Body Pump?

So the Y is offering Body Pump for free and is doing a kick off this Saturday. They have this jumbo tv playing Body Pump videos to promote it.

 

I am going. Am I crazy? Will I die???

 

The cute trainer guy at the Y thinks I’ll do well with Body Pump because I am muscular. But then he also thinks I can retract this skin through exercise (I didn’t have the time or inclination to break it down to him although I must say that I have had some retraction in my batwings which is encouraging).

 

So anyway. Who has done this workout? What can I expect?

Just as a background on me (as I don’t think I’ve posted here before), I am 3 years post-op RNY maintaining a loss of 140 lbs (I lost 155 total but had a 15 lb. bounce and have been here about 1.5 years).

 

Most of my fitness activity has been centered on strength training and basic cardio. But now that the business of trying to make the scale move seems to be over I’d like to actually be physically fit. I’ve been doing the Couch 2 5k program and my progress is coming along. I’ve also started working with kettlebells in addition to my weight circuit at the Y and I’ve bumped up my weights considerably in consultation with a personal trainer.

I did body pump for a couple months 3 times a week.
It is light weights but they do a million reps and they do them at different speeds and different formats.  You may be lifting slow and dropping fast or lifting fast and dropping slow, or going half way etc.  They try to mix it up.

When I say light weights I really mean light weights. 2.5-10 pounds for new people when working the arms, and shoulders, more for the back and legs.
They do lots of squats, and lunges, as well as some core work.

It's a good program.  Unfortunately for me, my knees just can't take all the lunges and squats.
They always hurt the next day.  I had them watch and modify and make sure I was doing them technically correct, but they still hurt my knees.  I can run and not have the same discomfort I was getting from all those lunges.

They will also show you modified ways to do the pushups, or to do dips or whatever they are working on. 
Since you set your weights and intensity level, you are going to get what you put into it.
Start off light.  If it is too easy add some weight next time.

I never would have believed it possible that I would get to the point where I couldn't properly lift 20 pounds, but after lifting it for 5-10 minutes straight, my arms just didn't want to lift it any more.

Give it a try.

Scott

I love Body Pump, I try to take it 3xs a week at Gold's! It really makes that definition in your arms pop! Doing Zumba for cardio!!

I agree with the others...Body Pump is AWESOME!!!!  I go 2x week and it has really made a difference all over...I was just doing spin and this has really helped with definition...also started to see much faster weight loss.

You will be able to work at whatever level you are starting at....just vary the weights and pick the less intense options.