How effective is Body Pump?

I’m a total slacker when it comes to weight training. Mostly because I think the weights area is a really intimidating, testosterone-fuelled area. I don’t like being checked on by the guys (not because I’m a babe). Yeah, I know they’re just trying to help, but I feel uncomfortable when a complete stranger comes to me while I’m working out to tell me what’s the best way to do this or that. Once, a guy even offered advice that was the opposite of what my personal trainer told me! Which is so confusing.

So I find Body Pump the funnest thing. A group of guys and girls pumping iron (ok, more like plastic weights) with cool music in the background and an energetic instructor at the front. The class usually goes by quickly.

But how effective is this class anyway?

Came across this excellent article: Body Pump – is it the world’s fastest way to get in shape?

Although the writer is dubious about the “fastest way to get in shape bit”, he does say:

Body Pump has been shown to help you lose fat. In a 13-week trial comparing Body Pump, Body Step, Body Attack, Body Combat, and RPM, subjects in the Body Pump group actually lost the most fat. Beginners, or anyone returning to exercise after a lay-off, may gain a little muscle and improve their cardiovascular fitness.

Body Pump is also very popular with anyone who prefers to exercise with other people rather than on their own. When I used to teach aerobics, there were many people who (no matter how many times I told them about the benefits of resistance training) wouldn’t set foot in a gym for love nor money simply because they found it so boring.

So, while it’s a long way from being the world’s fastest way to get in shape, Body Pump does provide some of the benefits of conventional gym-based resistance-training programs.

The lowdown from a research on people doing Body Pump classes:

The Auckland research team also point out that Body Pump provides only a low to moderate stimulus to increase aerobic fitness.

“The implication of these results is that Body Pump is useful for maintaining aerobic fitness, but does not provide sufficient stimulus to improve aerobic fitness in already fit subjects such as those who participated in this study.”

Ceh. I’m barely fit, so I think I’m so in this. 🙂

So, all in all. Yeah, Body Pump rocks, and if you’re a lazy ass like me when it comes to strength training, it’s the way to go! I take Body Pump classes twice a week – one on Saturday and another one on a weekday.