INSTRUCTOR OF THE MONTH - SOUTHEAST ASIA (March 2024)
In this new regular feature, we’re highlighting Instructors from Australia and Southeast Asia who demonstrate exemplary commitment to their Les Mills Instructor career (i.e., consistently buying new Releases and attending Quarterly Workshops and events). And thanks to our friends at Fitness Audio, each featured Instructor receives a microphone case and belt valued at AUD 75. To kick off this article series, we’re shining the spotlight on ‘Albert’ Dang Khoa Vo from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
Overcoming challenges
When Albert was 22 years old, he was a personal trainer. “The first time I saw group ex I was like, ‘wow!’ It was BODYPUMP and I was fascinated by those exercises and pretty much straight away I decided that I have to attend the class. When I did, the music, exercises and energy of the Instructor really captivated me.”
“I knew that my energy was a good fit for becoming an Instructor, so I thought ‘why not give it a try?’, and so I did!”
“At first, the thing that hindered me the most was that I wasn't very good at counting beats. So, to fix that I used my free time to listen to non-stop music and count the beats.”
“Honestly, sometimes I have doubted myself. I remember, the first time I stood on stage, the members were really unsure of me and my ability to coach. But after a while I proved to them that I could do it well. I overcame both their and my own doubts.”
“A month after I started teaching as Les Mills Instructor, my mother had a stroke. Luckily, it didn't take her away from me. But a few months later, my grandmother passed away. Both events took place 30 minutes before my class but I felt like I had a responsibility for my work and so I decided to finish my classes and then go home after. When the class started and the music played, my mind just focused on teaching the members. I was grateful that Les Mills classes could help me forget the sadness and shock I was experiencing at that point in time.”
“I also want to send a message to everyone to remind them not to give up, no matter what happens. Because we are unbreakable. As an example, in April 2023 I had an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. My ACL was completely torn. I needed surgery to fix it, and I was unable to exercise for a period of time. I managed to get through that difficult time, and I came back stronger than before!”
Albert’s goal in life is “to get people to realise that health is important. If you have good health, you can do all the things you want to. I want to change people's mind, so they understand that ‘a healthy life is a happy life’,” he explains. “I really love it.”
The value of Quarterly Workshops
“Attending Workshops brings many great benefits. I get to experience the new Release as a member, so I can get a better feel for what members will think. And from there, I gained more ideas for my teaching sessions. I also learn many things from the Presenter. I find this helpful as each person is different, so we have many different coaching styles across the different Presenters. Some of them made their coaching have more fun, or have more energy, or have more knowledge about programs, etc, so I can learn more coaching from many different styles.”
Albert likes the In-Person Workshops because “I can meet my colleagues and share teaching experiences together. I especially like the opportunity to meet Presenters from different countries. In-Person Workshops are not like watching a video; you feel their presence and enjoy the moments when attending and experiencing the new Releases in person.”
“To learn the new Releases effectively, my advice to other Instructors is to listen to as much of the music as possible. From there you can know where the music is quiet and where the music explodes, which can make your choreography learning easier, and give you more inspiration when writing scripts for coaching. As you know, music is the heart of all programs.”
Loving life as a Les Mills Instructor
Albert spends most of his days at the gym. “I am a Les Mills Instructor and personal trainer at my gym. I am really in love with fitness,” he laughs.
Albert finds teaching Les Mills programs exciting. “I can feel the power, the energy and the challenge from each track. I believe that overcoming challenges makes us stronger, and that's why I chose BODYPUMP and BODYCOMBAT to be my two first programs for training. Becoming an Instructor also lets me bring my energy and motivation to help people around me change for the better; to help people fall in love with fitness so they go to the gym as a habit.”
“It’s hard to choose my favourite thing about Les Mills programs because everything is so amazing, but some highlights are: the choreography is scientifically designed; exercises and music are logically designed together; I love that with only 60 minutes of training we can do a full body workout.”
“When we talk about rockstars and their qualities, I first think of the wonderful energy they radiate to people. They put their soul into their performance, from their voices to the gestures that they match to their music. They were proactive in their performance, leading people down the path they wanted. And that’s not much different to what we do as Instructors.”
Holding personal values such as energy, knowledge and challenge, Albert likes to “learn and challenge myself daily, to not be like everyone else. I work hard to be individual and who I want to be.”
Albert has completed Advanced Training for BODYPUMP and has plans to complete Advanced Training for BODYCOMBAT in the near future. “I learned a lot and realised where I am. I learned how to be the better version of myself, found my values, and I discovered even more reasons to love the program.”
Albert has big dreams for his future fitness career. “I want to become a Presenter! I know it's hard, but I don't mind hard work. I've been trying to develop myself and my skills every day so I can get closer to achieving this goal.”
Albert’s advice for other people, including Gen Z, who are thinking about becoming a Les Mills Instructor is: "Be the best version of yourself. Always try to do better every day and remember, only YOU can make yourself better!"
To follow Albert’s Instructor journey, find ‘Đăng Khoa Võ (Albert)’ on Facebook. If you’d like to follow Albert’s lead and help more people fall in love with fitness, then consider becoming a Les Mills Instructor. To find out how visit www.lesmills.com.au/instructors.
If you or someone you know has a passion for teaching Les Mills programs and a consistent history of buying new Releases and attending Quarterly Workshops, then you can submit a nomination for Instructor of the Month. To do so, simply email your name and Customer ID to marketing@lesmills.com.au.
