary that directly addresses one of the base game’s main weaknesses: repetition.

For users who have already worked through a significant portion of the base game’s 50 workout plans, the Power Strike DLC feels like a necessary refresh. The new environment — the Arena of the Brave — also brings a visual energy that makes the sessions feel distinct from anything in the base package, which matters more than it sounds when you’re mid-workout and looking for motivation to push through the final block. For more details, check out the Les Mills BodyCombat VR workout review.

8 New Intensive Workout Sessions

The eight new sessions in Power Strike are built at the intensive end of the difficulty spectrum. These aren’t beginner-friendly additions — they’re designed to push users who have already built a foundation with the base game’s programming. Each session incorporates the new combat moves in ways that feel integrated rather than tagged on, and the increased complexity of the combo sequences keeps the experience fresh even for users who felt like they had the base game’s patterns fully mapped.

New Combat Moves and the Arena of the Brave Environment

The new combat moves in Power Strike aren’t cosmetic additions — they change how your body moves through each session. The expanded strike vocabulary introduces combinations that recruit muscle groups in slightly different patterns than the base game’s standard punch-kick sequences, which means your body can’t fall back on the motor patterns it’s already adapted to. That’s exactly the kind of stimulus that drives continued fitness progress rather than plateaus.

The Arena of the Brave environment is a visual step up from most of the base game’s settings. It’s designed with a high-energy, gladiatorial aesthetic that matches the intensity of the Power Strike sessions — and while environment design might seem like a secondary concern, the right visual context genuinely affects your effort output when you’re pushing through the final two minutes of a hard block. At $8 for eight sessions plus new moves and a new environment, Power Strike is a straightforward yes for anyone already invested in the base game.

What the PSVR 2 Update Adds

The PSVR 2 update for Les Mills BodyCombat VR represents the most significant content expansion the game has received since launch. Odders Lab has confirmed that all Meta Quest DLC content will be making its way to PlayStation VR 2, but beyond the DLC parity, the PSVR 2 update introduces new content and platform-specific improvements that make it more than just a catch-up release.

For existing Meta Quest users, the update roadmap also signals that Odders Lab is actively investing in the platform long-term — which matters when you’re deciding whether to spend time building a fitness habit around a particular app. An abandoned fitness app is one of the fastest ways to lose workout consistency, and the PSVR 2 update is a clear signal that BodyCombat VR isn’t going anywhere.

16 New Workout Routines and a New Elbow Strike Move

Sixteen new workout routines is a substantial content drop by any VR fitness standard. Combined with the base game’s 50 plans and the Power Strike DLC’s eight sessions, the total library grows into a genuinely long-term fitness resource that doesn’t require you to repeat the same session week after week. The programming variety across those routines also means you can continue periodizing your training — cycling through different intensity focuses and session lengths — without the experience going stale.

The new elbow strike move is the addition that fitness-minded users should pay the most attention to. Elbow strikes are a staple of muay thai training for a reason — they demand powerful core rotation, shoulder stability, and hip engagement simultaneously. Adding elbow strikes to the movement vocabulary doesn’t just add variety; it adds a genuinely different physical stimulus that loads the body in a way the existing punch and kick combinations don’t fully replicate.

Three New Environments: Space Station, Highlands, and Volcano

• Space Station — A high-contrast, futuristic setting that gives intense sessions a sci-fi energy, keeping focus sharp during the hardest combo blocks.
• Highlands — A grounded, outdoor-inspired environment with a different visual rhythm that works particularly well for moderate-intensity sessions where the pacing is steadier.
• Volcano — The most visually dramatic of the three, with a high-intensity aesthetic that naturally pairs with the hardest workout plans in the library.

Environment variety matters more in VR fitness than in traditional workout settings because your visual field is completely controlled by the headset. When the only thing you can see is the workout environment, a stale or repetitive backdrop actively affects motivation in a way that a gym’s fixed walls don’t — you can look away from those. In VR, you can’t.

Three new environments across three distinctly different aesthetics — from the cold precision of the Space Station to the raw energy of the Volcano — gives Odders Lab’s design team credit for thinking about how visual stimulus maps to workout intensity. Pairing the right environment to the right session isn’t just a cosmetic choice; it’s a subtle but real driver of effort output when you’re eight minutes into a hard block and looking for a reason to keep pushing.

For PSVR 2 users coming to the game fresh, these three environments plus the base game’s existing settings means you’re entering with a more complete and visually varied package than the original Meta Quest launch offered. That’s a meaningful advantage for long-term consistency — which is ultimately what determines whether any fitness programactually changes your body.

Redesigned UI and New Combo System

The redesigned UI removes friction from the pre-workout experience. Navigating to the right session length, intensity level, and focus area is faster and more intuitive — which sounds like a minor quality-of-life improvement until you consider that any barrier between you and starting a workout is a potential exit ramp for motivation. A cleaner UI means fewer seconds between deciding to train and actually throwing your first punch.

The new combo system is the more significant update from a training perspective. Rather than executing fixed, predetermined sequences in every session, the combo system introduces more dynamic sequencing that responds to the training block’s intensity arc. This adds a layer of unpredictability that keeps your neuromuscular system more engaged — you’re not just running a memorized pattern, you’re responding to what’s coming next, which more closely mirrors the cognitive demand of real martial arts training.

Who Should Buy Les Mills BodyCombat VR

Les Mills BodyCombat VR is built for fitness enthusiasts who want a real workout — not a step counter dressed up in a headset. If you already love the Les Mills BodyCombat program from gym classes, this is an obvious buy that gives you access to coach-led sessions on your schedule without a gym membership. If you’re newer to structured fitness but motivated by the idea of a martial arts-inspired cardio program, the beginner plans and clear coaching make it genuinely accessible. Where it’s less suited is for users who need heavy game mechanics and progression rewards to stay motivated long-term — the app is a fitness tool first, and it makes no apologies for that priority.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the most common questions people ask before buying Les Mills BodyCombat VR, answered directly based on the current version of the app.

How Much Does Les Mills BodyCombat VR Cost?

The base game costs $30 on both Meta Quest and Steam. This is a one-time purchase with no recurring fees attached to the core content.

Optional DLC is available separately. The Power Strike DLC is priced at $8 and adds eight intensive workout sessions, new combat moves, and the Arena of the Brave environment. The Bodycombat 100 DLC, which celebrates the fitness program’s 25th anniversary, is also available as a separate purchase. Both DLCs are available on Meta Quest, with PSVR 2 availability confirmed for the coming months.

Does Les Mills BodyCombat VR Require a Subscription?

No — Les Mills BodyCombat VR does not require a subscription. The $30 base game is a one-time purchase, and all additional content is sold as optional DLC. This pricing model has been well received by the VR fitness community, particularly compared to competing apps that require ongoing monthly payments to access their full content libraries. For more details, you can check out this Les Mills BodyCombat VR fitness review.

Is Les Mills BodyCombat VR Good for Beginners?

Yes, with some caveats. The base game includes beginner-level workout plans that introduce movement patterns gradually, and the coach-led format means you’re never left to figure out the next move on your own. Dan Cohen and Rachael Newsham provide clear, well-timed instruction throughout every session, which significantly lowers the entry barrier for users new to martial arts-style movement.

The caveat is physical intensity. Even beginner sessions carry more cardiovascular demand than most people anticipate from a VR experience. Starting with the shortest available beginner sessions and building up duration over the first two to three weeks is the smartest approach for anyone coming in with a lower fitness baseline — trying to match the intermediate settings too soon is one of the fastest routes to burning out on the program before it has a chance to work.

What Platforms Is Les Mills BodyCombat VR Available On?

Les Mills BodyCombat VR is currently available on Meta Quest and Steam. A PSVR 2 version is confirmed and in development, with Odders Lab committing to bringing all existing Meta Quest DLC content to the PlayStation platform in the coming months. The Steam release is priced at $30, matching the Meta Quest storefront pricing.

How Many Calories Can You Burn With Les Mills BodyCombat VR?

Based on tracked data using an Apple Watch at intermediate difficulty, the average active calorie burn per session was 156.75 calories across an average session length of 21 minutes. That’s a meaningful output for a sub-30-minute workout and competes strongly with traditional cardio modalities at comparable durations.

Calorie burn varies significantly based on difficulty level, session length, body weight, and — critically — how fully you commit to the movements. Users who execute techniques with full range of motion and genuine power will burn considerably more than users who go through the motions with minimal effort. The app rewards physical commitment directly, making it an excellent choice for those interested in VR fitness and nutrition integration.

Longer sessions and advanced difficulty settings will push calorie output well beyond the 156.75 average. A full advanced-level session at 30 or more minutes can be expected to produce significantly higher burn numbers — particularly given the peak heart rate data of 186 BPM recorded during intermediate-difficulty sessions, which suggests advanced settings have substantial room to push output further.