Strength training isn't just trending—it's DOMINATING the fitness landscape in 2025. The American College of Sports Medicine now ranks traditional strength training as the #1 fitness modality, but what does this mean for group fitness instructors?

Today on the podcast, Will Brereton breaks down the massive shift toward strength training across all demographics, explains why this trend is fundamentally different from past fitness fads, and provides practical strategies for incorporating strength elements into any class format!

Plus don't forget to download your Group Fitness Triple Threat Action Plan right here.

Enjoy the episode!

Links and References mentioned in this episode:

• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website
• Download your 2025 Action Plan 
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Fitness Trends for 2025
• Strava stats on weight training for women

Les Mills is pivoting away from pre choreographed exercise to music, or ETM, formats in a major way. Now this is a huge shift for instructors who rely on these programs. So, what does it mean for you? Is exercise to music dying? And, how should you adapt?

Today on the podcast, Will Brereton analyzes Les Mills' shift away from ETM formats, examines the data behind this major change, and provides concrete action steps for instructors to adapt their teaching approach and future-proof their careers!

Enjoy the episode!

Links and References mentioned in this episode:

• Download your 2025 Action Plan 
• Philip Mills Presentation - if you’re short on time, jump to 18:50 for the section Will references in the podcast. 
• Will’s Facebook, and Instagram 
• SH1FT Fitness Website

2025 is one of the biggest shakeups we've seen in the Group Fitness industry in a long time. 

If you're an instructor and you're still teaching the way you did five years ago, you're falling behind. 

If you're waiting for someone to just give you a raise or increase your instructor pay... I'm sorry to say it's not happening.

But if you're ready to adapt, pivot, and get ahead of the trends, then you're in the right place. 

 We've created a brand new podcast series: “The group fitness triple threat” where we are breaking down the three massive shifts that are transforming our industry right now and giving you a complete action plan for each one. 

 It's 10 episodes, each 10 minutes or less. We are not here to waste your time, we're getting straight to the point. 

In each episode you’ll hear the trend, what it means for you, and one action step that you can take today to make the most of what is changing. Think of it as your triple threat advantage: 

1. Master your formats

2. Understand your members

3. Build your business.

 This is the most comprehensive look at where group fitness is heading in 2025. No fluff, no hype, just real actionable insights to future-proof your career. And the best part is that we've also created the Group Fitness Triple Threat Guide, your 2025 Action Plan. A downloadable guide with all the key info that you'll be able to download as soon as the first episode drops. 

This series launches on Monday, so subscribe now so you don't miss out. 

We ALL live in hope that 2024 will be the year that instructor pay improves. But… this podcast is called group fitness Real Talk, and the real talk is that any big shifts - not matter how well deserved - don’t seem very likely. 

So how exactly can you make more money as an Instructor in 2024? 

I think you need to get smart in how you use your time and how you seek opportunities. And this is the subject that I’ll be discussing in this epsiode with Rosanna Tucker from CoverMe. 

Now I know that you’ve already got a headstart of the average instructor because you’re listening to this podcast. You know the importance of educating yourself and so I know that this opportunity will be music to your ears. So my advice is to get out there and take up this opportunity now, before the rest of the industry catch up.

And - finally - check out the link below to get details on the VERY VERY special partnership discount that we have running with CoverMe. You’ll be able to access training in the SH1FT Fitness formats for a never before seen discount, exclusive to this partnership:

https://sh1ftfitness.net/coverme

If you’re a UK instructor, you’ll be able to set up and account with CoverMe right now - and start seeing what classes are available in your area. If you’re listening from anywhere else, you’ll still be able to access this exclusive discount with SH1FT, and you’ll be notified as soon as CoverMe hits your area.

As a GX Instructor, you’ve undoubtedly had pre and postnatal people in your classes. This is why it's important to have a solid foundational knowledge in how to provide these members with a safe and effective workout. ⁠

In this episode, Will speaks to Danielle Spangler, an industry expert on pre and postnatal fitness.  ⁠Danielle has written many articles for fitness journals and education outlets about this very topic. Not only is she a GX Instructor herself, but she also owns a studio, Beach Life Fitness Boutique, as well as COREMOM Fitness, specializing in prenatal, postpartum, and women’s health and fitness.

In this chat, Danielle is breaking down some of the things that can happen during each stage of pregnancy and postpartum, some of her observations from working in this field for a long time, and ways that you, as an Instructor, can make your classes more helpful, safe, and welcoming for people who are pre and postnatal. We also talk about why this is a great niche for more GX Instructors to explore. 

Before we get into the episode, please always ensure that a pre or postnatal member of your class has their doctor's clearance before partaking in exercise. And with that said, have a listen and enjoy this information packed episode with Danielle!

Links and References mentioned in this episode:

• Core Mom Fitness: Instagram and Website 
• Beach Life Fitness Boutique (online classes): Instagram and Facebook
• The MedFit Network
• The Gray Institute Female Kinetic Chain Course
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

Today on the podcast, I'm talking with Rachel Holmes about all the things Instructors NEED to know about showing up on social media in 2023. Rachel is both a fixture in the UK fitness circuit and also smashing it on social media right now, so I really wanted to pick her brain and get her top tips for GX Instructors.

Rachel is a seasoned fitness professional who transitioned from being a BMX champion (yes, you read that right) to a fitness Instructor, and is now teaching fitness professionals how to monetize their knowledge and build recurring income. 

In this week's episode, Rachel gets REAL about:

• What platforms Group Fitness Instructors should be on
• Mindset shifts for overcoming lack of motivation and self-confidence so you can fully show up online
• Her recommended strategy for local vs online Instructors

Links and References mentioned in this episode:

• Rachel’s Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and online studio
• How To Create Passive Fitness Income
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

Today on the podcast, I'm back with repeat guest, Kelly Coulter. Last time, Kelly came on to talk about the three biggest business building mistakes that Instructors make when they start out teaching online. If you haven’t heard that episode yet, be sure to give it a listen (you can find that here)!

Now for this episode, we're talking about something a little different. Most Group Fitness Instructors are GREAT at understanding how to create a class, deliver it, and cultivate community. But many struggle in trying to put that into a business plan or creating a product that they can sell to make a living from. So today, Kelly is here to talk about how to package your proposition, what to do to make it marketable, and how to grow your income as a Group Fitness Instructor. 

Kelly is the host of of the Grow Your Fitness Business Facebook Group and founder of FitPros Connect. She loves helping experts in the fitness industry, like you, create and market high impact programs so they can make more money without burning themselves out.

We also dive into what a proposition is (in case this is all new to you), what to charge so you can REALLY make a profit, the kind of programming she suggests for GX Instructors, money mindset, and much more.

Links and References mentioned in this episode:

• Grow Your Fitness Business Facebook Group
• Grow Your Fitness Business on Instagram
• Fitpros Connect FB Group
• Fitpros Connect Website
• Flourish with Age Facebook Group
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

This is one of those episodes where we’re going to keep it REAL and hit you right up front. We think that a lot of Instructors listening to this podcast have entirely the wrong idea about rights-included music. 

We get it! You like to use the music that you hear on the radio in your classes. But we are living in a digital age where record companies and production houses are going to make it more and more difficult for you to use that original artist music in your classes, particularly online. 

At SH1FT Fitness, we believe in giving Instructors as many strings to their bow as possible, and that includes being able to teach their classes everywhere - on and offline. 

Today on the podcast, Will is interviewing Nikkie and Sam from Pure Energy Go. Nikkie is an International Fitness Presenter and Sam is a DJ who is currently working in the music industry. They're going to talk about how they work with some of the biggest DJs in the world (yes - the one’s you hear on the radio!) to curate and create incredible fitness music that can be used on any platform; in person on-demand, or live-streaming. 

As you're going to hear in this episode, the pandemic changed the way that we approached music specifically created for the fitness industry. It opened the gates to professional DJs and world famous artists who are now creating music specifically for use by fitness instructors across every platform. These are radio level DJs producing tracks that work with the special nuances of fitness classes. This is music that will never get muted when you put it on social media, music that you can use and commercialize across your live and digital businesses and music that is REALLY GOOD! So, if you're an Instructor who wants to be able to teach in as many venues and as many places online and offline as possible, you need to give this episode a listen. 

Sign up for the Pure Energy Go App here and check out these EXCLUSIVE discounts for podcast listeners: 

FOR MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Use code REALTALK for £5 off your monthly subscription for the first 3 months (£14.99/month instead of £19.99).

FOR PURCHASING INDIVIDUAL TRACKS:
Use code SH1FT for a £2 discount on Purchases.

Links and References mentioned in this episode:

• **Sign up for the Pure Energy Go App here. Use code REALTALK for £5 off your monthly subscription for the first 3 months (£14.99/month instead of £19.99). Use code SH1FT for a £2 discount on Purchases.**
• Pure Energy’s Website, on Instagram, and Facebook
• The Pure Energy Go App
• Nikkie’s Website and Instagram
• Sam’s Website and Instagram
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

Programming real strength development training in a group fitness setting has always been a challenge. But if you can do it well, it can be the biggest opportunity for you as a group fitness instructor to attract a broad audience of people to your classes. The question is, how exactly do you achieve effective strength development when you're dealing with the constraints of the group in the setting? And why is the strength development audience so attractive? 

In today's podcast, we're going to tackle these questions head on. We will look at the evolution of strength training as a group fitness format, and how it's changed from the traditional barbell pumped style class into something that's far more closely resembling gym floor training. We're also going to look at what we can learn from hugely successful strength training boutiques, and how we, at SH1FT Fitness, have translated all of these learnings into a group fitness format that delivers a varied and interesting workout that works with the equipment available in a typical group fitness studio and actually delivers on strength gains. 

Now, there's always been a fair amount of opposition towards strength in the group fitness setting, particularly from PTs who argue, perhaps correctly, that you can't achieve the same strength gains in the group fitness setting as you can with the gym floor program. But guess what? Most people aren't working out so that they can lift the heaviest weight possible. They're training to be fit, strong and healthy, and that's something that we should be able to 100% get behind and achieve in the group fitness setting. 

If you're a group fitness instructor that has any interest in teaching strength and conditioning based formats, I highly recommend that you give this episode a listen.

Links and References mentioned in this episode:

• Learn more about L1FT
• Follow Sam on Instagram
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

Here at SH1FT Fitness, we like to make sure we are giving our instructors what they want in terms of education, product, as well as the topics they want to hear about on this podcast. We recently conducted a global instructor survey and were really stunned by the number of instructors who wanted to hear more about menopause, hormones, and their impact on both class members and instructors.

Well, you asked and we’re answering! Today on the podcast, I'm chatting with friend and colleague, Tracy Minnoch. Tracy was previously on Episode 12 talking about Studio Fitness in Your 50s, but since then, has developed a platform called, Sexy Ageing, which is an amazing resource that is focused around menopause. As you're going to hear on the show, menopause is a process that half the population is going to go through at some point, one that completely changes the way women interact with life and fitness. It was serendipitous that this episode was scheduled to be released today on World Menopause Day. 

You may either be thinking that this topic is super relevant to you, or that it’s not something that's relevant to you right now, but don't switch off because as a fitness instructor, this is something you need to know about. Whether or not you will personally go through this process, your class members will, and having a base level of understanding will allow you to be a more compassionate instructor and create better connections with your classes. 

Enjoy this informative episode with Tracy!

Links and References mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 12 with Tracy Minnoch: Studio Fitness in Your 50s
• Connect with Tracy on Instagram, Facebook, her Podcast
• Sexy Ageing Website
• Sexy Ageing Lifestyle - Menopause Management Online Course
• The Balance App