Yoga just didn’t do it for me. (At least the kind in my classes.) Too much “up dog, down dog.” Mostly because I have sensitive shoulders. The same instructor also told me about another class she taught….”Body Pump.” Lifting weights to music. I thought it might be fun. I was “Pumped,” no pun intended. Something I could do to supplement my Wii exercising. So I signed up for Tuesday and Thursday classes from 8;30-9:30 am. I couldn’t wait for my back to get better. Unfortunately, I had to wait about a month.
My first day of Body Pump…I got my Step, a set of five and eight pound weights, a pad and towel… laid them out in front of the mirrors so I could watch myself . I was hooked from the moment the music started. It was 60 minutes of all kinds of varied exercises. Some for the back, legs, quads, biceps, triceps, lats and all the other parts of the body that I was totally unfamiliar with. Guess what, I still can’t keep the body parts straight in my head. Doesn’t matter, I persevered. By the way… Body Pump is a licensed exercise program for professional trainers to teach in formal training programs. It is available all over the country at gyms and Ys.
I never miss a class unless I am out-of-town. It invigorates me. The class is mostly women, women of all ages. We range in age from about 25 to 80. I am probably the third oldest, and I won’t tell you just yet how old I am. Every new session, one or two men join, they never last. I’m not sure why. Maybe they think it is too easy, more than likely, they can’t quite deal with a room of thirty or more women, many of whom are in better shape than they are. There is also a lot of “chatter.”
Each class I attend, I am totally focused. I watch my form, paying attention to how I hold my weights, making sure not to lock my knees or keep too straight elbows. Head up, down, shoulders back, bend from the waist, feet a certain distance apart, always trying to improve and lift a little more weight. I have progressed over the months from five and eight pound weights to 10 and 12 pound weights in each hand. The class was originally designed to use a with barbells, a single bar with interchangeable weights on the ends. If you have sensitive shoulders like I do, then dumbbells work better. By the way, the music comes in eight week sets, so you hear the same music for each exercise for eight weeks, and then it changes for the next eight weeks. Some of it I like, and some of it I don’t.
So I have now made it to the one year mark. Proud of my determination and “stick-to-itiveness.” I can see a huge difference in my body, both in shape and stamina. I have definition where I didn’t know I could. I have arms I am proud of and am determined to still be doing this next year this time. I hope some of you will try and find a “Body Pump” class near you. It has been life changing for me, exhilarating and the camaraderie is fun.
Diane 
