Coffee Talk #158: The Future of Beachbody Live classes

What does this mean for you, if you’re a client and take these classes? Right now, nothing. I’m still teaching PiYo and Turbo Kick through the end of the Fall Semester at Washington College. I haven’t taught Insanity in a minute (did you notice?). Moving forward, we’re going to get creative.

Ever since I decided I needed to branch out from teaching Zumba (back in 2010), I searched for the best formats to bring to my clients. I found Powder Blue Productions, which offered Turbo Kick and PiYo, among other formats. I quickly added these certifications to my repertoire, which made me think about really becoming a fitness professional. Eventually, these programs got absorbed by Beachbody, which introduced me to even more formats to teach. I started thinking about the possibility of teaching all the formats Beachbody offered, but was hesitant to sign up for anything after Insanity.

After a conversation with a friend while running, a new idea sparked. What if I could create my own classes? How would that work? Could I keep up with the choreography for everything, in addition to creating my own style? I found that I LOVED creating workouts, and this sparked my HIIT 30 and FWA Signature classes. I initially got certified to teach Insanity, but wanted even more, so I started creating my own HIIT workouts. I loved this freedom so much that I completely stopped teaching Insanity. My HIIT classes are packed, and I don’t think people necessarily care what it’s called. To make everything extra official (I really appreciate fitness professionals who properly study for and obtain certificates and licenses), I got Group Fitness Instructor certified by AFAA, the Aerobics Fitness Association of America. This allows me to teach all group modalities, and get creative with my offerings.

Recently, I created a “Strength and Stretch” class for my Commit to Fit challenge, and it seemed to be a hit. After two major things – 1) signing up for Yoga Teacher Training and 2) hearing about the end of Beachbody Live content, I decided that I’m going to GO for it and add “Strength, Stretch & Tricks” to my class schedule. The first one available to the public is December 17. After the first week of December, I will no longer be teaching “PiYo” classes. Instead, you’ll get Strength, Stretch & Tricks, and I’m so excited for this (check out the descriptions for all of my classes). There’s NO need to be devastated by this news – you still get me and all of the skills, certifications, and knowledge that I bring to the table. I’ve been criticized by my fitness peer professionals that I don’t charge enough for all of the options and knowledge I bring to each class. It’s taken awhile for me to acknowledge and understand my value in this industry, and I’m always willing to grow and learn.

As far as Turbo Kick goes, I’m willing to teach this format under this name for a little longer. I haven’t thought about how to make it my own just yet, but it will eventually change. Beachbody is allowing currently certified instructors to continue offering the formats as long as we’d like. I have plenty of new rounds to share with classes for Turbo Kick, so I’ll continue to offer it under this name for now.

On that note, if we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that changes are on the horizon. I’m using this opportunity to reflect on the classes I offer, take note of the programs people love and enjoy, and the classes I like teaching. This is another exciting junction for me in my fitness profession. I’m always looking for the next thing, and decisions like this make me hustle a little more. I’m also always looking to teach at different facilities and to new clients. More to come, for sure!