"The future is virtual, but it also needs to be experiential, immersive and impressive"

Phillip Mills, CEO of Les Mills International

LES MILLS Virtual takes the quality of recorded group fitness to experiential new heights. The benefits of virtual programming for fitness clubs and gyms are well known. They allow clubs to optimize facility-use across all hours of operation, grow and retain membership, and significantly increase profitability.

That’s old news, of course, which is why it’s time to start thinking about the future of virtual, says Phillip Mills, CEO of Les Mills International. “Take the initiative and think carefully now about a strategy for implementing next generation virtual content. The future is virtual, but it also needs to be experiential, immersive and impressive. Without a doubt, the most successful clubs will be those that invest in the quality of the virtual experience.” Mills is not a lone voice touting the need for clubs to review the quality and scale of their virtual experiences. Victor Brick, Fitness Planet CEO and Chairman of the Board at Brick Bodies, agrees that a club’s ability to consistently to provide high quality, highly experiential content will determine its future success.

“Content is key and so is the experience. It is still about the experience…You want to feel motivated, you want to feel excited, and you want to look forward to doing the activity. Virtual allows you to do that by recreating the experience of a class in a virtual setting.”

Next Generation Virtual Les Mills International’s vision of the virtual future dials the quality of the experience up to eleven. It represents the evolution of fitness video into 5-star cinematic content and in terms of quality it’s like comparing VHS to 4K TV. “It’s also comparable to the movie industry,” Mills says. “Five-star films are hugely popular, two-star films are not. It’s the experience that counts, and fitness clubs should be looking for high-quality, cinematic content to create a step-change by maximizing off-peak times and enticing participants into live classes.”

Those who have experienced LES MILLS Virtual would surely agree that when it comes to describing the program, the word “epic” verges on understatement. When it premiered at IHRSA and FIBO, on a massive, nine-metre-wide, high-definition display, the virtual versions of Les Mills’ group fitness classes were mind-blowing. “The definition of the digital projection and the scale and quality of the screens really does transport you into a virtual dimension that is designed to push you to your physical limits,” Mills says. “The development and filming of our Virtual content was motivated by a desire to create an authentic environment, as close as possible to a live Les Mills workout, but given the scale and definition of display, the quality of instruction, audio and support, unique in its own right. That is what sets us apart.”

For club members, LES MILLS Virtual represents the best fitness classes in the world when they want them.

The new workouts translate the success of Les Mills live classes (such as BODYPUMP™, RPM™, THE TRIP™ and LES MILLS GRIT™) to a virtual environment, so that clubs can play bigger, entice attract and retain members through a high-quality experience and optimize off-peak occupancy by turning an empty room into a crowd. It’s a way to get up close and virtual with the world’s best instructors leading the world’s best fitness programs. Go big, scale up to high quality content and display, and enjoy the rewards of being at the forefront of the next wave in the fitness industry...