BODYPUMP by Les Mills...done it?

JatieKo621

Hello everyone! I saw that my gym offers a class this evening called "BODYPUMP" by Les Mills and I read a little about it but want some real feedback from real people...so have you done it? What did you think? I want to do more weight training and it seems motivating to do it in a group...however since I've never done it I am a little intimidated.

Do you bring your own weights? Or how does that work and I wouldn't know what weight to start with....any feedback is highly appreciated!!

shell0405

I do body pump at the gym I go to and I love it!!!!. No you don't bring your own weights, the gym supplies them. My gym also offers Les Mills CX Worx, that is also great. Hope you enoy the class as much as I do.
Machele

Sassy_Cass

I used to do BodyPump with my neighbor and we both saw very little in the way of results. What I would suggest is pushing yorself for fewer reps, fewer sets and more weight. The weight you use in there is much lighter than what is required to change your body as you end up doing soooo many reps.

For example:

I now do 85lbs on the bench press (plus bar) 10 reps 3 sets
In there I would do MAYBE 20 lbs with bar 50 reps

Now I am defining my chest, working to exhaustion and feeling great
Then I was just tired, no real toning

Its up to you though

kelseyhere

I do Les Mills classes frequently and Body Pump is one of my favorites. If you are new to weight lifting, it's a great way to get started. You don't need to bring you weights- everything is provided. At at the places I've done it it's the same set-up: a light bar (probably about 2kg) with interchanglable weight plates of 2kg, 5kb, and 10kg.

The class is set to music and you do one song for every major muscle group- squat track, chest track, bicep track, lunge track, back track and then one song of abs and end with stretching. The songs are always modern and up-beat.

I would recommend starting with slightly lower weights than you think you'll need because the class is actually pretty cardio heavy and when you are exercising the same muscles for 3-4 minutes straight, you can get fatigued. Also, you should arrive early and tell the teacher that you are new so they can keep an eye on your form. Hope you enjoy!

valligator

We have body pump at my Y. It's probably the same thing you're talking about. You start the class by picking a bar and different sizes of weights. Start by picking up two of the smallest plates. We use a step bench and a mat too.

The class is usually the same every week for about 3 or 4 months, then they switch it a little. I think it's a set program that everyone who teaches body pump has to use.

It's a full body workout - I recommend not using any weights your first time. That way you can focus on your form and make sure you're doing the exercises correctly. Then maybe next time add the small weights.. then you can take it from there.

Don't be intimidated - everyone in there had a first time also. Have fun!

wookiemouse

Go give it a try! It's definitely one of those love-it-or-hate-it workouts.

I did it for about 6 months and saw moderate gains, but I definitely saw better gains with heavier weights and lower reps on my own. My biggest beef with BP is the repetition of moves. You do a LOT of deadlifts and that really aggravated my hamstring. It took about 3 months to recover from that (that was from doing BP 3x a week).

Erihppas

Love it.

I started off with **really light** weights last July (squatting 5 lbs, LOL! 2.5lbs on each side!), but have significantly upped it and am definitely noticing a difference, especially in my strength.

Catjag

I do body pump at the gym I go to and I love it!!!!. No you don't bring your own weights, the gym supplies them. My gym also offers Les Mills CX Worx, that is also great. Hope you enoy the class as much as I do.
Machele

I just passed my CX Worx certification this past weekend, I love it! Can't wait to start teaching it.

OP-Pump is great. I find the music motivating, the workouts are great for building muscular endurance. Give it a shot!

robhigareda

I used to do BodyPump with my neighbor and we both saw very little in the way of results. What I would suggest is pushing yorself for fewer reps, fewer sets and more weight. The weight you use in there is much lighter than what is required to change your body as you end up doing soooo many reps.

For example:

I now do 85lbs on the bench press (plus bar) 10 reps 3 sets
In there I would do MAYBE 20 lbs with bar 50 reps

Now I am defining my chest, working to exhaustion and feeling great
Then I was just tired, no real toning

Its up to you though

That's completely false. You needed to talk to your instructor about your technique. BODYPUMP can shape tone, and build muscle. You just have to do it correctly.

mcarter99

Go give it a try! It's definitely one of those love-it-or-hate-it workouts.

I did it for about 6 months and saw moderate gains, but I definitely saw better gains with heavier weights and lower reps on my own. My biggest beef with BP is the repetition of moves. You do a LOT of deadlifts and that really aggravated my hamstring. It took about 3 months to recover from that (that was from doing BP 3x a week).

I liked it but I think you can accomplish twice as much in half the time with heavier/lower rep workouts.

My first BP class KILLED my quads with the high reps of lunges holding a barbell. I was in pain for days. And I generally like delayed onset muscle soreness. My advice would be 'don't be embarrassed to skip some reps or put down the barbell in mid-song'.

Discoveri

I do Les Mills classes frequently and Body Pump is one of my favorites. If you are new to weight lifting, it's a great way to get started. You don't need to bring you weights- everything is provided. At at the places I've done it it's the same set-up: a light bar (probably about 2kg) with interchanglable weight plates of 2kg, 5kb, and 10kg.

The class is set to music and you do one song for every major muscle group- squat track, chest track, bicep track, lunge track, back track and then one song of abs and end with stretching. The songs are always modern and up-beat.

I would recommend starting with slightly lower weights than you think you'll need because the class is actually pretty cardio heavy and when you are exercising the same muscles for 3-4 minutes straight, you can get fatigued. Also, you should arrive early and tell the teacher that you are new so they can keep an eye on your form. Hope you enjoy!

^Good info. Body pump can be a great place to learn good form. Since you are doing a ton of reps, keep your weight low at first until you get the feel of the exercise. I would suggest that you go and do atleast 3 classes to see how you like it. By the 3rd class you should be comfortable with the program and the movements. Just bring a water bottle and let the instructor know that you are new.