As anyone that has been involved in fitness for a long time will know, September is a key month for the fitness industry, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. Instructors are coming back from their summer holidays, and it's a little bit like January in that they're refreshing their approach to fitness. September also presents an opportunity, particularly this year when the rest of the year has been so difficult with COVID, to focus on getting people back into fitness and creating habits they will actually stick to.

In today's podcast, we're going to split it into three short sections. In the first section, I'm going to give a little bit of real talk on a topic that I'm hearing a lot about as we come back into live classes, which is Instructor pay. Then I'm going to ask fitness authority, Emma Barry, what she thinks Instructors should be thinking about as we go into September. Finally, we're going to finish up with some data based on what we saw during the pandemic and now coming out of the pandemic. I'll share what I think Instructors can do to really make the most of the data, the learnings, and the changes that have happened. 

I know you'll get a lot of value from this episode!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• 3 Key Predictions for Group Fitness in 2021
• The Future of Fitness with Emma Barry
• 5 Pro Tips for Creating Better Virtual Classes with Richard Playfair
• Understand Your Value: 5 Things Every Instructor Should Know with Barbara Brodowsky
• 5 Ways to Supercharge the Growth of your Community with Corinne

I'm so excited to welcome Kirsten Potenz to today’s podcast. Kirsten is someone that I really admire in the Fitness industry. She is the creator and founder of the Group Fitness format, Pound. Now, if you haven't heard of Pound, be sure to check them out in the show notes. Pound is unlike anything else in the industry, and you need to see it to fully appreciate it. 

As you're going to hear on the show, I'm a massive fan of what Kirsten and Pound have accomplished, their authenticity, their style, their brand -- it really, really resonates. And what also resonates with me is that they have an approach to Fitness that's all about fun and escapism. It's not about losing weight. It's not about before-and-afters. It's not about getting abs. If you've been listening to this show for a while, you know that that's exactly my philosophy as well. 

Now, this type of approach and workout definitely isn't for everyone, but Kirsten has carved out a niche and is very particular on what the brand stands for. This shines through in everything that Pound does, from their branding to their instructor mentality to the trainings they offer in the community they’ve created. There are some great lessons here for every Group Fitness instructor around understanding your purpose and knowing the environment that you're looking to create. I just know you'll take a lot away from this chat, and I really hope you enjoy it!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Kirsten’s Instagram and Facebook
• Pound’s Website and Instagram
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

Today on the podcast, Will is talking to Jeffrey Scott. Jeffrey is Vice President of Fitness, Nutrition, & Results at Beachbody, which for those of you who follow the news will know, has just gone public in very spectacular fashion.

As you'll hear, Jeffrey has worked with everyone: Reebok, Les Mills, 24-Hour Fitness, Equinox, and now Beachbody. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge on what it means to be a Fitness presenter, a Fitness educator, and someone whose job it is to select and inspire instructors.

Whether you teach for a big gym or for your local community, it's important to stay informed on the  industry as a whole — and this is an area where Jeffrey is an expert. Not only does Jeffrey have a really interesting career story, but we also talk a lot about what makes an instructor special and the future of fitness. 

You're going to also hear some sneak peeks on what Beachbody has in the store with their brand new program, BODi, coming out very soon. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Jeffrey’s Instagram and LinkedIn
• Beachbody’s BODi trailer (Beachbody On-Demand Interactive)
• Info about BODi
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

We have heard a lot about China in the last 18 months...but not a lot about what's happening there in the fitness industry. Today on the show, I'm talking to Matt Thraxton. Matt has been at the top of the Les Mills world for a long time and in the view of many, is one of the best Body Pump presenters there is. He has spent time working in the USA, the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and most recently, he took on the role of Training Manager for Les Mills in China. 

Matt has firsthand knowledge of how China has been, not only dealing with the pandemic, but also how fitness has continued to grow and thrive during that time. You're going to hear Matt talk about his experience being an expat in China and watching what happened to the fitness industry in his home nation of the UK and around the world, as opposed to what he himself experienced while he was in China. Spoiler: You're going to be a little bit gutted about how quickly they got back to teaching. 

You're also going to hear Matt talk about how his priorities, when it comes to fitness, have changed, how the role of a group fitness instructor has changed during that time, and what he now looks for when he's recruiting his exceptional talent in China. 

I really enjoyed this conversation with Matt and hope you do, too!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Matt’s Instagram and Facebook
• Supermonkey
• Keep App
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

Have you ever felt like you don’t fit into a certain fitness ‘image’? Or have you struggled to find a place in fitness that really makes you feel great about yourself? 

Today on the show, I'm talking to good friend, Laura Hoggins. If you’re in the UK, you may know “Laura Biceps” already. She’s built a name for herself in the fitness industry by being authentically her. Laura has inspired a new generation of women to be proud of their strength - both inner and physical. But if you’re not a woman, don’t think this episode isn’t relevant to you. Everyone can learn a lot from Laura’s story! 

Laura has built an incredible online community of empowered followers, is the director of a top London boutique studio network and has an incredible knack for building communities that make people feel included and celebrated for their individuality. 

In a world that seems to praise you for ‘losing weight’ or ‘toning up’, that promotes 8-week shreds and beachbody challenges, Laura’s approach to health, fitness and body image is a breath of fresh air.

This episode is full of great perspectives on body image, building a community, fitness business, and much more!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Laura Hoggins website, Instagram, and Facebook
• The Foundry website, Instagram, and Facebook
• Laura’s Book, “Lift Yourself”
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

As live Group Fitness comes back and we all start to breathe a sigh of relief, many of us might be very keen to ditch the online workouts we’ve been forced into over the past year. But if today’s guest is proof of anything, it’s that there’s so much value in having an online presence and it’s important to think long and hard about your long term strategy and goals when it comes to teaching Group Fitness. 

Today’s podcast guest is Corinne Blight. Corinne is the founder of Limitless Fitness & Nutrition. She’s been working in the fitness industry for nearly a decade as a Group Fitness Instructor, PT & Nutrition Coach, and since the start of the pandemic, she quickly pivoted and established an award- winning women's online group fitness community. 

Corinne has won many awards and been featured in a lot of different media publications. But how has she gone from not having an online presence a year ago, to being a super successful business owner with a very bright future and a sideline in the corporate space? 

Corinne has been wonderful to take us through how she did it, step by step, and I think you’re really going to enjoy this chat!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Download Corinne’s Top 5 Tips for Building Online Community Here
• Limitless Fitness & Nutrition
• Corinne’s Instagram and Facebook
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

Welcome back to the new season of Group Fitness Real Talk! This season is going to be filled with a lot of hope and excitement for the future. There is still a long way to go in our collective journey to recovering from the pandemic, but I’m feeling really optimistic about the future and I hope you are too. 

In the first episode, we are getting the perspective of an area of the Industry that we haven’t covered on the podcast before and that’s regulatory bodies and national governing bodies for Group Fitness. Today I’m interviewing Sue Wilkie from EMD, the governing body for group exercise across the UK. Sue played a crucial role for Instructors during the pandemic, acting as their voice to government and she and the team at EMD worked incredibly hard, not only to support instructors, but also to ensure the Group Fitness industry was heard.

Now I know many of you are not UK based, but no matter where in the world you are listening from, it’s likely you had a governing body that was doing very similar to what the EMD UK team have undertaken in the last year so it’s well worth a listen to this chat to gain a perspective on this side of the Industry. 

Now onto my chat with Sue...

Links mentioned in this episode:

• The National Governing Body of Group Exercise, EMD
• EMD UK Youtube Channel
• EMD UK on Instagram and Facebook
• Sue Wilkie’s Instagram
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

Today on the podcast we are tackling the million dollar question of how to re-discover your passion and happiness in life and to help me answer this, I’m excited to welcome back Sacha Coburn to the show. Sacha first appeared in episode 7 of the podcast but she is such a wealth of knowledge I just had to get her back on.

In this episode, Sacha is going to help you to understand the four key areas of your life that contribute to achieving ‘flow’. Many of us neglect one or more of these areas, and by doing that we are depriving ourselves of achieving that brilliant purpose - and believe me you don’t want to miss out on this as nothing feels better! 

But if this all sounds a little ‘too-hard basket’, don’t worry as she’s also going to give you some brilliant but simple tactics to help you get there. 

I strongly believe that right now is the perfect time to focus on YOU, so I urge you to keep an open mind during this episode and take the time to really reflect on where you are right now and what changes you could make to reignite that passion!

Also - make sure you listen right to the end of the podcast as I’ve got a really exciting opportunity that I can’t wait to share with you - trust me, you don’t want to miss this!  

Now onto my chat with Sacha... 

Links mentioned in this episode:

• The Not So Breakfast Show
• Sacha’s previous podcast appearance: Mindset 101: The Key To A Happier Life
• Sacha Coburn’s website, Instagram and Facebook
• Advanced Instructing in The Phygital Age Course
• What’s Your Group Fitness Superpower Quiz
• Advanced Instructing in the Phygital Age Course
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

In a world with almost unlimited options for fitness, the one thing that you have to differentiate yourself is that you're unique. 

We have been conditioned to work on our weaknesses, but by doing this we neglect the strengths that makes us special.

We at SH1FT believe that every instructor has a superpower and by embracing it, you can become a better teacher. In this podcast, Will talks about instructor superpowers, and he’s going to take it really high level with the intention of starting a conversation and a process for self-reflection that we think will really help you to develop and hone your skills in a way that will make you better at not only leaning into your unique strengths, but also to start understanding what your weaknesses might be.

PLUS - to make this topic even easier to digest, we’ve created a quiz! In a few simple questions, we’ll help you identify your superpower and give you some actionable strategies to SUPERcharge your teaching performance.

You can take the quiz right here:

www.gxsuperpower.com

Enjoy this solo episode with Will!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• What’s Your Group Fitness Superpower Quiz
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website

While we may not be zooming around in flying cars just yet, perhaps we can all agree that the future is here and technology is changing our lives at a faster rate than ever before. Whether you love or hate technology, there is no doubt that it has and will continue to have a big impact on the Group Fitness industry, so you don’t have to love it, but you do NEED to be across it.  

In this podcast, you’re about to hear some big, bold predictions about what is coming just around the corner in the fitness industry. We’re talking wearables, augmented reality, heads up displays and real time class performance data fed directly into your 5g enabled contact lens. Full sci-fi fiction territory. Today’s guest is Ian Mullane, an AI expert and the CEO of Keepme. He has pulled together a really interesting white paper entitled ‘The Fitness Future: Rules of Engagement’, which looks at how tech can improve gyms’ businesses not just in the future but now using AI, AR, 5G, and personalisation.  As a former club operator, Ian brings an interesting perspective to the discussion of what comes next in fitness.

If this talk of AI and the future has got you a bit concerned - relax. You don’t need to be a tech expert to succeed in the future of fitness. Ian provides some simple, actionable tips that every fitness instructor can follow (regardless of tech abilities) to get ahead of the inevitable changes that are coming to not just our industry, but everyday life.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Ian’s LinkedIn and  Instagram 
• Keepme.ai
• The Fitness Future: Rules of Engagement
• Will’s Facebook, Instagram and Email Address
• SH1FT Fitness Website