How To Become A BodyPump Instructor In The UK

As part of the Les Mills brand, BODYPUMP is one of the most popular fitness classes in the UK. So it’s no wonder that so many fitness enthusiasts are wondering, ‘how do I become a BODYPUMP instructor?’ 

Below is the ultimate step-by-step guide to becoming a BODYPUMP instructor, including:

• Step 1- Get Qualified As A BodyPump Instructor
• Step 2- Get Insured As A BODYPUMP Instructor
• Step 3- Find A Job As A BODYPUMP Instructor
• Step 4- Progress Your Career After Becoming A BodyPump Instructor

Before we jump in, kickstart your career as a BODYPUMP instructor today with OriGym's Level 3 Personal Trainer Diploma!

Enquire today, or download our free course prospectus for more information about the range of courses we offer. 

Step 1- Get Qualified As A BodyPump Instructor

The first step to becoming a BODYPUMP instructor is to get qualified! There are 3 main qualifications you need, which we will outline below:

Get A Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification To Become A BODYPUMP Instructor

When wondering how to become a BODYPUMP instructor, you may be tempted to go straight into specific BODYPUMP instructor training.

However, if you want to become a BODYPUMP instructor, you need to first take a Level 2 gym instructor course. 

This is because Level 2 is the minimum qualification required to teach fitness classes in the UK, and mandatory to be able to sign up to a BODYPUMP course.

For example, the job advert below for a BODYPUMP instructor in a Virgin Active gym states that at least a Level 2 qualification is required:

As well as being necessary for a job as a BODYPUMP instructor, taking a Level 2 fitness instructing course will also help you feel more confident and prepared for your BODYPUMP instructor training course and for the role itself. 

This is because as an entry-level course, a Level 2 gym instructor course will provide you with a solid foundation of knowledge to get started in the fitness industry. 

However, this is only the case if you choose an Ofqual-regulated course such as OriGym’s, as this regulation acts as a ‘stamp of approval’ that the course has met the industry standards of education, teaching and assessment. 

In other words, it guarantees that you will qualify with all the skills, knowledge and practical experience needed for a successful career as a fitness instructor. 

An Ofqual-regulated Level 2 fitness instructor course will cover many topics that are also covered in a BODYPUMP course- which we will discuss in more detail next. These topics include:

• Fitness class teaching techniques
• How to motivate groups 
• How to design and deliver a fitness class
• Health and safety 
• Anatomy and physiology 
• The business side of the fitness industry

Take A Les Mills BODYPUMP Instructor Course 

Once you have your Level 2 qualification, you will then need to take a specific Les Mills BODYPUMP instructor course. 

Since Les Mills is a trademarked brand, you will need this qualification to be able to teach under the ‘BODYPUMP’ name and to get a job as a BODYPUMP instructor. 

It is therefore listed as a requirement for any BODYPUMP instructor role- such as the one above. 

Even if a BODYPUMP qualification is not specified in a job advert, many general fitness or group exercise instructor roles will state that you will need the relevant qualification for the type of class you want to teach. 

For example, the job advert for a group exercise instructor below states that a ‘relevant qualification’ is required ‘depending on class being delivered’. 

So, if you want to teach BODYPUMP classes, you will therefore need a BODYPUMP qualification to be eligible for this job! 

What Does A BODYPUMP Course Involve?

A BODYPUMP instructor training course is a 2-day course, typically run over a Saturday and Sunday, and you can take the course either in-person in a range of locations across the UK, or you can take the course completely online. 

A BODYPUMP instructor course costs £425 and each course typically has 8-24 students. 

The course is taught through a combination of lectures, group discussions, practical sessions and teaching practice. 

As you will know, a BODYPUMP class consists of performing a range of fast-paced exercises to music using a barbell. 

During the course, you will learn how to deliver an effective BODYPUMP class. According to the training section of the Les Mills website, you will cover the following topics:

• Class structure and benefits
• How to interpret, understand and learn choreography
• How to perform and evaluate correct exercise technique
• Why exercises are executed in a particular way
• How to coach the class so that it is both safe and inspirational
• How to create a memorable, fun and effective workout experience

As part of the course, you will also give 3 presentations and complete an assessment where you teach a practice class. You will need to receive a ‘pass’ from your trainers for all of these things, which are assessed on your performance in 3 main areas:

• Choreography 
• Technique 
• Coaching

Plus, within 60 days of completing the course, you will then have to submit a video evaluation to Les Mills via email. 

This is simply a video of you teaching a class, to show that you are teaching safely and effectively. It can be filmed using your phone camera, but it must be done in a licensed Les Mills facility. 

How To Find And Enrol On A BODYPUMP Course

Now you know everything about what the course itself involves, you may now be wondering how to find one and get started!

You can enrol for BODYPUMP instructor training via the ‘Instructor’ page of the Les Mills website.

Then, select ‘BODYPUMP’ from the list of training programs. 

This will then bring up the list of upcoming BODYPUMP courses in the UK and online, listing the dates, location and price.

Training sessions are typically held twice a month, in locations across the country. 

So, if you are wondering how to become a BODYPUMP instructor in Loughborough, for example, you would then click on ‘More Info’ for more details about the course, such as the exact location and the schedule for each day. 

You can then simply click ‘Buy Now’ and be guided through payment and enrollment!

What Happens After You Complete Your BODYPUMP Instructor Training?

Once you have completed your BODYPUMP course- including passing your video evaluation, you will then need to sign up for Les Mills ‘autoship’. 

This is how you will get notified of new ‘releases’, which is the latest music and choreography you have to learn and teach as a BODYPUMP instructor. 

These are released 4 times a year via the Les Mills App and Les Mills Instructor Portal online.

The release also includes education materials, teaching tips and marketing materials to promote your classes.

As well as giving you access to new releases, having autoship is also important as it is how you stay registered as an official Les Mills BODYPUMP instructor. 

Les Mills autoship is paid for in quarterly instalments of around £30 each (so approximately £120 a year). This is therefore an additional cost you should factor in when becoming a BODYPUMP instructor. 

However, some gyms and fitness centres may pay this for you, so make sure to check your contract to see if your employer covers the cost of your autoship. 

Tips For Passing Les Mills BODYPUMP Instructor Training

The assessments may sound daunting, especially since a but don’t worry! Here are some top tips for passing your BODYPUMP course.  

• Go to lots of BODYPUMP classes yourself. Before you even think about becoming a BODYPUMP instructor, you should make sure that you are regularly attending classes yourself. 

The more familiar you are with BODYPUMP classes, the easier you will find the training, and the better an instructor you will be! 

Plus, by taking classes yourself and observing other teachers, you will learn what you like and dislike about certain teaching methods- which will then help you develop your own teaching style in the future. The best way to learn how to be a teacher is to be a student yourself! 

• Practice, practice, practice! Part of the assessment for your BODYPUMP instructor course involves memorising and teaching a very specific set routine. You will therefore need to be ready to put the time and commitment into learning and practising the choreography. 

The better you know the routine, the more confident you will feel in your assessment. This confidence will help you deliver a better class and ultimately be more likely to impress your trainers!

A great tip for preparing for the assessment is to practice in front of a mirror, or film yourself. This will help you to spot and fix anything you are doing wrong!

• Shadow an existing trainer. As we have mentioned, after you’ve completed your BODYPUMP course, you will then have to submit a video assessment. 

To prepare for this, it is a good idea to shadow an existing teacher, so that you can learn from their teaching methods that will help you in your own teaching. 

This is where attending classes before your training will be useful, as you could approach BODYPUMP teachers you already know, and ask if you can shadow them. 

Enjoying this article so far? Here’s 3 more that you’ll love: 

• How To Become A Group Fitness Instructor
• How To Become A BODYCOMBAT Instructor
• What Makes A Good Fitness Instructor?  

Step 2- Get Insured As A BODYPUMP Instructor

Once you are qualified, the next step to becoming a BODYPUMP instructor is to get insured.

Being insured is important as it gives you financial security if things go wrong by covering the legal costs in the event of a claim being made against you. 

The main types of insurance you will need as a BODYPUMP instructor are:

• Public liability insurance. This covers you in the event of a student making a claim against you for reasons such as injury or illness during your class. 
• Personal accident insurance. This covers you in the event of you becoming ill or injured whilst teaching a class. 
• Loss of earnings insurance. This covers you if you are ill or injured and cannot work for a long period of time. 
• Equipment insurance. This covers you in the case of your BODYPUMP equipment being stolen or damaged.  

Our guide to personal trainer insurance explains these types of fitness insurance in more detail! 

There are two main ways you can get BODYPUMP instructor insurance: either through Les Mills themselves, or through an external provider.

Les Mills insurance is specifically designed for self-employed Les Mills instructors, so this is a good option if you want to guarantee that you are getting the right cover you need. 

Their policy provides £10,000,000 in public liability, product liability and professional indemnity. It also covers libel and slander, and legal defence costs. 

The cost starts at £51.88 a month, but you can request a quote by filling out a form on their website.

Alternatively, you can get insurance from another external insurance provider. For example, Insure4Sport offers a specific BODYPUMP instructor insurance policy, covering you for all the types of insurance we listed above. 

Again, the exact cost will vary, depending on the level of coverage you want, so you should request a quote before you commit. 

If you are employed as a BODYPUMP instructor by a gym on a contracted basis, your employer may provide some or all of your insurance for you. It is therefore worth checking this before you pay for insurance yourself! 

Step 3- Find A Job As A BODYPUMP Instructor

Once you are qualified and insured, you can then start applying for BODYPUMP instructor jobs!

The most popular way to work as a BODYPUMP instructor is in a gym or fitness centre.

This is typically on a freelance/self-employed basis, meaning that you can work as an instructor for multiple different gyms. 

However, you can also find a job on a contracted basis, where you are employed by one single gym or fitness centre.

As we have mentioned, since Les Mills is a trademarked brand, a licensing fee is required to teach classes under the BODYPUMP name. This is why working for a large-scale commercial gym is a popular option, as they will cover the cost of that licensing fee.

Some of the main commercial gyms in the UK that run BODYPUMP classes are:

• JD Gyms
• David Lloyd
• 24/7 Fitness
• Village Hotels & Leisure
• Total Fitness

Many of these made it on to our list of the best gyms to work for in the UK!

However, some independent or council-run gyms may also offer BODYPUMP classes. There is therefore a wide range of places you can choose from to work as a BODYPUMP instructor. 

In fact, you can use the Les Mills ‘Find A Class’ tool to see just how many locations across the UK run BODYPUMP classes. 

For example, you can see that there are 48 venues that run BODYPUMP classes in the Liverpool area alone!  

So, how do you find a job as a BODYPUMP instructor? The best way is to use job sites such as Indeed or Glassdoor, or more specific fitness job sites such as Leisure Jobs. 

You may find a job specifically as a BODYPUMP instructor, such as the one below. In other words, you will be hired only to teach BODYPUMP classes. 

However, it is important to note that many gyms will not hire specially for just a ‘BODYPUMP instructor’. Instead, they will be looking for a general fitness class instructor who can teach multiple types of group exercise classes- including BODYPUMP. 

To find these jobs, simpy search ‘Bodypump’ into the search engine of a jobs site such as Indeed. 

For example, the job advert below is for a general group exercise instructor in a gym, but states that they are looking for an instructor who is able to teach Les Mills classes, including BODYPUMP. 

As you can see, they have also specified that a Level 2 gym instructor qualification is required. 

This is why getting a Level 2 fitness instructor qualification as well as doing BODYPUMP instructor training is a necessity, as without it you wouldn’t be qualified for this job!

When wondering how to become a BODYPUMP instructor, you may also be wondering what the average salary is for the role in the UK.

We have a whole article here outlining Les Mills instructor salary here. But in short, the average BODYPUMP instructor salary is around £17-19 an hour. 

Considering that the minimum wage in the UK is £9.50 an hour, this is a very lucrative career path! 

However, the exact amount you earn as a BODYPUMP instructor depends on factors such as:

• Location, i.e. you can expect to earn more as a BODYPUMP instructor in London compared to smaller towns.
• The type of employment, i.e. whether you are self-employed or contracted by a gym. 
• Full or part-time. 
• Experience level
• The type of gym you work for, i.e. high-end, commercial, independent. 

Next, we’ll discuss some ways you can progress your career as a BODYPUMP instructor and increase your salary further! 

Step 4- Progress Your Career After Becoming A BodyPump Instructor

Now that you know how to become a BODYPUMP instructor in the UK, you may be wondering what opportunities there are for progression. 

Here are some of the best career progression routes you can take as a qualified BODYPUMP instructor: 

Progress To Other Roles Within Les Mills

One of the easiest progression routes from being a BODYPUMP instructor is to move into a different role within the Les Mills brand. 

Some possible Les Mills career progression routes are:

• Get qualified to teach other Les Mills classes. Once you are a qualified BODYPUMP instructor, why not get qualified to teach other Les Mills classes too? 

There are over 21 different Les Mills classes, ranging from BODYCOMBAT and BODYBALANCE to Les Mills Barre and even youth classes. 

Qualifying to teach these classes works in the same way as becoming a BODYPUMP instructor- you will need both a Level 2 gym instructor and specific Les Mills qualification. 

Again, you then enrol on all Les Mills training courses via the Les Mills instructor training section of their website.

• Become a Les Mills presenter or assessor. A Les Mills presenter is someone who delivers the training and classes that provide instructors with the new material in the quarterly releases.

A Les Mills assessor on the other hand, is responsible for evaluating and marking the assessments of instructors on a training course. 

This is a great career option if you want to pass on your knowledge and experience to the next generation of instructors!  

Les Mills only hires internally for these roles, so you won’t see a job advert online for a Les Mills presenter or assessor. This is because you need to already be an experienced and skilled instructor to be selected for a promotion by Les Mills training management teams. 

If you like the sound of this career path and want to increase your chances of being promoted, why not take a Fitness Teaching and Assessing course with OriGym? 

Whilst this will qualify you to teach and assess fitness courses such as personal training, it will provide you with a strong foundation of skills and knowledge to become a Les Mills assessor too!

• Become a Les Mills brand representative. A Les Mills brand rep is someone who acts as a representative for the brand, including promotion, marketing and recruiting. 

Again, this role is only hired internally and you will be selected by Les Mills management once you have proved yourself as a skilled and experienced instructor. 

Due to the fact that Les Mills hires for these positions internally, we cannot give a salary estimate for these roles. However, since you would be moving up the brand and progressing to a more advanced role, you can certainly expect a higher salary! 

Teach Other Group Fitness Classes

If you enjoy teaching group fitness classes but want to expand your repertoire beyond Les Mills, then you could start to teach other types of fitness classes. 

This could be either on a freelance basis, or in the gym that you already work at as a BODYPUMP instructor. 

You could therefore start teaching other fitness classes at the same time as teaching BODYPUMP, allowing you to really maximise your earning potential. 

You could teach other routine or dance-based classes, such as Zumba and aerobics, or you could expand your skill set to other types of classes such as HIIT or even boxercise- the possibilities are endless!

To teach fitness classes, you will need a Level 2 gym instructor qualification- which you should already have if you are working as a BODYPUMP instructor in a gym. 

If you want to specialise in a particular type of group fitness class, here at OriGym, we offer a wide range of CPD courses that can help you do this, such as:

• Kettlebell training 
• Bodyweight training
• Medicine ball training 

All of these courses take place over just one day, so they are a quick and easy way to expand your skill set!

The average salary of a fitness instructor in the UK is £13.87 an hour. Although this is technically less than the average BODYPUMP instructor salary, if you were to teach other fitness classes as well as BODYPUMP, then you can certainly expect to earn more than this!

Take On 1-to-1 Clients For Personal Training 

If you want to progress from teaching groups, many BODYPUMP instructors progress to become a personal trainer and work with clients on an individual, 1-to-1 basis. 

To do this, you will need to take a Level 3 personal training course. 

In order to take this course, you will simply need a Level 2 gym instructor course- which you will already have if you are working as a BODYPUMP instructor! 

Being a personal trainer involves creating bespoke training programmes to help clients meet their individual fitness goals. Check out our personal trainer job description for more information on exactly what the role involves! 

This is a great career progression from being a BODYPUMP instructor, as you will already have a large potential clientbase. If you are already working in a gym,it would make it a lot easier for you to get clients as a personal trainer, as you could offer your services to regular students of your class, or simply existing members of the gym. 

For example, once you have gained some experience working as a BODYPUMP instructor in a gym, you could start to take on individual clients at the same time. 

Plus, teaching a regular BODYPUMP class is also a great marketing opportunity, as you could talk about your personal training services at the start and end of your class!

You could then eventually do personal training full time, or even start your own personal training business! 

The average salary of a personal trainer in the UK is £21.60 an hour, which is a considerable increase from the average Les Mills instructor salary. 

This is mainly because as a personal trainer, you can set your own rates for charging individual clients, rather than being limited to a set hourly wage from a gym.

Compared to being a BODYPUMP instructor, there is also a lot more scope to increase your earnings even more by specialising in a personal training niche.

For example, you could specialise in training a particular demographic or clients with certain health considerations, such as training pregnant clients. 

By specialising in a particular area of fitness, you can increase your rates, since you are offering a more specialised service. 

Another good way to increase your salary as a personal trainer is to take further qualifications. For example, you could take a Level 4 sports nutrition course so that you are qualified to give nutrition advice to your clients. 

Again, this means that you can increase your rates, since you now offer a more comprehensive service to your clients. Plus, it will open up a wider range of potential clients, since you can now take on people wanting nutritional advice as well as an exercise program!

Work Your Way Up To Become A Gym Manager

If you have been working as a BODYPUMP instructor in a gym for a while, another great career progression option is to become a gym manager. 

Check out our gym manager job description here for more details about what the role involves. 

But in summary, a gym manager is essentially responsible for the overall running and managing of a gym or fitness centre. 

There are no set qualifications required to become a gym manager, but the more qualified and experienced you are, the better!

Whilst they can be hired externally, most gym manager roles are hired internally. So, once you have gained experience as a BODYPUMP instructor or even a personal trainer in a gym, you would therefore be at an advantage if a management position opened up within that gym. 

Before You Go!

So, if you were wondering, ‘how do I become a BODYPUMP instructor?’, we hope that you now have all you need to know to get started! 

Feeling inspired? Start your journey to becoming a BODYPUMP instructor by completing a Level 3 PT Diploma! Enquire today, or download our free course prospectus to browse the full range of courses we offer.