My Body Pump Class Experience

Heylo everyone,

I do body pump group classes, in the evening, for 3 days in a week. I do it because I just do not look forward to leg day, abs day type of weight training. Moreover, after having done something like crossfit for a few months. I am never game for leg day, abs day type of workout. And I swear by Pilates and belly dance for the core But a big BUtt , just like leg day or abs day weight training schedules, body pump class also has some pros and cons. let me share my body pump class experience.

What is Body Pump?

BodyPump is a weight-based group-fitness program. So basically we use free weights-plates, barbells and an aerobic step and a mat for the body pump class. We choose weights based on the exercise and on our personal goals. Major muscle groups are worked via series of compound and isolation-based exercises including squats, presses, dead lifts. The focus is towards muscle endurance using several repetitions.

Structure of the class

First of all, we have to set our stations on our own. Each station has a barbell with weights, free weights or weight plates, stepper and a mat.

The class is typically of 60 minutes. Different tracks are played in the class. On each track the coach asks us to workout a different muscle group. We get a time of 1 minutes in between tracks to change our stance, as per the exercises decided for the next track. The tracks vary from low to high intensity beats. As in we start with slow beats, during which the coach explains us the exercises, corrects us. And then gradually music picks up pace and we do different variation and higher reps with a fierce energy.

Typically, track 1 provides a warm-up and it has the lowest weight of the class. During the warm-up, most muscle groups are trained in short succession, also stance and barbell grip is often changed when cycling through all different exercises. Something like squats, lunges, dead lifts, bicep curls, presses and chest press etc are all done on one track. They are done with the lightest weight plates. This track kind of acclimatize the beginners with the exercises and format of the class. And it serves as a warm up for everyone.

Track 2 mostly starts with legs. Squats and lunges with plates and barbells. We take the highest weight of the entire class. A typical weight for squats ranges between two and three times the warm-up weight. We do a lot of variations like pulse, slow, quick, plyometric squats and lunges. The variation is based on the music.

Then we combine lats and deltoids on one track. Chest and back on the other track. Tricep, biceps on one and core on one complete track. The last track is for the cool down and stretching.

What I found good and not so good about a Body Pump Class

1. I find it uber cool! The energy is just superb. The workout is more planned. It is planned to the minuteness of every beat of the music. and it hits all the major muscle groups of the body in one hour. It seriously burns!

But again a big BUTT . You get to this high rate of calorie burning and heart pumping only if you do the exercises honestly. As in I see a lot of females doing only half a squat.

2. I get to learn some really awesome tips to improve the technique of certain exercises. Also I get to learn about variations of exercises. The learning part is good for me as an aspiring coach. But it is good workout wise also. It keeps the class very very interesting.

But again a big BUTT . Making a class interesting depends completely on the coach. It is his energy, his knowledge and his ability to manage a group class that makes a difference. The coach has to be very well prepared for the class.

3. A group class is really fun. You don’t even get to know how time passes. A lot of energy is added to the class. And you get to improve a lot on your exercise techniques in a group class, which has people who are already doing the class from a long time.

But again a big BUTT . It is also very easy to pick up a wrong exercise technique in a group class. As the coach is not able to take care of each and every move of yours and you might carry that wrong exercise technique for a long time.

4. It burns calories. No doubt it does! For 60 minutes even if you are not honest, you workout, you get involved in the energy of the class. So you definitely burn a lot of calories. If you do things honestly than you will build strength (tone) too

but a big BUTT A body pump class is not end of it all for muscle building. Unless and until you already have muscles or you have a tendency to develop muscles easily. You will have to do more for strength building workouts like a yoga class or a circuit training class or a TRX session or weights class. Girls it is not that easy for us to build muscles. It might be easy to burn fat but muscle building huhh! Not easy ! Ask me

5. It has a combination of isolation (bicep curls, hammer curls, chest presses etc)as well as compound exercises (squats, lunges, deadlifts etc). You can look up to it as a full body strengthening workout.

okay the last BUTT You will have to challenge yourself with more resistance, with more weights. No use doing a 60 minutes class with half a kg weight plate

All in all, I love that the body pump class accepts people from all age groups. I was so happy to see a lady and her grand daughter together attending the same class that I did. The grand daughter was in early twenties. Also in a body pump class, the feel to workout as a team is too good. It feels like a cumulative achievement to finish the class together. We happily give hi5 to each other and to our coach .. Have you attended body pump classes? Please share your experiences. And if you want I will share a video of a good body pump class