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Hey December, that little ditty "Revive and survive with bodyvive" took my fancy immediately too. I never thought much of the 'fizzing with energy' thing - too abstract and airy-fairy. As much as I love Body Vive, it never leaves me 'fizzing' - fizzing is something that happens when you eat whiz fizzes (sherbet things!). I must say I do enjoy your posts - I think you have a really good way of seeing things! Ah, maybe your involvement with Les Mills may be just more than the programs - I think you should have some input into their marketing ideas!

NOT2fat4LMclass:

ReVIVE and SurVIVE with BodyVIVE. 

What a great slogan

 

 

This weekend at the gym I attend, there was a release of Balance, Vive, Pump and Combat. In this order. I didn't feel like waiting for BP and BC after I followed Balance, so I decided I would give Vive a try. From what I've seen so far (a few glimpses of the instructional DVD) I didn't think it would suit me. Too much low impact, too soft in general with a light purple ball. Well, maybe I'm not the target audience, being male, 38 years young and a fanatic pumper and combatter.

 

But I have to say the class wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. And I don't mean the moves (I attend aerobicstyle classes and free style steps as well). I found the class very entertaining, nice music (brings back some memories), and the possibility to make the exercises as hard as you want them to be. I especially liked the warm up, relax and fire it up again approach. The balancelike elements in the middle helps you come at ease before firing it up again, giving it a bit of an interval feeling.

 

However, I don't think I will attend many more Vive-classes. My main reasons:

*  I sometimes felt it a bit too low impact. Of course you can take the options but the ball will remain light. Maybe they could make the black balls heavier.

*  The music, I really liked the music, but it couldn't harm to throw in some Scooter (or something similar)

 

That said, the positive points that could be used to make people attend class:

* It covers it all, endurance, strength, agility

* The music (haha), I know, I also named it above, but that's because I'm used to combat

 

I do hope the program will gather a following, it's just not the thing for me, but I'm sure I will drop in on some classes when I have the time and need to exercise.

I've taught Bodypump and Bodyflow for several years now but am new to Bodyvive. 

Bodyvive is brilliant. As someone who is entering their 30th year of teaching and done my own choreography for many years I have to say, Susan Trainer's chory is absolutely brilliant. I love it! Release #6 is a solid hour of fun.

I read quite a few emails with interest on the subject of changing Bodyvive's image and have some suggestions. If I were making the call I would change the name of 'BodyVive' to BodyParty'. The balls would be all colors and the tubes would be 3 colors, with different levels of difficult. Instead of 'fizzing with energy' I would change that to 'welcome to my party'! A Party atmosphere and attitude draws a crowd.

 Peggy L Kellems

Circle Pines MN

email:IAMTHEAGENT@MSN.COM

 

I love the way you think, Peggy!  We HAVE to get away from old people purple...

I've been trying to figure out the fanaticism for Zumba vs. low numbers for BodyVive, so I went to my second Zumba class today.  They didn't hand out any kool-aid , so what could it be?  The one thing those instructors keep saying is "have fun" and "just keep moving", so that's something BV instructors could emphasize (some already do.)  In Zumba, people seem to be OK with not following choreography, whereas in BV seem more self conscious about that and intimidated by BV's steps.  However, in BV something like "Boogie Nights" has only 2 moves, so I MUST believe that most folks can learn it, especially if the grapevine is explained first and modification offered.  

Some (younger) folks have called the music 'lame', and I guess they aren't willing to put up with it like some of the music I consider 'noise' in BP.  But I do think that BV should embrace it's hokey (fun) qualities, and including songs like "Float On" can do that -- who can resist Charles? 

What I'd really like to see is BV instructors taking an informal survey of Zumba attendees to find out why they haven't taken or returned to the class.  At the class I went to, people showed up early and stand around for 10 min, so it wouldn't necessarily have to take time away from that class.

Everyone's said this, but I have to say it again -- the marketing approach for this was ALL WRONG.  Even if it were for old people, who wants to think of themselves as old?  

 

We are struggling with Vive at our club, too. I think it is a fantastic program and I totally believe in it. I love teaching it, I love the people who are coming to it. Our numbers are low, but when we introduced Jam and Combat and Attack and RPM each time the numbers started low and grew. My team and I are working our tails off to grow the program. Here are some issues I am finding with the program:

1. A lot of Les Mills instructors seem to look down on the program. We are not part of the Les Mills group. We are not hard core like Combat or Attack or Pump, and so they write us off as a beginner's program and nothing else.

2. Our participants are harder to find because they are often those who are intimidated by the GGX studio, the bright lights, the windows, and the long walk down through the gym.

3. Our participants are not hard core participants yet who won't miss a workout. It's up to us to find ways to encourage their devotion to the program and to their own health.

4. Like Water Aerobics, Vive is a social program. I have seen other instructors collecting names and planning outtings, lunch, coffee, etc. and it makes a group that comes not just for the workout, but also for the socialization.

5. Too many people are saying or marketing Vive for beginners. It's not just for beginners. That means we only have a group of people who move into the class for a brief time and then move on. I have people in my class who are older (even 70!), have fibromyalgia, knee and ankle issues, and other health issues that make Vive right for them. I let people know that as they become more fit, they will be able to increase their intensity. And they do.

6. On the other hand, if Les Mills instructors from other programs keep saying their programs are for beginners, too, and Vive is exclusively for beginners, then where do we stand as we try to market it? It's a very challenging situation. And truly, some of my students have tried low option Combat and Attack and they cannot manage it. But Vive is right for them.

7. In all my classes, the people enjoy them because I encourage them to feel good about where they are. That never means we are static and can't get fitter. It just means we don't beat ourselves up for not being perfect, gorgeous, slim, young, etc.

8. The people who do come love the music. They sing along, they dance to it. OK, Copacabana was hokey, but we had more smiles around the room with that and YMCA. Seriously. I emphasize the fact that we are going to experience 55 minutes of fun and getting a workout at the same time.

9. I would like to see more support in marketing this program because it is different. It is a different clientèle than for all the other LMI programs. We are not going to draw our numbers from the other classes very much. I am getting Flow people in there, but not Combat, Jam, or Attack. Clubs and instructors need help finding ways to reach those people who are not coming into the gym much and are afraid to get down to the GGX studio. If Les Mills believes in Vive, I hope they will. I think our GMs and our GFMs need to be educated about the benefits of Vive. One way to do that is to talk to the people who are becoming devotees. Ask them to communicate what they get out of Vive and why they like it. Those of us instructors who believe in it will not carry the same weight as the paying participants.

I could probably say a lot more, but then this would be a book.
 

Peggy, I love your idea of welcome to my party. Actually, I use that with a lot of my classes. One of my primary emphases is that Vive is fun, so much fun that you won't realize that you are getting a well-rounded workout.

I love release 6, too. Track 5 was challenging enough for some hard core people and yet the low options were low enough for those who needed it.

 

 

Trying to get people to support vive, not very successful... getting them into the door is one thing, making them stay past track 2 is another.
I am the type of hardcore person i participate in combat,attack,pump and Jam, and every time i teach vive i always end up dripping in sweat more than the other programs - needs to also be marketed as an active recovery for all those hard core participants. We also have a range of ages, Im only 18 and no doubt one of the youngest vive instructors around but ive started to see teens as young as 16 coming to these classes right up to people in their late 70s all taking it to their level and having fun, no one of them care if the song was around before their time (i mean really if u listen to todays music - its all REMIXES of the 70s n 80s music vive uses anyway) :P no wonder why i no the lyrics to songs my parents grew up with. (hehe)

Hi Vive

madrehijo:

1. A lot of Les Mills instructors seem to look down on the program. We are not part of the Les Mills group. We are not hard core like Combat or Attack or Pump, and so they write us off as a beginner's program and nothing else.

4. Like Water Aerobics, Vive is a social program. I have seen other instructors collecting names and planning outtings, lunch, coffee, etc. and it makes a group that comes not just for the workout, but also for the socialization.

 

Hi, i have only seen vive on the video and seen it at the quarterly once.  However, I will say that my first thought was "thank god they came out with this".  HOnestly, I do see it as a lower impact class that is good for any fitness level.  I like what you say about it being a social program.  I do that with my bodystep classes.  I try to do the occasional happy hour or coffee at starbucks. I'm sorry you feel that other instructors look down on the program.  I certainly do not. 

 Michelle

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I think it is a fantastic programme, unfortunately it was trialed in one my clubs in the over 50s slot, and didn't make it past the trial period. I think the over50s didn't like the change, and it was difficult to encourage others to try it. Although I actively try to encourage participants that attend my classes (BP, BB & freestyle)  to try other classes, some instructors do get a little possessive of their participants and are afraid that they will lose their class sizes. Personally my aim is for my participants to love exercise as much as me and reach their potentials, so it is important for them to mix up their exercise routines and try new things.