Has Anyone Tried Body Pump

soldiergrl_101
soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Today was my first ever body pump class. I had a bar with five pounds on each side and tried my best to get the moves right and keep up with the class. Everyone says that in one hour you burn around 800 cals.. I'm trying to understand how... Maybe it was my class in particular but the class seemed slow and in between every song was a long instruction so heart rate went down. How much do you think I should track for burned calories like 300 maybe?

After the class I ran intervals for twenty minutes to burn 200 calls just to be sure I did get a tough workout.

I will say this is the first time I have ever done dead lifts and squats with a bar.. Not as scary as I thought they would be.

Replies

  • StormyGal8
    StormyGal8 Posts: 184 Member
    LOL there's a good chance tomorrow you will figure out how you burned those calories.

    I love LOVE BodyPump. I try to go to it 2-3 times a week and do my cardio at night (I work as an overnight greeter at a gym and am allowed to work out when it'[s dead).

    A lot of people who do this class say they burn a lot of calories. I track it as about 400 but I weigh a lot more. Also muscle work continues to burn calories for 24 hours after you work out. I believe they said it burns up to an extra 100 calories within the following 24 hours.

    If you made it through without struggling, next time you should for sure up your weights where you can :)
  • Qski
    Qski Posts: 246 Member
    If you are already pretty strong, you may well not hurt tomorrow, but most people wake up with significant DOMS after their first PUMP class. Years ago my first one, I remember not being able to step down the two steps in our back yard, this time restarting fitness I was in agony for 2 days after.

    If it isnt challenging enough for you then you need to up your weights till you do, no point in just lifting light, else it won't do anything.

    There is a study on the Les Mills Site I think comparing all their classes and calories burned and fat loss - Body Pump is one of the lower calorie burners, but those that did PUMP lost the most fat of all of them. I logged mine as 259 calories for 30 mins (but I burn quite a lot of calories now in my significantly large and untrained state.)

    I stopped pump because I want to do heavy lifting, but that was (about 10 years ago) the class that got me to love the gym. Loved the music and the style of class and the comments from others when my body was changing.
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
    I think 800 would be an overestimate, but 3-400 sounds about right if you really went for it.
    Bodypump is a great introduction to weights, and I like it, even having been lifting for a long time, simply because I rarely train for muscular endurance in my own workouts, so the change is good.
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
    Ya this was the first time i lifted in months typically I stick with cardio, but someone told me weights was the better way to go so I tried it. I started with 3lbs on each side, then uped it to 5 because it was to easy. At 5lbs the weight was harder and my muscles were sore, but the breaks for instruction and chatter were so long in between songs it kept me from feeling good about the hr accomplishment
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    I like bodypump. I use different amounts of weight for different exercises, so you might want to try that too to get a better workout out of it? I can squat about 3 x as much as I can bench press, for example.

    I seriously doubt if it burns 800 calories. My guess would be 300-400.
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
    The instructor should give guidance on how much weight to add/remove for different components of the session
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Ya this was the first time i lifted in months typically I stick with cardio, but someone told me weights was the better way to go so I tried it.

    They were right. But the class isn't what they meant. Once you get a feel for proper form you will need to take it outside the glad and do higher intensity compound work. Using the squat rack and bench.
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,032 Member
    I only started this a few weeks ago and I found that I really like it but after the first session I could barely walk for a week!!!! I had never ever had muscles that sore before. I am ashamed to say I am a total weakling!!! I am on very low weights and still struggle to make it to the end of each routine, yet I have seen older woman join the class after I started having never lifted or done this before and still they lift more than me! Hey ho, I am starting to increase a little lol. MFP has me as burning around 345 for this class. That sounds about right going off what others are saying on here.
  • missbrendalynn
    missbrendalynn Posts: 74 Member
    I only started this a few weeks ago and I found that I really like it but after the first session I could barely walk for a week!!!! I had never ever had muscles that sore before. I am ashamed to say I am a total weakling!!! I am on very low weights and still struggle to make it to the end of each routine, yet I have seen older woman join the class after I started having never lifted or done this before and still they lift more than me! Hey ho, I am starting to increase a little lol. MFP has me as burning around 345 for this class. That sounds about right going off what others are saying on here.

    Haha no you're definitely not a weakling! I remembered when I first tried Bodypump a couple of years back - the DOMS was the worst I have ever encountered in my life lol. Every muscle in my body was trembling and aching so bad and that was with only 2kg on the bar :laugh: You're doing ~800 reps in an hour, it's not easy!
  • Sapporo
    Sapporo Posts: 693 Member
    I'm going to my first class tomorrow. Does anyone try an empty bar first to get the hang of things?
  • Qski
    Qski Posts: 246 Member
    Hi yes, you can use just the bar or just plates (in your hands) and in some tracks no weight is fine to while you are learning or getting used to the class. Have fun.
  • NiikouruDesu
    NiikouruDesu Posts: 100
    Yes, I've tried it. Its a great class!
    Use a heartrate monitor if you want accurate calories.
    Different people burn different amounts because there are a lot of variables.
    Main thing is have fun :)
  • gpollis
    gpollis Posts: 38 Member
    Body Pump is great it helps me maintain my weight and get stronger. At the beginning i was sore , but not now. I been
    increasing weight little by little.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I'm going to my first class tomorrow. Does anyone try an empty bar first to get the hang of things?

    You could but it won't help as much as you might think since the bars aren't normal weightlifting bars and have no weight. Lifting an empty one is no different than using a broomstick handle. And without at least a small amount of weight acting as a counterbalance for some moves your form will be off.
  • itsfruitcake
    itsfruitcake Posts: 146 Member
    I'm going to my first class tomorrow. Does anyone try an empty bar first to get the hang of things?

    I tried very light weights in my first class and it was fine, even though I was pretty unfit. Your instructor should tell you what's best for beginners as well.

    I only did a few body pump classes because they were always super crowded, but I really really enjoyed it. I think it's probably a good and fun way to get into using weights!
  • donnaleighh
    donnaleighh Posts: 178 Member
    I do pump and I love it. What you burn will be dependent on so many things ... your weight, height, intensity of effort, load etc ... ... I use a HRM and my burn is usually about 360 - 380, but when I ramp up the weights it will be between 425-450.

    Yeah you do get sore at first, but that will settle after a few sessions and you will find that you will want to be increasing the weights in no time at all.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I'm going to my first class tomorrow. Does anyone try an empty bar first to get the hang of things?

    Good idea, especially for the tracks that do squats and lunges. You're lifting your body weight in addition to the bar, so the extra poundage from plates isn't that needed. Doing squats and lunges even 'body weight only' for 3 mins. is going to make you sore as heck the next day, if you're not used to that.

    I've worn a HRM In Body Pump and burned 380 or so calories. Not bad, not 800. I wasn't overweight.

    The soreness the following days is really the worst I've ever experienced, and I've done a lot. Go easy or plan to suffer for days afterward.
  • freya33
    freya33 Posts: 149 Member
    I love body pump. I started this class in September and also do spin. Spin burns far more calories but body pump makes my core and abs work more also my arms.
    I use fairly light weights, I started at 1kg each side working up to about 4.5/5kg each side. So it has taken me 2.5 months to get the weights up and I feel this is about the right weight for me. For some exercises I use light weights as I broke my wrist and it cannot cope with heavy weights for the biceps and triceps tracks.
    I think body pump tones more than calorie burn. Most of the class user heavier weights but I do not want huge muscles just toned.
    It's fun and gets me moving which is the main thing.
  • angieroo2
    angieroo2 Posts: 970 Member
    I love Body Pump, however on my best day I think the most I've burned is 500 calories.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    It's good if you like to be with other people who think they lift weights.
  • joanthemom8
    joanthemom8 Posts: 375 Member
    I loved the class! Trying to take more, but they aren't offered at convenient times for me! I really felt the "pain" 2 days after---could barely move! Strength - training is my weakest area, so this class was hard (physically) for me, but fun!
  • CaffeinatedConfectionist
    CaffeinatedConfectionist Posts: 1,046 Member
    Ya this was the first time i lifted in months typically I stick with cardio, but someone told me weights was the better way to go so I tried it.

    They were right. But the class isn't what they meant. Once you get a feel for proper form you will need to take it outside the glad and do higher intensity compound work. Using the squat rack and bench.

    This ^^ I still love Body Pump, and do it once a week or so (or did, until my gym membership lapsed), but people seem to view it more as cardio or interval training, though it certainly involves resistance training.

    I found Pump incredibly useful for a) getting me into the gym in the first place (I went with a friend) and b) making me feel comfortable with the types of lifts. Having an instructor there to correct my form was very valuable.

    But Pump alone stopped being enough for me.

    You might find this article helpful: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html

    I would argue that Body Pump fits into McDonald's "Metabolic Training" classification,with lower weights and higher reps and a higher calorie burn.

    Especially relevant:
    Metabolic type weight training tends to generate a higher calorie burn than traditional low rep training, the glycogen depletion that occurs increases whole body fat oxidation, and the hormonal response is actually quite similar to interval training (in The Stubborn Fat Solution, this type of training can be used to kick off the more intense Stubborn Fat Protocols 1.0 and 2.0).

    Of course, many find that their top end strength falls somewhat while dieting; as well, when people get very lean, joints often get a little bit wonky under heavy loads. The lighter loads used in metabolic type work can be beneficial in that regards as well.

    So those are the pros for this type of training: increased calorie burn, a nice hormonal response, easier on the joints, depleting muscle glycogen enhances fat oxidation.

    Here’s the bad.

    As I’ve mentioned repeatedly on the site, the primary stimulus for muscle growth is progressive high tension overload (e.g. adding more weight to the bar over time). Without getting into a big old technical discussion of protein synthesis and breakdown here (you can read The Protein Book if you’re interested); I’ll simply say here that the high tension stimulus that builds muscle is the exact same high tension stimulus that will maintain muscle mass when you’re dieting.

    And that’s the bad of metabolic type weight training: while it has certain benefits that I listed above, it is an insufficient stimulus, for maintaining muscle mass (with one exception). At least if used by itself.

    That exception is beginners. Complete beginners, who haven’t built any real muscle mass in the first place don’t have to worry much about muscle loss while dieting (just about any training will maintain it).

    But for trained individuals beyond the beginner stage, using metabolic type weight training exclusively on a diet is a recipe for disaster. Please note the use of the word ‘exclusively’ in that previous sentence. I’ll come back to this in a second.

    So pump can be great for helping you burn calories and maintain the lean muscle mass that you have while you're in your calorie deficit, especially as a beginner And if you're a complete noob, it can be very valuable. So it certainly has benefits, and if you enjoy it, keep doing it. But I would recommend reading his article and consider doing Pump less frequently and adding in heavy weights at lower reps once you are comfortable with doing so. The second part of his article goes into detail about how to combine metabolic training like Body Pump with heavy lifting.

    ETA quotes to make it more readable.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    The instructor should give guidance on how much weight to add/remove for different components of the session

    I know, but the way that the OP is written, it implies that she used one set of weights for the entire class.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    I love Body Pump, however on my best day I think the most I've burned is 500 calories.

    Yep. Even maxing out my weights, being totally out if breath and really going at it, the best I ever break anymore is 400. I do notice higher numbers when lifting the heels on clean and press as we do in BodyPump 87. After all, they say it's cardio with weights, so anything that gets the ol' ticker going. Propulsion moves during the legs track, etc.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    I've been a couple times, I thought it was great! I don't go often, though, because I prefer to split my cardio and weights on separate days. I feel I don't push my muscles hard enough in Body Pump, and if I upped the weights more, I wouldn't be able to keep up with the cardio part. :/

Categories