Nathan Koay is the Operations Director and Acting Head Coach at CHIMPCHAMP FITNESS in Singapore. He is also the LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT™ Champion at CHIMPCHAMP FITNESS.
“Our club demographics include a wide spectrum, but the bulk of our members are aged in their late 20s to late 40s; we also have a big group of Gen Zs.”
CHIMPCHAMP FITNESS opened five years ago. “We started just a few weeks before the COVID outbreak and lockdowns. Our business works on a pay-per-use model, and our unique touchpoints in 2023 include 5,170 individuals. We focus only on group classes, so GX is our bread and butter and what we are strong in, with 100% of our customers participating in group exercise workouts.”
Nathan estimates that around 20% of members will try the new strength workouts. “The take-up rate is pretty decent considering we promoted this new workout series at the end of the year, which is a time when people are typically travelling or moving around.”
Introducing the Limited Edition Collection
Limited Edition Collection programs are a suite of science-backed workouts created by Les Mills to harness the power of fitness trends. There’s an exciting line-up of programs in development, to keep your timetable fresh and continue delighting members but so far, the Limited Edition Collection has been kicked off with LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT and LES MILLS SHAPES™, which are strength and sculpt-focused workouts, to satisfy the huge appetite for these training modalities among members around the globe.
Limited Edition Collection programs are flexible in their timetabling and fast to implement. This is due to them being structured very differently to the Signature Les Mills programs (i.e, BODYPUMP®, BODYBALANCE®, BODYCOMBAT®, RPM®, etc). For example:
- All Releases are provided to Instructors in one go, so you can run them as a challenge or use them to freshen up your timetable - whatever your members will best respond to.
- Instructors or PTs can complete their Instructor training quickly and be certified and ready to teach within two weeks.
- Limited Edition Collection workouts are based on current fitness trends, ensuring you remain up-to-speed with what members want.
“I discovered the Limited Edition Collection workouts via the Les Mills Asia Pacific website and thought LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT would fit in very well, especially among the demographics who do BODYPUMP® at our clubs. The program also caters to the younger generation members, of whom we have a lot at CHIMPCHAMP FITNESS.”
“So, I spoke to the CHIMPCHAMP founder and with buy-in from our coaches and support from Les Mills Asia Pacific, we launched the program.”
CHIMPCHAMP FITNESS has currently launched LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT but will also soon introduce LES MILLS SHAPES™ - ‘the workout that you never know you needed!’
“I am certified to teach both Limited Edition Collection programs because I believe the benefits of introducing these workouts in our clubs is massive, thanks to their diversity and relevance to the current fitness industry.”
Before becoming a Instructor, Nathan tried the workouts on LES MILLS+. “I believe all Instructors should have a subscription to LES MILLS+, as it helps them gain insights into all the different Les Mills workouts.”
Just one month after launching the program, and already the members in Nathan’s LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT class are reportedly feeling empowered and stronger. “They love this program and, in fact, some of them actually prefer it to BODYPUMP; although they understand both workouts have their respective merits - it comes down to your fitness goals and your preferences.”
“Les Mills have done an awesome job in providing materials that answer the uncertainties of members around what LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT is; and, of course, CHIMPCHAMP FITNESS has invested into making these Limited Edition Collection programs work through extensive marketing and education.”
Focusing on benefits drove member buy-in
“Feedback from our experienced members tells us they’re very excited with their results so far, and for the introduction of LES MILLS SHAPES (soon), and as a result they keep coming back for more. New members are also seeing improvements and are learning more about correct postures and techniques. This is a big win and a great step towards us achieving the overall vision that CHIMPCHAMP Fitness has, which is to inspire the inner CHAMPion in members to become healthier, physically and mentally.”
“When announcing the program to members, we focused on how it will create the strength they need to complement their fitness journey and how it will enable them to try other programs too; it’s a holistic approach that creates synergies between the programs. We also highlighted how the strength and posture gains from LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT will equip people with the ability to lift confidently as well as reduce the risk of injuries - what’s not to love about this program?”
On track for ROI
“With regards to a return on investment, I believe that we are on a good track. The momentum is building, and we have had positive feedback and felt the excitement in the club and among staff and members.”
In terms of KPIs (key performance indicators), from a sustainability perspective it would definitely be the number of sign-ups to the program; from an Instructor perspective and speaking from the heart of the brand, this would be definitely how well the people who have done LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT can move with range and great posture in their next weights-based class; while from the perspective as Acting Head Coach of CHIMPCHAMP Fitness, it would be about getting fellow Instructors to become even more passionate about the benefits of this program because the idea and the outcome from the program is very relevant to what we need and want to achieve - which is the mission to create a fitter planet.
“Personally, I am a committed advocate of these and the future Limited Edition Collection programs because if you look into their benefits and their trends-based design, they are very relevant to the fitness industry right now. It’s important to understand that they do not need to replace any existing program but, instead, can add diversity to your current timetable. For us, we see this as taking a holistic approach to our members’ fitness journeys.”
To find out how you can attract, retain and engage more members, including Gen Z, by introducing LES MILLS STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT and LES MILLS SHAPES to your club, contact your local Business Partnership Manager in Australia or Southeast Asia.
