Mistakes happen…don’t be afraid to make them!

Les Mills instructors are known as perfectionists. I know this because I embody that stereotype. Making a mistake sucks, especially with the boss in the room, as was the case in my BodyPump class Monday night.

At our club, an instructor mistake during a BodyPump class costs us 10 pushups. I made some choreography boo-boos in Track 1 that resulted in me hitting the deck before we even broke a sweat. But even though I am a known perfectionist, I’m here to tell you that mistakes happen, and we can’t be afraid to make them.

This goes for both instructors and participants. If you’re new to BodyPump, or any group fitness class, chances are you’re going to make a few mistakes. Don’t worry about it. The biggest mistake you can make is choosing the sedentary lifestyle. Even if you go too low on your squats or deadlifts, you’re doing better than the person sitting on the couch with a bowl of potato chips and an Xbox controller.

If you’re onstage, don’t be fearful of screwing up, whether it be a coreorgraphy mistake or a technique mistake. Top presenters make mistakes sometimes, too. Nobody is perfect (even though we instructors are known to be perfectionists). I will admit, Monday night I was a little too fired up to see my Notre Dame Fighting Irish play for a national championship – my playlist was even entitled “Pump like a Champion Today” – so for about five minutes, my mind was admittedly geared on South Florida.

The bottom line is, if you make a mistake, keep going. If you’re an instructor, the participants won’t even notice. If you’re a participant, just keep smiling and enjoy the workout, knowing we’re going to be onstage, more than happy to help!

Not being afraid to make a mistake is essentially helpful if you’re going to AIM I or AIM II. Yes, certain mistakes can cost you, but chances are if you come in fearful of making them, you’re going to mess up 100 times worse. It wound up biting me in the butt at AIM II, along with inexperience of owning only two years of BodyPump certification.

Furthermore, don’t be afraid to screw up. We all do, no matter how bad of a perfectionist we can be. One thing’s for certain, you’re always doing better than that person lazing on the couch with every class.

January is also the time of year where we launch new material. I’ve heard some great things about BodyPump 84 launches, so don’t be afraid to contact me and share launch stories and/or photos with me! Team USA launches at the end of this month, so you’ll have plenty of time to prepare for whatever silly outfit I may be wearing.

Ryan McLaughlin

About Ryan McLaughlin

BDN sports reporter Ryan McLaughlin grew up in Brewer and is a lifelong fan of the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins. In "The Boston Blitz" he'll be sharing his perspective with BDN readers about what's happening on the Boston professional sports scene.