Does Body Pump Make a big difference?

rima933
rima933 Posts: 151 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Did anyone do body pump and notice a huge difference? Alot of women post before and after pics from lifting, but body pump is low weights, will i still see a difference if i do it with Cardio classes too like body step and Body attack? Or is it just for toning? Because i need to lose a good 40-50 pounds before i think about toning.

Replies

  • Lula16
    Lula16 Posts: 628 Member
    I'm on phase 1 of les mills PUMP (home version of bodypump from beachbody) and although its light weights with alot of reps, I'm building up my strength by adding more weight with les reps. So far so good. My body composition is changing. As far as losing weight, i run 2-3 miles (HIIT) for about 30 mts in between lifting days. I've just lost about 1 1/2 in 3 wks. I've been consistant and it looks like my weight is starting to fall off. good luck!
  • camille108
    camille108 Posts: 10
    I recently just took a BodyWorls class at LA Fitness which is similiar to BodyPump for the first time and it seemed like a cardio class with light lifting as you mentioned. I am a little sore today but not really sore like I am when I am actually weight training on my own. So I'd imagine it may help to tone a little bit while also burning a good bit calories. Really, a cardio/tone combo of sorts! I think it seems like a good class to any workout routine for those reasons. I think combining it with those other cardio classes you would definetly see some sort of difference.
  • Revenga1980
    Revenga1980 Posts: 63
    I Take Bodypump at my Gym followed by CXWORX and I feel great after every single class. I have increased my strength substantially and well remember the more muscle you have the more calories you burn when at rest:)
    Its a great class, If you stick with it I think you will enjoy it too. Also remember you can choose how much weight you would like for yourself so it doesnt have to be low weights forever, once you increase your strength you can increase the lifting amount as well :)

    I do the class twice a week and lots of cardio in between
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    BodyPump is a cardio class with low weights. It will give you muscle endurance but won't increase your muscle size. You will get benefits from it but you will get better results from lifting heavier free weights.

    When I lost 15kg a couple of years back I was doing BodyPump. I was never sore and lost some cm while doing it. Lifting heavier weights now I can barely walk two days afterwards but in the six kg I've lost my entire body has changed. It's amazing.
  • Ruthaw1961
    Ruthaw1961 Posts: 42 Member
    You will see a difference taking these Les Mills classes as you lose weight. While you can increase your strength with Pump, in order to see major results in muscle definition, you will have to supplement with traditional strength training with heavier weights. I take Pump twice a week and love the class as it is a fun class and I have not come to the point where I find what I do in the weight room "fun". Maybe one day...

    Keep on doing what you like to do and makes you happy. Remember that no class or weight lifting routine will change your body if your diet is not on target for your goals. Have fun!
  • kcallan17
    kcallan17 Posts: 3
    I do Pump twice a week and I go to BodyFlow 3 times a week. They have both helped and done a great job helping me tone and define my body. I think they are definitely worth going to if you want to slim down.
  • rima933
    rima933 Posts: 151 Member
    Thanks for the great advice everyone! What do you all mean by weight training other than pump.... do you mean doing those machines that are at the gym....
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
    BodyPump is a cardio class with low weights. It will give you muscle endurance but won't increase your muscle size. You will get benefits from it but you will get better results from lifting heavier free weights.

    This. "Making a big difference" depends on what your goals are. In general, BodyPump = low weights, many reps, endurance and toning effects. Heavy lifting (machines or free-weights) = larger weights, less reps, larger muscles.
  • sportygirl21
    sportygirl21 Posts: 1 Member
    I started Body Pump classes 3 years ago and saw very little results , ( in denial about my diet) pretending I was working at my full potential.
    I now know it was because I wasn't doing it right. First of all, you need to have a clean diet , little carbs , lots of protein.( high quality protein powder) Once I cut my carbs down to one a day (morning) I started seeing results. As a women, I was afraid to up my weights until an amazing Body Pump instructor pushed me to increase my weight and challenge my body. I committed... started really challenging my body and stopped coasting through the class. I push my body to the limits every class! that's the key. If ur comfortable u won't see changes. Last thing ...add a couple of spinning classes every week. My week consists of two spinning classes and three Body Pump classes. I have lost many inches , reshaped my body in 6 months. You put in the time ... push your limits every class. The results appear. No thinking required..... it works. I'm proof.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    This. "Making a big difference" depends on what your goals are. In general, BodyPump = low weights, many reps, endurance and toning effects. Heavy lifting (machines or free-weights) = larger weights, less reps, larger muscles.

    Not really. Women (and men) have to work very, very hard to increase muscle size. You need to be eating at a calorie surplus to gain muscle. (as in higher than your TDEE) Lifting heavy makes you stronger whereas doing BodyBump will mean your muscles can go for longer.

    I love BodyPump. If I was at a gym that had classes I would be doing it once a week. It's one of the few classes I enjoy. But it won't get the same results that lifting heavier will.
    Thanks for the great advice everyone! What do you all mean by weight training other than pump.... do you mean doing those machines that are at the gym....

    More the free weights. Weight machines aren't the best as they regulate your movement. That might sound like a good thing but you miss out on strengthening all those stabilizer muscles. (ie your core) If you want to lift heavy look into a program like New Rules of Liftjng for Women, Stronglifts or Starting Strength.
  • klackender
    klackender Posts: 3
    I do a couple body pump classes a week and pair that with either body attack or bodystep. You will have to do a combination of cardio and toning to really see results. And everyone is absolutely right about diet.
  • suzaka
    suzaka Posts: 39 Member

    Not really. Women (and men) have to work very, very hard to increase muscle size. You need to be eating at a calorie surplus to gain muscle. (as in higher than your TDEE) Lifting heavy makes you stronger whereas doing BodyBump will mean your muscles can go for longer.

    I agree with most of this, however disagree about the implication here that body pump does not contribute to making you stronger. Body pump is mostly about muscular endurance, but BP can definitely make you stronger.

    You just have to add more weight, and push yourself and if aren't afraid of that, then I know based on my own experience with body pump that it can help you tremendously with strength gains. When I was in high school, I had the hardest time doing only one pull up. Now, I can do 10 with relative ease. I'm not really any different from anyone else, if you're willing to put in the work and give it your all, you can make BP work for you.
  • twopeas2
    twopeas2 Posts: 81 Member
    I love BP and have definitely increased my strength. I can lift my kids up and throw them around like I've never been able to before and I love it! BP is my fav class and I do it 2-3 times a week, run 2-3 times a week and do body balance 2 times a week.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    This. "Making a big difference" depends on what your goals are. In general, BodyPump = low weights, many reps, endurance and toning effects. Heavy lifting (machines or free-weights) = larger weights, less reps, larger muscles.

    Not really. Women (and men) have to work very, very hard to increase muscle size. You need to be eating at a calorie surplus to gain muscle. (as in higher than your TDEE) Lifting heavy makes you stronger whereas doing BodyBump will mean your muscles can go for longer.

    you're both right. heavy weights done for 3-5 reps (hypertrophy training) and eating at a calorie deficit will give you bigger muscles.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    I took a body pump class a few months after I started to lose weight. I couldn't finish all of the exercises at the beginning, but I continued going and eventually I was able to do them all with ease.

    It got to a point where the class was no longer challenging. I knew I needed to use heavier weights and with the fast pace with the many reps the instructor did it was not possible to continue. It was more like just a cardio class at that point so I left and begun investing in a home gym.

    I'm very thankful for that class though. I met some great people some of whom I'm am still fitness buddies with, the instructor was great and it helped me to increase my stamina and endurance as well.

    It wasn't until I started lifting heavier weights slowly (using Chalean Extreme + eating at a calorie deficit) was when I really started seeing my body get stronger, shrink and change.
  • honsi
    honsi Posts: 210 Member
    I took Body Pump at the gym for about 18 months, its a different kind of cardio /endurance class which I liked ( ie not high impact). I took the class along side other cardio classes ( Body Attack) and I found that it did help my strength and fitness enormously. I lost weight because I was in a calorie deficit, I didn't lose weight from doing the classes alone it was only when I changed my eating habits.
    What is was really good for, for me, was that it got me used to using free weights and I eventually increased my weights so much that I had to quit Body Pump and start doing heavy lifting instead.
    Doing a combination of exercise is always a good move; it will work you r body and challenge you r fitness in different ways and you won't get bored, Les Mills also changes the release every 12 weeks.
    Try not to see 'toning' as something you do at the end of your weight loss journey, its part of how exercise works and changes your body. As you lose weight the exercise will tone your body as it goes and you will look better for it. I have lost 60lbs so far and have another 14 or so that I will like to lose and I get told a lot that I am really toned even though I am technically still overweight.
  • slangheld
    slangheld Posts: 1 Member
    Body Pump doesn’t have to be low weight. I adjust my weight for each track, so I can barely finish. If you just use low weight, do the same thing each time, and don’t push yourself, you won’t see the results. Good luck.
  • Stockholm_Andy
    Stockholm_Andy Posts: 803 Member
    slangheld wrote: »
    Body Pump doesn’t have to be low weight. I adjust my weight for each track, so I can barely finish. If you just use low weight, do the same thing each time, and don’t push yourself, you won’t see the results. Good luck.

    Welcome to the forum Slangheld.

    However, the OP asked that question in May 2012 if she hasn't seen a difference by now she never will :D;)
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