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01 October 2023

Part II - Group Class Availability Comparison - Freestyle Step Aerobics vs Les Mills BodyStep: A Comparison

Freestyle Step Aerobics vs Les Mills BODYSTEPTM: A Comparison


Part II - Group Class Availability Comparison

What is this month's article about

This month's article is revisiting the comparison of Freestyle Step Aerobics and Les Mills BODYSTEPTM. This time we are comparing the group class availability from both Freestyle Step Aerobics, and Les Mills BODYSTEPTM.

Following articles will look at:
  • Part 3 - Marketing Comparison
  • Part 4 - Focus On Technique
  • Part 5 - Variety In The Offerings
  • Part 6 - The "Co$t" Comparison
  • Part 7 - Conclusion

Group Class Availability Comparison

One of the biggest arguments in favour of Les Mills BODYSTEPTM is its increased availability in Australia. Les Mills is a New Zealand-based company that has been developing group fitness programs for over 30 years. Their programs are widely available in gyms and fitness studios across Australia. Freestyle step aerobics, on the other hand, is not as widely available. This is because it is a more freestyle workout, and there is no central organisation that develops and distributes freestyle step routines. As a result, it can be more difficult to find a good freestyle step class in Australia.

In the early 2000s there was a symbiotic relationship between “FitnessFirst” and “Les Mills”. Fitness First and Les Mills have a complicated relationship. In the past, they were partners, but they have since become competitors. Fitness First is a chain of gyms with over 700 locations in 19 countries. Les Mills is a company that develops and licenses fitness programs, including BodyPump, BodyCombat, and BodyJam. In the early 2000s, Fitness First and Les Mills had a partnership. Fitness First gyms would offer Les Mills classes, and Les Mills would provide training and support to Fitness First instructors. This partnership was very successful, and it helped to popularize Les Mills programs around the world. However, the partnership ended in 2011. Fitness First wanted to be able to offer its own fitness programs, and Les Mills wanted to be able to license its programs to other gyms. As a result, the two companies became competitors. As a result, today we still see the strong bond between the two companies by simply looking at their gym’s timetables and see how predominant all Les Mills classes are.

There are a few reasons why Les Mills BodyStep class availability at gyms has increased in Australia, while Freestyle Step class availability has decreased.
  • Les Mills BodyStep is a more popular workout due to its etched presence in FitnessFirst gyms since the early 2000s. Les Mills BodyStep has been around for over 20 years. It is an standarised choreography with medium to high-energy workout that addresses the needs of the masses looking for simple, repetitive workouts that do not require coordination. Freestyle Step, on the other hand, is not backed up by an organisation thus lacks its gym visibility. Many instructors rather not do the work of creating their own routine, and prefer to perform on stage the routine that is handed down to them by Les Mills.
  • Les Mills BodyStep is backed by a strong brand. Les Mills is a global fitness company with a reputation for choreography that is “cookie-cutter” and that any fee paying Les Mills BodyStep instructor can do. Since the Les Mills global standardisation approach, there are many instructors that saw an opportunity to teach on any gym providing Les Mills programmes. For this reason there are many more Les Mills BodyStep instructors available that can replace any instructor on any class. This gives Les Mills BodyStep a leg up on Freestyle Step, which has seen a large decrease of Freestyle Step instructors capable to create freestyle choreography. This in turn provides gyms with the concern that if a freestyle instructor is unavailable, it might be difficult to cover.
Les Mills BodyStep is available on Les Mills On Demand. Les Mills On Demand is a streaming service that offers Les Mills workouts for people to do at home. This has made Les Mills BodyStep more accessible to people who may not have access to a gym. Since Freestyle Step is not backed up by an organisation, then streaming is not routinely available. Availability depends on individual instructors or steppers themselves on platforms such as Zoom, Facebook live, Youtube which limits its reach.

As a result of these factors, Les Mills BodyStep has become more popular than Freestyle Step in Australia. This has led to an increase in the availability of Les Mills BodyStep classes at gyms, while the availability of Freestyle Step classes has decreased.

Next article

Last month, September 2023, we did the first instalment of the seven (7) blog articles talking about "Freestyle Step Aerobics vs Les Mills BODYSTEPTM: A Comparison" which provided an introduction to the following five (5) upcoming subjects.

This month, October 2023, we looked into the provision of classes around Australia's gyms timetables.

Next month of November 2023, we will jump into comparing Freestyle Step and Les Mills BODYSTEPTM marketing strategies.

Do not miss out!.


"The information provided herein is strictly for educational purposes. Always consult your qualified Group Fitness Instructor before implementing any suggestions above."

Disclaimer

You must get your physician's approval before beginning any exercise suggested in this blog or any of its articles. Any recommendations found within these articles are not medical guidelines but are for educational purposes only. You must consult your physician prior to starting any suggestions in this blog, or if you have any medical condition or injury that contraindicates physical activity. The suggestions in this blog article are designed for individuals 18 years and older that have been approved by their physician to take any of the suggestions above.

The information in this blog article is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. As such we advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this blog article, be sure that your equipment is well-maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training and fitness. The exercises and dietary programs in this article are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or treatment or dietary regime that may have been prescribed by your physician.

Do not lift heavy weights if you are alone, inexperienced, injured, or fatigued. Do not perform any exercises unless you have been shown the proper technique by a certified personal trainer or certified strength and conditioning specialist. Always ask for instruction and assistance when lifting. Do not perform any exercise without proper instruction. Always do a warm-up prior to resistance training and interval training.

See your physician before starting any exercise or nutrition program. If you are taking any medications, you must talk to your physician before starting any exercise program, including Freestyle Step Aerobics. If you experience any light-headedness, dizziness, or shortness of breath while exercising, stop the movement and consult a physician.

You must have a complete physical examination if you are sedentary, if you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, if you are overweight, or if you are over 30 years old. Please discuss all nutritional changes with your physician or a registered dietician. If your physician recommends that you do not do Freestyle Step Aerobics, please follow your Doctor's orders.

That was our October article for 2023. Remember to feel free to comment, or contact me via email to FreestyleStepXTRVGNZ@gmail.com , and comment on what you think of this article, or any article you have read, or just any improvements you may want to see happening.

Bruno Jimenez
October 2023

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Location: Australia
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