Professional training and ongoing education are basic requirements for competent instructors but what makes a great one? The question goes to the heart of club member satisfaction.
For global group fitness providers, instructor excellence is anchored in the initial training offered to aspiring presenters of exercise-to-music programs. Carefully structured modules should lead to assessment, certification and then to ongoing education and advanced training options for instructors. And, there’s another vital dimension to instructor training – regular workshop conventions featuring star performers who can take their students to new levels of energy, charisma and technical skill.
Premier instructor workshops are essential forums for building a sense of family and belonging among individuals who are normally scattered across countries and continents. These workshops are key to developing instructors with a real capacity for building class numbers in their home clubs and gyms – and for retaining this committed personal following.
To achieve excellence in their profession, instructors should be given every opportunity to experience inspirational, leading-edge innovations in fitness training. Group fitness training systems with worldwide operations can partner with regional distributors to stage large, world-class training conventions with “rock concert style” sessions for instructors throughout the United States. With great music, lights and special effects, these events have a huge “wow” factor that can transform participants into fired-up fitness crusaders. The “exertainment” fitness training model, developed by pioneers of new-generation group fitness, is catching on. Mind-body programs have evolved from being yogato- music classes into holistic programs with their own distinctive identity. There is now a wide variety of exhilarating, motivational and ultra-modern dancebased workout programs. And, there are unique exercise experiences that provide a platform for achieving the highest personal levels of aerobic and anaerobic fitness through simple, high-energy movements.
As part of the “extertainment” fitness concept, some examples of the most recent fitness training innovations include:
• An energetic routine that combines moves and stances from a range of selfdefense disciplines like karate, boxing and tae kwon do to create a fierce, energetic experience which raises fitness levels throughout the whole body.
• A revolution in mind-body training that combines the best of eastern disciplines like yoga and tai chi with new methods such as Pilates. Controlled breathing, concentration and a carefully structured series of stretches, moves and poses create a holistic workout that brings the body into a state of harmony and balance.
• A cardiovascular program that uses a height-adjustable step providing a highenergy cardio workout which features high-intensity intervals followed by muscle conditioning tracks designed to shape and tone the entire lower body while pushing fat-burning systems into high gear.
• A dynamic cardiovascular intervaltraining program that combines high intensity aerobics, strength and stabilization exercises through which all participants can achieve their fitness goals by following simple movements.
• An ultimate dance-based workout which is an addictive fusion of dance and aerobic moves that unlocks everyone’s rhythmic and dancing instincts.
• An extremely successful group fitness program using barbells and adjustable weights to tone and condition muscles while raising metabolic rate for rapid fatburning. It’s “the world’s fastest way to get in shape.”
Great music and passionate instructors inspire exhilarating workouts that more and more club members are making part of their regular fitness routine, and that will keep more and more club members coming back for more. The “exertainment” fitness model is coming soon to the U.S.A. and instructors will have the opportunity to check it out at the IDEA World Fitness Convention in Las Vegas, NV on July 5.
Ian Ormiston is President of Les Mills North America. He can be contacted at 1.888.669.8876, or by email at ian@lesmills.com.
