First there was McDonald's, then Burger King then, almost overnight, dozens more following the same franchise business model sprang up. Seems like this is what's happening in the fitness world now too, only not as fast. Let's face it, more people east fast food than go to gyms (sigh).
Imagine you're a member at a gym and you decide you're going to start taking some sort of group exercise class that interests you (it could be a kickboxing, weightlifting, yoga, dance, indoor cycling, whatever floats your boat). Your instructor has been teaching the exact same workout for a few weeks, and you've gotten it down almost to memory.
Now imagine you have to travel out of town to a few different cities. As luck would have it, the gym you're a member of has locations nearby. You notice the same class you've been taking at your local gym is on the schedule here, so you venture in and lo and behold, it's the exact same routine you were doing back home. Are you the kind of person that feels like you've hit pay dirt? Or, do you feel gypped because you were secretly hoping for something different and new? If you're the less adventurous type who doesn't like to venture off the beaten path, especially when it comes to your fitness, then you're probably relieved. You're probably also the type of person who prefers chain restaurants when you travel because you know what's on the menu and what to expect. If this describes you, then you're exactly who a new trend in group fitness is setting their sights on targeting.
These types of classes I'm talking about are known as "pre-choreographed." It's the same concept as McDonald's. Wherever you go to and take this particular class, you'll be getting the same exact routine anywhere in the world. The first company I saw bring this McFitness concept to group exercise classes was Les Mills out of New Zealand 15 years ago. Every Les Mills class, whether it's strength training, cardio or flexibility is choreographed by the company from start to finish. All the instructor does is memorize the routine and teach it as is. Every three months a new routine with new music is released. No room for deviation or for an instructor to adapt the routine as they may see fit.
In the early 90s, when I already had a handful of years of teaching experience behind me, I was offered to take a Les Mills certification for their class called, "Body Pump." I was mortified when I found out they wanted me to be a Stepford Wife and follow their routine soup to nuts. I called someone at the company and read them the riot act. "I know the people in my class better than you do!" I snarled. I continued on my rail saying, "When I see people are falling behind, I go back a step and give people a chance to get the exercise right, when I see the majority of the class ready to progress, then I move on. You want me to just follow the choreography whether people are getting it or not... whether they're ready for the next move or not? That's ridiculous! People may as well just follow a DVD at home if they want the same workout and consistency!" But that's exactly what they want and exactly what they do. Much to my complete and utter surprise, they've created a pretty successful business model.
As someone who spent countless hours in my novice years taking classes and workshops from more experienced instructors, who toiled over creating new routines and choreography, and practiced, practiced, practiced, it seems like a cop out to have a scripted workout just handed to you. My method of teaching is now referred to as, "Freestyle," meaning I create and design my own workouts, from boot camps to indoor cycling, to Pilates and bar methods, rather than buy pre-canned goods. I'd understand if these new instructors were working smarter rather than harder, but it's hard to make a profit if you teach pre-choreographed classes. If you're a Les Mills-certified instructor for example, you have to pay a few hundred dollars for the certification (unless your gym pays for it), then you have to pay for the newly-released workouts every three months. If you teach more than one type of Less Mills class, you have to pay for the new release for each format. Plus, going to their workshops are another added cost. Les Mills also makes money on the other end as well. Each gym that offers any type of Les Mills class pays a licensing fee to the company for advertising and other support.
There are other brands of pre-choreographed classes are not as stringent or as costly as Les Mills. Zumba, a type of high energy, Latin-based dance class, which is probably the hottest group fitness trend right now, only requires the instructor to get certified, stay licensed (paying a twice-yearly fee) and buy new music from them occasionally. The Zumba Academy classes gives you the basic moves you can use and tools to create a class for yourself. They don't require gyms or facilities to pay a licensing fee. They seem to make plenty of money selling DVDs and branded apparel.
There's no doubt that more and more of these branded, pre-packaged classes are cropping up every year, and it's easy to see why. In 15 years, Les Mills has grown to 90,000 instructors teaching millions of people a week in 14,000 health clubs in 80 countries. And in 10 years, the Zumba program claims to have 12 million devotees attending classes across 125 countries in 110,000 locations and also boasts having thousands of certified of instructors.
It makes me wonder if the "Freestyle" instructor is becoming an endangered species.
The difference between taking a class from a "Freestyle" instructor versus an instructor who teaches a "pre-choreographed" format is like the difference between eating at a fast food or chain restaurant vs. a gourmet or fresh from the farm restaurant.
Petra Kolber, the creative director for a new brand of "semi" pre-choreographed workout called Batuka says, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. "When you are presenting at conventions year after year, and you see more participants signing up for pre-choreographed formats and branded formats than 'freestyle,' you can do two things, dig your heels into the ground and not change, or see that perhaps there is a way to try and make a difference." Kolber is a preeminent force in the group fitness industry. Although her primary love is to create her own programs, she says she also realizes that, "for many instructors, they either do not have the time or are just overwhelmed by the process to do that for themselves." Batuka's premise is to "bridge the gap between freestyle and pre-choreographed classes." It began in 2005 in Spain, sold more than 1.6 million DVDs and is now just reaching U.S. soil. Unlike some of the other programs where you buy licensed music from the company, Batuka uses all original compositions by musician Kike Santander.
What worries Kolber about pre-choreographed classes is that the industry may be creating, "a generation of instructors who no longer know how to create and to make choices." Pat Soley, another veteran of the group fitness industry and the Group Fitness Manager at what was formerly Sports Club/LA (now an Equinox) echoes Kolber's sentiment. Soley doesn't agree with stripping a class of it's uniqueness which comes from the skill set and imagination cultivated by an instructor. In the case of Les Mills classes, well that cookie-cutter style wouldn't cut mustard at Sports Club / LA or Equinox for that matter. Soley says, "most experienced instructors balk at being that limited and most members (at least at SC/LA) would get bored and not take the class." However, she says, it's fine for a rookie instructor who hasn't "found their voice" yet.
According to Steven Renata, the CEO of Les Mills West Coast and one of the original partners of the company, says that's why Phillip Mills, the founder of Les Mills classes, created this model to begin with. He says Phillip noticed when it comes to freestyle instructors, "there was a huge variety of talent and quality, with only a handful of really great instructors." Phillip's goal was to "raise the bar." "Standardization is key," says Renata.
It's that word, "standardization" that gives me the heebie jeebies and conjures up the image of McFitness for me.
Renata knows that freestyle instructors see their "system" as creatively stifling. To that point he concedes, "there is still an important place for the talented freestyle instructor." But, he says, many instructors appreciate the support, training and global community" they get with being part of the Les Mill "tribe." And, as I've come to realize, "not every instructor wants to do everything on their own."
I just hope they remember to take off their training wheels.
Have you taken any of these or other brands of "pre-choreographed" classes? Please share your experiences, likes and dislikes with me.
Follow Jill S. Brown on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jillbrownfitnes
Les Mills programmin¬g has developed an incredible solution to GX content. And, similar to the Starbucks approach - members can now rely on schedule descriptio¬ns to accurately indicate what a class will feel like. (another good model is Bikram yoga).
My greatest concern is that this type of Fitness Education is simply feeding instructor¬s choreograp¬hy. GX instructor¬s no longer need to think about "why" the sequence is built as it is - or "why" the exercise is executed a certain way.
willPower & grace® is choreograp¬hed (in Phase I) but then as we move forward in the program - I challenge my instructor¬s to THINK - and develop progressio¬ns which make sense. There is not going to be more choreograp¬hy in their mailbox every 3 months - instead they are invited to explore movement and understand bio mechanics.
Personally - I DO believe Les Mills is smart GX programmin¬g for the masses - but let's not lose the independan¬t thinkers and movers. Life would be dull if all of our experience¬s came out of a box.
That is like saying because McDonald's have a lot of customers, they must be serving first-rate food.
Gym membership has increased over the years, but obesity rates in America has increased even more. Currently at 34% and predicted to be near 50% by 2030. If gyms are all that effective (based on increases in membership), obesity rates should have been at least on par with gym membership rates, and ideally should even level off.
Also... most large gyms on average have 5000-10000 members, but where are they? You do not see even half of them in a typical evening. That's because the average member only goes 3-4 times a month. Gyms thrive on this. They survive on the fact that most members do not go even 3 times a week. Otherwise, the gym would instantly run out of space.
Gyms are pressured to do whatever it takes to have members renew their membership, above all things. This is an inevitable fact and the key to survival in the business, otherwise you will be the next Bally Total Fitness.
To understand this concept, it is like picking 100 random people and tell them to do jumping jacks at 30 per minute for 10 minutes (same movement + same speed). Because these people selected randomly, we can expect them to have a wide range of fitness level, from the very unfit, to the very fit, which fits nicely to a bell curve. This is typically what happens in a group class, some are less fit, while others are more fit.
So what happens to these 100 people? The majority will be able to pull it off, but you will get some who gives up because it is too hard for them, and some will find it too easy and would want to go faster or do something more challenging. This is exactly what happens in a pre-choreographed class, only that there are more variations in movements, other than only doing jumping jacks.
if i had a dollar for every instructor that just yells "c'mon" "let's do it" (and many don't even express it with their bodies), instead of providing effective coaching aiming for greater technique for participants; or those instructors who are too busy staring at themselves in the mirror instead of connecting with the audience; or the ones that are simply too BIG to move with proper technique, just to mention a few... I'd be a very wealthy man.
I don't want/hope for things all be the same. i just like the quality control that some programs offer, including music/movement/training quality, which is visibly reflected on the quality of the instructors.
A gyms or group exercise programs greatest success is member retention, without it freestyle or not your classes will not be full and the retention rate will drop causing change. Group fitness is a opportunity to create a sense of community both with the members and instructors. It's a huge retention tool that inspires members to continue on their path of health and fitness. Who's agenda is it then, yours or theirs?
It's much harder to cover a freestyle class format than it is to find a Les Mills instructor to cover the "format" of the pre-choreographed class. Why? Because the fundamental structure of their favorite class will not change, only the instructor. Benefit? They still come get their workout and are exposed to the coaching style of another instructor. This creates potential growth for the other instructors classes without distinguishing their "format".
Proof is in the attendance. How many people show up when you aren't there - that's not a recipe for success of a program. That only shows the success of one instructor. It's called...............Diva!
Keep people motivated whatever way you can. Keep the gym full and classes growing. Les Mills does that, freestyle does that. There is room for everyone. Be open to everyones success not just your own.
I do agree that there needs to be balance offered at fitness clubs and that some group exercise instructors and members love freestyle classes, so 25% of the classes that we offer are freestyle classes.
I hope that Jill and others who share her opinion will give Les Mills another chance and see the valuable and important role that these classes play. At GoodLife, our goal is to help all Canadians live a fit and healthy good life and the Les Mills programming is one way that we are making this happen.
Maureen Hagan, BScPT, BA PE, IDEA
VP of Operations; Director of Education
4 of 4
Think of this: If there is a great freestyle instructor teaching a class at the same time as a mediocre LM instructor, who is going to have the bigger class (given it's a similar type of workout)?
Industry trend reports show that more members do more Group EXercise classes in our clubs than in any other fitness club in Canada. We also know that one of the key factors contributing to member and staff retention comes from our Group EXercise area.
Additionally, GoodLife has won international awards for programming in the area of Group EXercise for the success we’ve had with scheduling, programming and engaging members to participate in group exercise.
Maureen Hagan,
3 of 4 postings
It is important to note that the Les Mills programming is based on extensive scientific research and knowledge. The individuals that develop these programs are the best in their fields in terms of human anatomy, kinesiology, physiology, strength training principles, etc. The Les Mills Teams develop robust workouts that are proven to help people achieve their health and fitness goals in a balanced and effective way. The benefit to the Les Mills programming is that our members know that they will have a high quality group exercise experience at all of our clubs, every time.
There is a robust education component that supports the Les Mills programming. Group Exercise instructors are given outstanding education about how and why each class is developed the way it is and the instructors are taught how to educate their class participants.
Maureen Hagan,
2 of 4 postings
I lead the Group EXercise program for GoodLife Fitness, one of the largest fitness club chains in the world. I have many years of experience in the Group Exercise world internationally. At GoodLife, we were very careful and deliberate when we selected Phillip Mills and Les Mills as one of our key partners at GoodLife.
My experience as I travel and teach in our clubs on a daily basis is that our over 3,000 LMI instructors (4,000 Group EXercise instructors in total) love the Les Mills programming and flourish under this type of training. They infuse their own personalities and passion into their classes and members adore the programming and “their” instructor.
I think we need to refocus what we are talking about in regard to Group Exercise. There are a few things that keep people away from fitness and one of them is intimidation and another is not finding consistency and a way to make their workouts a regular part of their daily schedule. With the state of the obesity epidemic right now, we need to focus on the best way to get people moving.
Maureen Hagan,
1 of 4 postings
I think it is a stretch to say that "freestyle" is like gourmet or fresh from the farm restaurants. All independent restaurants are not "gourmet"! How about that greasy diner down the street? Given the choice, I'd much rather eat at McDonalds! There is >50% failure rate in the restaurant business. Independent restauranteurs that are successful are so because they have developed standards and formulas that are repeatable. Haven't you ever returned to a restaurant for a repeat experience of the most amazing meal that you had last time only to have the worst meal of your life? How disappointing! Standardization doesn't = bad.
You say it is wrong to go on until the rest of the class gets it - how boring for more advanced participants and limiting to those that are new. With Les Mills, I know the music and choregraphy and so if the instructor isn't delivering (which is rare) I have the tools and can push myself to the next level. I get the workout that I came for every time!
And isn't the point that we want people to exercise?
I am an eight grade teacher and in my class I also do repetitive exercises in math en languages because that's how we learn. I think that that also goes for my fitness. By the way: I feel great after a Les Mills class.