5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Bodypump Classes

Recently, a couple of you have asked me for advice and tips on how to get the most out of a Les Mills Bodypump class.

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It won’t take much to get more out of your Bodypump class!  Here are 5 tips to get you feeling the burn and reaping all of the benefits of this barbell group fitness class.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to comment below or e-mail me at [email protected].

Tips for Bodypump

How to Get the Most Out of Your Bodypump Class

1.  Bring a notebook

I give this piece of advice to all of my new participants.  Bodypump can seem a bit overwhelming the first time or two that you take it, and it may be hard to remember what weights you used before or where you thought you could maybe lift a little heavier/lighter.

Bodypump2My solution to this problem is to bring a notebook to write down the weight that you use for each track and make a special note if you need to change the weight at your next class.  If you tried to increase your weight on a specific song and had to take the weight down in the middle of the track or take a break, make note of that!  Make your goal during the next class to use that same weight and maybe take fewer breaks or keep with the heavier weight the whole time.

2.  Focus

One of the perks of being in a group fitness class is not having to come up with your own workout, but that does NOT mean that you get to check-out for the entire 60 minute class 😉  You need to be present in the workout.  Focus on the muscles being worked, focus on your form, and focus on the instructor because he or she will cue you and guide you to feel what you need to feel throughout the entire workout.

quarterly 9Now, Bodypump doesn’t require you to be musically inclined or have rhythm, but it is helpful if you try to keep your tempo the same as the instructor’s tempo.  Les Mills specially designs and choreographs each workout with specific beats to the movement to target each muscle group in a specific way.  If you are going super fast during a movement that should be super slow, you aren’t getting the intended training effect. Focus Focus Focus and you’ll simply take a whole lot more out of the classes.

3.  Don’t Skip the Stretches

photo (30)This is the most important part of the workout, and I am always floored by the number of people who skip out on the stretching.  The stretches occur in the last five minutes of class, so sticking around really isn’t that big of a time commitment.  If you stick around for the stretches, it will keep your muscles bending and moving easily, flexible, and it will help to alleviate potential muscle soreness.  The bottom line:  you have to stretch!

4.  Frequency

It is recommended that we complete a strength training workout 2-3 times per week.  This will allow your body to gain strength, muscle mass, lose body fat, protect your bones and joints, and reap the most benefits.  If you are just attending Bodypump once a month or once in a while your body isn’t receiving all of the benefits that this class has to offer.  Up your class frequency to increase muscle tone, strength, your overall health, and body confidence 🙂

5.  Come to Class Early

Your instructor will love you for it!  Coming to class early will give you adequate time to set up your station, ask any questions that you may have to your instructor, and will earn you MAJOR brownie points with your instructor!  Your instructor is familiar with you and wants to help guide you to receive the best workout possible, so don’t be afraid to pull the instructor aside and ask away. As the old saying goes, the early bird gets the worm!

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I hope these tips help you out the next time you attend Bodypump! Tag me on Instagram or comment below if you give a Bodypump Class a chance!

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  2. This will make you laugh. My parents got me a bird for Christmas. She loves music. Whenever I put on music from my BP class that I hear every week, she just talks right along. She used to Bob her head.

  3. I wasn’t about ready to take the Wed night aerobics because I know that the BP class is right after. My ex-classmates gave me a lot of grief when the former fitness manager Doug started visiting the class. The real problem started when the teacher Kelly said something. I just let it roll off my back, I should’ve gone to her but didn’t. I just knew that our agreement of respect for each other would be over and that she would never talk to me.

  4. Is it normal to feel lost in a BP class after being gone for so long? I know that it’ll get easier. I just have to use the weights on my off days to. My parents only gave me the one class option and the rest of the time with my dad.

  5. I almost left my Wed night class anyways. My classmates were driving me crazy because they thought that the fitness manager Doug was visiting the class because I was in there.

  6. One of my ex-teachers by the name of Jackie had a serious scare with her health about two years ago witch kept her from teaching for at least four months. Now that I’m not there, if she would have another one, I’d never know.

  7. How can I force myself to exercise when I have no desire to? I have a co-worker that loves the gym and I used to like it but now I don’t because my classes got yanked for good.

  8. Not a day goes by without thinking I know I should keep up with the stregth training on my own. I just don’t have anybody around anymore to give me a hard kick in the rear end. My teachers did a good job at that as well as the fitness manager Doug,

  9. Please help I loved that class to know end. It took me about two to four months to bump my weights up and it was because of the three of the best teachers I ever had. BP kept me moving right along and now it’s no longer on my list like I said and I know I should keep it up but have no clue. What other ideas would you recommend to keep that up?

  10. Now that my parents got me a bird for Christmas, between my dog Wookie and bird Gandi has managed to take my mind off what happened. It still doesn’t change the fact that I can never go back to BP witch I just loved. How can I keep strength training going even though gyms are know longer an opinion?? Any ideas??

  11. What other choice do I have?????????? My parents would never let me join another gym at all. I had two of the best teachers ever. I’m refusing to exercise. BP kept me moving. I was even doing an Arobics class at my gym to. Whenever my dad could not come on a Wed night, I’d manage to do the arobics class before then my BP class. I did that several times. I was usually sorry half way through, I didn’t mind though.

    • Oh no! It’s tough when Bodypump is removed from the schedule, but typically there are other strength training classes that are not the same, but will get strength into your workout routine. So sorry to hear about the loss! Just make sure you are getting strength training of some kind into your routine 2-3 times a week 🙂

  12. Great post!! I am going for my initial BodyPump instructor training next weekend! I’ve been studying and practicing my tracks but would love any and all advice you have on how to be a great instructor. (i.e. what things you think are the most important to participants) I am a bit nervous about the “entertainment” part of being a teacher. I feel that I can cue appropriately for form/safety/movements, but I have trouble thinking of motivating things to say in some of the tracks without just repeating myself (i.e. “Hang in there! 4 more to go!”). Any favorite motivational cues you use and love? 🙂

    • Hey Jennifer!! Congratulations on going through your initial Bodypump training 🙂 I would say knowing the choreography inside and out as well as perfecting your technique so that you can demonstrate properly are the two most important things. The “entertainment” part comes in once you have that stuff down pat! Don’t worry TOO much about the entertainment because as you get more comfortable, just being yourself will allow the participants to connect with you on a different level. One thing that helps me is writing out various cues on a sheet of paper just to get my mind going so that I don’t always shout the same thing (“Excellent!” after every set…ha!) I love getting people to focus and use their minds, because a lot of time it’s mental willpower that they need to push through the last set rather than physical strength. I like reminding people that we are all doing this together and they are stronger than they think 🙂

      • Awesome! Thanks so much for the tips. I will try writing things down to help jog my memory and will keep my fingers crossed that the “entertainment” part comes with practice! Thank you again for taking the time to reply! 🙂

  13. Hello!
    Thanks for your article, Tara! I’m a 31 year old woman. I lift weights 4 times a week, but until tried bodypump I notice a change, like the good old days, when I was 20.
    I have a question for you. How can I combine lifting weights with bodypump? I’m trying to build a nice lean figure not to bulk up Thanks!

    • It’s best to do Bodypump/weight lifting 2-3 days a week and if you are working the same muscle groups (Bodypump works on all major muscle groups) it is best to do these workouts on non-consecutive days so that your muscles can rest. I hope that helps!

  14. Just wanted to say that I do a body pump class 3 times a week combined with body flow and body combat. I’ve noticed an inch in growth in my arms in the past 6 weeks than I have before when I was doing regular weight training. I love the classes.

  15. I did talk to my teacher today and she said that my range of motion is off and finally noticed why I have a hard time. She also said to just do without the weights for the next couple of weeks.

    • I’m so happy you were able to speak with your teacher! Yes, doing the movement (especially lunges and squats) without weight is always helpful 🙂 Good luck!

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  17. I don’t have a hard time walking it’s just that on the lunges I just feel like I have a better grip on the floor when my feet are turned in. However, my teacher got a hold of me before I could get to the treadmill and she told me that it could eventually lead to a knee injury. So, maybe the two of us can talk and just work on those for a little bit after class tomorrow.

  18. Any ideas on how to better my squats and lunges? They are suffering right now. I walk on the side of my feet and pigeon toed at the same time. Would a foam roller help?

    • Foam rolling helps to break up the fascia beneath the skin which can help with mobility, but it won’t solve all of your problems. If you are having trouble walking outside of bodypump it may be a bigger issue than what bodypump can solve. It may be best to meet with someone in person to discuss this. I hope this helps!

  19. I read somewhere that if you are overweight bodypump will make you bulky. I am looking to lose weight. I just want to make sure I am doing the right class. Thanks

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    • I am so happy to hear that, Amy!!! Glad to hear that it was a good workout…hope you enjoyed it!