“Is there anyone there?” On several occasions, the question in a provocative and animated tone from the instructor and personal trainer Tiago Coltri, 45, cuts through the music and challenges the sixty body pump students, in a room at the Falcão Azul academy of the ADPM (Military Police Sports Association), in Belém, east of São Paulo.
The workout uses light and moderate weights (bars and plates) with lots of repetitions. There is support in the form of mats and steps. The sequence of exercises promotes cardiovascular conditioning, weight loss and tones muscles. It is possible to burn around 500 calories per class, which lasts around an hour.
On Tuesday evening (2), the report followed a course of the program created in 1990 by a New Zealand company called Les Mills, also present in Brazil and in more than 120 countries.
“Les Mills was a New Zealand Olympic athlete who opened a gym in Auckland to bring together everything he knew about training. His son, Phillip Mills, upon returning from the United States, where he had gone to study, decided to combine music and training and refined the concept for years. This is how the body pump was born. Today it is the most famous group fitness product in the world,” explains Rafael Zimak, one of the directors of Les Mills and head of training in Brazil.
“This type of training, with little weight and many repetitions, is interesting because it exhausts the muscle. It develops lean mass. One of the benefits that we see right away is muscle toning. The student immediately feels different muscles,” explains instructor Coltri.
Everyone can practice, as long as they respect their own limits. Pregnant women and people with health conditions, such as heart and orthopedic problems, should consult a doctor before starting the modality. “It is recommended to start at 15 or 16 years old, because we already have bone formation,” he explains.
The class begins with a warm-up to prepare the body. Next, large muscle groups are worked, such as the chest, arms, back, legs and glutes. There are traditional strength exercises, push-ups, squats, lunges and sit-ups. Finally, stretch.
Unlike weight training, body pump movements are rhythmic and in groups. Music is an important motivator.
Doctor Eduardo Vasconcelos, specialist in orthopedics and traumatology at SBOT (Brazilian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology) and professor at the State University of Ceará, warns against getting excited.
“Motivation is one of the main positive points, but it can also be a negative factor, since in excess it can lead to performing a wrong movement and causing muscle and joint injuries. Therefore, using an adequate load, following what is proposed by the modality and performing the movement correctly should be the top priority of those who practice”, emphasizes Vasconcelos.
“Pain and extreme fatigue are signs that the execution is poor or that the load is insufficient,” explains the orthopedist. “But there is no contraindication, just a point of attention,” he adds.
To offer the body pump and other Les Mills programs, the gym must be a member. Teachers receive specific training. Exercises and music are updated every three months.
“It is strength training, but more focused on muscular endurance. It is not for hypertrophy. The number of repetitions is higher. The student does not need heavy loads. The pump works the whole body. In bodybuilding, this may not be the case. It depends on the training,” says Zimak.
The desire to lose weight and gain muscle mass led Soraya Fátima Teixeira, 47, event coordinator, to accompany telecommunications systems analyst Jefferson Ribeiro dos Santos, 46, her husband, on the body pump.
In February this year, Soraya underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. Since December 2024, he has been overweight.
“The body pump encouraged me to start training again. I started with online classes to gain confidence and then moved to face-to-face classes. In nine months, my body radically changed,” says Soraya.
She says she achieved her goals in six months. “I’ve been physically active since I was 15. I’ve always been a fan of protein, creatine and weight training, but I never achieved the physique I achieved with the pump. I eliminated ten centimeters from my stomach thanks to this training and nutritional re-education.”
Knee pain caused by cartilage wear forced saleswoman Iris Ortolani, 43, to look for a strengthening activity. The body pump appeared as an alternative to bodybuilding, a practice that she never appreciated.
“I was the type to pay a monthly gym membership and not go to the gym, even though I was aware of the importance and necessity of strength training. The body pump came into my life because I started experiencing pain in my knees. I went to the orthopedist and discovered cartilage degeneration in both. The doctor told me that I would have to train all my life to be able to do things minimal,” he reports.
The class has been part of Iris’s routine for six years. Today, she trains five times a week. “It’s a delicious, stimulating, dynamic and really cool class, because it’s in a group and with music.”
“One thing I like to say is that this modality does not completely replace weight training. Ideally, you should do a body pump, but also conventional strengthening, which will generate a greater gain in muscular strength,” explains Dr. Vasconcelos.
Gyms that offer the body pump can be located at this link.
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