THERE can be few exercise classes that I haven't tried in my years at The Examiner.

I was there at the beginning of spinning; I've shimmied in a salsa class; tried boxercise and Pilates. I've rolled on, and off, an exercise ball; tied myself in yoga knots and even jazz danced, but I've never experienced Bodypump.

Devised by New Zealand Olympian Les Mills and now taught around the world, Bodypump has been phenomenally successful because it combines fat burning with toning and conditioning. It achieves fast results and works all the major muscle groups.

And it's now available at Huddersfield Sports Centre, which has bought into the franchise.

Bodypump is perhaps best described as a floor workout with weights. Participants are provided with a barbell and a box of weights - from 1kg to 5kgs.

The class instructor leads a routine of lifting to music. Every few weeks the routines change. This not only prevents boredom by the participants but also provides a continual challenge.

"Your body gets used to exercise so you have to change your routine to continue getting the benefits," said fitness co-ordinator Tania Fisher.

As one of the 18 fitness instructors at the sports centre who have been trained to teach Bodypump she is enthusiastic about the exercise system.

"I teach almost every kind of class but the buzz you get from this is amazing. The staff that were quite sceptical came to a masterclass and they are all talking about it now. The results you get from it are fantastic," added Tania.

Invited to attend another masterclass for instructors I went along to find out for myself what a Bodypump class feels like.

As the only person in the class who was not a fitness trainer I expected to struggle a bit - it's also true that apart from walking I've done little in the way of exercise for the past couple of years.

I was warned that I might experience some muscle stiffness and aching in the days afterwards.

But, much to my surprise, while Bodypump did seem to provide a thorough and reasonably challenging workout I didn't suffer much at all from the fall-out.

The thing about Bodypump is that you can do as much or as little as you're able. If you're already quite fit then you can use the maximum weights across your shoulders while lunging and squatting. If, like me, you're unsure of your fitness then you can go easy on the weight.

Bodypump is a no-impact exercise so it doesn't damage the joints and can't be compared to aerobics.

What it most resembles is a session at the gym using free weights, but a lot more fun than simply pumping iron. There's the group therapy element and the encouragement from the trainers.

Freelance instructor Sam Battiste, one of the trainers who will be taking classes at the sports centre, says: "One of the best things about it is that it's easy to follow and anybody can join in.

"There are no complicated routines and you don't need to be particularly well co-ordinated."

Using fairly low weights and repeating exercise movements fairly rapidly means that Bodypump is more about toning lean tissue than building large muscles.

"Toned muscle burns your fat stores. Bodypump is a better fat burner than cardiovascular workouts," says Tania.