body pump good weight trainning?

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Replies

  • Chante_Loves_Life
    Chante_Loves_Life Posts: 40 Member
    I too also love BP. I do it twice a week I also do free weights during the week. I suggest you try it go light the first class as you will be sore the next day. It is a great way to burn calories and help you start out to build your muscles.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    I have done body pump several times in the past - it's quite fun but IMO it's no substitute for lifting with heavy (heavy for you) free weight, and a good solid compound lift routine.

    Body pump has the main lifts, but it's never going to be considered heavy. Anything you can do for that many reps is not heavy no matter how it feels.

    It'll be great for endurance, or if you want to focus on cardio/calorie burn but still add a bit of resistance in there. It's certainly better than nothing if you won't do anything else, but as I said it's not really a substitute. It's like comparing apples and oranges.
  • caroluherek
    caroluherek Posts: 63 Member
    love body pump, used to do it twice a week and definitely felt challenged!
  • kellysabot
    kellysabot Posts: 1
    I just did it this morning!
    Here's my tip. Show up 10 minutes before the class starts, talk to the teacher.
    She'll help you get weights set up and show you some tips and keep an eye on you during the class...help you with your form so you don't hurt anything! (the teachers are great like that if you just ask for it!!)

    Here's my question back at all of you!!!!!!
    What do you put down for "exercise" in my fitness pal? Is there a quick add that encompasses this class so I don't have to write the reps and whatnot every time????
  • jacklis
    jacklis Posts: 280 Member
    I really like this class, but it is not weight training, it is an endurance/cardio class.
    It is a great way to get comfortable with holding weights and using them and being around them, but is in no way lifting.
    You do modified romanian deadlifts to stretch your hamstrings, and the instructor will criticize you if you squat too deep because they cannot take time to instruct each and every class member on proper form. You have to keep the weight low enough to do a LOT of reps and you do not have time to concentrate on proper form yourself.
    It's fun, it's a good class to get your heart rate up, but it is not lifting.

    Lift for real, and use this class as a fun cardio class rather than some jumpy, steppy, girly class.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    I really like this class, but it is not weight training, it is an endurance/cardio class.
    It is a great way to get comfortable with holding weights and using them and being around them, but is in no way lifting.
    You do modified romanian deadlifts to stretch your hamstrings, and the instructor will criticize you if you squat too deep because they cannot take time to instruct each and every class member on proper form. You have to keep the weight low enough to do a LOT of reps and you do not have time to concentrate on proper form yourself.
    It's fun, it's a good class to get your heart rate up, but it is not lifting.

    Lift for real, and use this class as a fun cardio class rather than some jumpy, steppy, girly class.

    +1. I loved BP when I was doing it but I counted it towards cardio and still did a heavy lifting and kickboxing regime along with it.
  • salsera_barbie
    salsera_barbie Posts: 270 Member
    hi everyone i dont like to do free weights. my gym offers body pump and i was thinking of taking it 2 times a week as my weights.do you think thats a good substitue to free weights?
    not really familiar with body pump, but I am going to say no. Stick with free weight and gravitate towards a program of compound lifts - squats, deadlifts, overhead press, chin ups/pull ups, bench press....

    ummmm yeah, that's what BodyPump is.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Kelly, the calories burned will depend on so many variables - your weight, how much you lifted, the effort you put in etc.

    At a very rough guide, about 250 -350 cals for an hours class.
  • josavage
    josavage Posts: 472 Member
    I think it's a great place for a person to start weight lifting. You learn proper form and the classes are fun. My problem with it is that it got boring for me. I did Group Power, not Body Pump, but I believe they are similar. We did the same order of exercises every single time. The instructors had favorite songs so we heard them a lot. To this day I will hear a song from Group Power and it makes me want to do squats, bicep curls, etc.

    I built up great endurance taking that class and I did load the bar so I was working hard. I just found it too repetitive after a while. The best thing about it is that it gave me confidence to go in to the weight room with the guys. I knew my form was good and I had a good knowledge base of what exercises to do for what body parts so I wasn't intimidated by the free weights or the men working out there. Give it a try.
  • Wrxsti23
    Wrxsti23 Posts: 62
    If you don't like to do the free weights then totally go for the BP class. I've done it twice so far and am ridiculously sore but it is helping me with my endurance and I find that it's an AMAZING class for a beginner. It teaches me discipline since I stay committed to the class for the full hour and there are other things involved as well. At my local YMCA one of the instructors mixes in some Plyometrics as well as dips which I think are very beneficial to someone that has never worked out before. I wear my chest strap HRM and normally burn about 430 calories per class.

    I find that I work out harder in a class and I find them more fun. I just don't know why someone would say that you can not get enough resistance with the light weights in this class. I can barely keep up with all of the reps and I use the lightest weights possible. Eventually I will increase them but for now I feel like I am getting an amazing workout in and thats whats important.
  • JacquiKerzman
    JacquiKerzman Posts: 25
    Bodypump is great!! Start with want you want to do :-) You will build muscle, they use weights, start out moderate, the key will be for you to increase your weights when you can!!! Have fun, you will love it.

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