RickInOz

Every 3 months LesMills release a new version of BodyPump, and once upon a time I wondered why. Standard practice, as recommended by the BTS handbook, is to do the new release for at least 2 - 4 weeks after its launch. After only doing each new one a couple of times I find we get used to the choreography very quickly. This means you can start to psychologically and physically plan for each track. I’m sure up to a point even muscles get used to what is required and this may be why we start to find each release easier the more we do it.

So if the track can become learned behaviour then inevitably this will allow us to enter the comfort zone again. Of course Pump is about making progress and not simply coasting along. So what can we do to make things more interesting, and hence more difficult, again?

1. Mix-up the releases: A variety of tracks and releases is definitely a good way to spice the class up. Often we will recognise tracks as instructors like to do their favourites over and over. So we should encourage them to try out as many different tracks as possible. I fondly remember Amin’s “Retro” classes as the tracks were so old we didn’t know them. That way you can’t pace yourself as you simply don’t know what’s coming next, hence you have to work to sheer fatigue if you run out before the music does. Tonight we did #51 and I nearly died as I had forgotten how difficult all the tracks are.
2. “You need more weight”: Obviously this makes things harder, but it isn’t necessarily the answer for every class. There is a school of weight-lifting that encourages frequent variations in resistance. This gives the muscles a changing challenge and prevents fatigue or injury through over-use.
3. Do a “perfect technique” class: We all like to lift maximum weight as it produces the hardest cardio challenge and feeling of fatigue. However doing maximum weight does cause a loss of good technique towards the end of the track as fatigue sets in. So to counter this we should, now and again, do the class with 50% of our usual weight and put all of the emphasis on technique. I will guarantee that if you do immaculate technique from start to finish it will still be tiring enough.

Food for thought I hope, and worth considering to add a little variety to our favourite.