Body Pump ... a bit daunted!

[humanfemale]

I've been going to body balance classes at the gym for months now and can do a session without too much trouble (i.e. Don't break a sweat, no sore
Muscles, more a nice stretch than a challenging workout really).

I'm hoping to start toning my body more now - especially upper arms! - so have signed up to Body Pump class this Wednesday. But feeling a bit worried about it to be honest. It's just really far from my confort zone of low impact, yoga typed exercise. But yoga just isn't shifting the flab fast enough, so here I am!

Can anyone offer reassurance that I'm not going to be way out of my league?! Is it manageable for someone who has a relatively low level of strength? Also I sprained my ankle a few weeks ago - it's more or less healed but still weak, if you see what I mean? Does BP involve much jumping around?

Hope someone here can offer some experience! I am really motivated to try something new but for some reason body pump just looks so advanced when I'm seeing classes through the little window at the gym!

I have a cheapy Argos bar and dumbbell set. Basically a long bar, 2 little ones and then 4 x 1.25 plates and 4 x 2.5 I got them ages ago but think they wouldn't have been more than £20ish. Then I did have an old step but I am generally too lazy to get that out and either use an excerise ball or a v strurdy poof for chest / triceps tracks, works really well!

Quite often weights come up on the local selling pages too.

Koala I just bought the pro fitness barbell and dumbell set from Argos in the sale for £40. Arriving Saturday. Also got a step and a sturdy mat. I'm going to start the free 10 day trial as soon as it arrives! Excited as I did pump classes a few years ago but my work is so unpredictable right now I can't book classes with much luck.

Like everyone else says, start with low weights.

Also, can you book a session with a trainer at your gym to show you proper form? I see people with bad form at my Pump classes, and I just think that they're doing harm - certainly, no good - to their bodies.

I'm going to take a place at the front of my next Pump so I can copy the way the instructors doing it, that's good advice.

This thread has spurred me on to try a body pump intro class tomorrow! Am so glad you enjoy it humanfemale.

I had my class on Thursday & loved it! Really ache today though. Am booked in again on Sunday. Felt like it worked every bit of me.

Bodypump is my favourite class and the one that's added the most tone to my body. The definition in my arms is my favourite bit - no more bingo wings.

Pump is great.

I also love Combat.

Bodybalance is hardest for me because of the way it challenges my flexibility. Some of the core work, especially the back tracks, if done at full challenge, are tough too.

I've just got on demand and had a browse through on my Amazon Fire TV. Looks good. Just waiting for my bloody equipment to turn up now!

Being nosey here but I've always wondered - what size weights does body pump use?

I pick the lightest weights and stick to that for 6 weeks then up the weights slightly.

Don't worry about what others are doing, they may have been doing pump for ten years or two - who knows.

I go through fits and starts that's why I drop the weights and then build up again. Then the nice weathers cones and I head outside in my bike and drop pump till the winter frost's appear.

Enjoy, try cxworks if your gym do it,cuts fab

what size weights does body pump use? - the standard plates are 1; 2,5; 5 and 10 kilos. You can combine them as you want. Of course bars have their limits, so depends on which one exactly the gym is using. At mine, you could put up to 25 kilos per side; I think the newer Lesmills bars will allow 30 per side. I know that does not sound like a lot, but keep in mind that in an average class, you will be doing 800-1000 reps.

I've only been to four classes and I just use 1kg each side for arm and chest tracks and 2.5kg for legs and back! I know this isn't much but it definitely still is a challenge and I don't want to be in agony the next day.

During my first class I did the arms and chest with just the bar (no actual weights!) so I've already made a progression.

Really hoping to keep the classes up, so slow and steady will be my approach.

Thank you Katharina. I quite fancy having a go.

Les Mills fans! Yay!

I've been doing balance and pump for a year now - would never have tried pump but a woman in balance suggested giving it a try, I still keep the weights fairly light but have made progress and really like lifting up the bar!

Balance is still my favourite, it's very hard for me, some tracks are painful, am really inflexible and sit for long hours for work and commuting. But again have made progress - am still pretty much the worst in that class! But it's not about anyone else. I love watching the people who can do it really well. Age range in the class is 16 to 80!

Am newer to combat and like that one too, IMO there's the best doing it altogether atmosphere/"group buzz" in that one.

Surrey the people who do Balance well are so graceful to watch, aren't they!

Yes, and it's lovely.

they're not all sylph-like either!

If I don't look in the mirror I can imagine I look like that doing it too

So got my bar and started my Les Mills on demand free trial. Did Pump 100 which I'll do again in a few days. Loved it. Feeling it already! I'm going to try body attack tomorrow I think.

CXworks looks good. I may have to add a tube to my ever expanding home gym. Will try Grit in the week too.

My only gripe is it stuttered a few times I'm not sure if this is an app problem (on fireTV) or my connection! Was a bit annoying but I was in the swing of things anyway and it didn't stop my reps.

More likely to be the broadband.

Yeah probably! Oh well already thinking I'm
Gonna be paying monthly for this

Yay cant I did combat in my lounge earlier!

Also love attack and combat, after 6 years of campaigning my local gym has finally started a Les mills programme-love it! I love pump, but attack and combat jostle for position of being absolute fav!

I'm too clumsy for balance I think.

But also no probs with stuttering on mine, router is right next to telly though

They are fun. I wouldn't go otherwise. I am 53 and sometimes in Pump I am huffing puffing with people of 18 and 70.

I also like the fact they change every three months so you don't get bored.

I've seen this class is run at my gym. I'm starting to exercise after a long time not doing any. I have rheumatoid arthritis but have been told by my consultant that I can di anything I want to and that it's important to try and build up my strength & fitness.

Would I be alright trying this do you think if I started with just the bar & no weights? I've got to start somewhere..