“The club was run down and due to COVID, business was very quiet,” explains Alex. “It was actually the first gym in Bali to offer a wide range of LES MILLS classes and because of this, to this day it still has a good reputation for the quality of its classes.”
“Even though I was a newcomer to the business, I’d been fan of Les Mills classes for years, having experienced them in Europe,” Alex explains. “Through training sessions with my local Business Partnership Manager, Iskandar Mahbob, I got as much information about studio design as I could. I believe the combination of this expert advice and my personal gym experience has led to the club keeping its status as the first and best supplier of LES MILLS classes in Bali.”
As part of the overhaul, Alex didn’t hesitate to replace the club’s old weights with SMART TECH equipment. “I’d used SMART TECH in Europe, so I understood the difference in quality compared to their brands. Our Instructors love being able to use SMART TECH in their classes, especially because nobody else in Bali has it; and the members appreciate the equipment because it’s very easy to handle and extremely ergonomic.”
“I also invested a lot of money in STAGES bikes,” Alex adds, “so we had a lot of renovation work to do. But it was worth all the hard work because it means we are now offering our members the best possible group fitness experiences.”
Alex’s studio design decisions were influenced significantly by the ‘Build a Great Stadium’ section in Les Mills Asia Pacific’s Online Group Fitness Management course. “This course gave me lots of design ideas. Without it, I don’t think I would have realised the importance of elements such as the Instructor’s stage and sound system.
“As a result of what I learned, we decided to specifically build a stage with a spotlight, so all members would have a great view of the Instructor. The outcome of this is that Instructors feel more visible now; and the impact of that, is a team of Instructors who enjoy their role on the stage a lot more. Of course, a key element of our success lies in our Instructors, who deliver that ‘rockstar’ experience, so we understand how important it is to ensure they enjoy their time at the club.”
Alex says that most members were extremely happy about and appreciative of the major design changes and the upgrading of their club. He believes the ambience of the gym changed completely, having gone from colourful and cluttered, to dark, clean, modern and organised – “it better matched their expectations,” he explains. “We now have a new look and feel, and the best group fitness equipment for our members.”
“Of course, whenever you do something new, there are always critics,” Alex adds. “The most criticism I received was in response to the removal of almost the mirrors that members used to face while training. Initially, it was difficult for them to understand why we did it, but once we explained that doing so can make new exercisers feel more comfortable and welcome, they understood and got used to it.” This was yet another design nugget that Alex received from the Online Group Fitness Management program.
Prior to the refurbishment, the ageing nature of the club was negatively impacting its reputation as an employer of choice among local Instructors. But after all the upgrades the club is, once again, attracting rockstar Instructors. “Today, all the greatest Instructors are keen to work for us. They love teaching at our gym because it’s small enough for them to have personal contact with all the members, and they’re proud to teach with the awesome equipment such as SMART TECH and Stages bikes. And this is great because as soon as the tourists come back to Bali, I’ll need to hire more freelancers.”
To learn more about Les Mills Asia Pacific’s Online Group Fitness Management course and how it can help you win at group fitness and future-proof your club’s success, contact your local Business Partnership Manager in Australia or Southeast Asia.
