90 per cent of exercisers say they prefer to work out in a group, which is why operators need to ensure their group exercise timetable has pulling power

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a trend that is set to continue and explode further in 2015. The fact that as a society we are time poor and want to see maximum results in minimum time has further enhanced the desire for HIIT. Les Mills launched the GRIT Series™ over a year ago and has seen the programme challenge group fitness norms and deliver commercial results for partners. Here’s how it worked at Blantyre Leisure Centre.

Gerry Campbell, general manager of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture says: “Initially we launched Les Mills GRIT Strength, Plyo and Cardio in the summer is 2013 (will still operate all three) with an understated ‘FREE come and try sessions’. We liked the small team training model and spread the word that GRIT was a fantastic results driven group PT programme.”

Ian Thompson, assistant manager and Les Mills GRIT™ Coach, says: “I was naturally nervous about jumping in with both feet with such a new product and my own team members who had not been tested with regards to the sustainability of sessions.

“We kept it low key and allowed customers to market it through word of mouth....(every gym punter loves a good gossip) and I am pleased to say they did a pretty good job... most of the free sessions were taken within the first afternoon of opening!” Marketing and PR at its best!

Blantyre Leisure Centre started with a number of programmed sessions at £6 for members and £9 for non-members and also added private additional bookable sessions at £36 per session.

All the Les Mills GRIT™ groups have a maximum limit of 8 customers but much of the sessions at Blantyre are driven by customer demand on a private basis (£36 per session – max 8 people) bookable through the gym supervisor. In 2014 the centre was running approximately 37 sessions per month a monthly profit for GRIT sits comfortably at about £1,000 (target was £500 per month).

Ian adds: “What I love about the Les Mills GRIT™ effect is not only the boost to my bottom line, but the fact it’s the customers have taken ownership of it and are responsible for creating the buzz within the club.”

Martin Franklin, customer experience director at Les Mills UK, says: “The Les Mills GRIT™ Series is perfectly suited to a number of different operating models as it can be tailored to you and your club. Some operators, including two national ones, decide to just offer it as part of their group exercise timetable and another uses it as a feeder to its personal training offering. Although traditionally, GRIT is seen as small group training it also translates perfectly to larger classes and we have seen some operators draw in crowds of 50+. As with all our programmes, there’s never a one size fits all approach and it’s our job to work with you as partners to apply the correct solution to your business.”

For details about Les Mills GRIT Series™ please email: [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7264 0200