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 think you definitely would honey but I would say try and get there a bit early and speak to instructor for advice too,! I have injured knee at the mo and all I have spoken about it to could not be more helpful

What's Combat like? I've been doing RPM and Balance for years but I'm toying with trying Combat, just a bit worried I won't keep up!

Combat will be a little challenging at first, if you're not used to the moves, and high intensity aerobics classes. But I always tell people to try it 3 times before you give up - we do the same program for up to 3 months, so you have time to get to know the moves and combinations. It's fun and burns a lot of calories!

Oh and I'm a LesMills instructor, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask

Just did my first body combat at home. Loved it but how long is a usual class 55 mins? They seem to vary on demand! Mine was 36 mins which I followed with a cool down which is probably right for my first time as I'm wiped! They seem to have both hour and half hour classes on demand. Think I'll stick with half hour for now

I love Combat but omg it is exhausting! Really is full on but brilliant.

Pump is excellent too, I only do light weights but am gradually trying to build up.

Balance is just lovely, I have done yoga for over 20 years so a lot of it is familiar but oh so love the Thai Chi element to it .

I am new to the gym and have been doing a few classes and am working my way up to body pump!
After reading this thread I'm going to go tomorrow!

Whoever mention CX Works upthread - I really like that class. Normally do CX followed by a 30 minute body balance. Love it.

What is CX Works?

Honey, I previewed it on demand and seems largely Ab based and they use a resistance tube. Is that right Brioche?

PS. I have downloaded the Les Mills app you can log your workouts there and earn badges but it also has a good video section there where the program directors talk about what each one is.

CX Works is using resistance tubes and a fair bit of core work yes, usually 30 mins quite high intensity.

God I miss pump (severe shoulder injury) and can't wait to get back. Only class I've ever really stuck with and results are great!

Quite a lot of the time in Pump I am slightly giggling at the music, especially that Techno one from the last release. Who would listen to it if they weren't doing Pump!?

Does the job, though.

Yes CX works is core based. Use elastics and discs.
Pretty intensive but only thirty mins and you can see the difference after just a couple of classes.
Who knew holding you legs in the air could be so hard?!

Great to find a thread on Pump, love it .....but I've had to stop because of developing tendonitis in my left arm, elbow to wrist. Very painful but frustrating because I love the class.
Any advice on what I'm doing wrong? One instructor said I'd been holding the weights too tight, another too loose! After a break of 3 months it's calmed down but I'm worried it will flare back up as soon as I go back to class.

Squarepeg that's a shame. Could you drop your weights right down to the minimum and start again from there? (sorry if this is a silly suggestion, I don't know much about tendonitis)

Maybe if you asked for help from staff on the gym floor (rather than asking the instructor before class) they might have more time to look closely at your form and identify what might be causing the pain?

For long-time BodyPumpers, how long was it before you saw an improvement? I am planning to do 2 Pump classes per week, as well as 2 body balance and I am fairly active anyway... I am size 10-12 so not overweight but do have flabby triceps for sure!

I thought my arms were looking better (and they are from the front) but I was standing right next to the mirror at the last bodypump class I was at and they still looked so wobbly!

Did my second one today. Killer!

Took me about 6 weeks to notice improvement in strength, didn't lose weight as made no deitary changes but think "toned up".

Squarepeg it could be that you had weakness there and lifting weights showed that up IYSWIM. Eg lots of desk workers like me have weak arms. So maybe you could strengthen / work on flexibility in the muscles you hurt and then start with low weights once a week?

Cants Bodycombat classes come in 3 formats - full (55) and express - 45 or 30 minutes

Human you should see some improvement in the matter of weeks. But it's really important to work to exhaustion, to use challenging weights - that's when the change happens. If you can comfortably finish a track, without struggling, your weights are too light.

Ah thanks Katharina

I now do Pump only sporadically, but when I did it every week without fail, I was so strong and so toned!

I think it was about 2 months before I started admiring myself in the studio mirrors! I used to lift v heavy after about a year.

Sadly, I got so incredibly bored of it after about 3 or 4 years. I really hate it now!

That's a shame Arrietty I am still in the honeymoon phase but think I might need to up the weights a bit as I don't look any different tbh.

Katharina I am super skinny (hate it) will I ever have muscles?!

Our instructors say that once you're used to it, you should aim to lift as heavy as you can.

You should have sweat dripping from your elbows by the end of the squat track!

I do body pump a few days a week and love it

All those people just sticking to the light weights - please don't do that!! Increase increase! It will make such a difference to you - you should be lifting so that the final set is a real challenge and you almost can't lift the final few. Sticking to the lightest weights will do nothing at all.

And if you're not sure on form speak to the instructor or a PT. It is frightening how poor the form is of some people who go to classes I've been in, esp on squats.