Body Pump - Killer!

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eeebee
eeebee Posts: 471 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Is it just me, or is Body Pump a class that leaves you aching like crazy behind the thighs and the b*tt?? Oh man, even sitting down is a hardship in itself!

Do you know if it is an effective way to lose weight, if you did it after an hour-long body jam class, aerobics class, or at least 15 minutes on the elliptical/cross trainer?

Wondering whether to continue with it or change to something different.....I dont want to build muscle, I want to lose weight and rehape my body.
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  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
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    Continue! It gets easier- honest!

    It's a great workout and if you are feeling those legs then they are telling you they need work!!

    I remember my first class - couldn't sit down on the toilet for 48 hours lol - had a weird kinda hover going on, hahaha

    I squat with 18kg on my bar now - love my strong legs!
  • susanofscottsdale
    susanofscottsdale Posts: 114
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    I love this class! It is an effective way to burn calories (about 500 each class) as well as to improve strength, tone, balance etc. I have been taking it 2-3 times a week for the last six months and am very pleased with the results. Even now, when a new release comes out sometimes I will be sore. Give yourself at least one day off between classes, do not go too heavy on the weights and do hydrate and the soreness will be minimal. It may be my imagination, but I think that if I drink a sports drink (gatoraid) after the class, then I am less likely to get sore. And, listen carefully to the instructors and try to take the class with different instructors, you will continue to improve your form, making the class more effective yet, and possibly less painful.

    I have tried several different classes - for me this one has been the best overall in effectiveness and enjoyment.
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
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    YES!! Sitting down on the toilet is high on impossible with aches like these :)

    It's great you girls enjoy this class so much, almost every single review I;d ever read about Body pump, was positive, with every person ranting and raving about how much they LOVE it.

    I enjoy the class because it goes by pretty quickly and before you know it, there's only 20 minutes left of the hour long weight lifting fiasco.

    But the pain. My goodness.

    I always ache after it as I cycle home straight after which involves a steep hill and extra exercise on the butt and legs. Also I combine it with a few other classes a week - in a way I feel this might stop me exerting myself as much the following day at the next class because I am in so much pain that the last thing i want to do is squats for example, which the class instructors just love to make us do---->they really do work the butt don't they? squats have made a big difference to my shape thankfully.

    Are you SURE it doesnt build muscle, as I really dont want to adopt the body builder look?
  • RoosterB
    RoosterB Posts: 214 Member
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    I think it's great too. You know you've worked hard when you can only go down the stairs on your butt!!
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
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    Well I'm no body builder! lol

    Its all about high reps, not high weight. High reps = toning. You won't build muscle without significantly increasing weight and eating calorie surplus xxx
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
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    I think it's great too. You know you've worked hard when you can only go down the stairs on your butt!!

    HAHA! I am starting to know the feeling!
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
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    Well I'm no body builder! lol

    Its all about high reps, not high weight. High reps = toning. You won't build muscle without significantly increasing weight and eating calorie surplus xxx

    that's great to know, i have reduced my calorie and fat intake massively the past few months, still not seeing hugely noticeable results but holding out for the day when it pays off and i DO see a big change in my weight. i dont weigh myself much, only twice a year or so, maybe i should start.....
  • rodeomc
    rodeomc Posts: 17 Member
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    I was planning on going to my first body pump class today but I am stuck at work. I will go next week.
  • smccully88
    smccully88 Posts: 36 Member
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    I LOVE body pump! It's my favorite class that I go to. I try to get everyone that I know to join it! It gets easier and you will be AMAZED at how much it starts to define your body and how strong you will get! I promise you that! Keep it up!
  • mrshickey
    mrshickey Posts: 239
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    i just wanted opinions, is body pump only for the super fit? i find 30 day shred level 1 hard so is body pump way out of my league at the moment?
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
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    No not at all.

    I too thought that it was only for the super-fit but I have much older women in my class and some of them are able to lift double the weights that I lift, they are amazing and it is probably due to them taking this class regularly.

    It's actually a good class, wouldnt call it my favourite as I enjoy body conditioning and yoga but the great thing about BP is that it goes by so fast, you wouldnt notice it was an hour long. They could do with changing the music slightly more often!
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
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    I LOVE body pump! It's my favorite class that I go to. I try to get everyone that I know to join it! It gets easier and you will be AMAZED at how much it starts to define your body and how strong you will get! I promise you that! Keep it up!

    How long did it take until you noticed a visible change in your body definition? How many times a week do you go? I doubt I'd manage twice a week.

    I went on Tuesday, there's another class to go to tonight but there's no way I would be able to do it as am in so much pain (went to 2 classes of body conditioning and yoga last night, which only served to make me ache even more!)
  • jkuhn71
    jkuhn71 Posts: 199
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    Are you SURE it doesnt build muscle, as I really dont want to adopt the body builder look?

    It WILL build muscle (which is a good thing!)...but don't worry - you're NOT going to look like a body builder. Stick with it - the results are awesome!
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
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    I shall do, maybe just once a week til I buold my strength up and stop aching so much!

    There's one woman in the class who is so super skinny it's almost painful to watch her lift weights, and she goes regularly and has no visible muscle...so I guess that kind of answers my own question.

    As long as BP helps me to lose weight fast, I'm happy to continue
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Another big fan here - I'm convinced it was a huge help in my weight loss. And that's precisely because it DOES build muscle. More muscle means more calories burned on a daily basis, and it usually means less fat too. But dont worry, you wont end up looking like a body builder. As you say, have a look round at the other people in the class and see what they look like.

    I'd actually encourage you to try lifting heavier once you start getting the hang of it, but build up the weights gradually, a teeny yellow at a time.

    And I prefer to do Body Pump on days when I'm NOT doing cardio, or at least space them out by a few hours.

    (just back from a lunchtime 45 minute Pump class!)
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
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    I wish I could do lunchtime gym classes but I dont have enough time to get there and back.

    OKAY I am still struggling to sit down without sounding like a 95 year old, it is still pretty painful - I wonder if this means that I over exerted the muscles and tore the fibers?

    I missed last night's body pump and did 15 minutes ab workout and 25 minutes of yoga which I would have thought would help stretch these muscles out.

    What am I doing wrong in order for me to still ache so much when the BP class was on Tuesday evening?!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    I don't think you're doing anything wrong - the pain shows that you really worked those muscles to their limit - taking a day or 2 for them to recover is normal.

    One of my favourite things is to have some chocolate milk after a strength training session, as that contains the right mix of protein and carbs that the muscles need for repair. Some people fwill say that choc milk has too much sugar, but it is important to get some quality protein and carbs as soon as you can after working really hard on your muscles.
  • juchtmann
    juchtmann Posts: 14
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    i agree, continue, it does get easier, and you will notice results quickly. You will tone up and lift your butt and strenghen your hamstrings. No pain - No gain!
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
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    That's a brilliant idea, I absolutely LOVE chocolate milk so that's a double bonus.

    I am happy to continue to exercise other parts of my body but squats and lungs are out of the question until possibly tomorrow if they have recovered by then.

    Glad to know I've given those muscles a good workout - my butt already looks more pert, motivation in its finest form!
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
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    i agree, continue, it does get easier, and you will notice results quickly. You will tone up and lift your butt and strenghen your hamstrings. No pain - No gain!

    As I am starting to discover! Ouch! x

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