Body pump as weight training ?

lyie
lyie Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
The weight section of my gym is too full of bulky men, and I just don't dare to go there, so I'm sticking to the machines, even if I know it isn't as effective as free weights. So, I was wondering if Body Pump class would be better than machines or not ? I don't wanna begin this if it doesn't provide me something more.
Thanks for your answer !
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Replies

  • helcart01
    helcart01 Posts: 46 Member
    bump
  • Whipppets
    Whipppets Posts: 267
    Do pump 3-4 times a week. It might not be better or worse but its about 450 calories per hr
    and its a lot of fun. Leaving to go to class in about 15 minutes. If you like fun upbeat music and
    very motivated people you will enjoy it.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Pump is great- I'd say twice a week s enough. It won't be as effective as working the weights section, but you'll certainly notice an improvement in your muscles, especially if you get your weights right.
  • gemmaleigh1989
    gemmaleigh1989 Posts: 241 Member
    No, just no.

    Pump is lifting light with lots of repetition. Good for fat burn but it almost becomes a cardio work out. You will see very little muscle definition and it will be very slow so if you actually want to work on building muscle then you need to lift heavy with low reps which pump does not do.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I disagree, you WILl notice an improvement in muscle definition, if you lift heavy enough.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I disagree, you WILl notice an improvement in muscle definition, if you lift heavy enough.

    The way the class is structured they don't want you doing fewer reps. And getting that kind of benefit from your weight training means increasing the weight to a point that you can only do for a relatively low amount of reps. Pump is not strength training. Not if you follow it as the instructor guides it, anyway. Telling people otherwise on here only proves you don't know much about this sort of thing, no offense.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    The weight section of my gym is too full of bulky men, and I just don't dare to go there, so I'm sticking to the machines, even if I know it isn't as effective as free weights. So, I was wondering if Body Pump class would be better than machines or not ? I don't wanna begin this if it doesn't provide me something more.
    Thanks for your answer !

    Why not work out with the guys? Nothing wrong there, and they can be very helpful. They won't judge you, certainly.
  • Tyggress73
    Tyggress73 Posts: 104 Member
    I disagree, you WILl notice an improvement in muscle definition, if you lift heavy enough.

    Body Pump is cardio. Cardio will burn more calories, and likely burn fat. Burning fat means you'll "see" the muscle definition that you could not see prior under the layer of fat covering the muscles.

    However; I would not consider it true weight training, and it won't INCREASE your muscle definition...just burn the fat so you can see the muscle that is already there.

    I guess it depends on what your goals are...

    1. To see your muscles...Do Body Pump. It is a fun, motivating, CARDIO class.
    2. To gain strength or additional muscle definition...traditional strength training is the only way to go.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    No, just no.

    Pump is lifting light with lots of repetition. Good for fat burn but it almost becomes a cardio work out. You will see very little muscle definition and it will be very slow so if you actually want to work on building muscle then you need to lift heavy with low reps which pump does not do.

    This. Although you don't have to do LOW reps to build muscle--I stick to the 8-12 rep range usually.
  • Tyggress73
    Tyggress73 Posts: 104 Member
    The weight section of my gym is too full of bulky men, and I just don't dare to go there, so I'm sticking to the machines, even if I know it isn't as effective as free weights.

    You should SOOO go into the free weight area! The guys will not care that you are there. There are several women, along with myself, that work out in the weight room daily, right alongside the men. We have developed a camaraderie with the guys, they treat us no differently than the other guys. Weight training is fun!
  • gemmaleigh1989
    gemmaleigh1989 Posts: 241 Member
    I disagree, you WILl notice an improvement in muscle definition, if you lift heavy enough.

    The way the class is structured they don't want you doing fewer reps. And getting that kind of benefit from your weight training means increasing the weight to a point that you can only do for a relatively low amount of reps. Pump is not strength training. Not if you follow it as the instructor guides it, anyway. Telling people otherwise on here only proves you don't know much about this sort of thing, no offense.

    This
  • gemmaleigh1989
    gemmaleigh1989 Posts: 241 Member
    No, just no.

    Pump is lifting light with lots of repetition. Good for fat burn but it almost becomes a cardio work out. You will see very little muscle definition and it will be very slow so if you actually want to work on building muscle then you need to lift heavy with low reps which pump does not do.

    This. Although you don't have to do LOW reps to build muscle--I stick to the 8-12 rep range usually.

    8-12 reps is considered low.... Especially when you're comparing to pump. I do 8-10 reps. Exactly what I meant by low reps :)

    15 reps and above is then what I consider high reps and somewhat useless in comparison to low reps.

    Although I know body builders go as low as 3-5 reps, I'd still consider mine and your range low reps.
  • kassiebby1124
    kassiebby1124 Posts: 927 Member
    The weight section of my gym is too full of bulky men, and I just don't dare to go there, so I'm sticking to the machines.
    I encourage you to work with the guys, too! I had to adapt to it and honestly, a lot of them are really nice guys (: And cute.
  • TAsunder
    TAsunder Posts: 423 Member
    You will see gains with low reps as long as your muscles are fatigued at the end. It may or may not be as much of a gain (depends on who you believe) but you will definitely gain.
  • ninessential
    ninessential Posts: 88
    Body pump is intense. Lots of repetitions and squats! For me the most amount of times I'd attend would be once a week or every other week. I'd rather try out different weight training exercises than body pump a couple times a week. I notice at my gym body pump's moves are very similar even as they have new releases.
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 Member
    I do body pump 2 times a week and I can see muscle definition, and I am steadily increasing my weights... so while I can't say it's the same as lifting in the weight room it offers way more than cardio. If you are lifting heavy enough, you are doing the moves properly/with resistence and you are working hard enough to increase your weights there is a benefit to it.

    You want cardio, go for a run.

    ETA: So are the ones suggesting pump is only cardio, also suggesting using the circuit weight machines is only cardio too?
    I have seen FAR more changes in my muscles/body, since starting body pump.
  • amann1976
    amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
    sounds like you are making excuses for not lifting weights. if you want to lift no matter how many guys are in the gym it shouldn't stop you. I was in the gym this morning it was a lady right next to me doing dumbbell rows. Plus i would rather have a lady working out next to me than a smelly sweaty guy

    btw bodypump help me increase my maxes in my bench press and squats over the time i was taking the class
  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
    I loooooove BP and won't be stopping it, but I have decided I need to start free lifting as well after reading this thread. :)
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    I'm not going to quote anyone, but there's a crapload of misinformation in this thread...

    First, as has been said, bodypump isn't going to do squat for you in terms of strength training. It's a high rep endurance/cardio workout.

    Second, you don't need cardio in order to 'burn fat'. As a matter of fact, many people will argue that cardio is somewhat counter productive to true clean fat burning ( http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/The_Final_Nail_in_the_Cardio_Coffin.cfm ). In my experience...both personal and with women I've helped train...strength training with low reps (NOT 8-12) produces the best fat reduction of anything short of lipo.

    Third, understand that when discussing reps, this means you're using a weight you can ONLY complete the stated number of reps with. With that understanding, 8-12 reps aren't 'low reps' other than by comparison to something like...oh, say...bodypump. Traditionally, low reps would be in the 4-6 range (this is where I like to work, and where I like those I help to work as well...once they have form down). This builds strength, but will do relatively little to 'build' additional muscle. Mid range reps are the 8-12 range. This is the 'hypertrophy' rep range, and is optimal for actually building muscle (assuming you're eating on a calorie surplus). Anything above 12 is basically cardio/endurance work.

    When I write up a freeweight workout routine for a woman, I generally start them in the 12x3 rep range, with a weight they could actually complete the exercise say, 15 times with. This gives them resistance, but doesn't overload them while they're learning form. Once they have form down...we'll raise the weight until they can actually only complete the 12 reps. The next session with that routine (I use two alternating routines), we'll increase the weight enough to drop the reps to 8x3 (assuming they have proper form nailed down well enough). Two more sessions of that routine with 8 reps...and we'll usually get into the 5x5 stuff.

    NOW...all that being said...you can do a pretty comprehensive workout routine on machines. No, it won't be as good as freeweights, but if you absolutely refuse to learn to lift properly...they will do a good job filling in. You will have to do a few additional exercises to make up for some of what is missed with freeweights, but it sounds to me like you'd rather do that than deal with the big buff guys lol.

    Anyhow, if you need help with a reasonable starting routine, let me know and we'll see what we can do.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I do body pump 2 times a week and I can see muscle definition, and I am steadily increasing my weights... so while I can't say it's the same as lifting in the weight room it offers way more than cardio. If you are lifting heavy enough, you are doing the moves properly/with resistence and you are working hard enough to increase your weights there is a benefit to it.

    You want cardio, go for a run.

    ETA: So are the ones suggesting pump is only cardio, also suggesting using the circuit weight machines is only cardio too?
    I have seen FAR more changes in my muscles/body, since starting body pump.

    I don't think anyone said it's ONLY cardio. It is primarily cardio in nature--yes. I don't get the comparison between body pump and the weight machines.

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