[roamingstudio]

It has been a long time since I last posted on this forum... and perhaps it is time for a reintroduction... so here goes.

A long long time ago, in a country far far away, I went to school like every other kid, enjoying cycling along dangerous roads of Dorset. After many delightful years of doing athletics (100m, 200m, long jumps) etc I decided it was time to head to University (Bath), study Physics (yawn) and get a life helping in charity work. Needless to say studies suffered, weight went on, and fitness dropped out the window. The wake up call was when someone at work insisted I could not cycle 8km (there and back) across windy moors of Lancashire everyday for two weeks. Well I did, and then some, got fit again... typical boom and bust and boom.

Years passed, and saw me jogging and kayaking around Lancashire, jogging around Mountain View, and then Aberdeen (following work and studies) before moving out to Zurich in 2002; where all sports stopped until I discovered Les Mills Body Attack. Somehow the adrenaline rush during the power lunges, high knees etc convinced me to get fit again. A few years passed and I trained as a Pump and Attack instructor, and was regularly participating in >8-10 hours a week (BA, BP, BB, BC...) but injures, illness and a PhD got in the way... eventually forcing a premature halt (again). Two years ago I started the long road back (so Mel, I can really understand) and now regularly participate in BA, BB classes, occasionally BA and BV, plus also Zumba (from time to time). Unfortunately I also work too many long hours for a company in Neuro-Rehabilitation, and Low Back Pain therapy, which means im often reduced to 8-10km runs at lunchtime, and forced to miss evening classes.

However the thrill of participating, especially BA still remains, even if Im definitely not fit enough to do so as a full time instructor. Even if fit enough, I would not have the time which leaves me in a strange, but enjoyable position in the classes. So thats enough long winded things about me - I hope I can start to give some interesting insights if, and when, time allows.

Roamingstudio!

[Mel]

lol welcome back, and thanks for the amusing intro

[Special]

Hi. Nice to 'see' you again.

[mikesbytes]

Hi again

There's not a lot of us here

Perhaps we should start a chat thread aka "The thread about nothing"

[Mel]

Social networking has kinda turned the tide on forums, but I'd love some ideas to spruce things up here. Or some alternatives for groupfitness.org?

[Mel]

Special, since when did you become a "male" (according to your profile)????

[Special]

Hahaha! It's probably always been like that. I ticked it on some forum by accident once and then just kept doing it for no good reason. I am not sure why the internet keeps asking me if I am a boy or a girl....

[mikesbytes]

It's the roids

[Special]

Mel, on 08 November 2011 - 12:35 AM, said:

Social networking has kinda turned the tide on forums, but I'd love some ideas to spruce things up here. Or some alternatives for groupfitness.org?

I wish more people posted here again. The forums on LM.com are some awful software, or maybe I am an idiot and can't use it, but I hate not knowing which posts I've read or where I am up to. I will refrain from commenting on the content of actual posts.

Hey, can we have a Sh'Bam forum here?

[mikesbytes]

There's too much negativity at LM forums

[Mel]

Don't get me started on the LM forum software, or their entire website for that matter. I think I've posted before how terrible it is, and that's not me being competitive just because I've got my own website.

The issues with their site astound me. Annoying flash intro's on every page I have to keep skipping to get to the program info. The site doesn't work properly on mobile phones. The website gets completely disabled and an alternative version is displayed that means you can't access half the content, ie. the forums etc. I found a way around it by searching in google "les mills forums" and clicking on a direct link to the forum which then loads the full site view.

But aside all that, yeah, how can we get this place popular again?

[roamingstudio]

Mel, on 09 November 2011 - 03:01 AM, said:

Don't get me started on the LM forum software, or their entire website for that matter.

But aside all that, yeah, how can we get this place popular again?

Hey Special, MikeBytes et al... yeah it has been a _long_ time... I have to be honest, whilst ive not posted here, I have also not posted on any other LMI forum. This one has always been a home to honest discussions without the hype of a cult... someplace good to ask technique questions without being drowned in the barrage of rubbish.

To agree with Mel - how to make it popular again? Honest discussions on technique? Advice on form etc? What about master class videos from the instructors? Video answers to frequently asked questions which im sure LMI would one day want to replicate...

Discussions on the best diet / regime to get the right workout - when stressed and working 12+ hour days starting at 7am (erm... ok that it my request).

Also from the marketing side - what cross over traits are there with other group fitness programs? I know we are all LMI born and bred; but other programs could perhaps help enliven the spirit? Perhaps some insight interviews with the LMI team about why specific songs were used.

I know one person who used to Blog all the time went now to Facebook. Since I stubbornly refuse all Web2.0 stuff (ok linked-in and xing which is for professional stuff and has minimal content) ive not been back to that site in a long time. And I know im not the only one turned off by social media, even if it is useful for some places (we now start using it at work).

Hopefully when I get to NZ in 4 weeks I will attend a couple of classes - and if I get time write up some for a forum entry. But not a blog...