What kind of work out do you consider Body pump to be?

Fitnessmom82

So I'm struggling with this one. I do circuit training 3x a week with moderate to heavy (for me) weights and a cardio pace. Love it and had lots of success. I was doing cardio 2 days a week as well. Cardio bores the daylights out of me so I looked into a class. I ended up at bodypump. I love it. It's interesting and I am keeping the weight at the minimum.
I am wondering where this class falls....cardio? Weight training? I read mixed statements online. I'm afraid that I will be overdoing it with my muscles. I feel sore, but not in a bad way. I'd love for body pump to be my cardio workout but wonder if I should cut the class and suck it up and hop on the treadmill!

heybales

Circuit Training.

Artificially lowering the weight that can be lifted by usually having more reps and less rest.

Like any other class, at some point if the weight doesn't go up - it'll be maintenance level, and no longer a workout that requires improvement by the body.
Because movements are based on the music, and you can only go so fast.
And in fact as form improves on the movements - it's easier and burns a tad less calories.

It can take awhile to get there at least, so you may have many months of improvements to go - some strength, some cardio.

bendyourkneekatie

The reason to love body pump is the same reason to hate it: it's both. Now, getting a bit of both at the same time can be great, but the very fact that it is a bit of both means it's not a terribly effective version of either.

Fitnessmom82

That's pretty much in line with what I was thinking. Darn it haha. The instructor is so nice! But I think my time at the gym may be spend better elsewhere!

SchweddyGirl

If you like the class...go to the class. You are more likely to succeed at this if you are doing something you like. Besides, just because the weights are light that doesn't mean you aren't getting a good work out. And, as others have said as you improve those weights will get heavier.

remoore23

There is a Lesmills Bodypump entry in the cardio database that I have used. I don't know how accurate it is but it sounds reasonable to me.

cwolfman13

It's mostly cardio with a bit of resistance training worked in.

heybales

Missed the Bodypump being reference to the Les Mills class that is in the database.
It must be thinking it's closer to resistance than to cardio than.

Circuit Training is given a METS value of 8 from the database that MFP and others are based on.

Bodypump is about 5.5 it appears.

Lifting is 3.5.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjb21wZW5kaXVtb2ZwaHlzaWNhbGFjdGl2aXRpZXN8Z3g6MjgyY2EyMzQzNWFlN2Q3OA

Les Mills is actually not in it, so MFP created those entries on their own, probably related to the entries that are in the database.

firef1y72

Me I'd consider it cardio, I burn around 350 Calories in a 50min class and the weights involved are around 1/4 what I'd use in a lifting session. There probably (almost definitely) is also a resistance element, I load the bar as heavy as I can so that I struggle to complete the last few reps (out of 100+ for squats for example) on each track and as soon as I can get through the track I up the weight. I generally ache around 36hours after the class too, but in the same time lifting I'd burn around 150 Calories, so....

canarysal

I've reached my limit with weight increase, can't physically lift more than 15kg over my head for squat track, still get good workout from pump class. Some people lift heavy but can't maintain technique or complete reps.