BodyPump Good for Weightloss?

Hello all,

Recently I discovered my YMCA’s Bodypump class. I enjoy it a lot and plan to do it 3 times a week (plus two more days of the week focusing on cardio). Paired with a 1200 calorie diet, would it be realistic to believe I could have significant fatloss? I’ve heard a few reports saying it won’t be significant for losing fat but those reports also didn’t specify the diets the users had either, or if they did anything outside of class to lose fat.

I’d also like to hear your own stories and experience with BodyPump!

Replies

  • ellie7187
    ellie7187 Posts: 84 Member
    edited June 2018
    I LOVE Les Mills BodyPump. I do it 3 times a week as well and, along with a decent calorie deficit and additional Les Mills classes (combat, attack and flow occasionally) I’ve dropped about 8 pounds in 4-5 weeks.

    At the end of the day, it’s exercise. Your heart rate goes up and you’re challenging your muscles more than you would if you did nothing. So if you incorporate it to help achieve a calorie deficit, yes, you’ll lose fat. I don’t eat all my cals back though because I think MFP overestimates these for Les Mills classes (and just about every exercise lol).

    I think the key though is whether you enjoy it or not. And sounds like you do. So I’d stick with it!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    You do know your calorie goal is plus exercise calories don't you?
    So in theory all exercise is neutral as regards calorie balance and weight loss.
    If you are just intending eating 1200 flat every day while exercising 5 days a week you aren't going to be fuelling yourself properly.

    If you enjoy it then do it but "for fat loss" isn't IMHO a good reason at all. Health, fitness, enjoyment - all those things that you should be doing whether you are losing weight or not.

    My limited experience with it - went with my wife to encourage her and keep her company. She didn't find it enjoyable enough to continue after a few weeks and it was pretty pointless for me and my fitness and strength goals- I did my own workout afterwards.
    But I'm not you and plenty of the regulars loved it. Try it, if you don't like it try something else.
  • ordinary1111
    ordinary1111 Posts: 7 Member
    I love it. It pushes me harder than I would if I exercised by myself. I've lost 10lbs in 4 months since starting to do bodypump/bodycombat 3-4 times a week!
  • chibs1006
    chibs1006 Posts: 4 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    You do know your calorie goal is plus exercise calories don't you?
    So in theory all exercise is neutral as regards calorie balance and weight loss.
    If you are just intending eating 1200 flat every day while exercising 5 days a week you aren't going to be fuelling yourself properly.

    If you enjoy it then do it but "for fat loss" isn't IMHO a good reason at all. Health, fitness, enjoyment - all those things that you should be doing whether you are losing weight or not.

    My limited experience with it - went with my wife to encourage her and keep her company. She didn't find it enjoyable enough to continue after a few weeks and it was pretty pointless for me and my fitness and strength goals- I did my own workout afterwards.
    But I'm not you and plenty of the regulars loved it. Try it, if you don't like it try something else.

    I am very aware of my calorie goal and have been following it under a professional’s care for over two years, losing over 50 pounds in the process and modifying it when I need to. My meals are approved for my goals and all I wanted to know was if people felt like BodyPump lived up to its claims, as I would like to find something with some strength training instead of pure cardio all the time, as it gets boring as hell.

    I find it enjoyable and would do it regardless, but I am looking for something specifically to *start with the basics* of stength training, hence why I asked this question. But thanks.
  • GOT_Obsessed
    GOT_Obsessed Posts: 817 Member
    chibs1006 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    You do know your calorie goal is plus exercise calories don't you?
    So in theory all exercise is neutral as regards calorie balance and weight loss.
    If you are just intending eating 1200 flat every day while exercising 5 days a week you aren't going to be fuelling yourself properly.

    If you enjoy it then do it but "for fat loss" isn't IMHO a good reason at all. Health, fitness, enjoyment - all those things that you should be doing whether you are losing weight or not.

    My limited experience with it - went with my wife to encourage her and keep her company. She didn't find it enjoyable enough to continue after a few weeks and it was pretty pointless for me and my fitness and strength goals- I did my own workout afterwards.
    But I'm not you and plenty of the regulars loved it. Try it, if you don't like it try something else.

    I am very aware of my calorie goal and have been following it under a professional’s care for over two years, losing over 50 pounds in the process and modifying it when I need to. My meals are approved for my goals and all I wanted to know was if people felt like BodyPump lived up to its claims, as I would like to find something with some strength training instead of pure cardio all the time, as it gets boring as hell.

    I find it enjoyable and would do it regardless, but I am looking for something specifically to *start with the basics* of stength training, hence why I asked this question. But thanks.

    I have done lots of BodyPump and did not mind it. I can't say I loved. Recently I started CrossFit. CrossFit is way more enjoyable for me. I have learned a lot about proper form that I would never have learned at BodyPump. Consider it if it is an option for you.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,481 Member
    Unless you weigh under 100lbs your professional, advising 1200cals, is having you on a deficit that will have you losing muscle, hair, and health, as well as fat if you don't eat any exercise calories back.

    Please talk to your professional and have exercise included in your calorie goal. 1200 is the absolute minimum for a sedentary person to lose weight and reach only adequate nutritional goals.

    A suitable calorie deficit, however it is obtained will have you losing fat.
    (you could eat at maintenance and reach 100% off you deficit through exercise, do a 50/50 split, or eat at a 100% deficit, how MFP works, and eat back exercise cals)

    Look at a beginners strength programme if you wish to lift, continue with body pump for cardio and conditioning.

    Cheers, h.
  • SABoj
    SABoj Posts: 88 Member
    I enjoy BodyPump classes. You'll slim down & tone all over if you keep at it. Good nutrition is extremely important as well... don't worry too much about the scale, you'll see inches lost and that's the overarching goal. Weight will decrease but as you build strength, remember that muscle weighs more than fat. Good Luck!
  • walking2running
    walking2running Posts: 140 Member
    I do bodypump three times per week. It hasn't done amazing things to my body, but I have noticed some improvement. In terms of conditioning, when I started the classes back in February, I was barely able to lift my arms over my head, and now I can lift roughly 30 to 40 pounds with high repitition, and I am continuing to add more weight. So, if you're a beginner like I am, you will feel stronger and healthier.

    I like the classes because the 60 minutes fly by. The extra calories burned allows me to eat a little more and remain in deficit. It is a cardio program, but it has sparked an interest in weight lifting, and I may cross over to a proper weight lifting program or CrossFit, or another program eventually.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    When I first got into exercising regularly, I did a Body Pump class. I don't know that it did anything amazing, as the poster above me said, but I was able to increase the amount of weight over time, I enjoyed the social aspect, it provided some nice basics of weight lifting, and it forced me to do exercises that I would find a way to justify not doing if I were on my own (looking at you, lunges). It was fun, and I do miss doing classes and joking around with people during the workout. Doing classes made me feel more like part of the gym community, and gave me a reason to go on the "ugh, I don't want to work out" days because I knew the other people in the class, and we would boost each other up even when you just weren't feeling your workout.

    If you think you might enjoy it, try it out. You don't have to stick with it forever.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,457 Member
    BodyPump isn't a "strength" training class per se, but incorporating weight lifting into any self improvement regimen is always a plus.

    As stated above, calorie deficit for weight loss and exercise for health and fitness.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    I used to do BodyPump and enjoyed it. It's a great introduction to lifting and it's good conditioning. I have terrible endurance, so it's good for that. It'll burn calories, so of course it will help you lose weight in combination with diet. If you enjoy it, keep it up! Like others said, it may transition into more focused lifting down the line.
  • GaryRuns
    GaryRuns Posts: 508 Member
    I go to BodyPump once a week for cross training purposes. A couple of things to note, you'll lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume. Simple as that. You can do that without exercising at all if you choose to, by watching your diet. But exercise has lots of other health benefits and it certainly can help make losing weight easier in some cases, but losing weight is about calories-consumed being less than calories-burned on a consistent basis.

    Don't expect to get a lot of muscle from BodyPump. You'll get toned, but after a few weeks you won't be gaining much strength or muscle mass. It's too fast paced to allow you to progressively add weight, which is necessary in order to increase strength/muscle mass. BodyPump is much more like a cardio workout than a strength workout, after your body adapts to it anyway.

    But I agree, it's fun and when you get to a point where you know people in class it can help keep you motivated.
  • ItsSlimpossible12
    ItsSlimpossible12 Posts: 127 Member
    Last summer before my wedding I mixed Les Mills Pump and Les Mills Combat and lost about 35 lbs and 2 (almost 3) sizes. I personally think it is great as an introduction to weight lifting (I had never done it before). I feel like I learned a lot and am no longer afraid of the weights. However, I will say that I did it at home with my own barbell set and DVDs, so I can't speak to the actual classes.