Over the weekend I spent a day in a training called the Advanced Instructor Training (or module) for BODYPUMP®. These trainings are reserved for Les Mills instructors who are certified in a program and are meant to provide continuing education and advanced skill training. I will be honest, when I first heard about them I thought they might be a waste of time. Les Mills certified instructors already receive and pay for DVD releases every quarter which provide the Master class, notes, education, and technique drills. With all of that, do we really need to go through an eight to nine hour day of additional training? I would say, yes! Here are a few things I learned and why I believe it was not only helpful but essential as I continue to instructor participants everyday.
Breaking bad habits
Our bodies and specifically our muscles are memory keepers. We remember how something feels and do it over and over again until it becomes second nature. Think about doing a squat. Without much thought or hesitation, most people would at the very least bend their knees when asked to do one. What I learned in my AIM Training was that not every squat is made equally. I know the basic technique of a squat but what my training did was allow me to slowly adjust my own technique to ensure that I am not only delivering the information verbally but that my body is showing participants perfect technique. Even the slightest drop in my shoulder can put my entire upper body out of alignment, dropping my chest, and possibly injuring my back! I also learned a few tricks to helping my class participants get into proper technique easier and with clear direction. With all I learned it will take my muscles a little while to remember, but I now have the tools and have begun to put it into action!
Becoming a learner again
For many Les Mills instructors (especially BODYPUMP®) continuing education has been limited to the DVD’s. The DVD’s are essential and obviously the best way to get in front of the International Master Trainers and Program Directors to learn about new innovations and continue to grow in the program. With that said, AIM’s are beneficial because you are being evaluated again, in person, with hands-on assistance. For the instructor who has been doing this for 15 years this is an excellent opportunity to grow in the program and learn something new. It may even refresh you! Make you excited about teaching again! And like I said above, you may have some bad habits that just need a few adjustments to make you a better skilled instructor.
It’s not just a class, it’s a brand
One of the biggest “take aways” for me during last weekend was a reminder that as a Les Mills instructor I am representing a brand. It’s not “Trillia Pump” or shall I say “Trill Pump” , its’ BODYPUMP® a program of Les Mills International. According to their website, Les Mills programs are in 13,000 clubs and 75 countries! What does that mean for the instructor? When a person hears the words BODYPUMP® there is an image, a sound, a feel that immediately comes to mind. I went through the trouble of becoming certified in the programs (five to be exact) because at the time I believed they were solid programs that I wanted to teach to my participants. It would be a shame to then change the program to my own program. That is why I am also certified through AFAA! I love the option to make up choreography and add my own spin. But, when I stand in front of my participants teaching a Les Mills program, I am representing the company and the brand. The AIM helped me learn more about what it means to be a BODYPUMP® instructor and how to present the material more effectively.
Countless Rewards
There are countless rewards to doing AIMs including but not limited too: 1) Learning more about you as an instructor and how to grow; 2) Becoming more effective and efficient as an instructor; 3) Learning how to address common mistakes we see in class; 4) Battling complacency and becoming more excited about teaching again and; 5)Putting it all together to pack the room each time as you teach the program the way it was intended to be taught.
Another reward is having the chance to participate in AIM 2 which will give you the opportunity to become an Advanced or Elite Instructor. The designation of Elite Instructor opens new possibilities to grow your career with Les Mills.
So, is it worth it? Yes! If you are a Les Mills certified instructor I highly recommend taking an Advanced Instructor Training. And if you have been in one or plan to take one, feel free to leave a comment!
Happy Training!
1,035 Responses to “Les Mills AIM’s: Is it worth it?”
Trillia – I COULD NOT agree more! Great blog on the value of this additional training availible from Les Mills!
Trill, you are such an honest, intelligent writer. Thank you for publishing your straight-forward feedback about Les Mills BODYPUMP Advanced Instructor Module One. Our global objectives as a result of teachers attending AIM are to 1) elevate the quality of Les Mills Instructors and (in direct correleation) 2) increase class participation (even if classes are filling).
It sounds like you are doing just that! Kia Kaha!
Trillia~you are spot on as usual. Thank you for spreading the good word. Justin & Shaunna make this training invaluable. We just hope more instructors take advantage of the opportunity.
Trillia, thank you for posting this!! I did the BODYPUMP AIM this last weekend in New Orleans with Justin and Shaunna and although I can barely move my muscles, I learned so much in this AIM training! Definitely worth it and I will participate in future AIMs for the other programs I teach.
Trillia, I have completed body combat and body attack AIM and LOVED both! Completely inspired me as an instructor to better myself and my participants every time I teach.
I couldn’t agree more! It’s realizing that there’s room for improvement, it’s changing sides in the GGX room, being the member again, watching, hearing, listening, following through another set of eyes (yes, they are our own, but…)
I took the BodyStep AIM a few months back and found it to be an eye-opener, humbling yet one of the most inspiring experiences of my Les Mills careers.
YES – AIMs are worth it, our members must be worth us attending AIMs – WE are worth it!
Totally agree. I did the BP AIM w/ Susan Renata back in August and it completely changed the way I teach.
well spoken trillia! and it’s obvious you took away the most important points…being open and available to let yourself take on new challenges and making yourself vulnerable to be evaluated is the first step in this process for it to be successful for each instructor!
thank you for your willingness to participate and share with others your experience!
I intend to take the AIM in Body Pump. I am also a personal trainer. I live in the USA but travel quite a bit. I have taken classes in the UK and different parts of the USA. I get so frustrated when teachers either demonstrate poor form, do not correct form in others and basically make stuff up (such as leaving out the breaks cause they think it will toughen people up, not knowing the choreo, not going with the beat of the music, and even using their own music and making up their own choreo which is extremely dangerous). The responsibility lies with the Group Exercise Directors of these gyms to vet their instructors more carefully. I love the Les Mills programs and hate to see them corrupted so often.
I agree Trillia.
I had the privilege to sit in on the BP AIM in New Orleans. No matter how long you have been teaching LMI, the AIM module will benefit you. We are always striving to be the best we can be…to become warriors in the fight against sedentary lifestyle.
Thank you for sharing this value information with us,., i was having exactly the same question about AIM..but now am totaly convinced and am looking forward to do both AIMs for the BODYPUMP and BODYSTEP..:)
can’t wait to do one ,when will you be back in Nashville for one of those for pump flow or Vive? thank you i was at Westside but just had surgery ,could not participate just observe thank you.