The Body Planner

Are you performing this sort of routine at all?

Previously I've discussed some of the myths surrounding fat loss and named a couple of training systems not to use if you want the best results and one of the forms of exercise I referred to briefly was BodyPump.

If you have not heard about BodyPump before, it is a form of class that uses resistance training for an hour to music, performing various exercises over that period of time for multiple reps under the instruction of a qualified BodyPump instructor.

I’m now going to tell you why BodyPump specifically is not the best exercise for you to perform longer term; in fact it just sucks in the long term!

(Note – I’m not one for attacking forms of exercise without good reason. Unfortunately there will be a massive presence of under achieving gym members etc in classes of this sort tonight so I consider it my duty as a skilled coach to help you avoid unnecessary pain and under achievement no matter how much anyone might do it).

Part of me fully understands why anyone would continue to go to it.

1 – There is that sense of community. As a more recent camper said to me recently, I really like the idea of training amongst other people to remain motivated and continue to show up. This was actually a woman who could very easily afford my coaching fees but chose to do boot camp because amongst other reasons she enjoyed the group training ethic so I can accept why people continue to go to BodyPump as a choice over training alone in or out of a gym.

2 – They see some form of progress in the short term which is what you should want from any training regime. This is mainly because they have never used any form of resistance before in their activity.

In practically ALL cases the progress accomplished in the first month will then cease forever and I can speak from experience. During my period a long time ago of working in a health and fitness club I came across many members who tried these classes, yet months later they were no leaner or healthier.

So why was that?

Here are the problems I associate with BodyPump in particular...

1 – Some to many of the movements are short and incomplete such as squats. This does you no favours because you are not utilising several of the larger muscle groups in your body. As a result you are not targeting the fat tissue in the most effective and efficient way by making the whole of the muscle tissue work. As well as leading to a lack of progress the consequences of not utilising the full movement lead to tighter hip flexors, poor mobility and possible injury from bad posture and muscle imbalances.

2 – Performing an exercise for several minutes. If you watched the video above you will have noticed how long the group were performing squats for (with a loaded barbell to boot!). This relates to why partial movements are used a lot and what was resistance training has become more comparable to cardio training with little use of the muscle tissue not to mention further increasing the chance of injury as discussed above.

3 – Not applying the right intensity to the resistance being used. Intensity in the resistance training world is specifically all about the load used; the heavier the load or resistance then the higher the intensity. In reality it is also to do with the effort applied in relation to the load. For instance in cardio, sprinting is more intense than jogging and more effective because of the intense use of the muscle tissue that leads to more fat burning, improved overall fitness and a higher resting metabolic rate. The resistance being used is not overworking the muscle tissue if it can be sustained for a longer period of time (several minutes) and lacks good quality full range of motion.

You can now see how all 3 problems are related to one another.

Resistance training whether via the form of an external load like a barbell or through your own bodyweight would be 50 times more effective by applying the following principles instead.

1 – Perform full range movements that utilise the whole of the muscle tissue and promote the best advantage. If you are performing squats, perform them deep. This is will help support better mobility and less chance of injury. If you have problems doing this, seek advice from a skilled professional that can resolve any dysfunction you present in your movement by enhancing mobility and flexibility, muscle activation at the right time and strong supportive muscles such as the core and buttocks.

2 – Perform an exercise for a short period of time with the right intensity for the load on your frame. External resistance is more beneficial, I will always tell a prospect that I can get quicker results with barbells and dumbbells but that bodyweight alone when used correctly will also promote great results. I say that quality of movement under a specific load is most important. Get that right and the intensity/speed/difficulty can then be added without concern over a period of time from anywhere between 10-60 seconds per exercise. There is huge variance and reason for different timed sets but that is another topic altogether!

Whatever you do, be very aware of BodyPump when it come to short and long term progress in your physique, function and posture!

Check out the latest dates for the next fitness camp at www.ManchesterBootcamp.com and you’ll discover how to squat effectively and all the systems we use that fulfil the principles set out above.

If you need more specific coaching see www.TheBodyplanner.com