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Hi December,

I totally comprehend what you're trying to say, and although I have never been obese, I have taught lots of classes with obese women who have struggled. While the Les Mills programs are generally for all people and all levels and with options, there is a point where the programs are a bit too difficult for some people like yourself.

It annoys me when I get receptionists at gyms say to obese people "oh do balance, that's an EASY program", because it's really anything but easy for very obese people. In my experience these people tend to end up feeling humiliated, because body parts get in the way and the result is they feel so embarrased that they can't even do an "easy" program.

However, BODYVIVE is a program that has definately been developed for those people like yourself. People with injuries, new to fitness, have limitations that make it difficult to participate in the other programs.

As others have said aswell, pump is another great starting point, since you can easily start with low weights. Previously Pump was always the class that I recommended people like yourself to first, although Vive now kinda fills some of that gap, since pump can sometimes be quite intimidating for some people. Pump is a great way of developing muscle tone which in turn increases your metabolism.........combined with Vive I think that would help you get great results.

As for the other cardio programs such as jam, combat, step etc..........I would avoid those until you feel more confident and mobile. Yes they do offer options for "any level", but for someone morbidly obese the risk factors are likely way too high to start off with these programs. You're putting extra strain on your joints right from the start, so while your body adapts to exercise you are at much greater risk, despite the low options.

RPM I have to admit I can't comment as much, cuz I hate bikes and I'm personally not as familiar with this program. It's certainly much safer than the other cardio programs since there is no impact.

Sometimes people forget that you're already working at a higher level than others just trying to do the lower options, since you're carrying around extra weight. It's just not fair to try and compare yourself with skinny fit people! 

Just take it easy, enter into fitness slowly and congratulations for giving it a go! Remember, small goals, small steps. If you try to bite everything off at once you're more likely to head towards giving up. You sound really positive and determined though, so I hope you can continue to get to some pump and vive classes!
 

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Thank you everyone, for keeping me on the straight and narrow. I apologise for not replying earlier to give you an update, but honestly the entire planet was conspiring against me doing a BodyPump class, and one thing led to another and although I've made it to other classes, Pump just kept being impossible.

 

I am here to write, that FINALLY, I have completed a bodypump class!

 

And I hated it! I'm sorry, I know that you all hoped for me with this class but I suspect it was just this one time with the one instructor, so I WILL BE GOING AGAIN! My father always said "try everything twice - life might not go well the first time and if it does go well, then why on earth aren't you doing it more often?"  So I shall try again at a different class with a new instructor.

I told her I was new, so she told me to just get a bar, no weights. She said any injuries that happen in the class were our own fault not hers, so I must admit i started cautiously. 

I had three members of the class instruct me on what I was doing wrong because the teacher didn't seem interested in telling me (or anyone really) what to do, she didn't keep time to the music and her instructions weren't easy to follow. Tthe music was awful (repetitive dush dush music) and many of the exercises were just not possible with my bodyshape. I asked what number we were doing and she said 46/47 so I'm sure many of you know what class that is.

 There is a 6 min section that requires you to hold the bar behind your neck which I am unable to do at this stage (but I will eventually) and then later on there were lunges with the bar also in that position which I sort of had to 'negotiate' around. I did march on the spot whenever there were things I couldn't do.

At the end of the class were the 'ab curls' that seems to be favoured in all the les mills classes which cut off my windpipe and the leg/hamstring and quad stretches just aren't physically possible yet.

I must admit I didn't feel like I had much of a workout. Normally at the end of the class, I'm sweaty and clammy, my head is spinning, I'm seeing spots and feeling exhausted and amazing all at the same time.

Halfway through this class I wanted to walk out, and I finished it feeling sweaty and frustrated. My girlfriend went with me and she LOVES pump and told me it was the worst class she had ever been to, so I assured her we WILL try it again.

The instructor ended the class by saying that 'those who actually DID the leg workout and didn't cheat or just not bother won't be sore tomorrow but the rest of you will'. I felt like she was pinpointing me with that comment but my friend felt she was saying that to her, so maybe I'm just paranoid  

Tomorrow morning I am going back to BodyVive and I am still trying to get it on at a reasonable time at my own gym (I have to visit a reciprocal gym to do this class). I've also been going back to BodyBalance which is impossible but I still love it because the instructor tries so hard to find ways for me to do the exercises and is always encouraging me.

A lot like you guys are! I want you to know that I really appreciate the friendliness and comfort you have given me - I have received so many wonderful messages of support and goodwill - something I never expected to find here and something I truly treasure! Thank you for being the person that you are, that makes the effort to make me feel welcome and inspired everytime I visit here!

Today I am 128kg, 158cm and BMI of 53%. But with your help, support and encouragement I will get to 77kg and a BMI 35% by next January (still overweight but an improvement). From there, my goals can grow (to a healthy weight) but for now, I'm aiming for baby steps. I'm just glad I found you all who are helping me on my way!
 

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Hi, my first name is December. Really. It is.
Current weight: 118kg (and falling)

Sounds like some of the problems you had with body pump were due to the instructor; I bet if you got one that was more willing to work with you and talked to them before class it might go better. Also with just the bar I would imagine you wouldn't get much of a workout at all. I teach combat and attack, and have several very obese participants in both that attend regularly. Some people only start out doing the first half of the class and then work their way up. We don't have body vive at our gym but we have an "attack lite" class which is the class done with all the low options as the main moves and then the higher options are just shown briefly as the options. If you had an instructor who was willing to really commit to teaching all the low options, attack would be great for you to burn calories. Also, don't count out combat. The kicking moves would be difficult for you until you lose more weight but you could get a decent workout to start with just the upper body punching moves. Does your gym have water aerobics? That would be another good workout for you. Good luck and don't give up!!

Oh boy, I don't know where to start... as a new BP instructor, I'm a bit miffed that the person leading your class didn't act a bit more supportive, to say the least. Hang in there and try a different instructor. I'd be thrilled to have someone who has the hunger for fitness like you in my class, and I'd do everything I could to help you with options. Don't let something like this get in your way.

On the other hand, as a Combat instructor, I'm thinking a roundhouse to the backside of that person's head might knock a little humility into them.....they need a wakeup call as to what the point of this all is - and it isn't US as instructors, its YOU GUYS.

 Stay in the fight, girlfriend. You are gonna rock the house with your new YOU soon enough!

Good on you for giving it a try, and I really hope you do go back.  It sounds to me like it was an instructor problem.  I'm a participant, not an instructor, but I just thought I'd comment on a couple of things.

I imagine it's the squat track that you're talking about where you have to put the bar on the back of your neck.  I've seen a few people do both that and the lunges having the bar resting on the ground and using it for support for the exercises.  Or you could hold free weights in your hands for the lunges.  That way you'll still get the work-out for your legs and you won't need the bar on your shoulders.  Your instructor should have given you that option anyway because a lot of people with knee problems like to do the lunges without the bar, but it sounds like she didn't.

Starting off with just the bar isn't necessarily bad advice.  Lots of instructors will suggest that for the first class, just until you get the technique right.  If you didn't feel like you worked that hard, that's a sign that that you could cope with going up on your weights next time.

Hi December,

 Just read through your stuff again.. When you next go to Pump, have a quick chat with the instructor at the beginning if you can..it tends to be a bit hectic during set up so if you cant here's a couple practical of ideas for you.

Take  a bar and some small and medium sized weights. Think about the weights as shopping items. 1k is a bag of sugar, 2.5k, small bag o spuds.. etc..I find that a lot of women are more comfortable choosing bigger weights after a while when they think like this. But during your first couple of classes keep it light (couple o bags of sugar or a bag of spuds on eachside) and just practice the moves. 

During tracks that you have to lie down on..try rolling sideways off the bench on to your hands and knees before you get back up it will be quicker and a bit more comfortable..

Don't worry about squatting with a bar behind your neck..do it with nothing, you will still get a work out because you will use the big leg and bum muscles..once you get comfy with the moves you can then hold a weight close to your chest or use weights in your hands.

Lunges..again don't put the bar behind your neck or use a step. Hold the bar vertically like a saff and use it to help you balance. If you get uncomfortable any time go back to the  squat position. It's a bit easier and you will still be working.

Back track...clean and press..if you struggle with the speed of this move..stay doing the rows (the bottom half of the movement or upright rows) .Your instructor will show you or ask your friend to show you.

And push ups, do them on your knees and  instead of doing the same tempo as the class do a couple, miss a couple. you will get stronger without killing yourself this way..

I hope you get a better instructor next time and i hope the music is nicer too.

That's all for now...big hug of respect coming to you down the wire. Hmmmma!!

Hi,

I just read your profile and want to be supportive but also straight forward in what I think will be the best way for you to proceed.

Of the LMI programs, BodyPump is the overwhelmingly best initial fit for you.  Since you walk quite a bit already you have lots of muscles that are already well toned and developed, but others that don't get much use and most of the other LMI programs assume general all around muscle tone and strength.  BodyPump will find and tone everything that has been neglected.  Work especially hard on the abs exercises because these will really help with your "core strength" which is really necessary for the other programs.  Abs exercises don't require much movement; they may only appear as twitches for you initially, but the important part is that you are tensing and relaxing all of your abs muscles.  Get some extra help on how it should "feel" when correctly done from your BodyPump instructor.

Next program has to be cycling.  Why? Because it's essentially zero impact.  Overweight people are very susceptable to joint problems when there is any impact which initially rules out Step, Jam, Combat, and certainly Attack. If a recumbant bike works for you, skip RPM and just use it on your own, BUT SWEAT PUDDLES, POOLS, OCEANS OF SWEAT every time.  Also drink lots of water - it really helps in keeping your blood thin and easier to pump around..

The next program at the time of your choosing might best be Vive because with the slower pace you will have more time to reduce impact loading on your joints and also the slower pace will allow your heart and lungs to keep up with the aerobic demands of your body.

Which brings up the last point - Breathe!  It's really easy to not breathe properly when you're concentrating on doing something right.  If you run out of breath, obviously you're not breathing enough, doh!  So concentrate on breathing as well as everything else and pace yourself so you don't have to stop and pant!   

Good Luck,

Rex

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Excuse me... May I motivate you?

Wow - well done on your determination! Keep at it and great things will happen! I am losing weight for my wedding in December (well losing the weight for me really but it's a good incentive!!) and Pump has been really good for me. Although ever time i try a new class i get addicted!!! Haha! Feel free to add me as a friend and we can spur each other on!

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It's hard to feel fit as a fiddle when you're shaped like a cello!

NOT2fat4LMclass:

And I hated it! I'm sorry, I know that you all hoped for me with this class but I suspect it was just this one time with the one instructor, so I WILL BE GOING AGAIN! My father always said "try everything twice - life might not go well the first time and if it does go well, then why on earth aren't you doing it more often?"  So I shall try again at a different class with a new instructor.

I told her I was new, so she told me to just get a bar, no weights. She said any injuries that happen in the class were our own fault not hers, so I must admit i started cautiously. 

I had three members of the class instruct me on what I was doing wrong because the teacher didn't seem interested in telling me (or anyone really) what to do, she didn't keep time to the music and her instructions weren't easy to follow. Tthe music was awful (repetitive dush dush music) and many of the exercises were just not possible with my bodyshape. I asked what number we were doing and she said 46/47 so I'm sure many of you know what class that is.

 There is a 6 min section that requires you to hold the bar behind your neck which I am unable to do at this stage (but I will eventually) and then later on there were lunges with the bar also in that position which I sort of had to 'negotiate' around. I did march on the spot whenever there were things I couldn't do.

At the end of the class were the 'ab curls' that seems to be favoured in all the les mills classes which cut off my windpipe and the leg/hamstring and quad stretches just aren't physically possible yet.

I must admit I didn't feel like I had much of a workout. Normally at the end of the class, I'm sweaty and clammy, my head is spinning, I'm seeing spots and feeling exhausted and amazing all at the same time.

Halfway through this class I wanted to walk out, and I finished it feeling sweaty and frustrated. My girlfriend went with me and she LOVES pump and told me it was the worst class she had ever been to, so I assured her we WILL try it again.

The instructor ended the class by saying that 'those who actually DID the leg workout and didn't cheat or just not bother won't be sore tomorrow but the rest of you will'. I felt like she was pinpointing me with that comment but my friend felt she was saying that to her, so maybe I'm just paranoid  

 

Its a shame that you didnt have a supportive instructor. I do tell new participants to just use the bar to start with, maybe a 1kg on each side for squats, then judge how you feel at the end of the class.

In terms of your squats, dont worry about the bar on your back, on option is to hold it at the front of your body - called a front squat, a little harder  but you can still hold weight. the other option is to bring in some dumbells from outside. at the moment, you will be using your legs no matter what.

the chest track - if possible, put 4 or 5 risers under your step, making it easier to get up and down, use the bar to help boost you up, or get our friend to give you a hand

back track - like someone else said - if the c & p is too fast, just stick with the rows. Dont expect to bend all the way over just yet, do what you can, as long as you use your back muscles, thats fine

triceps - with the exception for dips, everything else you should be able to do

biceps - shouldnt be a prob

lunges - like someone else said, if they get too hard to you cant get into position, just do your squats. again, use the dumbells

shoulders - shouldnt be a prob

abs & stretch- yes you do need to work your core strength and its really important to stretch, so maybe you can leave the class at this point and do them in the gym where you can do other streches. speak for the floor staff to give you some ideas.

again, it is a shame that the instructor gave a bad impression. Hopefully your next class will be better. Everything you try the first time is odd, do the class a few times to get used it

keep it up

 

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Keep It Real

What a terrible class experience - I'm so sorry, on behalf of BodyPump instructors worldwide, that you experienced that. 

 I love your attitude, by the way. You truly are an inspiration.

:)

 

That does sound like an awful experience, but you really are fantastic for still being so enthusiastic!

If you can find even that one instructor you like it can make a huge difference.

When i first started doing LM classes i was nearly 40 lbs overweight for my height and age, and although i have never had any problems with the technical aspects of classes (except for when i get tired and become lazy :P) one instructor did used to comment on the fact that my weights were low in pump, and that to progress i needed larger weights, however i stuck to my guns and made sure i learned the correct technique before i upped my weights a lot. After this i wasn't keen on going to this instructors classes, as i felt evaluated and i really didn't like it, and instead started going to another instructors class, and she really is fabulous. I have a recurrent shoulder problem, which inhibits me doing push ups, and i find the chest and shoulder tracks very hard in pump, and cannot punch properly in combat, and where the first instructor just used to say 'do crunches' and i felt i was getting nowhere, the second instructor gave me alternative options, which not only helped with the problem, but also didn't make me feel alienated from the rest of class which can happen if you are doing something totally different. Once i switched just the 2 classes a week to the other instructor - it was amazing how much my confidence soared.

If you can find that one instructor, your confidence will have a massive boost, and everythig will seem a lot easier.

Your attitude really is fantastic though :)

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I was born ready!

Can i say it takes guts to go to a class when you are overweight I know still remember my first day.

I was 19 stone 42% body fat and on beta blockers and i was glucose intolerant ie pre diabetic. not a good place to be at 21-22. Body image was so low i had no confidence and was really shy! I started with RPM 2 times a week yes my thighs rubbed like mad thought i was on fire down there but stuck with it. As i got fitter i tried other programs like balance and combat. yes fat gets in the way but try not to focus on negatives you will find your leg strength like mine was so strong because we carry all this extra load! so standing strength i whipped peoples butts lol excuse the pun. combat and balance compliment so well as both encourage controlled power and fexibility. As i got hooked i found weight dropping off and with the aid of 1 to 1 training with my amazing pt i started loving how i looked and went to classes to show off my new me.

I won fitness first new you award 2006 in the male overall category and learnt to start teaching group fitness classes. I love it!

Now i have just done my first les mills course in RPM lol ironic or what.

 What i am getting at is fitness is never a destination but a journey, do not expect to go to a few classes and get your desired long term goals, instead make easier short term ones like, I want to be able to up my resistance by a full turn in 4 weeks time or i wanna do a round house to knee or hip height. goals you can reach and when you do reward yourself tell your instructor as i get a buzz personally when someone in my class goes i did it makes my job worth while big time

Keep going and if you want any advice just drop me a line i am not amazingly qualified in obesity but what i do have is experiance i was there and know how it feels

 Doing a great job keep going slimmer of the year to be

Thanks for your support, as usual it is very encouraging hearing all these amazing stories by such hard working fitness gurus as yourselves. I only hope one day to be as mobile as you all obviously are.

 Please dont get me wrong, I don't mean to sound negative, but from my perspective, I am not achieving at all - regardless of how many classes I have done. I'm not looking for a 'get thin quick scheme' but some major lifestyle changes and I felt I had gotten fit enough to attempt some LM classes but am finding them just too difficult at this stage for what my body is capable of.

I have been going to my gym for 6 months, and had a personal trainer once a week for that entire time. I started going 3 times a week until I was fitter and now go 5 times a week for 2 - 3 hours per session.

I have been on a calorie controlled diet for the most part and for the last month I've been on a strict 1500 cal per day diet using Lite N Easy. 

In all this time I have tried to lose weight, get fit, lose cm's and lower my bmi. Yesterday I had my body measured again for my 6 month anniversary. I've gained kg and cms and my BMI has gone from 51% to 53%.

I had hoped doing some classes would help my situation but most importantly, the classes need to be fun to maintain motivation and interest. I am loving Body Vive and Balance is good, but my body is just not physically capable of RPM or Combat or Attack. I have tried Pump a couple of times now as well as BodyJam, and although I can see how these maybe good for me in the future, they are demoralising because I cannot do a lot of the class and I don't get any sort of endorphin boost at the end of the class (all i can think about is calling an ambulance LOL).

If I thought a class was only worth a couple of tries, I wouldn't be continuing at this site, but I know that Balance and Vive are at least a stepping stone. I need to find ways to make Pump and Jam do-able or get fitter before attempting them. I've been very lucky because so many people here have tried to help me find alternative moves etc and I have found their ideas and suggestions invaluable.

Just right now, I am beyond frustrated and very annoyed that my body just won't obey standard physics. Stoopid body. Doesn't it realise I'm a beautiful person trapped inside a fat body? ;-)
 

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Hi, my first name is December. Really. It is.
Current weight: 118kg (and falling)

Oh and for the update, today I went to a different gym and got a 5 day pass so I could do pump and did it tonight. The instructor was MUCH better and helpful but again even her lowest options weren't low enough for me. I did have weights this time, only light ones, and I certainly felt it as opposed to last time but the class is filled with impossible moves and I just need to find ways around them.

I don't feel an 'affinity' for pump like i do with balance or vive, and know that like jam it's going to be something i'll have to work at to learn to enjoy. 

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Hi, my first name is December. Really. It is.
Current weight: 118kg (and falling)

well done for keeping us informed it is not easy losing weight.

 Regards to nurtrition talk to a specilist as normal pt's know basic nutrition which is great but few have got specilist qualifications, you need to make sure you get a good balance of all the nutrients you need esp if working out.

Do you measurements more often every month and aim to lose a couple of Kilos each month it will start to slow down as your body gets to near ideal weight

Finally if you are not loosing weight and your diet is good and you are working out seek medical advice to make sure there is no underlying problem stopping you from loosing weight best be sure!

keep at it mr o and personally i hate body pump myself but not everyone can love it or we will be robots, do what you enjoy and essentially that is what les mills is about and why it has so many varied programs. just make sure you do weights in the gym