Les Mills BODYPUMP - Try It!

My gym, 24 Hour Fitness, has a variety of Les Mills classes.  They range from weight training, to kickboxing, to cardio, to Pilates and yoga.  I only used to take a class at my gym when I needed extra motivation - by working in a class environment.  However, after trying the Bodypump class, I was hooked!  

I took 2 Les Mills classes this morning - partially because I had a ton of energy after my hot yoga class last night, and partially because I mixed up my gym schedule.  I got there at 9 instead of 10.  So I ended up doing 2 miles on a 15% incline - waiting for the first class.  Then I did Les Mills Body Combat (a mix of karate, boxing, tai chi, and taekwando), ate a snack (thank God I always have a healthy snack in my purse!), and finally my favorite - Bodypump!  So yes, I spent 2 and a half hours at the gym this morning.

Bodypump is a 1 hours, resistance training class using a barbell and barbell plates.  It focuses on high repetitions and low weight.  For my first class, the instructor told me to do a very light weight the entire time (I had 7.5 pounds on each side).  This was very easy for me, but I stayed with this weight so I can get acquainted with all the exercises and change up the weight next time.

The class is divided into 10 different songs (4 to 6 minutes each).  Each song focuses on a different muscle group in this order:  warmup, legs - squats, chest, back, triceps, biceps, lunges, shoulders, abs, and cool down stretches.  You get a short break between each track to adjust your barbell weight for the next muscle group.  

The instructor changes the pace of the reps according the the beat of the song (ie. - 3 counts down, 1 count up).  Pumping to the beat of the song distracts you from the number of reps you're doing and how hard they're getting towards the end of the song.  They also remind you to keep proper form - and that it's better to lift lighter weights but maintain the correct form until you build up strength for more weight.

This class really builds up your endurance and elevates your heart rate - meaning you get a cardio workout out of it as well.  It improves your strength and really shapes and tones your muscles.  

I started taking Bodypump at the end of April and have been taking it 2 - 3 times a week ever since then.  I wanted to build up some muscle, because all the long distance running I was doing was making me feel weaker.  After the first few weeks, I noticed my body changing and myself getting stronger.  This is what keeps me coming back.  I want to see how strong I can get, how much weight can I keep adding onto my barbell.  It's a great feeling!

Check out their website to see if you have a class in your area!

http://w3.lesmills.com/global/en/

Have a strong day everyone! :)