Fitness Instructor Journey, Part 2: Online Training and Advanced Training
It’s the end of 2019 and I’ve got a shiny new BODYPUMP cert so my boss offered me a 5:30 AM class. It was brutal. I was setting multiple alarms, waking up repeatedly worried I was missing my alarm, coming home and taking naps. I don’t know how people work out at 5:30 AM. I trained that time slot a lot with CG as well and for a short time with an early AM cycle class when I first started with FC and hated it every time.
It was short-lived anyway, the time slot didn’t do well at FC and the class was dropped and I was back to no BP class. I continued teaching my other classes, subbing in for BP where I could, and hoping a slot would open up.
Then we all know what happened in spring 2020. I vividly remember my last cycle class. Hardly anyone was there and we were all super nervous and we knew shutting down was inevitable. We just didn’t know for how long. It was almost a relief when the gym shut down. I needed the time off. I was teaching 5 Cycle classes and 3 HIIT classes, plus filling in regularly for BP, SilverSneakers, and additional Cycle classes.
But now what? I signed up for a month trial of Les Mills On Demand (now called Les Mills+) and did some workouts at home. Eventually Les Mills gave us some royalty free BP tracks we were allowed to stream and I started doing a once a week BP class on YouTube, along with a once a week interval/bootcamp sort of workout I called “Total Body Tuesday.” The cats were regular attendees along with a couple of my regulars from FC and a couple of friends. I made it "pay what you want" and those videos are all still there on YouTube. (Except for the LM BP ones which were live streamed only.)
Eventually LM took away our ability to stream the royalty free music when gyms started opening up. But I didn’t feel comfortable going back at first and I continued on at home changing from BP to “Weights + Music” which used my own music (that I wrote mostly using GarageBand loops) and my own choreography with a similar concept to BODYPUMP. I wrote two full releases plus about half of a third release before I ran out of steam. Meanwhile, I was still getting quarterly releases for BODYPUMP.
Oh, hold up, let me explain how Les Mills works if you're not familiar. Les Mills is a fitness company based in New Zealand, started by a guy named Les Mills. (He’s still alive.) Originally just a gym, Les Mills son, Phillip started developing group fitness classes set to music. Their signature program, BODYPUMP, launched in 1990 and became a huge success (that I somehow never heard of until I started working at Fitness Connection). They have a ton of programs now. Here’s a little YouTube video that talks about the history: THE LES MILLS STORY
Each gym licenses whichever Les Mills programs they want to offer, paying a monthly fee to be able to present the classes. And as instructors, we stay current by purchasing four releases per year: the music, choreography notes, and a masterclass video. That’s how we keep our standing as instructors in our chosen format(s).
I returned to FC at the end of 2020 and as I was the only instructor coming back who could teach BODYPUMP at the Tech Ridge location, I finally landed a couple of classes. At first we were teaching the 45 minute format, which I had never taught before and was originally pretty uncertain about, but quickly grew to love. We eventually returned to the 60 minute format, bringing back more classes as well as a Saturday BODYPUMP with my Pump-bestie Vorani who I went through initial training with.
The pandemic afforded me a unique opportunity to really hone some of my skills. I think the online training really made me a stronger instructor. I had to find a way to connect without actually being there and I worked really hard on my programming each week for Total Body Tuesday. I also had some time to take some continuing education classes and got a new certification in TRX. I also took the opportunity to take Les Mills Advanced Training. This used to be in person and not offered in many locations, so it was great that I was able to do it online, which probably wouldn’t have happened without the pandemic.
Advanced Training was incredible. I spent the weekend online with an amazing trainer who taught me more about myself than about fitness. I examined my core values and worked through my limiting beliefs (still working, I’m not quite done). It was an incredible and transformative experience and made me a better instructor and, more importantly, a better person. I’m so glad I did it. Here’s the thing about Les Mills that’s different from those other experiences I had before where I was rejected. Their whole thing is about helping instructors become better versions of themselves, not to fit into some kind of model of what they think you should be. And that’s why I love it. That’s why it’s such a powerful program that connects to so many people. Even though we all teach the same thing, we are all different and encouraged to bring our unique selves and personality into it. Thanks LM for helping me to realize that being me in my classes is ultimately what would make me a success. Next up, in part 3, I’ll finally get to that LM Live report I’ve been working towards.
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