The quality of prescription at your point of sale is a critical component for the success of your cycling classes. When your membership team effectively prescribes cycling to new members, your attendance goes up very quickly.
You need to provide your membership team with two things to lift your game; clear program definitions and clear prescription guidelines.
Clear program definitions
Your membership team should be able to explain a particular workout program clearly and simply so that new members get all the key information they need.
For example, here is the information they could share on LES MILLS RPM™ and LES MILLS SPRINT™:
“LES MILLS RPM is an indoor cycling class. The instructor and the music help you achieve much more than training by yourself. You ride flats, climbs and downhills and get a solid cardio and leg workout, controlling the intensity by adjusting the resistance and your pace.”
“LES MILLS SPRINT is a 30-minute workout built on the science of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). It’s designed to give maximum results - research shows that replacing one hour of your usual workouts with two 30-minute HIIT classes a week will get you fitter and leaner faster.”
If your club offers LES MILLS VIRTUAL CLASSES, your team can also tell members about that:
“We offer RPM VIRTUAL classes when live classes are not running. Many new members like starting group training this way so they get a feel for it before heading into a live class.”
Clear prescription guidelines
Your team should have clarity on when and how to prescribe cycling. Best practice is to kick off your sales process with a basic needs analysis on new members, before framing their prescription. Here’s an example of how this simple process might flow:
1. Explain the generic guidelines for health when it comes to exercise.
"Ideally, you want to exercise three to five times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes at a moderate to high intensity. Mix three training components – cardiovascular, strength conditioning and flexibility. Cycling is a perfect one to start with. It provides you with a great cardio and leg workout, but it’s easy on your joints and doesn’t require coordination."
2. Provide a specific recommendation based on their needs analysis.
"We can make it easy. We have plenty of highly motivating and effective classes. Factoring in your specific goals and availability, I recommend a 45-minute LES MILLS RPM on Monday at 12.15 p.m. because …… Then add a LES MILLS BODYPUMP on Wednesday at 12.15 pm because…… Then do a second LES MILLS RPM on Friday at 4.30 pm followed with 15 minutes of mobility/flexibility work on the gym floor."
3. Ensure new exercisers know how to build up
If they are new, they will need to gradually build up the frequency, length and intensity of their workouts towards the prescribed plan over the first six weeks. Make sure to provide them with the guidelines and recommendations above from the very beginning. Starting right increases the likelihood of them continuing. Give new members a plan on what classes to do when as an onboarding tool. For more information, click here.
4. Educate them on what to do next – introducing High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts
"When you start feeling comfortable doing these classes, don’t add more classes but introduce more intensity once or twice a week. Replace your Friday 45-minute LES MILLS RPM with a LES MILLS SPRINT class - It only goes for 30 minutes but you will work hard, which will lead to greater results."
Clear results from your cycle studio
Michael Blick of Aqua Loft Fitness Club France says a dedicated focus on cycling grew their indoor cycling classes from 10 bikes to 40 bikes in just a few years.
“A part of the growth came from focusing more on cycling, allocating to it a dedicated room, investing in a great sound system, lighting, studio design and the training of our coaches. But I truly believe our real strength is in the systematic prescription of cycling to all our new and existing members.”
“Our coaches make sure new members are properly supported and manage the workout intensity as they should.”