The body pump is a training system created in 1991 by Les Mills International. It consists of physical exercise programs in groups and one-hour sessions. Its main hallmark is combining the aerobics style with traditional weight lifting.
Despite its age, the body pump has become popular over the last decade among fitness fanatics due to its health benefits, the dynamic nature of its classes, the possibility of training in the company, and the grouping of two practices highly admired by all lovers of integral exercises.
In fact, unlike most programs, it combines aerobic and anaerobic styles in a single session. Today we show you how a typical class is carried out and what benefits it brings if you implement it in programs of several weeks.
Contents
What is a body pump class like?
Just like Pilates, yoga, spinning, and other gym classes, body pump programs are developed with the help of a qualified trainer. This person decides, in principle, the nature of the session, what type of exercises are included, and their degree of difficulty.
However, a classic body pump session lasts over 60 minutes and starts with ten strategically chosen songs. They are the ones that mark the rhythm of the movements and are based on clues that motivate them.
These can be rock or mixed with electronic music; their duration is usually between 5 and 6 minutes. An aerobic bench is used accompanied by bars, discs, and dumbbells to execute the movements, with a weight decided by each participant based on their level.
The development of the class consists of the following:
- Warm-up: the first track is used to warm up and stretch all the muscle groups involved. It is done with the lightest load of the entire session and with a medium-high intensity.
- Muscle work: after stretching, the class begins, where a muscle group is worked on for each of the eight music tracks. The classic style order is to do exercises for the quads, chest, back, triceps, biceps, lunges, shoulders, and abs. This order may vary depending on the coach.
- Closing with stretching: the last musical track will close the session by stretching the muscles again.
The weight used is graduated in each exercise according to the strength of that muscle group. It is widespread that when working the last one, the abdominals, you do not use any weight and instead choose to do planks or classic crunches.
Although the 60-minute version is the most widespread, there are also 30 and 45-minute classes. The change from one exercise to another is done with an interval of a few seconds to maximize aerobic power.
Who can practice body pumps?
You may be wondering if you qualify for a body pump class, especially if you’re not a fan of lifting weights. Even though you’ll be carrying bars and dumbbells throughout the session, you don’t need to be an expert weightlifter to participate.
The body pump has no minimum weight so you can regulate it according to strength. In this sense, it is a program that anyone can do, from those who are always dabbling in new fitness methodologies to those who are just joining the gym.
Of course, there are certain conditions when practicing discipline. The first is pregnant women. Although Les Mills International recommends its use during the first months of pregnancy, a specialist should be consulted if sessions are to be held after five months.
If you suffer from a heart condition, you must also have a doctor’s endorsement for greater security. If you are not a person who is used to practicing physical activity, it is convenient that you do a general examination of the state of your health. A stress test, for example, is instrumental in knowing your limits.
Apart from this, considering that for 60 minutes, you will experience an intensive routine, the ideal is that you are familiar with the basic exercises developed for the muscle groups outlined. So you can avoid injuries and execute the movements with greater efficiency.
What benefits does the body pump have for health?
The benefits of doing the body pump vary according to how often you practice it. Most gyms hold classes 2-3 times a week, spread over 12 weeks. After this time, they generally take a short break before starting again.
If you decide to sign up for a complete program and not just an occasional routine, you receive the following benefits.
1. You improve your resistance
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 2011 assessed muscular and metabolic fitness following a 12-week body pump program. The results demonstrated an improvement in the participants’ resistance, consisting of 19 women without any previous preparation.
By incorporating holistic exercises, the benefits are felt in the upper and lower trunk. The intensive day based on choreographed movements and a short rest between each execution is of great help to improve your muscular resistance no matter what physical level you are at.
2. It helps burn calories and lose weight
Even though research published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness in 2015 stipulates that the average calories burned per session when practicing body pumps are 250 at moderate intensity if a personalized routine is developed and the power is raised too high, up to 600 calories can be burned.
In this sense, everything depends on the intensity with which it is performed, as happens in the same way with other exercises designed to lose weight. In any case, it is also helpful in maintaining weight, an objective achieved by incorporating a balanced diet simultaneously.
3. You gain muscle strength
Although this type of activity is not the best for obtaining the levels of hypertrophy achieved through conventional weight lifting, we know from several studies that it is of great help in improving the strength of the muscle groups involved.
As the day progresses, the participants can perform the exercises with heavier weights so their strength will increase significantly by the end of the 12 weeks,
4. Reduce your stress and anxiety levels
Any physical activity carried out with some continuity is beneficial for mental health. The relationship between exercise and decreased levels of depression and anxiety has been widely documented, regardless of whether these are aerobic or anaerobic.
The best thing is that the results are manifested in all age groups and gender, and it does not take long before you notice its first effects. In part, this is achieved thanks to the secretion of hormones.
Not the best aerobic exercise out there
At this point, we must warn you something. Despite the integrated choreography during the sessions and the intensity of most classes, the body pump is not the best aerobic exercise. This is demonstrated by studies and research that have measured aerobic power during the development of a session.
This is in case you are looking for a 100% aerobic activity or want to substitute the one you already do for this one. Ideally, in this way, you complement it with others, such as riding a bike or running.
Tips for practicing body pump
We cannot dismiss this article without first writing down some tips for doing the body pump. Although if you enroll in a class, you will always have a teacher as your guide, you should keep the following principles in mind for your posture.
A tip that applies to all types of physical activity. Considering that for 60 minutes, you will continuously manipulate extra weight, you must take care of your posture to avoid muscle injuries. Those that focus on the back area are the most common, although you can injure your knees and other joints.
If you are a beginner, the chances of injuring yourself are more excellent, so let your trainer know so they can guide you with the proper posture for each exercise. For example, you are not going past the tips of your fingers with your knees when doing a squat is a primary consideration you should always consider.
2. Don’t lift more weight than you can handle
Naturally, in your class, you will not only find beginners. Indeed, several partners will have higher strength, endurance, and muscular power.
It would be best if you did not try to imitate the weight load they control since the outcome will have a downbeat ending.
Remember that at least 9 of the ten exercises in the class are developed with weights, so you must manage your strength to complete it to the end. For this reason, only lift what you feel comfortable with, even if it is below average.
3. Wear appropriate sportswear
So that you can carry out the movements freely, you must go to your class with the appropriate clothing that is neither too baggy nor too close to the body. This is the case with the T-shirt and shorts since your underwear is recommended to fit a little tight.
Wear appropriate shoes for the occasion; those give you enough friction with the ground. They must be sporty, light, and comfortable. You can use sweatbands for your head and wrists, thus preventing sweat from reaching the bar and preventing its proper support.
Enjoy the session
We often sign up for a sport or an exercise forgetting to enjoy the process. You should never see physical activity as an obligation; you must fulfill yes or no. On the contrary, the ideal is that you enjoy it, so you include it in your agenda as one of the things you hope to do with the greatest pleasure.
You will only face each class with the motivation and attitude they demand. The body pump is not for everyone, nor are all the disciplines and sports. Sign up for a class, and feel free to complete the program if you enjoy it.