When LES MILLS CEREMONY™ was first introduced at Les Mills Auckland City, the queue to get into the class was literally out the door. Such was the demand for this new circuit training workout that the gym had to speedily implement a booking system. Within months, they'd added more classes to the timetable. Today, the club runs 39 weekly classes, most of which are fully booked seven days in advance. We spoke to four Coaches to ask them what they love about teaching this program, and why they'd recommend Instructors get involved!
Rachael Wilkins
I’ve been coaching CEREMONY for two years, and I also teach BODYPUMP™, BODYBALANCE™, LES MILLS CORE™, LES MILLS SPRINT™, and LES MILLS PILATES™.
I was doing CEREMONY a couple of times a week as a participant, and I loved the hype, connection and motivation the Coaches brought to the class. I knew I wanted to get involved, but it was a step out of my comfort zone as it's so different to every other program AND at a different club to my other classes! But I wanted to give it a try, and I'm so glad I reached out to Tash [Natasha Vincent, GFM] a couple of years ago asking to be on the team.
There’s so much to love about this program. The music complements the training so well — it builds at just the right moment towards the end of the workout when you need those absolute fire beats. I also love the bigger focus on Coaching and Connection. Not physically doing the workout has allowed me to hone my craft in these Key Elements.
There’s so much variety — one week you're doing the workout individually, the next week you could be in a group of four doing "The Pace Setter" workout, the next could be in pairs! The movement patterns, timings, and equipment also change every week to keep your members guessing and challenged. On that, it IS cool how the workout stays the same for seven days — allowing members who do more than one class to know what to expect, and try to "beat" their previous class.
Coaching CEREMONY has made me a lot braver and more confident. I started out quite shy and reserved when I first started teaching and was afraid to approach people, especially with technique correction. But the more you teach the easier it gets — people do really appreciate you helping them out with their technique/weight selection, and love when you come up and have a quick word with them in class about how they’re going!
I still attend CEREMONY as a participant each week to get a feel for the workout (also because it's a kick-ass workout!). This allows me to coach more authentically and honestly. I've been in the members’ shoes; I know how they feel!
Eric Ripley
I’ve been teaching CEREMONY for three years now. I also teach BODYJAM™ and LES MILLS CONQUER™.
I wanted to teach CEREMONY because I love bringing hype and energy to the workout. I see CEREMONY as a celebration of movement and I wanted to make people feel like they had a good time while getting a kick-ass workout.
The program has a different feel from my BODYJAM classes and I enjoy leading the members through their workouts with hype and energy, pushing them to do their best. Whereas BODYJAM is a 55-minute hip-hop cardio program where I dance for the full 55 minutes on stage, when I come into CEREMONY, I switch into Coach mode and get to be in there amongst the members.
My coaching has developed from just pre-cueing moves, to now knowing what muscles are used when teaching BODYJAM. I've also gained confidence in myself to speak in public and build connections with my members.
Vibeke O’Donnell
I’ve been teaching LES MILLS CEREMONY for 2 years. I also teach CONQUER, BODYPUMP™, LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT™, LES MILLS FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH™, and RPM™.
I initially started in the class as a participant. As an ex-CrossFitter, I was drawn to the functional moves and the atmosphere. It was a natural progression to move into coaching it. I wanted to share my passion for this type of training and make it a safe space for people to take on the challenge.
I love teaching CEREMONY because it gives you the ability to hone in on technique and really help people move better. You can help people feel more connected to their body, understand what the movement should feel like and how this can transfer into getting stronger for everyday life. It’s helped me personally as a teacher because it’s forced me to become more articulate and use kinesthetic cues. It’s made me less serious as well, because it’s fun to teach!
I also love how I can coach to the group or individual, interacting with people both on and off the mic. It’s much more of a Coach feel rather than Group Instructor vibe. It’s also cool how you can have both new and advanced people in your class and cater to everyone. I’ve seen people do a box jump for the first time, lift a heavier weight, do a full push-up… and I’ve been right beside them congratulating them. That feels awesome.
The unique thing about CEREMONY is the community. It’s like one big team all working together, and you get this special camaraderie – especially in partner and team workouts. There’s always a point in the workout when everyone is stuffed and you ask them to give you more and you can feel a shift in the energy and atmosphere. That’s the CEREMONY feeling.
Giles Bryant
I’ve been teaching for a crazy long time! I started teaching group fitness at 17 and that was 28 years ago. It’s been a wild, wonderful ride. I currently teach LES MILLS CEREMONY, THE TRIP™, LES MILLS PILATES, LES MILLS SPRINT, LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT and BODYPUMP.
I started teaching CEREMONY when it was being launched in my club and I decided that this would be a great opportunity to stretch my skillset as a coach and explore my ability to create experiences where I was not ‘on stage’.
Why do I enjoy coaching CEREMONY? I love the whole vibe! The energy of a CEREMONY room, with each person working individually at their potential and collectively bringing it as a team, is so cool to be part of. I most enjoy the chance to make lots of one-on-one connections and see the delight in people’s eyes when a coaching cue lands and they feel their skills improve.
As a Coach, I’ve really seen an expansion in my coaching language and range delivering CEREMONY. Tailoring my vocal and language style to each person and group is incredibly stimulating and exciting.
There’s lots of special things about this program. The first thing is the obvious bit — you aren’t the center of attention! But that’s what makes the class really unique. Because the Coach is in a facilitation role rather than a leadership one, it means the energy of the group is more shared than focused. Each lane, pair or team is in their own workout, having their own experience, and this means there can be dozens of totally different experiences occurring in the same class. How cool is that?!
CEREMONY sits in the sweet spot between classic group fitness and small group training. Instructors who are used to teaching from the front will find new ways to communicate and expand their skillsets in one-on-one and verbal coaching. Personal Trainers and small group coaches will find themselves stretched to develop stronger crowd control skills and the ability to lead big groups in the Station Set-up and Warm-Up phases.
This class is a total game-changer for group fitness. For some participants, it will be a way to bring their individual training into a group and receive more motivation and coaching than they get by training alone. For others, it’s going to be a gateway into other group fitness options. As Coaches, we have a beautiful opportunity to make those experiences really positive and rewarding. I would encourage everyone to try a CEREMONY class and consider making it part of their toolkit.
