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When it comes to workouts, we all want quick results, a magic formula to get lean and fit fast. Although no such magic formula exists, the Body Pump workout comes pretty close!
Body Pump is a workout that combines aerobics and strength training with lots of repetition. It involves lifting, thrusting and squatting with light to moderate weights. It’s highly demanding but if you’re willing to put in the work, you can burn more than 500 calories per session.
Body Pump Class
While you can definitely do a body pump workout on your own, its creator, Les Mills, intended it to be a group exercise. The goal was to get more men involved in studio classes, which are more popular with women.
A typical body pump class is 30, 45 or 60 minutes long. It is broken down into eight sections and each section focuses on a different muscle group.
After a quick warm up session, the instructor guides the class through a series of squats, bench presses, deadlifts, lunges, shoulder & abdominal exercises and, finally, a cool down session.
You can select the size of the step and weights you wish to use during the workout. This allows you to start small until you’re ready to level up. The classes are set to music to motivate and help you keep time.
Benefits
Body Pump is a total body workout that improves muscle tone and builds muscular endurance. You can burn between 200 and 600 calories in one workout depending on your fitness level. Therefore, if you are eating between 1600 and 2400 calories a day, you can easily burn a quarter or a third of that and lose weight without reducing your daily caloric intake.
Body Pump workouts boost your metabolism and overall health. Two body pump sessions a week can help to prevent cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes
This workout is also great for increasing muscle flexibility and range of motion through resistance training. This can relieve back, neck and shoulder pain which is often the result of tight muscles.
Last but not least, this workout makes your legs stronger and leaner, gives you a tight core, defined biceps and triceps that are not bulky, and makes your waistline smaller – in proportion to the rest of your body.
Get Started
The easiest way to get started is to join a body pump class. Being around people with similar fitness goals keeps you motivated making it less likely you will skip workouts. The class also teaches you how to lift weights and workout safely.
Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can purchase the music track, a mat, dumbbells & a barbell and do the Body Pump workouts at home.
Lastly, always consult a physician before starting any new exercise regimen – especially one that involves lifting weights.
