Gaining muscle with BodyPump class

ChinUp4Life

Hey everyone,

My gym just introduced Les Mills BodyPump, which is a weightlifting/endurance based exercise class focusing on high reps and time under tension.

I think you can tap into some muscle potential with a class like this -- both men and women. However, there is a strategy that should be implemented.

30 mins prior to the class, you should "prime" the muscles. You want to activate some of the high threshold motor units and the fast twitch muscles by doing just a few reps of high intensity lifting. For example, do a front squat at 90% of your max for 2-3 reps. Then a close-grip bench press with 90% max, and either a Row or Pullup exercise with 90% max for 2-3 reps.

This should not fatigue you, the primary goal is to activate the fast twitch muscles so that once you are doing the BodyPump class, you will receive additional benefit from time-under-tension principles.

Just my thoughts needed to get it out...

rbikky87

I go to body pump class at the Y. I never tried 'priming' the muscles. Will give it a shot next time.

Thanks for the info!

meshashesha2012

so let me get this straight, to get the most out of body pump i'd have to do another workout before hand?
what's the point of body pump then?

wellbert

so let me get this straight, to get the most out of body pump i'd have to do another workout before hand?
what's the point of body pump then?

cardio

plus_chocolate

My gym offers a bodypump class that I have been afraid to try. Maybe I will give it a go

ChinUp4Life

BodyPump is an endurance weightlifting based workout. You are using a weight between 10-45 lbs, which will be challenging given the 120+ seconds of no-rest exercise for a muscle group.

So like someone said, you're getting closer to that cardio exercise range as opposed to the muscle toning area.

By priming the muscles beforehand with heavy weights, you should be getting the best of both worlds and therefore progress faster.

meshashesha2012

BodyPump is an endurance weightlifting based workout. You are using a weight between 10-45 lbs, which will be challenging given the 120+ seconds of no-rest exercise for a muscle group.

So like someone said, you're getting closer to that cardio exercise range as opposed to the muscle toning area.

By priming the muscles beforehand with heavy weights, you should be getting the best of both worlds and therefore progress faster.

ahh ok. so technically you arent gaining muscle with body pump, but with the priming workout before hand.

Kellyfromvegas

I love BODY PUMP, but its so popular at my gym that I have stopped going

ChinUp4Life

BodyPump is an endurance weightlifting based workout. You are using a weight between 10-45 lbs, which will be challenging given the 120+ seconds of no-rest exercise for a muscle group.

So like someone said, you're getting closer to that cardio exercise range as opposed to the muscle toning area.

By priming the muscles beforehand with heavy weights, you should be getting the best of both worlds and therefore progress faster.

ahh ok. so technically you arent gaining muscle with body pump, but with the priming workout before hand.

Think of the primer and BodyPump as synergistic. The primer exercises should allow for greater benefit from the endurance exercises. Basically allows you to activate overall more muscle... therefore resulting in a better metabolic boost and potential muscle building benefits.

After that, it's about getting plenty of protein and rest.

mmapags

So in other words, BodyPump is cardio/ endurance with weights.

Sarauk2sf

BodyPump is an endurance weightlifting based workout. You are using a weight between 10-45 lbs, which will be challenging given the 120+ seconds of no-rest exercise for a muscle group.

So like someone said, you're getting closer to that cardio exercise range as opposed to the muscle toning area.

By priming the muscles beforehand with heavy weights, you should be getting the best of both worlds and therefore progress faster.

ahh ok. so technically you arent gaining muscle with body pump, but with the priming workout before hand.

Think of the primer and BodyPump as synergistic. The primer exercises should allow for greater benefit from the endurance exercises. Basically allows you to activate overall more muscle... therefore resulting in a better metabolic boost and potential muscle building benefits.

After that, it's about getting plenty of protein and rest.

Would love to see something more concrete on this theory.

To me its like the others have said, you do hypertrophy/strength work before and this effective acts as your post lifting cardio.

cedarghost

Never heard it called BodyPump before, but this is how I have been working out for a month using the 15 minute workouts from Men's Fitness. For those saying you don't gain muscle, well that's wrong. I basically do 10 to 12 reps of 4 to 5 different exercises that are basically supersets and if you do them right, you should be failing on the 10th to 12th rep. You do the exercises as a circuit without breaks until all 4 or 5 are complete. Then you get a 60 to 90 second break and start over again.
Yes, your heart rate stays up is you are doing it right. You should not be able to carry on a conversation due to trying to catch your breath. This is supposed to maximize afterburn, so it's great for burning fat, but I have gained quite a bit of strength and muscle tone as well.
I've recently switch from a total body workout to working specific body parts.
But I will try hitting some heavy weights before starting just to mix it up for a month or so. Thanks for the tip!

DawnVanSlim

I take a Group Power class at my gym 2-3 times a week. I love it and have built up the perfect amount of muscle for my body with it. Haters are gonna hate, it works for me though!

mustgetmuscles1

Sounds like "preexhausting" that some body builders use to try and get a bodybuilding workout using lower weight. I dont know much about it. I remain skeptical but open minded.

nonomorefat

i'm glad someone posted on this topic because i've had a question for a long time...

I did bodypump class on cardio days (tue, thur, sat) and did strength training (mon, wed. fri) because i too thought it was a cardio class, but stopped after my class instructor suggested it doesn't give my muscles time to "rest" since it is strength/endurance combination...

should i go back to doing it on cardio days? i really enjoyed it..

ChinUp4Life

There are a lot of theories about muscle growth, but what I'm getting at here are the following.

1. Strength (Central Nervous System activation)
-Taps into the most powerful muscle fibers, with potential for muscle growth

2. Time under tension (BodyPump / endurance)
-Weights under 40% of your 1RepMax are highly unlikely to activate the fast twitch muscle fibers
-Time under tension can still recruit a lot of endurance fibers and will bring a lot of blood flow and potentially anabolic nutrients to the muscle groups.

If high threshold (strength) fibers have already been activated (Central Nervous System), then the additional time under tension with BodyPump may support the growth of multiple types of muscle fibers -- which should lead to more overall development.

Sarauk2sf

There are a lot of theories about muscle growth, but what I'm getting at here are the following.

1. Strength (Central Nervous System activation)
-Taps into the most powerful muscle fibers, with potential for muscle growth

2. Time under tension (BodyPump / endurance)
-Weights under 40% of your 1RepMax are highly unlikely to activate the fast twitch muscle fibers
-Time under tension can still recruit a lot of endurance fibers and will bring a lot of blood flow and potentially anabolic nutrients to the muscle groups.

If high threshold (strength) fibers have already been activated (Central Nervous System), then the additional time under tension with BodyPump may support the growth of multiple types of muscle fibers -- which should lead to more overall development.

Lots of maybes and a pic - nothing what I would call credible. Why not just heavy lift for 45 minutes and do HIIT for 20?

ChinUp4Life

This is for people who are taking BodyPump at their gym.

DopeItUp

This sounds like a pretty bad idea. Jump in and do some 90% 1RM work cold? Seems like a great way to injure yourself. Why not use the bodypump (whatever cardio/circuit training) to warm up and then try the really heavy work?

Or just do some regular warmups, then your heavy lifting sets, then walk out of the gym and avoid doing bodypump altogether?

Seems at the very least this is just over complicating things for no discernible benefit.

hesn92

I guess I just don't "get" body pump classes, lol.

gojuju

I love BodyPump! You have to get to my gym extra early, even for the 5:30 am class, if you want a spot. I wish they'd put out DVD sets so I could do it at home as well...