DAY 22 OF FITNESS – BODYPUMP at Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta

People doing "Body Pump" workout with dumbells.

Wyndi Kappes

(L to R) Best Self staffer Alex McCray and instructor Renae Murphy

By Alex McCray

Name of fitness facility

Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA)

Name and length of class

Les Mills BODYPUMP – 1 hour

Name of instructor

Renae Murphy

What do attendees need to know before class starts?

If you’re a guest, you’ll have to drive through security at the front gate and show them your ID, then check in with the front desk and get a guest sticker. Be sure to allot extra time for this (15-20 minutes should do) along with getting to the fitness area of the center, putting your things away in the locker room or the cubbies in the workout room, and setting up your station.

How would you describe this workout? How does it compare to similar classes you’ve taken?

This was a great group fitness class. Even though the workout was all about low weights and high reps, it wasn’t like a standard aerobics class or other fast-paced group fitness class. I loved that it essentially turned strength training into cardio.

What muscle groups did this class work the most? Was it a great workout for your abs, butt, arms, etc.?

We used traditional moves like squats, chest presses, push-ups, and bicep curls with barbells and dumbbells to work all the major muscle groups. So be prepared to work your upper body, lower body, and abs during this full-body session.

Did the instructor do anything to make the class extra special?

Renae was an awesome instructor! She paced the class so well. Before we would switch to a new exercise she let us know a change was coming up. She started the new move with slow repetitions so that we got a feel for how to properly do it before we increased the speed of our reps. As someone that can be very uncoordinated, this made the class so easy to follow along with.

What was the most enjoyable part of the workout?

The music was super fun and I loved that all the exercise sets were set to a specific song. So once the song was done, you knew you were done with that specific move. I also loved the Les Mills equipment they have. The barbells and weights are incredibly easy to put on and take off, which makes a difference as you are increasing and decreasing your weight for different body parts throughout the class.

Any other feedback you’d like to give about the Les Mills BODYPUMP workout?

This is a really great workout that will get your heart pumping while also engaging all the major muscle groups. I would highly recommend adding it to your regular workout routine. Also, the MJCCA has so many great fitness class options to explore, I can’t wait to go back!

Details: 5342 Tilly Mill Rd., Atlanta; AtlantaJCC.org

Follow along with the rest of our 30 Days of Fitness Classes here.