Gym Impersonating Les Mills Bodypump

[Yorkshiredolls]

My small local gym has introduced a new "body pump" class a few times a week. I was excited as Ive done Les Mills bodypump before at another place, I enjoyed the routines and the vibe but left as that gym is quite far and dear and this one’s practically on my Doorstep and cheaper.

However a couple of weeks in, I feel like it must be an "inspired by bodypump" class rather than Les Mills qualified instructors . It’s similar, but I’ve yet to be guided through the structured routines in the way that I expected and the music seems to be the instructors own playlist rather than the LM release playlists I was expecting.

Musics not important of course, but I was expecting a certain quality experience that I’m not getting. I want to go to the gym manager without sounding like an arse. Am I right to complain or is this common and accepted to not have the Branded class and essentially a copy? They are not advertising it as Les Mills BodyPump, just “body pump”.

I've clearly got too much time on my hands because I have googled this 😂

Google seems to say 'Bodypump' is trademarked. But as a pp says, Body Pump with a space in the middle might not be? Someone on a forum says they were asked to remove Body Pump from some classes they were running, but obviously that might be bullshit.

No need to complain regardless though

I’m not a fan of the official TM classes. Some instructors get around it by doing basically a body pump class but calling it total body workout. So much better imho. Please don’t complain if people seem to like the class

Sounds pretty much like all the pump and aerobics and step classes I did in the 80s and 90s - before the Less Mills branded stuff. Which is not all that, actually.

Why would you complain? If it's not advertised as "Les Mils" then it's just a good old pump class. And there's nothing wrong with that. There is more to workouts than Les Mills stuff - I find the way that they do "releases" and you do the same routine for several weeks is verrry boring, frankly.

Body pump is not a generic term - it was created by Les Mills back in the 90s. I’m an instructor, have been for years. gyms have to pay licence fees to Les Mills monthly (plus as instructors we have to pay £35 per quarter) - I’m guessing your gym doesn’t want to pay it. If the other class isn’t as good that’s a shame but hopefully you can still get a decent workout. If it’s any consolation, the latest release is terrible so you’re not missing much!

OP, this is really common. At my gym the instructor does Les Mills Body Balance but calls it XGym Body Flow. And, I used to go to a zumba class where the instructor changed the name from zumba to latin dance fitness without changing the playlist or choreography. It's a way of avoiding paying for the TM name. Strictly speaking very bad of course. But if you like the class and the instructor I would turn a blind eye to it myself.

All the styles of fitness class which people claim are trade marked, have been around for years! Way before Les Mils or anyone else ... (except maybe Jane Fonda).

If anything, Les Mills et al. have ripped off the ideas of millions of fitness instructors

fyi, you can pay monthly for les mills at home. You can get a body pump set cheaply.

but yes, body pumps classes are at most gyms but most aren’t official les mills ones. Same with body combat. Or spinning, which is also a brand. But loads of gyms have spinning.

If they impersonate they need to call it something else, I don’t know if Les Mills would care

Our spin class is called 'group cycle', but everyone knows it's spinning.

Our bodypump / balance/ combat is LM though.

OP I just googled this as I also thought Body Pump was a Les Mills class and the internet says Body Pump is a trademark of Les Mills so it sounds like you are right

It’s common place. Pure gym have their own body pump classes. They aren’t Les mills unless it’s stated otherwise. I know they own Bodypump trademark. But I’m not sure they own body pump because half the gyms in the country would be up for trademark infringement.
I do know what you mean about the quality. I’ve been to some great non Les mills classes but it’s hit and miss. A lot rides on the instructor. But the same can be said for actual Les mills classes. I always pick my classes on instructor quality rather than branding