Body Pump?

swimmy1988

Hey ladies,
Can you explain what body pump is? I see my gym offers the class, along with body combat and body attack, and noticed some ladies mentioning they go to body pump a lot in the accountability threads. I'm curious to try it, but want to get an idea of what I'd be getting myself into first.

AJuliaNJ

Body Pump is an hour of amazingness where you become buff and get to constantly challenge yourself to be stronger and leaner. 

You lift weights in different ways to work different muscle groups. It is set to music. Each song represents a different muscle group. It is great for someone who is a beginner at weight-training, but it grows with you because you can always add more weight to challenge yourself.

The first time you go, show up 10 minutes early. This will give you a minute to chat with the intructor plus it does take a few minutes to set up your weights and "bench" (which is really a step from the Body Step class). If you get there too late, you might not get to set up in a place that would give you a full view of the instructor.

unchatenfrance

The Les Milles website has a useful "what to expect" guide for each of their classes, including instruction of basic moves:

http://w3.lesmills.com/global/en/classes/bodypump/about-bodypump/

I've done Combat and Attack (not a fan of Attack) and the only one I currently do regularly is Body Flow (or BodyBalance) which I loooove. You should definitely try it if your gym offers it.

J&K10910

I love Body Pump.  Xcaly is correct, it is a muscle endurance class.  You will definitely get stronger (I was so unbelievably sore after my first class), but don't expect to get any major muscle definition.  It's also kind of cardio-y too, in that you're constantly moving.  I did a lot of sweating, I breathed hard, and my heart rate stayed in the lower to middle part of my target range. 

It's a good supplement to traditional cardio and weight training, but to see the full benefits of weight training, it's still good to hit the heavy weights 1-2 times per week.

firsttimersluck

I think these ladies have it covered, but as for specific muscle groups, It follows this pattern: 

Track number:

1. Warm up lifting (a few lifts to warm up each muscle group)

2. Squats (legs)

3. Chest

4. Back

5. Triceps

6. Biceps

7. Lunges (legs)

8. Shoulders

9. Abs

10 Stretching

THe instructor will help you get set up and will mention guidelines for what to put on before each track begins. 

entropicbeauty

I like to think of it as cardio weightlifting - it gets your heartrate up and I have to lift a lot less weight because of how many reps there are.

I'm not a big fan of weightlifting and this is a fun way to incorporate it into my routine. You should just go and check it out, if you don't like it no one will force you to go back

hordol

Body pump is SUPER fun!! I loved it! I ended up stopping though because I wasn't a huge fan of the low weight/high rep thing--I wanted to lift heavier and see some muscle definition. You definitely get stronger though, and if finding the motivation to workout is a problem then Body Pump can be a great solution because of how fun it is. Plus since you are always moving, you burn more calories overall. I agree with what other people have said about going early--get there early enough so you can introduce yourself to the instructor and so they have the time to help you get set up.

AJuliaNJ

In Response to Re:Body Pump?:[QUOTE]Andrea, you won't get buff. BodyPump is an endurance muscle class not a bulk up get buff kind of class. Yes, you will gain muscle but not get buff.

Posted by xcalygrl[/QUOTE]

I've always thought buff meant fit and toned, not bulked up. OP, sorry if I misled you in my post.

s-aries8990

I took it 3x/week until they changed one of them to BodyCombat. I really like it, I always wimp out when I do solo workouts and it forces me to keep on lifting and moving (group mentality of mind over matter that I don't have alone). I also suggest starting off on the low-end of your normal weight amounts and adding more weight over time. I had to start off with the smallest donut weights because my legs were giving out (shows how out of shape I was). I also have had to back off on some of my weight because my form was off and my back was hurting. I don't feel super duper bulky or grossly defined, but I can feel my muscles growing and getting stronger. I love it becuase I feel like I have less jiggle.

I also take bodyCombat once a week and I love it - cardio kickboxing with regular boxing and martial arts moves thrown in.

swimmy1988

Thanks everyone!
I think I'll ask a friend and/or fi if they want to try it out with me. Sounds like it's a good way to get toned and more fun than just doing cardio and weight lifting. Appreciate all the advice

firsttimersluck

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_body-pump-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:9ed4341d-6379-47cf-9180-5adcc412c25bPost:29668650-ac50-44f0-a92a-8faf5bb046be">Re: Body Pump?</a>:
[QUOTE]I  I also take bodyCombat once a week and I love it - cardio kickboxing with regular boxing and martial arts moves thrown in.
Posted by sydaries[/QUOTE]

<div>There is actually NO kickboxing in Body Combat (which is why I like it). It's all 100% legitamate martial arts. It's one of Les Mills most cardio-based high intensity classes, but don't let that discourage you, OP! It's the only reason I have actual abs muscles that show.  It's made up of: </div><div><span style="font-size:11px;">Boxing</span></div><div>Karate</div><div>Tae Kwon Do</div><div>Muay Thai</div><div>A little bit of Thai Chi and a little bit of Brazilian Capoeira depending on the release :) </div><div>
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J&K10910

Also, I just want to say that while we do a lot of preaching of heavy weights, low reps here, that the opposite isn't necessary a BAD thing!  It just doesn't accomplish what a lot of people seem to hope it will.  Muscle endurance (or low weights, high reps, what happens in Body Pump) is a really important part of a balanced fitness plan.  Just make sure to not skip the heavy weights on a different 1-2 days a week.

s-aries8990

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_body-pump-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:9ed4341d-6379-47cf-9180-5adcc412c25bPost:f5efcb45-a4e1-47e5-9bca-d326b32fd9e3">Re: Body Pump?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Body Pump? : There is actually<strong> NO kickboxing</strong> in Body Combat (which is why I like it). It's all 100% legitamate martial arts. It's one of Les Mills most cardio-based high intensity classes, but don't let that discourage you, OP! It's the only reason I have actual abs muscles that show.  It's made up of:  Boxing Karate Tae Kwon Do Muay Thai A little bit of Thai Chi and a little bit of Brazilian Capoeira depending on the release :) 
Posted by firsttimersluck[/QUOTE]

Hmmm maybe my release has some in it? Because we definitely do some kickboxing in it...