I'm finally using bigger weights at body pump!

[Invasionofthegutsnatchers]

I took my time increasing as wanted to work on my form and not get injured. Now I lift
5kg each side + bar for squat track
5kg plate for squats
3.5kg each side for chest
2.5kg each side for biceps/ triceps
2.5kg plates for lunges and shoulders
And I can actually do the core track!

I've never had any muscle tone and love feeling strong. Others in my class lift much heavier but it's progress for me

Well done.

Well done! And you’re doing the best thing by focussing on your gains and not what anyone else is doing.
You get that fantastic feeling of achievement every time you up your weights-keep going!

well done - it's all about your progress, not what the guy next to you lifts.

Thank you! I've finally sorted out my eating and I'm logging calories with myfitnesspal so hopefully in a few weeks my muscles will appear from under the layer of fat

That’s great! I love body pump
I can finally use a 5kg plate to do extensions and it feels good - I also build slowly as technique is so important

Well done! I put my weights up a couple of weeks ago and the sense of achievement is amazing. Plus the after burn calorie wise on my watch was note worthy too.

Yes totally. I noticed a big difference in my calorie burn today compared to previous workouts. It's definitely worth persevering.

Is 3x a week body pump too much? I always have a rest day in between.

I've never been to a class but do lift weights at home. My smallest dumbbell is now 7kg, when it used to be a 3kg (for skull crushers). Feeling strong is pretty great.

Well done!

That’s great well done! How many times a week? I’m hoping to increase weights soon. Thanks for sharing, it’s motivating!

I go 3x a week. Fell out of love with cardio since I started pump.

Yes I have a significant difference in calories as well comparing when I'm working on a hard but comfortable level or when I really push myself.
3x week is great.

I think body pump is absolutely brilliant for introducing weights to people, in a way that feels really welcoming. Well done on upping your weights.

It’s a mix of cardio and a bit of resistance, if you really want to test yourself you could try doing body pump 2 x per week, then on the other day doing a weights workout, where you might lift heavier weights but do fewer reps than in BD. It would help more with muscle mass, if that’s your goal

I might be brave and do some free weights in the gym! Thanks for the encouragement

Well done OP!

I returned to bodypump on Monday, after 4 weeks off. Yesterday was ow. Today is owwwwewwwwwwwewewewew. And all stairs are bastards.

But I’m still going to the class tonight 😁

Well done! Pump is low weight high rep so those weights are brilliant.

I've been doing pump for over 10 years and I'm not doing much heavier than that 😁

Bodypump is of course not powerlifting, but you don't need to be afraid of adding weight either. If you want the best results, you want to be exhausted after each track. And most people in an average bodypump class are not working at that level but could easily add some.

Oh I'm exhausted, struggling to finish each track and dripping in sweat.

Go hard or go home! 💪

It’s a mix of cardio and a bit of resistance, if you really want to test yourself you could try doing body pump 2 x per week, then on the other day doing a weights workout, where you might lift heavier weights but do fewer reps than in BD. It would help more with muscle mass, if that’s your goal

This!

And when you lift heavy, not only reduce the reps, but do them more slowly and check your form - the number of people I see squatting really badly in Body Pump is scary ...

And take proper rest breaks - after lifting a heavy set of reps, you need at least 60 secs recovery time. And then stretch really thoroughly afterwards (the 30 second stretches at the end of most group classes are really not long enough ...)

@JoyDivisionOvenGlovesx

Well done OP!

I returned to bodypump on Monday, after 4 weeks off. Yesterday was ow. Today is owwwwewwwwwwwewewewew. And all stairs are bastards.

But I’m still going to the class tonight 😁

I haven't been for about 18 months - it's gonna kill me isn't it?!

I've been doing pump for over 10 years and I'm not doing much heavier than that

Hmmmm, different things for different people.

I began proper lifting about 3 years ago, and now lift heavy twice a week, plus a Bootcamp/HIIT class which uses fairly heavy weights (16 kg kettlebell, 10 kg flies etc).

Sometimes I do a Pump class for fun & the cardio rush - I find that I tend to use much heavier weights in Pump than I did before I lifted heavy. So I tend to squat around 15kg & deadlift 20kg in Pump - doing proper lifting means I can also do more in Pump, and get a full cardio work out as well.

Heavy lifting is one of the easiest ways to get really fit. No boring hours on the treadmill, for a start!

I've had to cancel pump tomorrow so I'm going to lift some heavier weights in the gym instead. Feeling brave!

Have fun! I love proper deadlifting.

Invasion wow, well done!

I'd love to work towards being able to do that. I'm very unfit, and though I need to lose weight, I'm just as concerned about improving my strength .

Could you or anyone else advise me how you got started? I would really appreciate any simple advice on starting out.

Thank you very much.

I mean, if I want to work towards proper lifting, should I start with body pump classes, or something else? I'm a bit nervous of the gym, and feel a bit clueless.

That’s great, well done!

I’m a body pump fan as well. I do two classes a week and would do more if there were suitable times.

I had a not great experience with PT when I tried to book sessions specifically for weight training. The trainer was clearly more used to working with ripped tattooed Essex boys and had no idea what to do with a middle aged fat menopausal woman even though I explained clearly that I wanted to build strength. He got me on some resistance machines to start with but then failed to turn up for the next session.