Les Mills shows grit in engaging club members

Global fitness leaders LES MILLS have launched GRIT™STRENGTH, which they predict will be the hottest fitness trend on the planet.

Combining 30 minutes of high intensity interval training with powerlifting and plyometric moves to get members fit, fast, GRIT™STRENGTH can be run without clubs having to interrupt their studio timetable as the program can be run anywhere where there is space in a facility: the PT zone, gym floor or squash court. 

In addition, by adopting a 'user pays model' for GRIT™ STRENGTH, facilities can add an additional revenue streams.

Like all LES MILLS programs GRIT™ STRENGTH has been through rigorous market testing and re-testing, so clubs and users can be assured of a safe, effective and enjoyable workout every single time. Its development has been mindful of global averages that show that the best clubs in the world can engage 10% of their members through personal training and 40% through group fitness, with GRIT™ STRENGTH aiming to engage the other 50% of a club’s membership base?

With 90% of exercisers saying they prefer to exercise in groups, the key to growing membership and increasing secondary spend in club’s is to get members engaged in an activity with other people. GRIT™ STRENGTH captures those members who either can't afford personal training or won't add group fitness to their training regime.

GRIT™ STRENGTH is for those members who already love the peaks of other high intensity programs such as BODYATTACK® or RPM™ and want to be pushed to the next level, it's for those members who are already doing weights and cardio and want to shake up their routine. 

Les Mills International Chief Executive Phillip Mills explains "we all know someone who is hesitant to try group fitness or can't afford PT, this is for them. 

"In short, this is a program for the already conditioned wanting to take their fitness to the next level, fast. This small group training program is also stepping stone for members to eventually start personal training, and for others, may ease them into other group fitness programs such as CXWORX® or BODYPUMP®."

Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) 
There is a reason the marketing screams 'get super fit, super fast', 'the most intense 30 minutes your body will ever experience', 'shatter your boundaries', and that reason is HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training. 

HIIT is at the core of LES MILLS GRIT™ STRENGTH – repeated bouts of short to moderate duration exercise performed at an intensity that is greater than the anaerobic threshold. 

As Phillip Mills adds "everyone has an anaerobic threshold, the point of physical intensity where the body moves from aerobic energy supplies to anaerobic. As your members increase fitness - particularly at high intensities - they improve their ability to use their aerobic energy system at higher intensities meaning they can go harder for longer."

The physiological benefits of HIIT for members include: 

EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption)
Also known as after burn, refers to the elevation of metabolism after the completion of exercise which is required to return the body to a normal resting state. This elevation of energy expenditure contributes to the total amount of calories that are burned as a result of the training session. Intensity has been found to be the most important factor when it comes to producing an EPOC effect. The higher the intensity the more caloric expenditure needed after the exercise to return the body to normal.

Type 2 Muscle Fibre Activation
Everyone has 2 types of muscle fibres – fast and slow twitch. The slow twitch fibres are known as type 1 while the fast twitch are type 2. Slow twitch fibres use oxygen for fuel using the aerobic energy system, whereas fast twitch fibres work anaerobically. Each muscle has a mix of fast twitch and slow twitch fibres with the ratio being around 40% fast twitch and 60% slow twitch. Steady state training uses predominantly slow twitch muscle activation – meaning that if we constantly train at lower intensities we only ever recruit 60% of our available muscle fibre. High intensity training accesses the type 2 fibres as well as the type 1 – meaning that you have increased your fibre recruitment by up to 40%.

Fat loss 
Exercising within the 'fat burning zone' to maximise weight loss evolved a few years ago from research demonstrating that a higher percentage of fat is used by the body during low to moderate intensity exercise. However, while the percentage of fat utilisation is known to be higher during low to moderate intensity exercise, the total energy consumed is much greater during high intensity exercise. Therefore, the total calorie consumption from fat is typically equal or greater during high intensity compared to low to moderate intensity exercise. Fat is also utilised during the EPOC phase for recovery – which we know is higher after high intensity exercise. High intensity exercise is therefore more effective for fat loss than low intensity exercise.

Hormonal Response
Any exercise that recruits multiple large muscle groups with brief bursts of high intensity and restricted rest periods will elevate levels of lactic acid. Lactic acid production is considered to be associated with an acute increase in human growth hormone levels. Human growth hormone stimulates muscle protein synthesis, and promotes the oxidation of fat – therefore increasing lean muscle and reducing body fat. 

GRIT™STRENGTH is currently rolling out across Australia.

For more information email: belinda@lesmills.com.au or go to www.lesmills.com.au/home/program_grit.php

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