When I initially decided to join a gym about ten years ago I pretty much only ever stayed in one very small area of the building: the cardio section. I would walk in, jump on the treadmill or elliptical trainer for about 45 minutes and leave. I wasn’t really sure what to do in the weight room and found it to be pretty intimidating, so I steered clear of it altogether. But then I got bored. I decided that I wanted to start doing exercise in the form of strength training to build some muscles! And then one day, as if by fate, I noticed a flyer for a new class that the gym was offering: Les Mills Bodypump.
Bodypump is described as the original Les Mills barbell class and will sculpt, tone and strengthen your entire body, fast! The classes use a specific formula of resistance training that is referred to as “The Rep Effect.” This essentially means that the classes focus on using low weight loads and high repetition movements for effective fat burning and production of lean muscle tissue. (Or, in my own words – it’s an hour of strength training combined with cardio moves that will kick your butt and re-shape your body.)
Nervously, I decided to give Bodypump a try, and I loved it! Even though the class was nearly an hour long, it went by super quickly and I enjoyed every heart-pumping minute. I immediately became hooked and found myself faithfully attending the class three times a week. I loved it so much in fact that I eventually decided to become a certified Les Mills Bodypump instructor!
A Les Mills Bodypump class is about 55 minutes long and focuses on working one muscle group at a time. Classes are choreographed to ten different tracks (or songs) and a new release comes out every three months. This keeps things fresh and the muscles “confused” (for more effective muscle development). Even though the choreography and music change each quarter, the formula remains the same. Each class begins with a warm-up and ends with a cool-down.
In between the warm-up and cool-down are the squats, chest, back, triceps, biceps, lunges, shoulders and abs/core tracks- always in that order. The choreography is set to well-known, high-energy songs and movements work off the tempo of the music. You will leave the class feeling strong, accomplished and probably a little bit sweaty.
As both a participant and instructor in Les Mills Bodypump classes over the last six years, I can vouch for how effective the workouts can be. I have seen people’s bodies change dramatically and muscles develop over time as a result of taking the class a few times a week. The greatest thing about the class is that yes, you work really hard- but you have a lot of fun doing it!
If you get bored with weightlifting (or even if you don’t), this class is for you! One of the best things about Bodypump is that it’s for everyone — men, women, young and old. I highly recommend this class for anyone looking to build muscle, burn calories and feel great!
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