What? Do you ever wonder what you need to do with all those “cues”? Fear not, it will be spelled out here! Creatively cuing you to achieve proper posture and to engage your core is your instructor’s top priority. Without correct alignment and spinal support, it is impossible to safely achieve the results you seek in class. Understanding how to get there, however, can be a difficult task. Here are the steps that will get you there!

Pull in your navel, suck in your belly, engage your abs... these are the cues you likely hear a when standing to achieve a core that is prepared for work. What your instructor is seeking is the narrowing of your body’s depth. When in a set position to begin working out while standing, place one hand on your belly and the other in the small of your back. Now, bring your hands closer together through the action of your abdominal wall. By zipping “it” (your core) up in this way, you have effectively engaged the abdominus rectus which runs the length of your torso from sternum to pubis. All exercise is abdominal exercise if/when you properly engage. Training this area perpetually is the key to more than flat abs. It is essential to exercise longevity. This is how you “zip it up”.

“Locking it down” is slightly more complex. Move your hands to your natural waist. Now, while breathing normally draw your hands toward one another without pressing narrowing your waist. This causes the transverse and oblique muscles to brace the abs and fully recruit the “core” muscles. No other maneuver is more important to your low back than this tightening. It is critical for posture maintenance in vertical (standing) exercise. Know that when your instructor is using a variety of clever terms to get you to “turn on your abs”, this is what they are talking about!

Your abdominal wall (abs) and your core are similar, but not the same. The internal and external intercostal muscles support the diaphragm and breathing function. Training these muscles has an impact on both the width and vertical dimensions of the thoracic cavity. Effectively incorporating the intercostals into training will serve the functional purpose of improving the capacity and efficiency of each breath and the aesthetic purpose of a more defined V shape from shoulder to naval.

Sometimes known as the “boxer’s muscle”, the serratus anterior allows the shoulder, specifically the scapula, to move around the rib cage when throwing a punch or pitch. It supports posture, upper body mobility, and stabilization. Training this muscle will improve the ability of all the surrounding muscles to function properly. Since it works in opposition to the rhomboids and complements the core , this muscle also serves to further “pull in” the abdominal wall and improve posture which, of course makes one look taller and thinner.

The internal and external obliques function to rotate and flex the torso. The muscles in the obliques are larger at the top of the thoracic region and naturally and gradually decrease in size. The superior muscles attach near the serratus anterior and the lower ones connect into the large muscles of the back known as the lattisimus dorsi or “lats”. The very nature of the muscle is to provide the classic, desirable V shape to the torso as a whole and to support posture and deep breathing. Additionally, as a cooperative unit, the intercostals, serratus, and obliques permit overhead lifting by providing strength and stability in the torso.

Abdominal muscles NEVER work alone. Every flexion, extension, rotation, and stabilization is the result of intense cooperation between muscles. In fact, most muscles in the body require that the abs engage, support, or initiate movement before they can effectively move. The abdominus rectus is not typically a “primary mover”. Meaning, in daily life, it is rare that a move requiring only this muscle action occurs. Far more often, we need to lift a heavy object which requires the abdominus rectus to tighten, the transverse to stabilize, the serratus to release so the shoulder can move into position, the hips can then release and move into a lifting position and the remaining musculature of the core to react and support the entire movement.

Your instructor is trying to communicate all of this in a few short words shouted between directions. Cleverly worded cues are used to keep your attention and focus. Know that your instructors are “there” for you and that you can go to them with anything you might find confusing. Zip it up and lock it down…Now you know!

• DISCOUNT STORES: Wal-mart, Target, K-mart, TJ Maxx, Old Navy….the list goes on! Scavenge these and other discount retailers for hot red baby doll tees, tanks, or jog tops for BODYPUMP®. Launching something else? BLACK works for all programs…if you want all personnel to look alike. Of course, you know the program colors, but what about the branding?
• E-CLUB: allows you to reproduce the logos for screen print or embroidery to use in the club and/or to give away. While items that you logo MAY NOT BE sold, it is perfectly acceptable to brand them with the logos and provide to the team at cost or to give away to members and/or staff. In tough economic times, get creative. Don’t sacrifice a polished product…just dig a little deeper!
• BOTTOMS: need only match in color. It can actually have a lovely visual effect to have one instructor in a skort, another in capris, one in pants…you get the picture! Just go with the same color. Particularly for BODYCOMBAT®, it is simple enough to obtain camouflage pants from an Army Surplus store and “customize”. If you get creative with the bottoms, then go with a simple black tank for the tops.
• UNISEX: Maybe you have a man or two on your team. CONGRATULATIONS! No need to leave them out. All baby dolls have a male counterpart plain tee. Of course, brands like Nike and Under Armour make both masculine and feminine versions of nearly everything they sell and their outlet stores can offer affordable options that team members will want to wear for months after the launch.
• THEME: Themes are great. Doing BODYJAM® in honor of Dance for Heart? Let every team member introduce a red item into their wardrobe…no need to match exactly and all programs can work with the same color scheme for a worthy cause. BODYCOMBAT® against breast cancer? Add a pink ribbon to an all black ensemble and no one has to buy a thing. Of course, pink tees for the team is also cool. Holiday themes are also a great time to have a little fun with attire without spending a fortune. Disco, 80’s, Star Trek, Super Heroes…lots of interesting options out there that can be culturally relevant, fun, and inexpensive!
• NEW PROGRAM: If your club already has one program, but is about to launch another….get matching styles or mix the colors to show cross-program support on launch day. Anytime BODYCOMBAT® is launched, there is a camo tee to match any existing programs that makes a cool theme for the big day and also wearable options for the future!

WELCOME NEW CLUBS TO THE TRIBE!

Key Largo Fitness & Tanning (West) in Columbia, MO TURNED IT UP with BODYPUMP®, BODYCOMBAT®, & BODYSTEP®!

Cardio Plus 24 hr Spencer in Spencer, IA has chosen to STAND STRONG with BODYPUMP®.

ADDING NEW PROGRAMS...

Fusion Health and Fitness Club in Ann Arbor, MI introduced BODYJAM® the party class!

Ozark Fitness-Poplar Bluff in Poplar Bluff, MO has unleashed BODYCOMBAT®!

WELCOME ALL!

NEW BUFFALO…raise an elbow to the newest inductees who were pledged by Emma Barry herself!

Emily Clark, Randi Komisar, Breea Rayner, Robyn Hamilton, Melissa Schwartzman, Beth Ann Lawson, Bernadette Fortnum, Amy Sutherlin, Laura Morningstar, Stacey Miller, Geoff Smith, Fern Delima, Pam Vandermere, Neny Nelson, Robin Fisher, Lisa Joppie, Alice Schlaudt, Valerie Jager, Jen Rudnick, Tina Mayas, Reza Mollabashy, Dawn Pedri, Beth Moravec, Teri Hartzler, Becki Bottoms, Andrea Kelley, Cathy Grier, Amanda Miller, Morgan Sanders, and Melissa Harris.

Buffalo witnesses (previous inductees): Holly Rennels, Sheldon McBee, Ben Feliciano, Amanda Gould, Lori Lowell, Rick Suchek, Susan Trainor, Steve Koebecke, Emma Barry, and Sara Kooperman.

To find out more about the Buffalo…attend the next after party!

Ever wondered what makes a great launch? THIS is how you do it!! Congrats to Melissa Dresbach Fitness Director and her team at Great Lakes Athletic Club (GLAC).

Great Lakes Athletic Club is a 80,000 square foot multi-purpose club located in Lake Orion, Michigan.

In addition to over 100 group x classes, GLAC offers personal training and programs including learn to swim classes. We have two pools, outdoor and indoor, a multi-purpose gym, childcare, and a cafe. Our membership base is approximately 5,000 adult memberships.

Two weeks before launch, we put together a "BODYPUMP®/Les Mills" table. We had a tv playing the Les Mills promotional DVD around the clock. We also printed out the BODYPUMP® informational brochure and placed copies of it on the table. Info on our launch was also on this table. We also started sending out informational emails to our members. We used the widget you supplied to link our website to the Les Mills website. We also advertised a sales promo for that weekend only, and all our departments were on board and played a crucial part in the success of our launch.

Your marketing materials rock! We used the "Hero" campaign and made posters. We placed these posters around the club including in both locker rooms and outside our main group x studio. We also used the Hero guest pass. Everything looked very professional.

To build excitement before the launch, I had my BODYPUMP® staff teach 1 to 2 tracks in all their classes starting one week before launch.

Our budget was around $2,500. We had Les Mills buttons and two different types of shirts made. The buttons were worn by all staff a week before launch. One type of shirt was worn by management while the other shirt was worn by the BODYPUMP® instructors during launch. We also had a beautiful Les Mills banner made that we are able to use over and over again. Complimentary water, veggies, and fruit were offered during and at the end of all launch classes.

The launch classes (2 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday) were held down on our gym floor. We hired a dj to ensure the music was loud and motivating. My team spent hours practicing. We team taught all three classes. I put together instructor teams and supplied the teams with formations and information on which tracks they would be responsible for. We had a couple of dress rehearsals to go through these formations and transitions. It was a load of work but SO WORTH IT!!!

We have purchased an additional 5 Les Mills classes and are hoping to launch BODYSTEP® next.

Congratulations! STAY WITH THE FIGHT!