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'm 53 and been doing Pump for about 3 years. I love it. As part of a balanced exercise programme it has made a big difference to my strength and tone.

Wow!

Good lord how amazing carabos!

carabos - Wow My aim is to be able to do that, but I'm always reluctant to try in front of all the guys at the gym - it's rarely empty.

After the Christmas break, a 2 week holiday and then coming back home with a stinking cold I finally got back to pump on the 23rd January, so I needed to drop my weights right down. Tonight I managed a 45min class (so no biceps and triceps) with my regular weights. Probably not that heavy to many but I do warm up 3.75kg each side (our gym has 1.25, 2.5 and 5kg weights), squats 8.75kg each side, chest, lunges and shoulders 5kg each side and back track 6.25kg each side. And yes, I get the sweat dripping off my elbows Hoping to up those in a couple of weeks.

I'd be interested to hear what others are lifting and how long they've been doing pump for.

Oh and I'm 47 and have been doing pump for 18months.

I do my heavy lifting in PT and lighter weights in Pump - 20kg squats in class because there are so many reps, 50 kg in PT for far fewer reps. 40-45kg deadlifts in PT, 15kg for the back track in Pump.

Eat, sleep, lift, repeat . It's a lifestyle.

They do say on the live shows filmed in NZ with the programmes director and top trainers to lift light for high reps. Seems to be conflicting advice

I believe the current thinking is that light or heavy, as long as you lift to exhaustion then you'll get the results. The thing with pump class is you can't really load up and just do two or three reps cos that's not what the class is about. I would say go as heavy as you can while still able to just get through it, then you'll get the progression. Takes ages though IME and depends how many classes you do each week.

The word "light" is a bit misleading here I think. "Light" is usually those really weedy dumbbells you see if you ever Google "woman lifting weights". The ones which are usually pink and 2lbs or something.

Body pump weights are medium weights. They will only do so much because the bar itself cannot hold seriously heavy weights so once you've outgrown the bar it's time to get to the weights room! Or before, If you want ;)

Body pump will make a difference but only if you constantly challenge the body by upping the weights. The good thing about it is the range of exercises which use a wide range of muscles - ie deadlifts and presses.

It's doing bicep curls with a 2lb weight which won't do anything. Traditionally, "low weights high reps" has related to these much lower weights, I think

I'm planning on 2-3 classes a week with the intention of upping those weights asap. My body's currently in shock though I think lol.

I'm also planning on lifting heavier weights as a routine outside of pump and hopefully that'll help.

Yes as said above, when they talk about "light" weight and high rep, they mean lighter weights than you would use at the free weight section at your gym. Not tiny weights you can lift without much effort

There is a quite recent study which found that lifting lighter weights for more reps is just as effective for building muscle than heavy weights for less reps. But the trick is that you have to lift until exhaustion.

And that can of course be a little challenging to plan in BodyPump, as you can't just keep lifting when the track is finished. Therefore the better option is always to get tired sooner than later and risk that you can't finish the last reps, as compared to going too light and not being tired by the end of track.

This is really helpful. I always worry about too-heavy weights causing injury through bad form at the end of s track. I find , for example, finishing the shoulders track - with clean and press, and straight dynamic lifts up - really difficult so tend to wimp out with lighter weights. But you're suggesting I should use the heavier weight on the bar, and maybe stop or take a pause when my arms are so shaky I can't get past my ears? (If that makes any sense)

It's a bit confusing isn't it? I have one instructor that says we should be able to complete the track with out chosen weights and one that says if you don't struggle in the last third of the track you haven't gone heavy enough.

Yay, I did my first pump class tonight. Think I did quite well and really enjoyed it.

Need to get faster at changing the weights and positions but that will come as I do more classes and learn the routine. It'a also not my first language so that, combined with microphones and loud music doesn't make it easy to understand?

Is it an obligation for the instructors to sing random lines of the songs?

Lol! One of my instructors sings her own words

Ha, yes I think it is brioche you come to embrace it at some point I think . The order of the tracks doesn't change (warmup, squats, chest, back, triceps etc) so you definitely get used to where you need to switch weights.

I went today and lifted heavier weights! There was a shoulder track (really short intense one) where I had to change down halfway through but it went well! Did 2.5 for triceps so was pleased with that.

The main thing I've noticed is how HAPPY i feel for hours after a class! Like child-like happiness, pure endorphin rush. Love it!

My instructor sings too! She also says:

"This pain you're feeling? That's the feeling of your body changing. Work through it!"

The 2nd set of pulses on the chest track "this is where the change happens" - the 3rd set "these are to test you" - the 4th set "these are to kill you"

Love bodypump - the loud music just keeps you going and pushes you - even those techno tracks that you hate and really would not listen to out of class. I also get that endorphin high and feel so fit and strong afterwards.

Oh god that new chest track! I had to do full on LAMAZE STYLEE birthing breath to get through it!

Wanted to bump the Pump thread because I'm so enjoying doing it on demand at home and have upped my weights.

Anyone whose been doing it long-term remember their favourite release? I'd like to have a go at some of the older ones whilst I have access on demand.

I really liked release 65

Thanks. Will have a look!

Not enjoying BP 100 chest due to the music. Turns out it's Pitbull and Robin Thicke . I do like Megan Trainor triceps though.