industry insights

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BASE

BaseGX is a new certification that opens the door to next-gen group fitness instructors. Jessica Bryant from the Australian Institute of Fitness explains.

After a turbulent couple of years, the fitness industry has struggled to fully recover from the effects of various market impacts, with a decrease in fitness instructors returning to the industry, along with a drop in those pursuing a fitness career.

 

After seeing the challenge and impact this was having on industry, the Australian Institute of Fitness (AIF) team were keen to come up with a solution to the increasingly apparent skills gap in the fitness industry. We wanted to see the necessary educational and practical elements provided quickly and efficiently, to create more industry-ready group fitness instructors.

Enter: BaseGX

BaseGX is an innovative, entry-level certification course that has been specifically designed for those wishing to teach in studios that deliver their own bespoke programming and in-house instructor training.

By having a new team member complete the BaseGX certification prior to receiving in-house training in their own unique programs, our partner studios can ensure that their new recruits have a sound and consistent base-level understanding of group fitness.

AIF’s CEO, Steve Pettit said, “The fitness industry has never been more diverse in terms of the types of training on offer, and similarly the skills required by those delivering these different modalities has diversified. For many facilities that deliver proprietary programs – from boutique studios to chain clubs – BaseGX fills the gap in the market for a quality, foundational knowledge base about group training that can then be built upon internally.”

What does BaseGX look like?

BaseGX can be broken up into two distinct areas:

BaseGX is an innovative, entry-level certification course for those who teach in studios that deliver their own bespoke programming and in-house instructor training

The BaseGX Theory component is delivered via AIF’s IGNITE Learning Platform, and takes students approximately 40 hours to complete. It includes a variety of assessments to ensure the necessary foundational knowledge base for group training is achieved.

Following this, BaseGX Training Partners deliver their in-house studio training as the BaseGX practical component, which further builds on the theory. Each in-house Training Partner will have varied training requirements, and they will advise on their practical training duration. It is important to clarify that users are only certified and insured to deliver the In-House Training program in which they have completed and been certified for with the AIF BaseGX certificate.

Current BaseGX Training Partners

To-date, BaseGX Training Partners include: CycleBar, Infinite Cycle, Total Fusion Platinum, Club Exercise, Stretch Lab, Rumble and Australian Combat and Exercise. There are more in the pipeline, and the response to the certification has been incredibly positive.

A spokesperson for Boutique Fitness Studios, the Master Franchisor for CycleBar, StretchLab and Rumble, said: “In recruiting for our studios we aren’t always looking for personal trainers, or Certificates III and IV-qualified staff. We’ve found some of our best instructors have come from a dance background and generally don’t have any formal fitness qualifications. We were very happy to hear that the industry is now recognising this, and working with employers to provide a group instructor certification that, when combined with our own robust and thorough training regime, means we can be all-inclusive and recruit people from various backgrounds.”

BaseGX fills the gap in the market for a quality, foundational knowledge base about group training that can then be built upon internally

WHAT ABOUT REGISTRATION?

The industry’s warm reception for the certification has also extended to registration provider FITREC, which has accepted BaseGX as a qualification to receive registration under its Group Exercise category. Dennis Hosking, Managing Director of FITREC, said “In the aftermath of the pandemic, it has become painfully clear that the fitness industry needs to find ways to encourage more people into fitness careers. The BaseGX program developed by AIF would seem to be a perfect solution. It paves the way for enthusiastic and passionate individuals – those who truly believe in the value of exercise – into a career in fitness. FITREC is proud to recognise this entry-level certification as the first step for new professionals who are working exclusively within the training systems used by the AIF’s business partners. In light of recent recruiting challenges faced by many fitness employers, we see the BaseGX certification as providing a solution to both immediate and long-term recruitment challenges.”

To learn more about BaseGX certification, including how to become a BaseGX partner click here.

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JESSICA BRYANT

Jessica is a dedicated, highly organised and solution-focused marketing professional with experience working in the fitness and education sector for the last eight years. Jessica is currently the General Manager of Marketing and Communications at the Australian Institute of Fitness (AIF), overseeing the #1 fitness educators’ marketing, communications, and public relations activity. She has a wealth of knowledge as an AIF brand champion and business professional, but also a passion for the fitness industry as a personal trainer and AIF graduate.