A Brief Guide to the Interweb for Les Mills Instructors – Updated 2023 Version

There’s a file on the official page on the Book of Face telling you all the launch dates. If you ask for the launch date on the inter web chat pages you will be directed to the file and a huge debate will ensue.
Launch dates are recommendations only and you should probably follow your clubs guidelines. Or you could ask for advice on the inter web and a huge debate will ensue.
You can just mention the words Ongoing Development Point or Pandora’s Box and a huge debate shall ensue. They don’t really need to be in any particular context.
If an instructor does something that you don’t agree with you could message that instructor direct about it. Or you could post a vague post on the inter web and a huge debate will ensue.
The number for the office can be found on the Google and if you ask for it on the social inter web pages people will simply redirect you to this page or tell you to use the chat box and a huge debate will then ensue.
You should not rely on the app as a teaching tool (which confuses me because it has a playlist button but what do I know). If you do rely on it and it doesn’t work and you mention this on a social inter web page a huge debate will ensue… and you’ll be told you should also take another fifty two alternate ways to play music in case the first fifty one all fail. One could be a violin on which you could play the release on yourself if the app fails because let’s face it playing a violin whilst doing a burpee (sorry a sprawl) is probably more reliable than using the app, which is only a learning tool. I repeat it is only a learning tool…
Does anyone like the new releases? Ask on the inter web if you would like a huge debate to ensue.
When do you start to mix? Now you could go off LM guidelines or feedback from your classes, or you could ask the inter web and a huge debate will ensue.
How do you book a webinar you wonder? Surely that could be asked on a inter web page without causing a debate… try it…
You could also ask why there are no face to face quarterlies anymore on the interweb should you wish a debate to ensure (it’s in no way a cost cutting measure by Les Mills one can be assured).
If you decide to ask why there are no face to face quarterlies anymore you will be told by at least 326 people that they far prefer online webinars. Remember on the social pages of the interweb that some people have not yet realised that they can like something and someone else can like something else and that these things can in fact co-exist.
You should probably have by now bought an entire wardrobe of Adidas and burnt all your Reebok on a bonfire with a Reebok clad Guy on top. Please remember to thank Adidas for your new clothes that you did in fact pay for on the social interweb or it doesn’t count.
Where’s Dan?

* Please note this intended to be a joke and not to cause offence or start a debate on the inter web in any way.

* Also if anyone knows the best trainers for Body Attack now that Reebok trainers are awful please let me know…

Les Mills Launches Are Coming

For the Les Mills Instructors among us launches are coming!

One thing that keeps cropping up in conversation this week is how hard it is to keep on top of your training, nutrition and positive habits whilst also learning new choreography.

Here’s my ideas for getting through the next 10 days of cramming and still feel good about YOU:

1. If you can, meal prep once a week, that’s going to mean you have good choices ready to grab and stick in the microwave and reduce the chances of getting a takeaway when you are tired and busy cramming.

2. Same with snacks – have lots of good snacks to hand because learning chorey always makes you want to snack – FACT!

3. Another option for these two weeks each quarter is order a week or two of meal prep to completely avoid the stress of thinking about food yet stay on track! If you’re prone to buying food rather than planning when you are busy leaning the new stuff this could actually end up more cost efficient anyway.

4. If you’re short of time drop out the cardio element in your training sessions and use your physical practice sessions as your cardio. Added bonus is that going all out at least once when practicing the new releases means you’ll be prepared for how it’s going to feel on launch day!

5. Don’t be an all or nothing person…

Do you know what positive habits you practice daily? Perhaps you have a great morning or evening routine or drink a pint of water upon waking, maybe you always pack your bag the night before. ALL those little things help add up to a positive mindset and approach to your health. IF you don’t train for a week or end up going over your calorie goal a few times you haven’t gone off the rails and lost all progress / fitness levels – keep up with those little daily habits and everything will still be in place for you post launch!

6. You are in control – one of the best ways to make lifestyle changes is to create systems. One systems could be to take some time to plan in appointments for when you will learn chorey and stick to those appointments. Feeling more in control of how you use your time can help reduce stress levels even if you’re still crazy busy!

7. Don’t create undue stress for yourself- you’ve got new stuff to learn. So the week or two before launch I like to go back to my go to tracks, the ones I know in my sleep- you haven’t got to add extra pressure to yourself by learning members requests or extra tracks for your current mix if you’re already feeling pressure (be honest the ones you know in your sleep are actually probably the members favourites anyway, hence why you know them so well!)

8. Sleep. Sleep helps you retain information – being tired doesn’t, so no matter what you need to let slide for a few days don’t make it sleep!

9. That being said don’t beat yourself up about letting the not important stuff slide. You will know what is a non negotiable in your life. Yes, you will need to keep balancing those plates, but everything else, well it will still be there on 7th July.

10. The week after launch can also be a tough week physically – all the adrenaline from learning and then teaching for the first time is draining and I often feel more tired and emotional the week after. So if that happens don’t beat yourself up, a few days off training can be beneficial in cases like that.

I hope some of the above ideas help, and if you aren’t a Les Mills instructor many of these ideas would also work for other stressful situations not just launches!

This blog is based on some of the principles we work on developing in Jump 4.2 – an 8 week online fitness, nutrition and mindset programmes designed specifically with group ex instructors and enthusiast in mind. If you want to find out more click the link below to get details for the next intake on July 1st.

Jump Priority List

Tribal Gathering Manchester 01.06.19

On Saturday I went to Les Mills Tribal Gathering in Manchester.

This is an opportunity for instructors to try out the new releases and catch up with one another, and this one was a bit special because the Programme Director for Body Pump and RPM, Glen, flew over from New Zealand to teach.

It’s a long day- I was up at 6.00 am and got to bed at 3.30 am the next day!

Below is a 5 minute video to give you an idea of what a day at a Tribal Gathering is like!

P.s. I am not a good camera woman but I thought this would be more interesting than me writing about it!

Post Launch Feels

By now most of the Les Mills instructors reading this will have taught the new releases at least once (I literally just finished teaching my first solo run of Body Combat, did Body Pump this morning).

My thought process at this point each and every quarter (pretty sure I’m not alone):

Thank *** for that.
That went better than expected (i.e. I didn’t have a brain freeze and just stand there staring blankly at the class – therefore I win!).
I actually like that release a lot more than I thought I did.
I want to go and sit in a quiet dark room for a while.
I will now almost definitely get some kind of cold as my body relaxes and the adrenaline subsides!
Next quarter I will be better at learning and not stress myself out panic learning the cool down the night before.
I lie to myself a lot.
Also the cool down is legit the hardest part of every release to learn!
My body hurts. Why are all classes so much harder when you do them in a class situation than when you practice?
I get to listen to normal music again instead of the same twenty songs on repeat whilst doing finger choreography.
Except to be honest I don’t want to listen to any music at all right now – my brain just want quiet.
I’m so glad I don’t have to do this again for another three months. Three months of being able to teach without pre – game nerves and brain overload.
Looks on Facebook – someone is already talking about mixing … Like can we not have a couple of weeks to enjoy this one before we need to worry about remembering other stuff!?
Gets home, eats chocolate because teaching the new ones successfully earns you chocolate. Possibly add wine.
Go to bed- dream about choreography because now it’s ingrained in your brain (why is it never ingrained in your brain ahead of teaching it!?).

Twenty Things You’ll Know if your a Les Mills Instructor

You can make reference to Dan, Rachel, Glen, Lisa and Diana to any fellow instructor confident they will know exactly who you are talking about- we have no need for surnames here.
Except for Kylie Gates- for some reason, you will always full name Kylie Gates.
You have at least one friend on Facebook you know only through the LM Facebook page.
You probably like spamming Facebook posts with pictures of cats…
You can actually hold a debate about the use of dumbbells for at least an hour, even though you don’t really care because essentially a 5kg dumbbell weighs the same as a 5kg plate and is just easier to hold than most plates.
Reading the comments section is often more entertaining than [insert programme you find entertaining here]
People who put an F in the comment section haven’t yet realised that you can follow a post by turning on notifications.
You are keeping an eye out for a No Time For Average vest on the Vintage Emporium page.
You probably have an opinion on the best trainers to wear for Body Attack.
Body Jammers have to sign a secret agreement that they will wear a checked shirt around their waist at all times on Initial Module Training.
All Combaters secretly wish they’d bring gloves back because gloves make you feel badass.
You will either download the little recommended launch schedule at the start of the year or you will ask for it on Facebook every quarter – even though it’s saved in the File Section.
At some point you will have mimed out choreography in a bar. And your non Les Mills friends thought it was H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S. … Honest…
This is where fellow instructor friends come into their own – because they WILL think it’s hilarious – and join in.
Turning up to events in the same outfit as others is less of a fashion faux pas in Les Mills land compared to the rest of the world – in fact it’s expected.
You will always find us in Nandos pre or post events.
You can practice an entire release of Pump choreography with your little finger.
You must be able to whoop and clap in tandem in order to pass Body Attack.
Body Combat instructors would be great to have around in the event of a fight as long as that fight was carried out to a eight-count beat with modified martial arts moves.
Can someone cover my Body Step class. TIA? I’m not going to say when or where the class is because that would be too easy…

Twenty things that you will know if you are a Les Mills Instructor

You can make reference to Dan, Rachel, Glen, Lisa and Diana to any fellow instructor confident they will know exactly who you are talking about- we have no need for surnames here.
Except for Kylie Gates- for some reason, you will always full name Kylie Gates.
You’d probably quite like to go to New Zealand one day.
You are in at least 500 Facebook groups.
Once joining these groups it is a rule that you are required to use them as a substitute for Google – Does anyone know the number for the office?
You have at least one friend on Facebook you know only through the LM Facebook page.
You probably like spamming Facebook posts with pictures of cats… is it a rule that all LM instructors like cats?
You see the Michael Jackson eating popcorn meme at least once a week.
You can actually hold a debate about the use of dumbbells for at least an hour, even though you don’t really care because essentially a 5kg dumbbell weighs the same as a 5kg plate and is just easier to hold than most plates.
Reading the comments section is often more entertaining than Eastenders.
People who put an F in the comment section haven’t yet realised that you can follow a post by turning on notifications.
You are keeping an eye out for a No Time For Average vest on the Vintage Emporium page.
You probably have an opinion on the best trainers to wear for Body Attack.
You own all the Reebok. Even though you never bought Reebok before you trained.
Body Jammers have to sign a secret agreement that they will wear a checked shirt around their waist on Initial Module Training.
All Combaters secretly wish they’d bring gloves back because gloves make you feel badass.
You will have an opinion on the App.
And the notes.
You will either download the little recommended launch schedule at the start of the year or you will ask for it on Facebook every quarter – even though it’s saved in the File Section.
If you go on Aim 2 and get the chance to pick your preference for which track you teach on Day 1 Sh’bamers, Jammers and Balancers will happily say they aren’t bothered – Pumpers will scratch the eyes out of their fellow Pumpers to teach their preferred track.

What I did for Lunch Today

Well obviously I went to the gym. This blog is about the gym so I was hardly likely to be writing about anything else!

I like using my lunch times for a workout. I’m lucky to have a basic gym onsite at work so I can do some form of training instead of just sitting on my bum and eating cake. Sometimes I’ll go for a run instead, and today I was tempted because we are having the first nice weather in months but in the end I decided to train inside.

This was largely as I’ve had a tough week mentally. Work has been stressful, learning new Les Mills stuff has drained me and time wise I’ve been limited and so I have got to Thursday without having done a single workout (I’ve taught 8 classes but no actual ‘me’ training to speak of) so I felt I needed to do a decent weights based session to avoid falling into a slump and went in with just the intention of getting myself moving again.

I had 45 minutes – this is what I did:

Alt Lunges 10/8/6/4/2/15/15- two 12kg dumbbells.

I hate lunges – I suspect I have at some point in the past broken my left toe and so the range of movement in it is poor and I struggle with range on that side.

Then

12 Cleans

9 Rows

6 Cleans

3 Push Press

X 10 sets with 60 seconds rest between sets – 25kg bar

This was a forearm killer. Although it wasn’t a heavy bar the sheer number of reps (180 cleans, 90 rows and 30 push press) took me to the point of fatigue and by the end of the session I was sweating without doing a single second of cardio.

Now I’ve got a proper workout in this week I feel so much better. It’s made me want to eat better today compared to the last couple of days and coupled with the weather I feel so much more brighter an positive.

Life lesson- if you are feeling a bit rubbish getting moving (and by moving I mean whatever type of activity you enjoy and will make you feel good) and eating some decent food is a great way to start making yourself feel better.

*Workout designed by Ricky Long @rickylong42

My brain may well be about to explode

Learning Releases

I’m going to be honest with you, if you don’t teach Les Mills programmes this will mean nothing to you.

In a nutshell, Les Mills programmes are pre choreographed. Once a quarter we get a kit- a set of music, notes detailing the choreography and a DVD of that class being taught. We get, give or take, two weeks to learn it. I teach five programmes so have around 5 hours of choreography to learn.

The recommended launch date for teaching this new stuff is this Saturday so currently my brain can currently think of nothing else to write about here. So this is what I’m going to write about today.

If you don’t teach and want to get a rough idea of the process read on. If you do teach this might be familiar.

1 week before releases come out:

Heather’s brain “This quarter I’m going to be super organised, download my music straight away and learn one track a day”

The Day new releases come out:

Heather’s brain “I’ve got ages yet I’ll download it tomorrow”

Tomorrow:

Heather’s brain “Nope still ages yet. Perhaps I’ll watch this documentary about paint drying and reorganise my kitchen cupboards instead”

One Week Later:

Heather’s brain “Hmmm everyone seems to know the new stuff perhaps I should start trying to commit this stuff to memory”

One hour after this:

Heather’s brain “Or I could have a nap instead”

The weekend before launches:

Heather’s brain “OK now I really need to start to learn this stuff” *degree of panic sets in- this is good – I learn better under pressure*

Starts trying to remember chorey:

Heather’s brain “I will NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS BE ABLE TO DO THAT LUNGE TRACK”

Heather’s brain “I will NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS BE ABLE TO REMEMBER ALL THIS”

Heather’s brain “Why can’t I hear any of the changes in biceps”

Heather’s brain “I hate this, why do I even put myself through this”

Heather’s brain “Perhaps I should have a nap”

Heather’s brain “What will really help me learn all this is eating my body weight in chocolate”

Heather’s brain “Why didn’t I start learning this sooner?”

Heather’s brain “Is that a 2/2 there or a 3/1?”

Heather’s brain “I AM SO STRESSED I THINK I’M HAVING A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN”

A couple of days before launch date:

Heather’s brain “OK I think it’s in there- I can do this”

Heather’s brain “Aaaaand now I can’t remember my current mix to teach tonight. FML”

Upon waking on Launch Day:

Heather’s brain “What’s a squat again?”

One hour before class:

Heather’s brain “I have no idea what any of the choreography is for this class”

Ten minutes before:

Heather’s brain “I have no idea what any of the choreography is for this class”

Music Starts:

Heather’s brain “Oh there you go I do remember”

After class:

Heather’s brain “Phew”

Heather’s brain “Next quarter I would be less stressed if I started learning stuff earlier”

1 week before releases come out:

Heather’s brain “This quarter I’m going to be super organised, download my music straight away and learn one track a day”

P.s. I will totally know all my stuff for this Saturday!