 |
 |
|
Everyone loves BODYPUMP®! Instructors love the varied workout and stellar soundtrack. Participants love the challenge and the energy. Owners love launch and the money generated by group fitness when BODYPUMP® is in the house. BUT, what does one do when plateaus come or the challenge begins to lessen? No worries! Below are a host of ways to adjust your BODYPUMP® workout to ensure that you continue to progress and see results!
WEIGHT: The weight you apply to the bar is the simplest mechanism by which to alter your challenge. Adjusting the load regularly will keep your muscles engaged both to complete the working phase of the exercise, but also by recruiting more stabilizers. Be careful to adjust your barbell in small increments and only to a weight you can sustain for the entire track. It is also a good idea to make increases when your instructor indicates a track is shorter than usual or if/when there are options pre-planned. Often the chest track will utilize a little extra weight added outside the clips for a portion of the exercise. If you realize you have added too much weight, by all means reset your bar mid-track and try to finish with less. A good rule of thumb, once you have been taking BODYPUMP ® for a month or two, is to pick one track every new release in which to try to increase your weight. Adjusting as often as once a month should pose no risk. When you come back from illness or injury, be sure to lighten a bit for the first week to prevent prolonging the issue. You should be back to normal in no time! STAND STRONG!
 GRIP: Positioning the hands correctly on the barbell is of utmost importance both to your safety and for achieving the full benefit of each exercise. Perfecting your grip will ensure that you have a long BODYPUMP® life ahead of you and also allow for maximum load. Some exercises, i.e. dead rows, even have grip options that will help you utilize greater range of motion and therefore a more challenging track. Again, be careful to observe all the recommendations made by your instructors and to adjust as necessary to prevent fatigue. Be aware of the amount of “squeeze” you apply to the bar as well as the alignment of your wrist. Your BODYPUMP® team is ready with the knowledge and information necessary to help you get a good grip!
STANCE: Whether actually standing or lying on the bench, your “stance” in BODYPUMP® is merely a reference to your body position. Activating the core from warm up to cool down is essential. Good posture protects your back, hips, knees, and shoulders. It also allows you to engage more muscles in each exercise improving your calorie burn and overall toning. Instructors will encourage you to maintain proper form by explaining where your feet should be and which part of the foot should be “holding” your body weight. In the squat track, for instance, the weight of the body should be guided toward the heel so that the squat can be performed correctly. In upper body focused tracks, utilizing a split stance that changes half way through helps prevent long term over use injuries in the low back and hips. Heed the directions your BODYPUMP® instructors provide for body position to get the most from each and every exercise.
TARGET: Knowing the expected result of each track and/or exercise is key. This element of BODYPUMP® allows participants to connect mind and body for greater results. Studies show that concentrating on the muscle being worked improves the integrity of the workout. In those short stretches between tracks, be sure to pay attention to the focus of the upcoming track being described by your instructor. Intentionally bringing your awareness to the pectoral muscles prior to the chest track, for instance, will help you determine if you are working hard enough or if your next BODYPUMP® class will require you to adjust your weight, grip, or stance for a greater challenge. The numbered tracks maintain a consistent target from one release to another which allows participants to train their brain toward greater results.
MOVEMENT: Physical execution is the end all, be all of BODYPUMP®. You can have the correct weight, grip, stance, and target and still have room to improve your performance. Each movement has a beginning and an end. More participants have difficulty with this element than any other. Assuming that all the aforementioned components are correct, each movement should occur in a state of perpetual motion. This means that you shouldn’t stand quickly and take a “break” at the top of a squat or lunge. The challenge is in maintaining the movement to the full and exact beat of the music. Not wasting a single count will certainly help you achieve more results than “cheating” yourself out of a sustained movement. It is important to appreciate the lowest depth acceptable for the bar or your body in a given exercise. It is also necessary to avoid “locking out” any joint no matter what. Between the two “ends” however, there is room to fully engage your body for the duration of the designated counts to squeeze out every beat of exercise and therefore maximize the benefit.
 OPTIONS: If you are recovering from injury, have physical limitations, or are pregnant…you can still do BODYPUMP®. There are options that do not involve the bar, alter the bench angle, or allow you to use only your body weight for resistance. The simplicity of the workout allows instructors to employ a variety of options to serve nearly everyone in this amazing class. Likewise, if you are in need of a greater challenge, but are not able to increase the weight on the bar, more challenging options exist. Talk to your instructor before or after class. Your BODYPUMP® instructor is your greatest resource for information about continuous improvement through this amazing class!
Finally, in addition to these fundamentals, there are some even more basic elements of exercise to consider. Any workout can be impacted by altering duration, frequency, or intensity. Intensity, for BODYPUMP®, is the range of motion and/or weight and has been addressed. Duration is pre-determined. BODYPUMP® is 55 minutes and works the entire body. The express option is 30 minutes and should be utilized only for those short on time or in need of a class during a busy time. That leaves frequency. For optimal results, one should participate in BODYPUMP® 3 times a week with a day of rest between classes. If you are only getting to two a week, adding one more class might just be the change you need to bust that plateau. Now you know!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lots of questions have been rolling in about launch lately. It seems owners and managers are requiring the same results on a smaller budget due to market factors. Fear not, there is a way to keep the fun fiesta atmosphere without spending a small fortune.
 Decide three things: 1) Who are you trying to target in this launch? 2) What are your goals in memberships and attendance? 3) How can you meet them using only those people/businesses with whom you have daily contact? Answering these questions will allow you to focus your launch a bit and also measure effectively if/when goals are met.
Your target audience can be simply non-members or specifically men or members of a given demographic. Evaluate with your general manager, personal training manager, ancillary services managers, and instructor team where the focus should be. If your launch calendar revolves around holidays or seasons, you may want to rotate your targeted group in a pre-determined pattern. Other options are to determine your audience based on new programs being launched for the first time or to correlate with a new service available in your facility. Some ideas are listed below:
Valentine’s launch: Date night BODYPUMP® launch….create a movie room or some other “date night” option right in the club around this romantic holiday!
St. Patrick’s Day launch: feature BODYCOMBAT® &/or BODYFLOW®—the green programs. Even other programs can wear green for the day and the demographic focus can be either teens or seniors….persons wearing green to launch receive a free green smoothie and ½ off the enrollment fee. Could use “you’re in luck, we now…” as a way to introduce a new offering in the club.
Mother’s Day Launch: Creating a “women’s wellness week” around this important day is an effective, inexpensive way to target women. Local hospital wellness departments will likely volunteer to perform blood pressure, bone density, and other screenings in your center. Massage therapists are also usually open to short chair massages in your center in exchange for the ability to pass out flyers and cards. Consultants for certain make up companies will also provide mini-facials and/or make-overs in exchange for the exposure. Within your facility you will find dozens of opportunities to offer free things with this promotion or to introduce a new service like massage or chiropractic care.
 Super Bowl, March Madness, April fools, Tax Day, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, 4th of July, Back to School, Labor Day, Halloween, and Veteran’s Day all offer some easy themes from which to work creatively. Also, pop culture themes work well: Olympics, Survivor, Amazing Race, Rock and Ride (rock concert in the parking lot…rpm launch), of course there are limitless options.
These launch ideas offer some easy marketing themes that work to target specific populations. Knowing where you are NOW and where you want to arrive after launch is important. The new Club Count™ software can be VERY helpful here. If you know that you are not reaching men or seniors, you should focus your launches and programming accordingly. Set a goal for 15 new senior memberships, 10 new men in group, 35% of total attendance male for launch, or $1000 in revenue….the goal is going to change based on your center and the focus of your launch. There may even be times when the goal is completely unrelated to the club, i.e. charity rides in RPMTM, or lift-a-thons through BODYPUMP®. So long as the goal is known to all staff involved, then it will be missed, achieved, or exceeded! Set a goal, make it known, and get to work!
Finally, seek out help. Making launch a team/family effort among not only departments, but also members will lead to a feeling of mutual success and loyalty. For certain personal training, nutrition, massage, sales, and all other service departments should take part in the give-aways and/or discount coupons being offered during launch. In these times, however, think BIGGER. Include members who own or work for businesses whose products would be useful to your launch event. Ask them to provide prizes if they can, but even better ask them to set out sample platters (free food), set up beverage posts (free drinks), provide cups and napkins (free paper products), bring tables, chairs, etc.
You have all the resources you need right in your club to throw an AWESOME party at little cost.
 Consider your member base when you are planning your marketing budget as well. Of course, in-house, utilize the provided posters and banners. Beyond your facility, however, consider how you might reach a lot of people with little effort and cost. Is the local department store’s manager a member? You can probably get permission to distribute a launch day discount coupon in each pay stub. Often, school districts also permit this type of advertising. Are there any clergy among your members? Ask to be included in their bulletin, newsletter, or announcements in exchange for a group discount to members. Do you know the president of a home owner’s association? You can e-blast his neighborhood for special events or advertise in their newsletter. Get creative; there are solutions that you can afford if you are willing to go looking for them!
No matter what, do not forsake launch. Quarterly re-launch is a proven strategy for creating club excitement and member retention. Know who you want to target, what your goal is, and how you plan to arrive there. A little advance planning can make a huge difference in launch success, especially on a budget!
Talk to your club coach about the new launch kits available at www.lesmills.com!
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Jefferson Meadors, President of Total Body Fitness which owns and operates Powerhouse Gym Twinsburg and Powerhouse Athletic Academy, is experiencing the culture of Les Mills . We want to publicly welcome the founder of Powerhouse Athletic Academy and Retired Professional Strongman to the Les Mills Midwest TRIBE. This facility broke from another pre-choreographed company after learning what products LMI had to offer and finding out the level of service LMMW provides.
It is going GREAT! Jefferson says, “We will launch with RPM®, BODYPUMP®, BODYSTEP® and BODYFLOW®. We will add BODYATTACK® and BODYCOMBAT® early 2009. We are located in Twinsburg Ohio - Between Cleveland and Akron. We are a 24 hour facility with over 31,000 square feet. We have 4 studios and the very best group of instructors anywhere.”
WELCOME TO THE TRIBE Jefferson. We know your instructors are thrilled to have your support and to know that you are looking out for them. Great instructors teaching the best suite of pre-choreographed programs around—that sounds like a formula for success! CONGRATULATIONS!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Another recent “switch back” is CLUB 24 by Powerhouse in Kokomo, IN. They are also seeing HUGE results with Les MillsTM branded, outstanding programs!
Tara Galles says, “After we switched back to Les Mills, our launches were at capacity, sign up only. A lot of interest has been generated in Group Exercise right now and we look forward to giving them great quality classes through Les Mills as we watch our numbers continue to grow. Our sales team met their membership goal for Jan and attributed it largely to the buzz Les Mills has generated in the club!”
Here Tara just can’t stop gushing about HOW they made their incredible journey back to Les Mills: “We hung the orange ‘now featuring Les Mills’ signs literally everywhere,
wallpapering the place with the 8.5x11s--it was abnoxious! We ran the 30 sec video clips (2 for each program) on a TV out front which generated some excitement and lots of questions about Les Mills!”
“Jean (club coach) has been helpful and the transition smooth. Members say they like the music in BODYPUMP® better and  think the workout is tougher. Members definitely like BODYSTEP® better and we have a lot of old steppers returning to step stating the Les Mills choreography is easier to follow! Members are stating that they sweat more in BODYVIVE® than they thought they would in a low impact class, this is a perfect class for our demographic. BODYFLOW® is a new program and being received well.”
This club has seen tremendous participation growth and has used the re-introduction of Les Mills programming to generate sales and energy in every department!
WELCOME TO THE TRIBE…..THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT! |
|
|
|
|
|
Here at LMMW we want to make sure we acknowledge success and appreciate those who embrace the culture of Les Mills. We have featured the Scott Family YMCA before as an innovator in implementing the programs. Read on to see just what they’ve done since they caught the Les Mills fever!
The Les Mills programs have taken the Quad Cities by storm offering programs in all four of our YMCAs. The Davenport Branch of the Scott County Family Y began the first of many Les Mills programs in the fall of 2007 with BODYPUMP®. Momentum built as our Fitness Director, Annie Schaefer couldn’t stop talking about what an unbelievable program this was. With a very poor group fitness schedule and very few participants we needed a make-over and with Annie’s leadership and the BODYPUMP® program we opened new doors and began changing lives forever.
 The BODYPUMP® program alone at the Davenport Family YMCA served over 13,000 people last year, we added BODYSTEP® in the spring of 2008 and the talk of Les Mills became known at our other three YMCA branches. Members from other YMCA branches would drive to ours so they could participate in these life changing classes. Excitement continues every three months with our launches between crazy afro wigs, or a boxing ring the members really look forward to everyone comes on launch day!
Thanks to Annie, Jenn Siefert, our wonderful instructor’s, and our awesome members we now provide BODYPUMP®, BODYSTEP®, RPM®, BODYFLOW®, BODYATTACK®, and BODYVIVE® at our four different YMCA’s. We are the only Les Mills Club in the Quad Cities and continue to look at new ways of serving our members. With the great support of Les Mills Midwest the Scott County Family Y has and will continue to change thousands of lives!
CONGRATULATIONS to the Scott Family YMCA. We are proud of you and hope you continue to grow with Les Mills!
KIA KAHA!
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
