This Zumba and Body Pump class review is based on a Saturday training day that felt fun, emotional, sweaty, and memorable. I started with Zumba with Diana Saldanha, then moved on to Body Pump with Igor Angélico, in what became a very special end-of-an-era class.
If you want to know what it really feels like to combine Zumba and Body Pump from a student’s perspective, here is my honest experience.
Curious about Zumba? Read my Zumba Class Review: My Honest Experience and Why This Class Feels Like Pure Joy in Motion.
Quick Verdict
Zumba
- Intensity 1 to 10: 7
- Good for: people who enjoy dance fitness, music, cardio, choreography, sweat, and training while having fun
- My after class mood: sweaty, happy, energised, and completely reminded that Zumba can be a serious workout
Body Pump
- Intensity 1 to 10: 8
- Good for: people who enjoy barbell training, music-driven strength work, full-body conditioning, and emotional class moments
- My after class mood: happy, nostalgic, grateful, and aware that this Saturday routine had been very special
Class Snapshot
Zumba
- Duration: 45 minutes
- Format: dance fitness class with music, choreography, cardio, squats, rhythm, and constant movement
- Equipment: no equipment needed
- Instructor style: warm, joyful, musical, energetic, and technically strong
- My focus today: enjoy the music, follow the choreography, and pay more attention to the technical side of the movements
- Body notes: this class left me drenched in sweat and fully trained before Body Pump even started
Body Pump
- Duration: 55 minutes
- Format: barbell-based strength class with tracks from different Body Pump releases
- Equipment: barbell, weight plates, step, mat, towel, and water bottle
- Instructor style: warm, thoughtful, fun, generous, and emotionally connected to the class
- My focus today: enjoy the final Saturday Body Pump class with Igor and take in the atmosphere
- Body notes: this class felt physical, fun, nostalgic, and very different because of the emotional context
Track Your Body Pump Progress
Body Pump progress can be hard to see from one class to the next, especially when you are slowly changing weights, rebuilding confidence, or learning which tracks challenge you most.
I created the Barbell Class Progress Tracker for women who take Body Pump or other barbell based group fitness classes and want a simple printable way to record their weights, follow their progress, and stay consistent from class to class.
Good morning, everyone! How are you all on this wonderful Saturday? I am doing GREAT! Word has it there is a party today! And who does not love a party? Especially Suzike…
Today marks the end of a very special era for me. Instructor Igor Angélico is saying goodbye to Saturday Body Pump. I still remember when I discovered this 55-minute class and thought it was absolutely EXCESSIVE! There was no way I would ever last 55 minutes of Body Pump! “Are you serious?!” Until I tried it with Igor! What I thought at the end of that first class was: “WOW! What a fun instructor! I did not even notice the time go by! I suffered, but I loved it! I am coming back!” And so began an adventure of many WONDERFUL Saturdays, where I got to train, dance, sing, and NEVER STOP LAUGHING… Such good times in those classes. But do not cry, because I am not going to cry either. Especially since Igor still teaches this class during the week, at the same gym! I just need to reorganise myself to keep enjoying this incredible class!
Zumba
I arrived at the gym and at the Zumba studio door, as warm and welcoming as ever, was Diana Saldanha.
We started the class, straight into great music! Even in August, the room filled up!
I love every single song Diana brings us, but obviously, on the day she treats us to Me Gusta, I am absolutely THRILLED!
It is incredible that by the time we reach the last third of this class, I am completely exhausted. I leave drenched in sweat and wiped out! Anyone who thinks Zumba is just a relaxed workout is very much mistaken. At least Diana Saldanha’s version is not!
On top of that, today I started paying close attention to the choreography from a technical standpoint. The number of squats included is genuinely insane! No wonder I finish so tired! If you execute the movements the way Diana does, you are getting a serious workout!
I LOVED the class. It is always wonderful to train and have fun at the same time, especially with such a brilliant instructor!
Body Pump
I then moved on to Body Pump with Igor Angélico. Spotting more than one step on the stage, I could not contain my curiosity and went to ask who the guest would be. Igor said it would just be him and that we would understand soon enough!
I figured it out quickly: he had brought the best guests that stage had ever seen: SWEETS! Today I felt exactly like my students, because at the end of every school year I also love to sweeten the atmosphere! Now I know exactly how they feel, because this gesture from the instructor made me genuinely happy, it was SO thoughtful! This man is truly dedicated to his students, because as he himself said: “I spent my entire salary on these sweets!” Hahahahaha!
The class was SPECTACULAR. Igor brought tracks ranging from Body Pump 76 all the way to 126 (if I remember correctly).
Today marked the end of an era. Of magnificent Saturdays where I danced, trained and had SO much fun! I will of course continue doing 55-minute Body Pump with Mr. Igor, but on weekdays now, since he has gone all fancy and no longer works Saturdays!
And that is that! Suzike is now officially going into holiday mode. I did consider stopping training altogether, but I just cannot. I will keep going, at a lower intensity, throughout August. However, the written updates will only return in September. I am dedicating myself to lazy days and the beach!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE… who is actually on holiday…
Instructor Notes
Instructor credit: Diana Saldanha and Igor Angélico. They are the instructors featured in this Zumba and Body Pump class experience.
What stood out most in this training day was how different the two classes felt, while still giving me that same sense of joy and effort.
Zumba with Diana was energetic, sweaty, musical, and much more demanding than people sometimes imagine. Her choreography brings fun, but also serious work, especially when you start noticing the squats, rhythm changes, and technical control behind the movements.
Body Pump with Igor had a different kind of energy. It was a strength class, but also a very emotional one because it marked the end of those Saturday sessions that had become such a special part of my routine. The sweets, the humour, the music, and the track selection made it feel like a proper celebration.
From a student’s perspective, this was a memorable training day because it combined movement, strength, fun, gratitude, and a little nostalgia.
How I Felt After Class
- Right after Zumba: sweaty, tired, happy, and fully aware that Zumba can be much more physically demanding than it looks.
- Right after Body Pump: grateful, nostalgic, and genuinely happy after a class that felt like a celebration.
- Later that day: aware that this was one of those training days I would remember because of the people, the atmosphere, and the emotional meaning behind it.
Final Thoughts
This Zumba and Body Pump class experience was fun, sweaty, emotional, and memorable.
Zumba with Diana Saldanha reminded me that dance fitness can be joyful and seriously demanding at the same time. Body Pump with Igor Angélico felt like the closing of a chapter, marking the end of a Saturday routine that had brought me so much training, laughter, music, and consistency.
From a student’s perspective, this was more than just two classes at the gym. It was one of those days that shows why group fitness becomes meaningful: the instructors, the music, the routine, the effort, and the little gestures all stay with you.
Everything I actually use and love during my workouts. Tested, approved, and perfect for busy women who want efficient results.
- Group Fitness Class Tracker for Women (Free Printable)
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- Small Gym Bag: Compact but spacious enough to fit everything I need for my sessions.
- Shockproof Phone Case: Keeps my phone safe during intense workouts, because I drop it. More than I would like to admit.
- Smart Fitness Watch: Tracks my heart rate, calories burned, and progress, game-changer for my journey.
