Phillip Mills: 5 group training picks for 2025

Back to the future – of fitness

Everyone has fond memories of their first job in fitness. For me, it was rushing back from school aged 13 to help clean the locker rooms in my parents’ gym and hand out magazines to people riding those boring old exercise bikes.

It’s crazy to think that 2025 will be my 57th year working in this great industry, and while so much has changed in that time (insert hair joke here), there are some things that I’m glad have stayed the same.

This remains first and foremost a people industry, driven by purpose-led individuals passionate about inspiring others to fall in love with fitness.

We’re in the motivation business – and we never stop striving to create better experiences to keep our members coming back. This trait of necessity has been the mother of many great gym inventions. And sometimes, in our pursuit of progress, we come full circle, reinventing concepts of old to engage new generations of fitness fans.

It’s something we at Les Mills see increasingly in our industry research, program development, and through the attendance data from our 12 Les Mills New Zealand clubs (the ones I used to clean). So I thought I’d share five key trends and opportunities in the group training space we see coming back with a bang in 2025.

1. Still going strong

Strength training continues to carry weight and is particularly popular with Gen Z, but inevitable bottlenecks on the gym floor (particularly as we enter high season) – plus lack of education around how to lift safely and effectively – means many younger members joining gyms to lift weights aren’t staying very long. You can counter this by adding extra strength classes (and more variations) onto the timetable and funnelling footfall into the studio. This enables you to service more members and help them form the habits, skills and friendships that turn them into long-term members.

2. Circuits come full circle

Buoyed by the continued popularity of boutiques and the boom in fitness competition events, members are going mad for functional circuit training that combines strength and cardio in thrilling class environments. Before BODYPUMP became a big hit, our circuit classes dominated the timetable (pulling in 150 members per class) and we’ve seen the resurgence of this trend since we launched LES MILLS CEREMONY in our clubs. Now, many leading operators are making this exciting style of training a top priority in the studio and increasingly taking these classes out onto the gym floor to amp up the energy.

3. Power of the pedal

Indoor cycle got a bad rep post-pandemic as some of its champion brands came unstuck, but this was more down to business models being challenged than an underlying weakness in the category itself. Done well, the cycle studio remains the most profitable area of the club per square meter and offers broad appeal. However, delivering immersive experiences in dynamic environments remains key to keeping the category fresh. We’re seeing a strong resurgence in our New Zealand gyms, with a new wave of cycle programs among our best performers (up 273% at our flagship Auckland City club, which pulls in 2,500+ rides per week). Expect to see more clubs going through the gears to unlock the latent potential of their cycle studios in 2025.

4. Sculpt classes stretch ahead

With strength training soaring and mind/body making waves, the sculpt category is another having a comeback moment, with a new generation of Pilates, core and barre programs leading the charge. These classes attract huge numbers of women in their 20s and 30s, as well as pulling men into the studio when positioned correctly.

5. Unleashing the next generation of rockstars

All of these categories carry strong appeal in the eyes of Gen Z, but seeing themselves on stage is key to capturing their attention, so recruiting the next generation of rockstar Instructors remains a key determinant of studio success.

Roughly half the global operators I speak to say they’re struggling with this, while the other half say it’s easy. This is one of those topics where whichever side you believe, you’re probably right. In reality, these Instructor prospects are already in your club, just waiting to be shoulder-tapped. For operators who want to find future rockstars but aren’t sure where to start, check out the new Group Fitness Management workshops. We’ve also just released a free report providing key insights and actions for how to recruit the next generation of Instructors.

This article was included as a foreword for Beyond Activ’s 2024 Industry Report, offering snapshots into various market segments, including insights from the executives and companies underpinning our industry’s future growth. Check out the full report.