We're Here to Pump You Up!

Can you believe it's been 20 years since Hans and Franz made the scene? Holy guacamole I'm getting old.

I'm finally getting around to posting another Les Mills review, this one on Body Pump. Please, hold your applause til the end.

I've weight-trained before, both independently and with the help of my former-fitness-instructor husband (that is, he's no longer a fitness instructor, he's still my husband). I am a firm believer in its benefits. Cardio is great, and necessary, and as a runner I can't think of any better way to burn calories and shed weight, but there is more than a word's difference between "fit and trim" and "fit and flabby," and I'm not in this to achieve the latter.

I signed up for BP on a whim, just curious as to what it was all about, when I joined a new gym. They were promoting it pretty heavily as "the fastest way in the universe to get in shape", and it was only a small fee, so I climbed onboard. I had my first class in early November, and I was in love. A sick, self-punishing, sado-masochistic version of love, but love nontheless.

I suppose by now I should define "it" more clearly. A quick overview: Body Pump is a one-hour high-rep strength-training class. We use dumbbells, barbells and our own body weight as resistance. The routine consists of 10 choreographed tracks, each lasting 4.5-5.5 minutes. Each track works a specific muscle group: warmup, legs, chest, back and hamstrings, triceps, biceps, glutes, shoulders, abs, and a cool down. Bar weight is individualized. Every 8-10 weeks a new release is launched and a new muscle group is focused upon, or, as I like to phrase it, most severely punished.

Simple enough. It's easy to learn the choreography (everything based on 4 beats), and while form takes a little more work, it's not overly difficult and the instructors are knowledgable and helpful.

It hurts. It hurts a lot. And the more it hurts, the better it is (yes, we're still talking about exercise, Gutterbrains!). It also burns 600-700 calories an hour, increases bone density, and builds strength and flexibility. I'm doing it three times a week (the max recommended) including two pre-dawn classes, and when I can't get there because, let's say, oh, I don't know, someone doesn't get home from work in time to watch the kids, it gets ugly. Real ugly. I'm hooked. I've got a fever and the only prescription is more barbell, baby (okay, okay, no more SNL references, I promise).

As for the claims to being the fastest way in to get in shape, I can't say. I haven't tried them all. But I will say this: I started BP in early November and by Christmas I had dropped a full dress size. No weight loss, no dieting, no increase in cardio training, just tearing down and building up muscle two hours a week. This is why. I can't recommend BP highly enough. It promises to change the shape of your body, and if you put the effort out, it makes good on that promise.