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Body Pump is something of a phenomenon. If you’re a gym regular, you’ve no doubt seen studios full of people in all sorts of positions, gripping light weight barbells as they complete rep after tortuous rep.
If you’ve never considered joining in, perhaps you will after reading this article. If you want to give it a go but don’t really know what it’s about, read on. Sign up for your gym membership today and give Body Pump a go!
Body Pump fitness classes are fast-paced, high-volume, lightweight, barbell-based workouts designed specifically to help participants shed get, getting lean whilst building muscle and skyrocketing their cardiovascular fitness and endurance. Classes typically blend high-power, motivational music with inspiring, high-energy instructors to deliver results in a fun and empowering manner.
Many people who look at barbell work worry that they will become bloated Strongmen or massive powerhouses. They think it’s all pain and sweat and protein shakes. Though there is an element of truth to this, there is also a great deal of subtlety involved that allows for all different goals, desires, lifestyles and body types.
Body Pump, generally run in partnership with Les Mills, takes all-comers. It has something for everybody. It won’t make you swell up with muscle, but it will supercharge your cardiovascular fitness, your training resistance and volume capabilities, and will lead to modest hypertrophy (muscle growth).
But what is it, exactly?
A guide to Body Pump
Body Pump has been run by Les Mills since the 90s. Les Mills fitness classes often specialise in high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts that are fun, challenging and completely instructor led. You don’t need to know what you’re doing or have any prior experience to join in as all coaching will be done on-site, in-class.
Les Mills classes are usually full-body workouts that employ a mix of bodyweight, free-weight and plyometric exercises. In particular, their Body Pump classes employ lightweight barbell work to high rep ranges and intense volumes, guaranteeing a sky-high heart rate and often up to 600 calories per hour being worked off.
Benefits of high-volume classes
High-volume training, such as that offered in Body Pump classes, is one of the most efficient training methods going. It allows you to gain a lot of benefits in a very short amount of time, including:
- Burning a lot of calories
- Aiding in bodyfat loss
- Working through large, compound movements
- Keeping your metabolic rate elevated for hours after training
- Building muscle, strength and stamina
- Improving heart health and reducing blood pressure
- Stabilising blood sugar levels
Body Pump and Les Mills classes near you
Though there are online options for training, the best results will be gained from attending Body Pump classes in person. Their coaches can teach you everything you need to know as you go, they will inspire you to work hard in a fun, friendly environment, and they will be able to make sure stay safe, working with good technique, whilst pushing yourself as hard as possible. Training in this way, with a good coach, will reduce your risk of suffering any injuries whilst maximising the gains to be made from every session. If you would like one-to-one sessions, then you can speak to one of our personal trainers for more information.
Body Pump classes are also incredibly social spaces, with like-minded people from all backgrounds, at all fitness levels, joining in. Training like this will make exercise fun, should keep you motivated and inspired, and will represent a great way to socialise whilst gaining the health and fitness benefits of intense exercise.
There are plenty of Body Pump classes in Dubai. Each host venue will have qualified coaches who will be able to take you through every movement, keep you on track and make sure that you have the experience you want and need.
Body Pump: The ins and outs
Body Pump uses the Rep Effect. This means lifting at low weight ranges for incredibly high numbers of reps- hundreds of reps per class, in fact. It will help to develop muscle mass whilst keeping energy burn high, resulting in a lean, toned looking physique.
As mentioned above, Body Pump is a class: it is fully instructor led, with all equipment supplied for the venue. You need no prior experience, you don’t need to be particularly fit or strong, and you don’t need to have any special skillset to take part. You only need to turn up in comfortable workout gear, ready to work hard.
This being said, if you’re suffering any injuries, or have any medical complications, it’s a good idea to check in with your healthcare provider before taking part in a Body Pump class. Let your instructor know any issues you may be having.
It’s completely safe to take part in Body Pump if you’re pregnant, though, once more, let your instructor know beforehand so they can make any necessary modifications to your workout.
Pretty much every major muscle group will be worked in any given Body Pump class as large, compound movements are the norm. It’s therefore best to go to 2-3 classes per week, with at least a full 24-hours between each, giving your body time to heal and rest in between workouts.
There are also several variations on the classic Body Pump class that may be worth looking into. If you’re into combat sports or super-intense training in any way, Body Attack, Kickboxing or Body Muay Thai might be for you. For those off-days, Body Balance will be a good way to get a workout in whilst dialling it down a bit and working some supplementary skill sets.
