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Range of Motion is a commonly used term that is not always fully understood. What is range of motion? It is the range through which a joint can be moved. This finite path of movement can be altered by inactivity, poor flexibility, disease processes (Lupus, arthritis), injury, age, and other factors. When new to a class or exercise, it is possible that you will experience a restricted range of motion. Your ability to improve your range will be determined by your continued participation in the exercise.
Common difficulties in movement can sometimes be attributed to unrealistic expectations. If, for instance, you are in BODYCOMBAT® and your 20 year old instructor can extend a kick well above his/her head, your hip level kick may feel restricted. In actuality, if you are older, of a different gender, have been inactive or have many conditions, your hip level kick may represent a full and appropriate range of motion for you. That is not to say that you cannot increase your range. Certainly as your flexibility, balance, and adherence improves, so will the height of your kick.
Body awareness can also lead to a misperception of one’s own range of motion. The ability to accurately move one’s body through space with purpose is a skill, not a gift. Many participants struggle to connect the picture in their mind to the actual movement produced in their body. Overcoming this disconnect can only be accomplished with practice and repeated attention to the movement. That is to say that if your hips do not move as you’d like them to in BODYJAM®... you will have to do more BODYJAM® in order to obtain the ability to move as you would like!
Another difficulty class participants encounter is a prior bad habit. BODYPUMP® probably offers the best examples. Biceps curls are an exercise we have all done in school or sculpt class and many of us have been poorly coached. The appropriate range of motion (ROM) is knuckles brushing the thighs at the bottom  (90% extension) to a fist’s distance from the shoulder at the top (90% flexion). Instructors see everything from “bouncing” bars off shoulders and thighs to less than 50% ROM. Communicating ALL the necessary cues to get all participants into the proper range is no easy task. If you think you have a bad habit, watch yourself in the mirror and listen carefully to range cues from your instructor. Connecting mind and body instead of zoning out assuming you know how to do an exercise is your first line of defense against forming potentially harmful habits.
If you want to improve your range of motion in ANY class or exercise, talk to your instructor. We have all been there: Wanting to kick a little higher, squat a little deeper, extend a little more, or move a littler “freer”. You likely can improve with a little extra attention to your joints and your form. Maximizing your range of movement will ultimately impact the intensity of your work out and the flexibility you are able to maintain for a lifetime. Never underestimate the power of your mind to improve your performance. Plug in and watch your range of motion improve! Now you know!
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Why did you choose Les Mills systems?
Les Mills made perfect sense to us being in the university setting. We have always wanted our student instructors to get top of the line industry experience and be able to outsource to other instructors in the area (this has allowed us to do so). BODYPUMP® let’s our participants experience world class group fitness. College is a wonderful time to gain healthy habits and education that will last a lifetime. Not only do we “infect” our students, but our faculty and staff as well. The Les Mills systems have assisted CU with gaining new experiences, having fun events, working with an elite team, and always learning makes the Les Mills system the obvious choice. Our class numbers have grown since we implemented/launched BODYPUMP®. And we have students/faculty and staff joining because of BODYPUMP®/Les Mills. Our goal as we expand our fitness at CU is to add more Les Mills programs. For 2010 we are looking to have a new fitness building with over 3 multipurpose rooms. Our University sees this as our chance to expand with the Les Mills programs.
How’s the customer support?
I have never worked with such accommodating people. Every time I need something our Business Rep and Club Coach (same person) is there. Not to mention she is a US BODYPUMP® trainer and one of my instructors.
 And the marketing?
It is great to have so many options for marketing materials at our fingertips! From class passes to launch posters, instructor recruitment materials to motivational banners, there is no way we could even come close to creating on our own the resources we have through eClub and in the Launch Kit.
Do you love the music?
The music is awesome, driving, and energetic. And if you don’t like it, YOU have the power to change it as you mix releases! Make a song suggestion!
DVD, CD, choreography…
Everything you need to make your class experience a world class group fitness program is there! The education resources are incredible and really assist in the upskilling of the Les Mills instructors.
What do your members say about Les Mills?
Our students/faculty/staff - LOVE BODYPUMP®. They feel inspired by the programs and attend as regularly as they can. They are all asking for MORE BODYPUMP® on the schedule and that is what we want to give them for FALL 2009.
What program you will be adding next?
We want to add BODYCOMBAT®, RPM® or BODYJAM® next!
What changes have you seen in your facility, instructors and members, since you brought Les Mills into your facility?
The changes are amazing! We have a constant buzz about how wonderful BODYPUMP® is! I continually hear students talking about the challenging workout they receive and the great results! The Staff and Faculty Members are excited to try the classes because it’s in a safe, monitored environment with trained, skilled instructors. They also appreciate that BODYPUMP® is a well-balanced workout that gives them results without having to figure out weight equipment from the weight room! The instructors love coaching to a wide variety of members ranging from age and ability. The program is contagious to everyone that tries it!
Do you have a University or college in your town? Sorority specials and cooperative arrangements with campus outreach centers can drive a new demographic to your center. Contact your club coach for more information!
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Riding to higher profits!
Recently Les Mills Midwest has had a number of phenomenal RPM® launches that have led to amazing numbers in this challenging class. Launching this program effectively is essential to its success. Also, RPM® offers one of those rare opportunities for fee based programming to generate revenue. Read on!
 From Joy Grove, Five Points Washington in Washington, IL
”…We painted the road with chalkboard paint so the members can write their favorite motivational sayings on the road, or they can leave notes for other members, or we can post race results, whatever it may be! We also have a somewhat large 'chalkboard' on one wall that we can write on! Also put in a sweet stereo system and have a blue light to ride in!
During the Grand Opening week, every time a member came to a RPM® class they got the chance to enter their name into a drawing for an awesome prize from a local cycling shop. The more classes they attended, the better their chances! There was a female winner and a male winner.
Also, at the end of the Grand Opening week, we started a Winery Bike Tour. Each RPM® class a member attends gets them closer and closer to their destination. They have to get to a certain amount of wineries which are located around our area. First person to reach the final winery wins! There will also be a 2nd and 3rd place winner. Prizes were donated by local wineries and include bottles of wine and a trip to the winery for a group of people at a prize value of $75-$100!!!
The RPM® classes have been filled up almost EVERY class!”
Amy Sutherlin from Southeast Missouri Hospital - HealthPoint Plaza has a similar success story…”7 RPM® classess, all full, Friday the 13th theme, Launch is a rockin’!”
Mandy Eddy says that Ozark Fitness’s launch also went “very well”…lots of excitement, new members and fun.
RIDE IT LIKE ITS STOLEN LADIES! CONGRATULATIONS! |
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And so the debate rages on! MUST a person be an instructor in order to be a good group fitness manager? Is it best to have someone outside the studio creating the schedule and managing the budget? The answer is complicated. Long ago, the group exercise “manager” was little more than the most popular instructor who gave herself all the best time slots, her friends the next most preferred, and stuck everyone else in the left overs. Those days, we hope, are gone, but the question remains: should the GFM be an instructor? The answer: it depends!
Some instructors are excellent schedulers, budgeters, event planners, number crunchers, record keepers and report givers. Others are not. Just as some are capable of teaching, personal training, coaching and managing…many more are singular in their ability and desire. If you are a GFM, aspire to be, or need to hire one…look below for some important qualities to seek and those to avoid in the “right” person for the job.
 INSTRUCTOR: While it is desirable for the GFM to understand group fitness, instructing it is not entirely necessary. Participating, however, should not be optional. In order to effectively lead a department, one must fully understand it. Instructors are privy to information managers will simply never receive. The relationships developed within the group exercise department are personal and unique. The person you place in “charge” of the department should certainly be able to appreciate the dynamics within it.
SCHEDULER: At one time, general managers and club owners perceived the GFM as merely the “schedule maker” of the department. This is one very important component of the job and it is not as easy as it sounds. The average group exercise division offers 35 classes in 8 formats utilizing 12-15 instructors each week. Those instructors are going to have other jobs or teaching gigs, kid activities, clients, and/or travel obligations around which the scheduler must work. Evidence of the ability to organize, prioritize, and have a spine must be evident in this person. Selfishness, unwillingness to “sub” for others, and ownership over a group of members are attributes to ABSOLUTELY AVOID!
BUDGETER: Though not all clubs afford the GFM a specific budget with which to work, overstepping the presumed “budget” will most certainly create problems. Money can be a difficult topic of conversation. Asking for it, denying it, understanding it, and making use of it are all required of the GFM. The ability to negotiate, plead a case, say “no” to a co-worker, and develop creative solutions are required of the GFM. Neither the overtly stern nor the obviously weak will work in this position.
EVENT PLANNER: Although not entirely the responsibility of the GFM, event planning cooperatively with management is necessary. Everything from charity events to quarterly launches to member appreciation will require the presence of the GFM and his/her department. Many times, events will be among the “other duties as assigned” that ultimately fall to this person. Planning requires the ability to set a calendar, meet deadlines, arrange door prizes and catering, and get the entire facility on board. Creativity, cooperation, and leadership are necessary in this person. Procrastinators need not apply!
NUMBER CRUNCHER: It is no longer acceptable to merely know that 300 people are taking your 30 classes in any given week yielding an average of 10 participants per class. Most managers/directors/owners want to know cost per head, membership attributable to your department, and the net profit/loss of the group exercise department. Being able to make use of CLUB COUNT, an excel chart, and/or in-house reports to extrapolate the requisite “numbers” is one of the key components of the GFM job. Fortunately, club coaches are always available to help. Individuals who do not pay attention to detail are likely not well suited to the task.
 RECORD KEEPER: This part of the job is part personal organization and part personnel management. The GFM’s ability to keep records is directly dependent on the records kept by others. Everything from signing into class to class counts to tracking subs is necessary. Helping others “remember” to do their jobs will make yours easier. Persons with short fuses are not advised to take on this part of the job. The ability to remind and remind again with patience and kindness is required!
REPORT GIVER: This particular duty is the culmination of all the other roles and requirements of the GFM. Can you intelligently discuss and defend your department and its necessity within the facility? In order to do so, you must be able to provide written evidence in terms of records, numbers, budgets, events, memberships, schedules and personnel. Additionally, depending on the size and nature of your employer, efficacy standards may be imposed and you will have to deliver oral and/or written proof of your ability to meet the needs of the people you serve. Individuals who become angered easily or who are extremely defensive are not well suited to this role. It is imperative to be the consummate professional and never take anything personally.
Overwhelmed? Then you are probably already a GFM. Teaching or not teaching is only a minor detail for the GFM. The ability to provide a lot of information in many forms to various persons to validate your existence is far more important. It is imperative that you are liked and respected, that you perform at a level that will help you maintain the popularity and support of your team of instructors and management alike. A GFM’s work is never done…but it is a LOT of fun! |
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