Participants sometimes wish that group fitness classes had a digital display of calories burned like their treadmill or elliptical machine. Unfortunately, specific caloric expenditure for classes is a little more complicated! We have, however, reviewed the research and can offer you some AVERAGES concerning some of the Les Mills’ Group Fitness programs.

When considering this information, it is important that you understand that any number of factors can affect the numbers for you: Age, height, weight, fitness level, gender, lean muscle mass, levels of fatigue, general health etc. Yes – it’s a complex subject! Therefore, the numbers given for average calories burned should only be used as a guideline and are not intended to represent actual numbers for any individual. In order to better ascertain your own caloric expenditure during class, you could wear a correctly programmed Heart Rate (HR) monitor that can evaluate your individual HR performance as well as calculate your personal calorie expenditure in any given activity for a set duration.

Average: 411; Female: 339; Male: 483

In order to maximize the intensity of this work out, and as your muscles progressively gain strength and endurance, regularly increasing the weight on the bar is recommended. Also, perfecting the physical execution of each movement to allow for the most complete range of motion will improve your ability to maximize calories burned.

Average: 556; Female: 524; Male: 587

To make this class more intense, be sure to use the maximum riser height coached by your instructor for each track, but not higher! Adding propulsion, covering more ground, or sinking more deeply into the movements can further increase your ability to burn more calories.

Average: 463; Female: 405; Male: 521

This class uses no equipment. The caloric expenditure, therefore, is entirely up to you, the participant. Punch or kick harder, sink lower, and lift knees higher. These higher levels of intensity will improve your ability to burn calories in class.

Average: 582; Female: 540; Male: 624

Intensity is the key to burning more calories on the bike. Take every adjustment you can, use the recoveries as coached, but return to a working level as soon as permitted by your instructor. You can maximize the benefits of this class by working at the appropriate level through the entire class.

Average: 631; Female: 602; Male: 660

This outstanding, athletic class burns more calories on average than any other Les Mills format studied thus far. Intensity is controlled by the individual participant. Work at your maximum level for the duration of class, as instructed, in order to achieve the highest caloric expenditure.

We hope this information provides you with a basic estimate of what you are expending during class. Remember to always follow your instructor’s recommendations and blast off when he/she says it is appropriate. All Les Mills Formats are set up in working intervals proven to be most effective for achieving results. Now you know!

BODYVIVE™ is the newest program by Les Mills International to be released in the United States. Some of you may never have even tried it. For some reason, people seem to think this class is for the aging population. That is a misrepresentation. For this article trainers and instructors were interviewed about the audience and method behind BODYVIVE™. This program just may be the most fully integrated total body conditioning class in health clubs today. Challenge yourself to re-invent the way you think about BODYVIVE™, your body wants you to!

So, what is BODYVIVE™? This class mimics the feeling you get at a really great wedding reception after a few cocktails. You know all the songs, can do all the dances, and you’re having too much fun to worry about how you look. The first half of class is dedicated to cardio conditioning. Elevating the heart rate with low impact, high intensity movements allows for a wide audience. There are further options to raise the intensity by increasing the range of motion in the arms and legs. Functional resistance training is also part of this party class. Using the BODYVIVE™ ball and tubing, a lighter version of which will soon be available in the Midwest, participants work through their entire bodies while maintaining heart rates in the “fat burning” zone. Core strengthening, balance training, and flexibility improving exercises are all packed into this hour-long experience.

If you are a baby boomer, this class is for you. If your child is a baby boomer, BODYVIVE™ is for you. If you are the child of a baby boomer, this class is for you. If you are the grandchild of a baby boomer, BODYVIVE™ is for you. Jan Kincaid, one of the Les Mills USA master trainers for this program, wants you to know that BODYVIVE™ is for anyone with a heartbeat. She has utilized this format in family programming and even seen 3 generations of a family represented in class. In her club in South Carolina, they have used this class to encourage parent/child group participation. She notes that it is often the youths who challenge their elders to work a little harder.

Jan is an authority on the subject. She and David Spence, quoted later, conducted the largest BODYVIVE™ training in the world last year right here in the Midwest. You may recognize these names. Not only are they master trainers and international presenters, but that were at the quarterly in St. Louis June 14th (with 120 of YOU!!!) AND frequently present at MANIA conventions.

2007 was the first year for BODYVIVE™. It just launched in NE Omaha association of YMCA’s. There were 50 lives touched ranging in age from 16-70 something. Skeptics were convinced as they were awed by sweat in a low impact class. Some in their early 20’s, were shocked that they knew the songs, but loved it! BODYVIVE™ incorporates different moves than other classes. Even seasoned exercisers find that they are acquiring strength in areas they had never attempted to work before.

Jan Kincaid, wants to share a personal story about how BODYVIVE™ can be a great gateway class for new participants. During the trial period, a personal trainer brought a 30 year old novice to her class. The participant was extremely deconditioned; it was challenging for her to sit on the floor and stand again. She had poor balance & coordination, but seeing her face when she was able to complete class was the highlight of the quarter. This individual represents that person who would never have ventured into class if her trainer had not literally held her hand on the way in. She continued coming to class building on one success after another. After the trial period, Jan looked up one day and this participant was on a bike, about to take RPM! Today she is experiencing continued improvement in health and fitness and enthusiastically supporting BODYVIVE™ as the reason she can come to class at all!

BODYVIVE™ is great for novices, for those who need hip and/or core focus, for those who need recovery between intense bouts of cardio. It is simply great. Another successful participant of Jan’s is doing pushups for the first time in her more than 60 years after a few months of BODYVIVE™! If you haven’t tried it, you should. If you tried it last year, take another look. This program is about constant evolution in working the core, to restore, to strengthen, and to improve cardiovascular endurance.

David Spence is a former college football player, SCW MANIAc, and master trainer for BODYVIVE™! He wants you to know that this work out is not easy and requires that you pace yourself. It is excellent for people with limitations, but this program has none. He recently had a group of instructors in their 20’s to 40’s who were sore for the entire weekend of training. Between the isolation exercises, cross training, and cardio they were surprised by their level of exhaustion. If your participants need more, encourage them to squeeze through their palms and release their fingers when using the ball. Throughout class they should activate their entire core, shoulders and chest. The synergists work with primary mover muscles through the whole class. The intensity is up to you…sink into the movement, cover more ground, and get a higher heart rate!

BODYVIVE™ lets participants work as easy they need or as hard as they want! A self-determined workload, instructors who are excellent role models, and music to die for are only three of the many reasons you need to try BODYVIVE™ in your club. To learn more visit www.lesmills.com, call your area representative for Les Mills Midwest, or call 877-LES-MILLS. This is a workout your club can’t miss! KIA ORA!

GIVE IT UP for giving back! Sometimes we get so focused on maximizing a profit margin that we overlook opportunities to reach out to the people we serve. In this case, Gold’s Gym Battle Creek in Michigan was giving back to the people who serve us, the military. Read on to get ideas about using your quarterly launch for more than a party. The party is encouraged, and necessary, but creative, inspirational, and even charitable events can boost the relationships that will ultimately determine the success not only of your program, but your community.

LMMW: What is your title with Gold’s Gym Battle Creek, MI? Tell us about you, your staff, and your club:
Patty: I am the GFM since September and an instructor. I am also a Les Mills Assessor, meaning I watch your videos! This is a fairly small club but our classes are near capacity at all times. I was a free style instructor first, teaching for 15 years. I started with BODYSTEP 4 years ago, and have since added BODYCOMBAT and BODYPUMP to my certifications. Our members are mostly females in their 30s and 40s. Our instructor team has only one male, Christopher Cooley, but we are a very close knit group. We have a quarterly launch party get together. The last one was mechanical bull riding…WITH THE MEMBERS! Our team is passionate about fitness, we love Les Mills and the programs work well at our gym. Right now we have BODYCOMBAT, BODYSTEP, BODYPUMP, and BODYFLOW. Our first program, BODYPUMP, launched about 5 years ago when some of our free-style classes were dying. It is our Owner’s philosophy that ”FIT HAPPENS”. As a Gold’s Gym owner, Joel Potter feels like he is constantly fighting the “meat head” mentality. He, therefore, regulates a family friendly, all-inclusive facility. He encourages members personally and is driven to maintain memberships that are affordable. His philosophy and that of Les Mills are perfectly aligned.

LMMW: Tell me about Battle Creek, MI: Patty: It is the home of Kellogg and is known as “Cereal city USA”. It is kind of a small, BIG town where everyone knows everyone. We have a small airport and a National Guard Post. Our membership includes lots of military folks.

LMMW: Why did you want to do a patriotic event?
Patty: My intention was to bring more flavor to launches. I wanted to be more philanthropic with 1 or 2 launches a year. We wanted to give back and include members …not do FOR them, to do with them.  We did an event for breast cancer in October because a friend in the club was diagnosed. This launch was in response to a recent death in action. We just wanted to support our troops. We have one instructor who is a veteran: Amber Smoker. It was a very touching launch. We received thank you cards from members.

LMMW: What did you do and how did you do it?
Patty: 2 weeks prior to launch we posted a blank list and asked members to fill in the names of personnel and/or lost soldiers. It only took 3 days to fill it. Our members were so happy to have soldiers acknowledged.

LMMW: What did you accomplish for the troops? 
Patty: $1000 in phone cards was PERSONALLY donated by Mike Nofs our State Representative. Donations continued to pour in even after the launch. Local dentists joined our members by donating toothbrushes and other dental supplies. Members supplied books, magazines, candy, gum, feminine hygiene products, money for shipping…care packages, powdered drink packets, stationary….the list goes on! There was a tremendous outpouring of kindness. It was truly overwhelming. Kellogg donated POPTARTS others sent board games and DVD/movie collections. We realized just how much people care. Two elementary schools wrote letters to the soldiers which we posted prior to launch. They were amazing. The students asked honest questions: Have you ever been shot? Is it hot? Then everyone else kept sending more. We made a DVD to send over just saying thanks to troops! It was simply for morale boosting purposes.

LMMW: What did you accomplish for the club?
Patty: This time we didn’t keep hard sales numbers, but the owner is happy! Sometimes we include an open house with the launch for a more membership focus. This was simply a community outreach to focus on our military. Launch doesn’t have to be expensive or a production to be successful! We feel like our mission was accomplished, this event exceeded our expectations!

Les Mills Midwest wants to congratulate Gold’s Gym Battlecreek on a job well done. Reaching out to the community and giving back indicates a true sense of caring and character of which you should all be proud. Thanks for being a shining example of the good we can do with something as simple as a launch! Keep up the good work!

Please feel free to submit your testimonials to holly.rennels@mw.lesmillsusa.com

Submitted by Maria Kretschmann.

If you are looking for a way to reach untapped markets and increase the value of your BODYPUMP™ license, you might consider programming a BODYPUMP™ class specifically for teens. Consider the story of the Fond Du Lac Family YMCA. Read on to get your creative juices flowing for what could be an awesome fall schedule addition!

In this facility, teen BODYPUMP™ started after talking with parents of high school age kids. A lot of their sons were involved in weight training at school but felt that if they weren’t football players, they weren’t receiving any direction or guidance. Some had also heard from their teenage sons about the things that go on in a high school’s weight room and many were concerned about injuries. The Fond Du Lac Family YMCA became a licensed BODYPUMP™ facility this past winter. The director knew they had a great program that could benefit teens as well as adults. The class really started just through word of mouth. Throughout the entire summer, teen BODYPUMP™ was offered to both members and non-members at no charge. Classes met Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:30-9:30. The best day attendance was 22 students. They ranged in age from 14-17 years old. This program was targeting students in grades 8-12. Starting in the fall, the class will be moving to Tues/Thurs from 4-5:00pm. It seems to be a great time. As of right now, mostly athletes are taking part in class. The goal, however, is to service non-athletes as well, if not more so. The feedback from parents has been terrific. They are very thankful for the opportunity. The staff has been very pleased to see young girls feel they can participate with boys on a level playing field. This seems to be a huge boost to their confidence. This class allows all kids to be successful with exercise. Their athleticism, or lack thereof is not relevant in BODYPUMP™. That is what has made this program a success.

Les Mills Midwest applauds this creative use of the programs to reach a new demographic. Before implementing a program for teens, however, we strongly recommend that you require signed consent from a parent and a release from a physician. Congratulations on a wonderful idea! Keep up the good work!

Contact Maria at: mkretschmann@fdlymca.org