Body Pump is a toning and conditioning workout class specifically for those of you who want to add a bit of strength training to your workout. It is also great for those of you who are starting out in weight training as it will teach you some great exercises and how to get the correct technique.

Body Pump is a repetitive weight training workout to music, it uses different upbeat music tracks per body part and it is an hour long class that strengthens your whole body in a effective, fun way.

It doesn’t seem so long ago that my first impression of boxing was….well, shall we say not very complimentary. This was of course before I became a qualified personal trainer and fully understood the mechanics behind the sport. I guess I just pictured two meat heads punching the living day lights out of each other! Then when boxers talked of fitness levels, I would immediately conjure up the image of Rocky running up the steps as he did in the films.

Boxers are Among the Fittest

Swimming has long been considered a great way to get fit and improve your cardio vascular performance. It is a great low load bearing way to get healthy that is suitable for all ages and just by learning you are making beach holidays safer for you.

Who is it good for?

Everyone! But in particular it is important for very obese or large people. As the water is load bearing it takes the strain off the joints and allows you to move using the water as your resistance. Water aerobic classes are very good and will help get results very quickly, especially when led by a good instructor and combined with a good diet. They are also fun with like minded people, so don’t be put off!

Spinning, Studio Cycling, Indoor Class Cycling, or whatever your gym likes to call it, is basically a room full of specialised bikes encircling one leader bike. This is reserved for the instructor who will bark commands at you while you all listen to very upbeat music to help maintain a good pace throughout. The idea has been around since the 80’s and is an excellent way to get the old heart beating and significantly improve your fitness. It is a high intensity cardiovascular workout and as such should not be attempted by complete novices.

How does it work?

What is it?

A circuit class, like all fitness classes, is designed for one main reason and that is to make exercise more fun and social. Of course if you think this is a chance to sit down and have a chat then you are wrong. However a circuit class can be easily adjusted so it is suitable for beginners through to the super fit and it will be a challenge to all. This type of class is probably one of the most versatile you can have as you can use nearly all forms of exercise that can cover an all over body programme or can be more body part specific. It requires a room of a good size, the great outdoors or it can use a regular gym. Within the circuit there will be several different areas all with a different exercise assigned to them. These are called ’stations’ in the industry. Normally these stations are laid out opposite each other with a gap down the middle and enough space between them so that people don’t bang into each other. See the diagram below for an example layout as viewed from above.