How your club can win in the New Age of Group Training

Every decade or so, studio innovations come along that completely change the game – Spinning, Tai-Bo, BODYPUMP™, Barry’s, SoulCycle. Often it’s a product or style of training, but when it transforms the entire category, that’s when things really get exciting.

Modern consumers – particularly Gen Z – are experiencing unprecedented levels of isolation and loneliness. We spend 70% less time with our friends than we did a decade ago, driving a desperate need for in-person connection and community. The World Health Organisation has even flagged loneliness as a risk to longevity – with people lacking social connection facing a 30% higher risk of early death.

Demand for live fitness experiences is at an all-time high. McKinsey’s Future of Wellness report flagged in-person fitness spending as an area primed for growth, and clubs have a huge opportunity to seize this spend and turbocharge growth by leaning on the most engaging elements of the club – especially the studio. Class participants attend more frequently, have a higher lifetime value and refer more friends to your club.

But the old rules of group exercise no longer apply. New consumers coming into fitness are blighted by conflicting interests – they crave community but need help finding it and getting started. The Gen Z Fitness: Cracking the Code report discovered that 50% of Gen Z want to start working out, but 14% are too intimidated to start. Meanwhile, 22% say they have no one to work out with. Operators who fail to acknowledge these nuances with personalization from the start – including bulletproof onboarding, honest conversations about time available and realistic goals – risk burning more marketing dollars trying to replace members who leave disappointed.

So how can operators bridge the gap and help modern consumers by supporting their need for guidance and new ways to work out together? Enter Group Training – where the best of traditional group exercise (community, motivation, results) is blended with new innovations, such as:

• Added personalization through things like enhanced floor coaching
• Fresh music and movement patterns to challenge and excite
• Delivering immersive experiences in dynamic environments
• Taking classes onto the gym floor to amp up the energy and attract new recruits
• Frictionless journeys to recruit and train the next generation of Instructors

We’re in the motivation business – and we never stop striving to create better experiences to keep members coming back. This is why we’re innovating our LES MILLS program offering to usher in The New Age of Group Training.

We’re continuing to update existing fan favorites in our Signature Collection (like BODYPUMP™ and BODYCOMBAT™) to keep them current, while introducing bold new programs via our Innovation Collection to invigorate timetables and help clubs stay at the leading edge of fitness. The New Age of Group Training is upon us and bold operators are stealing a march. Here’s how early adopter clubs are already reaping the rewards.

DRIVING GROWTH

Martin Seibold, CEO of LifeFit Group, spearheaded by Fitness First and Barry’s Bootcamp, is committing to a strong growth trajectory for his 165-strong chain of clubs. His bold plan to add 30-50 sites per year for the foreseeable future is underpinned by a strategy that sees group training fueling growth. “We don’t see too much opportunity for further innovation on the gym floor in the next couple of years, so now we’ve decided to shift our focus back to our studios and group training,” says Seibold. “There's a lot of investment going into our studios to improve the lightning, sound, floor equipment and of course the programming.”

With member growth comes the risk of attrition, and with a current retention rate of 80%, Seibold is keen for Fitness First to harness the power of group training to sustain that figure, adding: “We want to maintain that level, so we want more people using our studios because we can facilitate a lot more of them in classes. At the same time, you create strong communities, sparked by Instructors mingling with the members and helping them forge connections. It means our members are forming more friendships, making them far less likely to leave the gym, so our studios are a central pillar of our growth strategy. The investment is small in comparison to the returns we’ll see if we can keep our retention rate high, so we see group training as offering a great return on investment.”

WINNING NEW AUDIENCES

The new Les Mills group training concepts are designed to attract fresh faces into the studio. Whether that’s because they’re laser-focused on the lure of the squat rack, or they simply haven’t found the right program for them, the New Age of Group Training reframes the whole concept of what group training looks like to die-hard gym floor fans.

Like many operators, attracting new audiences to the studio was a key priority for Bannatyne, when they recently introduced LES MILLS CEREMONY™. “We were keen to attract younger members to our classes, and ease pressure on the gym floor at peak times by offering the studio as an exciting alternative,” says Oliver Cox, Bannatyne’s former Head of Programming. “CEREMONY was an opportunity to present all our members with something a bit more experiential. As group training goes, it feels very different.”

“Two really special things have happened. Our existing group training participants are really enjoying the addition of this program alongside their usual activities, like Signature Les Mills workouts. Even more excitingly, we’re attracting entirely new audiences into the studio, with 25% of CEREMONY participants being completely new to group training. Occupancy is strong and CEREMONY has won over members who would have previously done functional training alone on the gym floor. The lure of a group training class that delivers functional strength in a thrilling environment has encouraged them to try something new, and that’s fantastic.”

The success of CEREMONY and its ability to change the game for its studios means Bannatyne is now rolling the program out across its estate.

The New Age of Group Training is helping operators capture the attention of another traditionally elusive demographic – men. Nicole Grainger, National Group Fitness Manager for Fitness and Lifestyle Group says CEREMONY has helped the brand bring males over to group training and strengthen its position as a market leader. “The format has strengthened our appeal to younger members and men, two demographics that can be harder to attract to traditional group fitness,” says Grainger. “At our Richmond club, 65% of CEREMONY attendees are men, and the average participant age is 34, which is significantly younger than the rest of our classes.”

“The program’s unique positioning as a hybrid of group fitness and gym-floor training has enhanced our reputation for innovation and quality.”

PT AND INSTRUCTOR GROWTH

Attracted by the flexibility and ‘coaching’ style that innovative new programming unlocks, early adopter clubs are also bolstering their Instructor squads by successfully training PTs to lead classes. Operators can drive greater value from their in-house team and save on costly freelance fees by engaging more of their employed fitness professionals to deliver group training and elevate the member experience. Erika Zaleta, Vice President, Clubs at The Edge recently recruited 90% of new group training Instructors for LES MILLS CEREMONY from their existing PT team. The journey began by breaking down preconceived ideas about the category and educating them on the New Age of Group Training.

“Before our PTs understood the new methods of coaching Les Mills is opening up, they were uncertain how it could be relevant for them. Being able to hear from Les Mills about the science behind the training, and the extensive testing the workouts go through before even launching really shifted the mindset. Having access to existing Instructors helped with the mentoring process. They were amazing, and helped cover off all the questions that the trainers had. Our PTs were super open to learning what Les Mills is all about, and they left that eight-hour training with a completely different mindset.”

Les Mills US Trainer Sarah Gruba, who oversaw the training with The Edge, adds that the enhanced floor coaching in programs like CEREMONY is a further incentive for PTs. “I think sometimes as a PT, there’s a reluctance to step onto the stage in the group setting. I think that’s maybe why some of them put the brakes on stepping into that space. What new LES MILLS workouts like CEREMONY have done is given them the same amazing, safe, effective workout, but in a vessel that feels more comfortable and natural to them. It’s freed them from their preconceived notions around choreography and they're able to focus on what matters to them the most, which is the technique in the coaching.”

SUPPORTING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Leaning into a new frontier in group training doesn’t just stand to benefit your members, but your whole operation. Les Mills is able to assist your team with turnkey support around the issues that matter most to your club, and elevate your offering as a result. “From an operational perspective, the support and insight that Les Mills brings to the table is invaluable in keeping our club moving forward. Having industry experts on the end of the phone is a real asset for any busy club operator.” Renate Van Staden, Fitness Director, Forsyth Country Club.

“Les Mills has been an incredible partner and really hands-on throughout the process – from training our Head Coaches to hosting information sessions for our sales and marketing teams. Their guidance in designing the studios has been invaluable.” Nicola Grainger, National Group Fitness Manager, Fitness and Lifestyle Group.

“Les Mills were instrumental in helping bring staff on the journey. There were plenty of site visits before launch, starting with scoping meetings to give our GFM the full rundown of the proposition, plus a training overview meeting with our AGM to ensure the program would land effectively. They also delivered education to all club teammates on the new format prior to launch, so they were fully briefed on CEREMONY and able to educate members.” Bannatyne UK.

“There’s a big focus on operational excellence to support our business right now. There’s no point worrying about differentiation if you aren’t doing the basics right. And if our competitors are offering the same programming as us then I’m very relaxed about that. Les Mills puts a stunning amount of investment and resources into the creation of each and every program release. So why would we start building studio programs ourselves when they’re going to be nowhere near as good?” Martin Seibold, CEO LifeFit Group.

Clubs getting ahead in the New Age of Group Training are already winning with this approach. If you’re looking for support with how to get started driving growth in your club, visit the Les Mills Insights Hub and check out our Growth Guide and other free resources.

The path from the gym floor to the studio is paved with gold. Are you ready to boost lifetime value by helping more members make the journey from gym floor to studio?