Les Mills continues to rollout Ceremony circuit workout

April 22, 2025

Karen Sweaney

From the early days of the Curves exclusively for women circuit training phenomena through to the F45 functional and high-intensity workouts, circuit training continues to rise in popularity.

Buoyed by the boom in fitness competition events, fitness centres are seeing members flock towards functional circuit training that combines strength and cardio in often demanding class environments.

Les Mills launched their circuit class offering - Les Mills Ceremony - in New Zealand in 2023 and are now rolling the circuit class out across the globe. The class launched in Europe in 2024 and is now available in a select number of Fitness First centres in Australia.

With Hybrid fitness increasing in popularity as seen by the numbers participating in events such as HYROX and YOHKA, fitness centres are offering circuit training to prepare participants for these challenging events.

Les Mills Ceremony is a boutique-style 45-minute full-body functional circuit scientifically designed for strength and cardio conditioning with expert coaches to push participants to their limits.

Before the workout begins, the coach takes the group through each station, explaining and demonstrating the exercises, giving options for both higher and lower intensity.

Delivered in a dedicated functional training space, Les Mills Ceremony uses a wide range of functional equipment including ski ergs, rowers and air bikes. The circuit can include deadlifts, box jumps, kettlebell swings and press-ups and like any good circuit class, Les Mills Ceremony is adaptable where some people work with heavier weights while others work with lighter weights.

On launching Les Mills Ceremony, International Managing Director, Phillip Mills explained “before BODYPUMP became a big hit, our circuit classes dominated the timetable (pulling in 150 members per class) and we’ve seen the resurgence of this trend since we launched Les Mills Ceremony in our New Zealand clubs.

“Now, many leading operators are making this exciting style of training a top priority in the studio and increasingly taking these classes out onto the gym floor to amp up the energy.”

And it’s not just about strength and cardio. Ceremony’s other key draw card is the camaraderie experienced during the circuit training. Les Mills launched the Ceremony campaign highlighting its functional circuit program with Louis Armstrong’s famous song, ‘When You’re Smiling.”

Recognising the popularity of HYROX and YOHKA, the first Les Mills Ceremony Games took place on 22^nd March 2025 at Les Mills Auckland City – their flagship club. The event was a competition where participants could compete as individuals or in duos, with various fitness levels being accommodated. The games involved nine different stations.

Les Mills is continuing to roll out Les Mills Ceremony in gyms across the world.

Click here to contact Les Mills Asia Pacific via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

Images. Credit: Les Mills

About the author

Karen Sweaney

Co-founder and Editor, Australasian Leisure Management

Artist, geoscientist and specialist writer on the leisure industry, Karen Sweaney is Editor and co-founder of Australasian Leisure Management.

Based in Sydney, Australia, her specific areas of interest include the arts, entertainment, the environment, fitness, tourism and wellness.

She has degrees in Fine Arts from the University of Sydney and Geological Oceanography from UNSW.

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