Workout after workout of running on the treadmill, I usually end the run with exhaustion and boredom. The same routine seems to last day after day. One day in my local gym, I saw people in fitness classes lifting weights with fun music through the open windows, and I was hooked. It was during the middle of a humid summer in the summer of my junior year in high school, and I was interested in strength training because I have always heard about its benefit. I looked into it, and it is a class called Body Pump. When I joined the class, I genuinely had so much fun, and the energy really got me moving! The best thing about the exercise class is that it is for participants at all levels. You can be a first timer to challenge your limits or you can be a fitness guru looking for some strength training in your free time.
Training Process:
Initial Training is a two day weekend workshop that includes introducing Lesmills’ (the company that produces Body Pump classes) culture of using the power of fitness to change the world, how to execute correct form and technique, and lessons on how to instruct others during the exercise. I learned how to script and prepare for my presentation track and received feedback on my teaching. Then, I had a 90 day period to submit a one-hour long video assessment of me teaching a class. If you are interested in becoming a trainer, you can go to Lesmills.com to sign up for events.
I attended the training weekend with a national trainer in October last year, and after trainings and practices, I am now certified to teach! I was inspired by my first instructor because her teaching had the power to inspire me stay strong even though Body Pump can be mentally and physically challenging. When I came to Wake and realized that I had the opportunity to teach, I wanted to give it a try. Training with a national trainer gave me exposure to professional ways of teaching as well as better technique as she is a trained expert who travels around to teach other instructors.
Here is what I learned in the training session that gave me a deeper scope on the science behind Body Pump.
Small Weights
Rather than using intimidating big weights like how cross fit does, body pump emphasizes on small weights and many repetitions during the movement. Therefore, your body won’t get bulky, but rather lean and toned.
The REP effect
Many repetitions of movement push the muscle to fatigue, and the results will come from the REP effect. The muscle will start to look more toned, and you would feel stronger! In an average Body Pump class, you would perform about 800 repetitions in a single workout with 70-100 per track focused on a different body part.
2-3 times a week
You will want to give your muscle some break time, so I would recommend attending Body Pump classes on alternative days or two times a week.
Increasing Weights As You Go
It’s always good to start with a proper weight that you feel confident in and complete the movement with the correct form, but as you attend more classes, increasing weights will give you the results you want!
Sleep
Body Pump will make you sore for a couple days if you are first timer or when you increase the weights. By the end of the Body Pump class, you would have exhausted every muscle group and different fibers within every muscle group. Getting a good night of sleep will replenish your body and give the muscle the time it needs to heal!
Here is a link for the class schedule if you want to attend. Come try one of my classes!