Date of Award

Spring 5-10-2014

Degree Type

Thesis

Department

Exercise Science

Director of Thesis

Charles Anderson

First Reader

Michelle Borkey

Abstract

My senior thesis project was to become a certified Les Mills BODYPUMP instructor. In order to obtain my certification I had to go through training, which was paid for by the University of South Carolina. Training was a mentally and physically demanding weekend full of lifting weights and learning everything there is to know about BODYPUMP techniques, choreography, and coaching. Afterwards, I had sixty days to send in a video of myself teaching the class to a group of participants in order for my teaching skills to be evaluated by Les Mills. I passed my evaluation and am now a certified instructor.

I have been teaching the group exercise class every week for two full semesters now at the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center. It has been a truly enriching experience. I have gained communication skills, become better at motivating others, as well as improved my own physical fitness. The BODYPUMP workout is a challenging hour-long routine of barbell-based exercises. The group atmosphere creates a sense of unity and is one of the biggest factors that make participants want to push their limits and work hard during the class.

BODYPUMP was created as a muscular endurance workout based on scientific research. As a supplement to becoming an instructor I decided to take an in depth look at the ways that BODYPUMP is supported by physiological and psychological evidence. I looked at numerous studies on resistance training and specifically on BODYPUMP participants. Overall, my findings were in support of the benefits of this training program. Through doing all of this research I was able to gain a more complete understanding of BODYPUMP, which has been beneficial for my development as an instructor.

Rights

© 2014, Meredith Pritchett

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