Body Pump (stupid)- UPDATED

I went to my first (and only) class a couple of months ago.

Not to put you off but you are going to hurt afterwards.

so are you generally fit? What did you have to do? I'm aware you use a bar and weights, we used them on Thursday too but I was going to be a wimp and just stick 2.5kg on either side. I don't want to be a hero on my first session.

I'm fit-ish. I go to the gym twice a week for an hour at a time - mixture of cardio and weights.

I had the lowest weight on each side and ached like mad for days afterwards.

It felt great doing it - but was hard work.

Hi, I do this class 3 times a week and really enjoy it. My advice would be keep your weights really light as you will ache the next day but it is worth it. Don't worry about the extra 15mins as you get a little break inbetween each exercise as people change their weighs over

so will I need to change weights too then? do you think 2.5kg is ok for a first timer? I'm not a weakling but I don't want to struggle, I can always go up next time if I felt it was too easy.

yes you will need to change weights. For your first time I would say put 1kg on each side for all exercises apart from your squats for that I would have 2kg on each side. At the time of doing it you might think that this is a bit light but because you are doing lots of reps it does work you hard. You can always put your weights up next time

Body pump is my favourite class. I was absolutely bricking it the first time I went but have been completely converted to it. The instructor will ask who's new so make sure you're near the front and they know it's your first class. You change the weights according to the muscle being worked but your instructor will tell you when and how much you should be putting on or taking off.

I also learnt recently you can burn up to 600 calories per class - bonus!!!!!

Have fun. Make sure you stretch properly after to help with the aches. I've only suffered REALLY badly once and that was my own fault. I hadn't been for ages and I was being Billy Big Potatoes and put far too much weight on.

thanks BB.

let us know how you get on if you don't ache too much to type?

One more quick question - do you do any other classes before/after the body pump? There's a body combat on just before the body pump, i've done it before but I don't find it much work, the instructor is foreign so doesn't give much verbal instruction and I find some meat head always stands right in front of me so I can't see her either so I spend half the class ducking and diving trying to decipher what i'm meant to be doing. I could always stand nearer the front I guess [shock horror]

I do groove fx before one of the classes, which is a dance class but if I have any energy left I tend to do the class after as it does really take it out of your muscles

Yaaay! Another bodypump convert - it's my fave class!

WEES - go very light on the weights for your first time - even if you're reasonably strong, most people aren't used to the high levels of reps used in thte class.

Are you a Bon Jovi fan??

I am UTTERLY addicted to Body Pump - I absolutely LOVE it!! I've recently upped my classes to two a week and I'm slowly upping my weights too. I start off with 2.5kg on each side for the warm-up and add an extra 1kg to each side for the first track. I'm going to keep those on the for second track too and see how I get on.

Be warned - there are some KILLER bits in 66. The bit that you do with the two handweights to the track ".. on the way to the disco" is hard but the worst bit is the 16 dips you do off your step at the end of the bicep track. Especially the last dip which is reeeeally slow.

But the feeling you get at the end ... "that was 66 and you've just done it" ... is brilliant. I couldn't walk the following day after my first ever class. Actually, I felt it in my arms just driving home!! ?

Let us know how you get on. I predict you'll be a convert too. It's the best buzz you can get in the gym.

Oh and meant to say - on Les Mills' official website he suggests that you don't up your weights for the first 6 sessions so you can get completely confident with the actual technique first. If you can nail exactly what you're doing and get familiar with the routine then you can up your weights.

Each routine lasts for three months and I think we're about four weeks into this one so you've got plenty of time to get to grips with it and up your weights. You'll be all ready for 67 by then! [wink]

Would someone mind briefly explaining what a Body Pump class entails?

I've just joined a new gym where all the classes are included in the fees and I was thinking of giving this a go, but not 100% sure what it's all about.

OK - put simply, its a workout with weights to music. There are 10 tracks - each one targets a particular muscle or set of muscles - and you add weights to your bar or take them off as you go along.

The deal about it is that everybody in the world is doing the SAME programme as you - we're on Pump 66 at the moment - and the new programme is released to all the gyms at the same time. The music is really good and the workout is challenging - you really feel like you've done a workout - but it's fun too. You can see improvements week to week as you get more confident with the routine.

Give it a go! Nothing to lose except a whole lot of sweat! ?

Oh yes, that sounds like my sort of thing! Will give that a pop. ?

Thanks!

Have a look at this but be warned - the people taking part are a bit crap and most of them are out of time with the music!! ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYzNhu3WNd4

Ta for the link - that looks like fun! ?

The hard part in the current release is all the "body weight exercises" - using your body weight as resistance, like the tricep dips, the pushups... But it's the best feeling in the world after the last ab rep and the cool down music comes on!

I love all the cheesy taglines on the Les Mills website - IIRC Bodypump's is "get the kind of legs shorts want to wear!"?

His tagline for Body Attack is even better ..."that burning is the feeling of mediocrity". What is he LIKE?! ?

Body Pump is the reason my thighs, biceps, triceps and pecs hurt today. Oh, and my hamstrings. Did a class for the first time on sunday!

I loved it though, and am hoping to go to Body Attack tomorrow...bit scared though!

I love body attack Kylie- I do it twice a week. The current release is the best for ages- the "split the room" track in the middle is very high school musical/Grease esque and it's fab.

I love Les Mills - his gym is fabulous, and we get to try all the new classes a couple of weeks before they get released to everyone else.

Pump is my favourite class, really works you hard and you get to see results really quickly. Starting with your weights low is definitely recommended, you can build up and increase as time goes on. There are girls in my class who have 10kg on each side during the squat track!

Some of his other classes are good too, if your gym offers them - Body Attack and Body Balance are both fun.

Yes, that bit is cheesy but fun. I haven't been to BA for ages, I might have to this week.

I'm trying Body COmbat tonight though, so we'll see how I feel after that!

Our gym offers the full range of Les Mills' classes - does anybody here do Body Jam? I've seen clips of it on the internet and it looks really hard but lots of fun. I

'm steering clear of Body Attack because I did a boxercise class for a few weeks and hated it.

Didn't make it to my Body Attack class this morning. Am still achy, as did Legs, Bums and Tums and Body Balance yesterday, but am off to the gym and for a swim and sauna later, so that should help. Then Ab Attack and Pilates tomorrow afternoon!

CBH- attack is nothing like boxercise at all. No boxing type moves or anything, combat is a bit boxy so you might not like that.

I loathe Jam as I can't do it and you look daft and don't get sweaty. Attack is better for getting into it & sweaty.