As I sit down to write the year in review with terrible memory in tow – I think – nah 2018 has been a quiet one...
BODYATTACK 100
Filmed in Amsterdam in 2017 (with yours truly there to experience the moment), BODYATTACK 100 was officially launched in Q1/2018. As we sat around the boardroom table throwing ideas around on how to launch the BODYATTACK milestone in Australia – there really only was one answer: Lisa. Osborne.
And so started the negotiations across the Tasman – the woman of the moment was being pulled in all directions across the globe as dozens of countries vied for her presence to launch the momentous release.
We were….kind of successful. We managed to secure Lisa for one weekend of the Workshops. And for the other weekend? Well there was no doubt in our mind that Bevan James Eyles was the only man for the job.
By the universes good graces – the Q1 Workshops went off without a hitch – flights were on time, the traffic was sweet between venues, the classes were dynamite! Must be the BODYATTACK gods smiling.
And. Were. They. SMILING! Les Mills Asia Pacific HQ got an unexpected phone-call . Lisa had enjoyed presenting BODYATTACK 100 so much to Aussie Instructors that…she wanted to come back for weekend number 2 of workshops and join Bevan. What. The. Actual. Fire truck?? Way back when we were brainstorming in that boardroom, this idea would have just been a pie-in-the-sky. There is NO WAY we could have expected two superstars on the same weekend on our shores. But here we were. Lisa on one end of the line, us on the other, incredulous. Not only did she want to come back (win!), she was doing it off her own bat (what?), she would get herself here (okaaaaay), she would tag on to Bevan’s accommodation (sure, if he doesn’t mind), don’t worry about being paid (SERIOUS?).
This woman just bleeds passion for the program. And not just a program – for the people (ahem – you) that bring the program to life in clubs across the country. And may I say…she’s a bloody delight.
Weekend 2 was just an absolute extravaganza with both Lisa and Bevan presenting. I was lucky enough to be at the SA Workshop at Zone Health & Fitness with the 2 mega-stars. Far out! It warmed the deadest depths of my cold dead heart.
And so 2018 had begun with a…woo-hoo.
Launch of LES MILLS BARRE and LES MILLS TONE
As they say in the classics “when it rains it pours”. As we celebrated the milestone 100 of BODYATTACK, we also had some new kids on the block: LES MILLS BARRE and LES MILLS TONE.
LES MILLS BARRE was a hotly anticipated program for several years and finally in Q1/2018 we experienced LES MILLS BARRE 01. And may we say: it was en pointe. What we envisioned for the program was bringing the ballet category of fitness to the masses, in a pre-choreographed format (the first in the world), without the hefty price-tags members expect to pay at boutiques. Members have since been lapping it up. In a Les Mills Asia Pacific first, to launch the program we partnered with The Sebastian Foundation – the charitable organisation of Australian celebrity couple Guy and Jules Sebastian. Through the efforts of LES MILLS BARRE Instructors and Clubs (even though you might not have even known it!) – you helped us donate enough money to contribute to a new kitchen and workspace in a housing estate in Maroubra NSW.
And in a delicious turn of events a Guy Sebastian song even featured on LES MILLS BARRE 04: Bloodstone.
As they say in French: tres terrific! I don’t actually know if that’s what they say in French.
In an effort to provide fitness businesses in-demand products, LES MILLS TONE was also mobilised in the eventful Q1/2018. LES MILLS TONE, the evolution of BODYVIVE, is designed to be responsive: choreography is reflective of the latest fitness trends, with content delivered to Instructors that allow them flexibility in their classes.
Phew! And it’s still just March.
3-Day Initial Module Training
3-day Initial Module Training (IMT) was a world first in 2018. The Les Mills Asia Pacific initiative took the hassle and guesswork out of becoming a Certified Les Mills Instructor. Prior to 2018, Instructors completed 2-days of Initial Module Training; then to achieve Certification were required to send a “video” of themselves teaching a class for assessment. The problem was, videos were being received years later, or worse still, not at all (and worse again – a member would set themselves up right in front of the camera). Enter 3-day IMT: where a third day of training was introduced for the purpose of Certification. The third day is scheduled approximately 8-weeks after the first 2-days allowing trainee Instructors the time and structure to get themselves prepared for Certification.
And in other news: 3-day IMT is a Certification procrastinators dream.
Reebok Les Mills Live: Singapore
At this stage it’s still April and we’re only just beginning the events of 2018: cue the first Reebok Les Mills Live outside Australia. Steamy Singapore was the location at a venue fit for royalty: Marina Bay Sands. The big names were secured and the fitness par-tay was ON with Rach, G, Diana, Kylie, Reagan and other local favourites. No surprise that BODYCOMBAT with Rach was the class of the event with 1,000 participants, which quite literally sent vibrations through the entire venue. We might need to send in the reinforcements in 2019 as Dan and Rach present what will no doubt be the biggest class of the event again.
Les Mills On Demand
The anticipated Les Mills on Demand (LMOD) finally hit the shores of Australia (and soon to be parts of south east Asia). LMOD allows users to participate in Les Mills classes at home, anytime. The monthly subscription fee is negligible with a free sign-on period for users to experience the convenience of working out when they can’t get to their gym. Statistics show that 82% of gym goers workout at home anyway – so it made sense to provide a solution to them (and to businesses) that promotes the in-club Les Mills offering. We’re also secretly loving the LMOD only content that includes beginner tutorials for each program, guided meditation and exclusive program formats such as BODYPUMP – upper body. Instructors you get a special LMOD price – click here to sign up to your free trial
Read more on how LMOD will drive more people to your classes
Les Mills App
It’s been several years since Les Mills resources were made available in a digital format and it was just a matter of time before these digital resources became even more accessible via a Les Mills App: at the touch of a button your music, choreography notes and masterclass are readily available. Since the launch of the app early in 2018, one of the first features was the split screen between masterclass and choreography notes. Life. Changing. Since then there have been numerous updates and feature additions – with the latest (and most anticipated) update being the ability to create playlists within the app. Just waiting for the feature where the choreography is embedded in one’s head automatically.
Thanks for the memories everyone :) we look forward to making more with you in 2019
