Bodypump: Pump Up the Jam

By Savanah Mandeville

 

“Every Bodypump routine works your entire body to muscle fatigue and raises your heart rate to create a great caloric burn.” — Nikki Phillips, personal trainer and Bodypump instructor

 

In what type of group fitness class can you get full-body muscle building and cardiovascular training in just one hour while jamming to upbeat, contemporary music?

Bodypump, that’s what!

“Bodypump is a unique muscle-training class that works your entire body in one class,” said Nikki Phillips, personal trainer and Bodypump instructor. “Every Bodypump routine works your entire body to muscle fatigue and raises your heartrate to create a great caloric burn.”

Bodypump is offered at the Joplin Family YMCA, 3404 W. McIntosh Circle Dr., and is taught by Phillips and four other certified instructors: Erica Christiansen, Crystal Zaerr, Kristen Seward and Dan Scott.

Each Bodypump class starts with a warm up and squats then moves into chest and back, triceps and biceps, lunges and shoulders, and finishes with core and stretching. Since it works the full body, Phillips recommends it one to three times per week.

“The classes incorporate compound movements, which work several muscles at once, in addition to isolated muscle movements, such as bicep and tricep exercises, so it’s a great whole, round program,” Phillips said. “Bodypump focuses on high repetition and lower weight to create some serious time under tension for each muscle group.”

Phillips has been a fitness professional for 16 years and has taught a variety of fitness classes including Pilates, Hardcore Abdominals, Cardio Kickboxing, Bootcamp, Step Aerobics, several types of Zumba classes, and Bodypump. She has taught Bodypump for four years.

Bodypump is part of the Les Mills line of fitness classes, which includes Bodyflow, Bodystep, Bodyjam and more. Les Mills workouts have rigorous instructor certification criteria with several levels of training and testing for aspiring instructors.

Joplin Family YMCA launches a new Les Mills Bodypump exercise routine each quarter. It held its most recent launch Saturday, December 1, at 8:30 am. At launches, all five instructors work together to teach the class, each taking a different muscle section.

“Because the certification process is so complex, you can be sure that all five of our instructors at the Y are very good at what they do,” Phillips said. “Plus, all Les Mills classes have great cues for safety, weight range and modifications for any and all fitness levels.”

In 2019, build muscle and burn fat while jamming to your favorite music with Bodypump at the Joplin Family YMCA!