The main improvement in this version is allowing you to specify the format of the class when creating a playlist. This become more of a priority because BODYATTACK and BODYVIVE recently changed class format – but mixing is still allowed using the old format. Then there’s the issue of GRIT which now allows tracks from the multiple streams to be mixed in a class. The app always allowed switching in BODYSTEP between the 70/30 and Athletic formats but I was loathe to add very specific code to handle each programme. So I used a new approach for everyone. That means changing the way BODYSTEP playlists are created but I’m hoping the applause of the BODYPUMP users will drown out the grumbles of the BODYSTEP ones 🙂

This means that it’s now possible to create express format classes. All the 30 and 45 minute versions including the different subsets within them such as Strength or Flexibility within BODYBALANCE. No more needing to create a programme freestyle playlist.

Tap on the + button at the top of the playlists screen and you’re away. BODYATTACK will provide the 60, 45 and 30 minute formats for both the new and previous format. The same goes for other programmes where they exist. The likes of CXWORX and GRIT obviously don’t have shorter formats and neither does BODYJAM (although I’d argue that class should be two hours minimum). The newly branded ‘BODYVIVE 3.1’ (as of release 34) now defaults to 45 minutes for a class while the ‘extra’ format available through playlist creation allows the original 60 minutes. A GRIT playlist will allow you to add a track from any of the three streams so you can drop a Cardio song into what is mainly a Strength class. For BODYSTEP instructors the automatically created release will be the 70/30 format. To get the Athletic Circuit version you need to create a new playlist specifying that format.

TIP: When choosing available songs for a track type tap the top-right button so that it says “Order: release”. That will show the song from the most recent release at the top of the list which makes it quick and simple to populate the rest of the tracks.

One of the less noticeable changes is that it should be able to still connect to the Amazon S3 storage and download the data files after 20th May 2015. I used to pull the data down over HTTPS and this meant that iOS used SSL v3 as the method of encryption. They are not supporting that after the 20th so I’ve changed the way it connects.

Those teaching GRIT will notice that the app now asks which of their albums matches a specific release. This is because album recognition is based on the number and length of tracks it contains. Since GRIT is now deliberately making the different streams in a release almost identical then the app needs to defer to the judgement of the user.

This release was made available with iOS 6.1 as the minimum version in order to ensure older versions could still access the data files on Amazon S3.