I love exercise on demand (aka streaming workout services). Having access to a huge library of workouts without having to store any physical videos is a smart and effective way to workout at home.
I’ve tried almost every exercise on demand service out there and signed up for Les Mills on Demand (the streaming workout service by the Les Mills brand, now called Les Mills Plus) in Dec. 2019. If I hadn’t tried so many other services already I might not have realized just how incredible the Les Mills service really is. You need to read this before you sign up.
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Les Mills Plus is the streaming workout service by the Les Mills brand. Once you sign up for the service you get immediate access to a library of workout videos created by Les Mills.
There are over 2000 workouts to choose from and they’re all led by a trained Les Mills instructor.
If you’re not familiar with the Les Mills brand here’s a short video that’ll get you up to speed:
If you prefer to read about the brand then you can click here.
In a nutshell, this is a brand you can trust when it comes to bringing you a good workout.
Before I go any further you need to know two important things.
One, this is a review of the Les Mills on Demand service (called Les Mills Plus) (not the entire Les Mills brand, which is massive and includes a lot of stuff I’m not covering in this article).
Two, my review of the service is from the view of someone not familiar with the Les Mills gym experience. I’ve become aware of it through the on-demand membership but I’d never done a Les Mills workout before I signed up for the streaming service before.
So, I can’t compare the Les Mills home workouts to a Les Mills gym class. But that wasn’t my goal for this article.
This post is meant to help you find out how the Les Mills on Demand service compares to other exercise on demand services so you’ll know if you should try it. So, let’s get to it…
In late 2021, Les Mills rebranded their on-demand library to LES MILLS+ (it’s still an on-demand workout library–but with some upgrades).
Here’s what the press release announcing the change said:
LES MILLS+ replaces the company’s previous digital platform LES MILLS On Demand (LMOD), which saw rapid growth during the digital fitness boom, with a 900% increase in downloads in 2020 alone.
Recognizing the need for an upgraded app that can meet growing demand and shifting consumer preferences, LES MILLS+ arrives with a range of enhancements.
In addition to 1,000+ world-leading workouts including BODYPUMP™, BODYCOMBAT™, and BODYBALANCE™, LES MILLS+ now features:
You have a 2 membership options: The Here’s a visual for you: the Base membership and the Premium membership. I recommend you sign up for Premium so you get access to the challenges and the BodyPump program.
A lot of exercise on demand services come with a free trial period and Les Mills+ is no different. You’ll get a 30-day free trial when you first sign up (so you’ve got nothing to lose).
Here are the current pricing options:
Les Mills and Adidas are collabs so if you see any apparel you like in the latest videos then head over to the Adidas website to buy your own. (This is a relatively new partnership and I haven’t been able to find any Les Mills clothing on the Adidas site yet. I’m hoping they get this fixed soon.)
There are a lot of different Les Mills programs. There’s something for everyone.
You’ll find strength training, cardio, yoga, kickboxing, aerobic step, dance, spin classes and more. Here’s a complete list of the programs:
Every Les Mills workout is lead by a certified Les Mills trainer.
You’ll see a different set of trainers in each category of workouts. I love that there’s a wide range of ages and personalities among the instructors.
Les Mills workouts are group programs.
Most of the workouts are recordings of live workouts done all over the world. This is one of my favorite parts of this service (compared to other streaming workout programs).
You’ll find workouts that are anywhere from 15 to 55+ minutes. (So, there’s a workout that fits into any schedule.)
Some of the categories of workouts use equipment.
BUT you can get started (and have plenty of workouts to choose from) if you don’t have any equipment at all.
If you have a barbell, a gym-sized aerobic step, exercise tubing and a mat you can do almost every single workout in the library (except the spin classes* where they use a stationary bike).
*Full Disclosure-I haven’t tried any of the spin routines because I don’t have a stationary bike.
Les Mills sells all the equipment you’ll see used in their workouts.
Their equipment is beauful but optional (you can do the workouts with the equipment you have at home). You don’t need the specific tools designed by Les Mills.
But if you need new home gym equipment definitely check out what they have.
You won’t need any more space to do the Les Mills routines than any home workout you’ve tried.
On the website they recommend 60 square feet of space (you can get away with an area about the size of a 5′ x 7′ rug if the area is completely clear. Some routines require more space. The bigger your workout space is, the better (and safer) your workout will be).
The only workouts I’ve found to have any choreography that isn’t basic are the dance (Sha’bam) workouts.
In a nutshell there are 3 things that differentiate the Les Mills on demand service from others I’ve tried (like Beachbody on Demand, which I love).
The music (it’s a notch above all the others)
The instructors (there’s a huge variety of pro instructors)
The live global experience (no other streaming service does it this way)
If I was forced to choose what level of exerciser the workouts are for (if you do them as they’re designed) I’d say an intermediate to advanced exerciser will feel most at home with the majority of the workouts.
BUT
DO NOT LET THAT KEEP YOU FROM SIGNING UP IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A BEGINNER!
Les Mills workouts are amazing. Everyone should try them out for themselves. You can modify the routines to fit your level.
Just head over to the Les Mills website and click on the ‘start free trial’ link.
I recommend you use the app to do the workouts. The dashboard feels a little overwhelming at first but you’ll figure it out quickly.
Yes. You just head over to your account details and you can cancel online. You don’t have to call, email or chat with anyone.
I use a method I call Program Stacking to stay in shape with home workouts. Services like Les Mills on Demand make it very easy to cross train and achieve total body conditioning.
If you workout at home I recommend you try out a new exercise on demand service every 6 months. It’s the best way to keep things interesting and find out what you love.
The only way to know if LES MILLS+ is ideal for you is to try it out.
Every Les Mills workout is backed by research.
They have a lab! I LOVE this!
And Les Mills is out to build a better planet one community at a time.
Sign up for an exercise on demand service. Do a little research and try one of them out. Most have free trial period. Here are a few articles to help you get started:
A comparison of features in 30+ streaming workout libraries
A Review of Beachbody on Demand
Cathe on Demand (what it is and how to sign up)
What is Daily Burn (An Honest Review)
Aaptiv (What it is and why it’s the number one audio fitness app)
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Get matched with the on-demand library that aligns with your workout style, equipment and goals by answering a few questions!
I have done RPM at my old gym so I am familiar with this class format.
Questions:
1. How many On Demand RPM classes are in the library
2. Same question for The Trip and your comment
Thank you for reading our review! These are great questions. As of today, there are 56 routines inside The Trip library and 175 routines inside RPM. As you probably know, Les Mills slices up remixes of every workout and puts them back together and that counts as an additional workout inside each library. So, you might see a section of one main workout inside 5 other workouts. (I hope that makes sense.) I think they do a phenomenal job of making every workout feel unique but I wanted to point that out. I’ve never done any of the spin workouts but I bet they’re incredible. Every Les Mills workout is an experience. They do such a good job at making each workout feel like a pro production. What are your thoughts on the RPM classes you’ve tried?
Yes that gives me an idea of content for the On Demand RPM. I haven’t done any but will start a trial in the next week or so. Thank you kindly for your response.
Regards
Graeme Cowan
Thanks for the article! I’m a past Les Mills instructor and have been taking Les Mills classes for years. The quality of their workouts is absolutely the best. When the pandemic started and all of the places I was teaching shut down, I turned to Les Mills on Demand for my workouts. They have so many workouts; I never get bored! I am lucky enough to have a spin bike, and therefore can do all of the classes. I purchased a small step as well and LOVE the BodyStep classes. Here are some tips!
You can use dumbbells for BodyPump. During Squats I hold a heavy dumbbell at my chest. During Clean & Press turn your palms to face each other, it’s easier on your shoulders.
BodyCombat, Grit and BodyAttack are high-impact; if you have knee problems I would avoid these programs or heavily modify.
BodyStep is an amazing aerobic workout, and even with bad knees I can do the whole workout with minimal modifications. The step works great to cushion impact.
BodyFlow is an incredible program that combines Yoga and Pilates. You get a wonderful strength and flexibility workout.
CX Works is my all time favorite program. It really focuses on the core, which makes you stronger in your other workouts! Plus it’s only 30 minutes, and the program directors Dan and Corey are very easy on the eyes, haha.
Hi Shea, what amazing feedback! Thank you for sharing this! I love hearing from other Les Mills fans! Their on-demand service has become one of my favorite recommendations for home exercise. I wish I had a spin bike so I could do the RPM workouts, too! I love the way you shared a little bit of information about each program. Thank you so much for taking the time to post this (and for stopping by One Strong Southern Girl)! Mickie
I’ve been thinking about signing up with Les Mills on demand for a while. Do you need to have a barbell, or can you use free weights? This is whats been holding me back, I don’t have the room for a barbell
Hi Raina, that’s a great question. The Body Pump routines use a barbell quite a bit but you could definitely use dumbbells in place of the barbell for the exercises they do. You’ll also see a barbell used in some of the Grit workouts but I haven’t run across workouts that use a barbell in the other categories (Body Step, Body Flow, Body Combat etc.). I definitely recommend their on Demand service. They have a free 14 day trial (unless they’ve changed that) so you can test drive it without any financial commitment. The workouts are unlike anything else out there and (in my opinion) a lot of fun. I hope that helps! Mickie
I use dumbbells. During squats hold a heavy weight at your chest. For clean & press turn your palms inward to protect your shoulders. Same with rows. But totally works!
This was such a helpful review! I’ve been thinking about whether to try this service for ages and I think after seeing your breakdown of it I might give it a go!
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I think so many people can relate to what you’re saying. I absolutely love Les Mills on Demand. It’s one of my ‘anchor’ streaming workout memberships. If you sign up let me know what you think of the workouts!
I’ve been with les mill on demand for a couple of years now. It’s great, so much content and variety. You’d never got bored especially with the regular updates and new workout plans/challenges.
Hi Jo, I agree! Les Mills is the hidden gem of exercise on demand services! Thanks for reading and taking the time to share your experience. Have a great day! Mickie
I typically do Body Combat at my gym (which is obviously closed right now, due to the pandemic), Question: With Les Mills on Demand, are there several Combat workouts included, or only their most recent release?
Hey Lindsay! That’s a great question. I went and checked my Les Mills library and right now there are a bunch of workouts in the Body Combat category. Maybe 30+? So, they have the most recent routines as well as a back catalog. I LOVE Body Combat! I hope that answers your question. I’m obsessed with Les Mills on Demand right now. The workouts are so challenging and different than anything else out there. Thanks for reading and taking the time to ask a really good question. Best, Mickie
Hey, thanks for the review and all of the info you send out! I use to do cathe and kelly coffey exclusively, now I’m working out to tracy steen and sydney Cummings, (free YouTube) if you were only able to chose one subscription, which one would it be?
Hi Michelle! What a great question! When I teach women my home exercise methods I recommend that they change exercise on demand memberships every quarter. It keeps things interesting and makes it so much easier to cross train and use my Program Stacking method. But if someone were to ask me where they should sign up first I’d have to ask them about their fitness goals, workout personality and how much time they spend exercising to give them my best recommendation. For me personally, my favorite services right now are Les Mills on Demand, Cathe on Demand and Beachbody on Demand. I keep those 3 memberships all the time and then add/remove other on-demand services every quarter. It really does depend on each woman’s unique needs, though. I hope that helps! Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment!💕