6 tips for filming a workout

Filming a workout can range from being simple to complicated, depending on your budget and ambition. Here are some tips based on my experience shooting gaming themed pilot workout Arcadia, along with insights from Sweatlife Films - Fitness Video Production | United Kingdom , Wexer , Peloton Interactive , FIIT , and The Workroom.

1.)?? Choose the right production partner.

Creating workout videos requires an experienced production company familiar with live stage performances. Music-driven routines are like shooting music videos, with each move synchronised to the beat. Opportunities for retakes are rare, necessitating real-time filming with multiple cameras.

According to Ross Peebles from The Workroom, "While we do sometimes pause for technical reasons, these stoppages are kept to a minimum. This ensures the workout remains as authentic as possible. Additionally, there are physiological considerations, as presenters cannot maintain maximum intensity for extended periods."

The company Sweatlife Films specialises in workout videos and exercise libraries so could be worth a look.

2.)?? Consider your music choices.

Your workout playlist is crucial, but licensing can be expensive. Approaching independent artists can reduce costs, and labels often have such provisions. There are multiple rights issues to consider. To feature on fitness platforms like Wexer, artists must register with their country's Performing Rights Organisation. For the Arcadia pilot, we licensed most of our tracks from Monstercat as they specalise in the type of high energy dance music we were looking for.

A synchronisation license is also necessary for video releases, in addition to a master license.? AI can also assist.? Websites like Mubert and Google’s MusicLM AI allow you to create bespoke music based on text prompts.

Naturally there are music companies that specialise in workout music, such as PURE ENERGY GO and Power Music .

3.)?? Plan. Prepare. Rehearse.

Filming a workout is likely more time-consuming than you'd expect. Planning and conducting multiple rehearsals, involving the director to ensure familiarity with the choreography, is essential to minimise error fixing in the edit. Music selection, auditions, wardrobe choices, and choreography also consume a significant amount of pre-production time. As Peloton Instructor Tobias Heinze explains to me, "Leading up to the workout, it can take weeks, even months, to prepare the music and choreography."

However, time can be reduced when working with a dedicated studio, as Kiera Boyce , Studio Manager & Lead Editor at leading fitness app Fiit tells me, “Typically, a 40-min class can take between 60-90 minutes to film end-to-end.”

4.)?? It’s all about the Instructor

Your talent is everything. They require different skills than gym instructors; they need screen presence, projecting their energy through a lens rather than to a group of people, with clear vocal cueing.

Global Head of Content at Wexer Morten Andersen , says, "Some of the content performing exceptionally well on our platform doesn’t boast the highest production values. What truly matters is the personality hosting it. If the trainer isn’t engaging and there's no connection with the audience, it won’t gain traction."

According to Pete Flamman , Vice President Global Creative Strategy and International at Peloton Interactive : "Peloton instructors come from different backgrounds and each of them brings a unique experience and voice to the platform.? The key factors that bring them together are authenticity and consistent delivery in every single class they teach. They’re all fitness professionals, but a role at Peloton requires skills that go beyond teaching. Peloton has a diverse Member community and 50+ instructors. The main priority for us is ensuring we offer choice across our platform in terms of class types, teaching styles, music choices etc. so there is something for everyone."

Richard Playfair , founder of exercise specialist production company Sweatlife Films agrees: "The best instructors and program creators realise that being 'camera ready' just isn't enough to deliver a great workout experience. Most fitness professionals can deliver a class on the fly if they need to, but few are prepared to develop the skills that make them 'production ready'. And that's what makes a great instructor, because they understand it's a team effort to deliver signature workout experiences that leave audiences feeling successful and rushing back for more."

5.)?? Be creative. Be inspired.

Workouts can be incredibly formulaic, and while it is important to remember that this is instructional, not art, it does not mean you can’t inject originality and flair. ChatGPT plugins such as AI Quest and Timeport can structure your ideas and AI image generation tools like Midjourney and Leonardo.AI can assist how you express your visualisations to others.

On set, you can consider creative use of lighting, projections, and camera angles. In post-production, does your look feel fresh, brutal, adventurous, or clinical? Audiences add energy, but they require management, wardrobe considerations, and certain levels of abilities.

If you have the budget, you can consider XR technology which fuses virtual worlds with the real set. XR-filming can be challenging as you can usually only film with one camera.? The software tracks the position of the camera in real-time, via infra-red, so it can adjust the parallax of the images on the LED screens behind the presenters.? It is ambitious but the results are incredible.

6.)?? Leverage your assets. Go beyond the screen.

For distribution across gyms, hotels, and corporates, consider Wexer, who encourage people to contact them. Wexer operate on a revenue model, so it's vital that your music is PRO cleared.

Consider aligning with IP holders or musical artists and leverage their distribution channels.

Think about repurposing as well. Can your assets be showcased at live fitness events? Can you extract wellness micro clips for social media and mobile platforms? Is it possible to create audio-only versions?

You might also explore VR versions. For instance, Les Mills teamed up with Odders Lab to create BODYCOMBAT XR, and Squid Game Virtuals, developed by Sandbox VR and Netflix immerses participants in games from the show. While it may not be a fitness experience, it can certainly get the heart pumping!

Exclusive interview with Fiit

Fiit is the number one fitness app that can be enjoyed across multiple platforms, including Sky TV. With hundreds of hours of high quality on-demand content available, and prices starting from free, I was lucky enough to be able to go behind the scenes, with Mitra Memarzia VP of Production and Kiera Boyce, Studio Manager & Lead Editor!

For independent producers reading this, do you welcome content, or are you strictly in-house?

Mitra Memarzia: When we first started out I brought in a team of independent production specialists so that we could figure out exactly what Fiit needed. The aim was to build a super-efficient and multidisciplinary in-house crew so that we could refine the process end to end and raise the production value.?

We are now getting approached by lots of brands wanting us to create content for them, and this is something we’re in the process of expanding into and offering. So there may perhaps be some interesting opportunities for independent producers.?

What new technologies (especially within video and broadcast) excite you most?

Mitra Memarzia: The current evolution of AI technologies across all imaginable fields is fast growing. From AI generated workouts, through to smart cameras and AI powered editing, we are now fast moving towards studios that will eventually require very little human intervention. Whilst we may be a little way off handing completely over to AI, I believe this space will not be one to ignore.?

Do you tend to shoot multiple episodes back to back?? Can you share anything about your shooting schedule, what you use to edit, camera technology etc.?

Kiera Boyce: As a whole, how long each workout takes to film naturally depends on the length and intensity of the workout itself. Important to note that given all trainers will be doing the workout themselves on set, all sessions are meticulously programmed and rehearsed beforehand.?

Typically, a standard 25-min class will take between 30-50 minutes, and a 40-min class can take between 60-90 minutes to film end-to-end.?

To cover the variety of workouts released on a weekly basis, we shoot up to 90 minutes of content per trainer, per filming day. For consistency, we shoot all our concepts from one production studio. Every tutorial and workout is shot in the same room with the same set-up - we have at least five Sony FS7 cameras in situ, all shooting in real-time on the ground and aerial cameras suspended from the ceiling, alongside our lighting rig.?

Our lighting and back-screen animations are also all programmed beforehand to align with the workout. We have specific colour schemes, light patterns and animations for each studio.?

Behind the scenes, our team will then be working on editing each on-demand workout in the following weeks using Premiere Pro editing software. Also integral to the Fiit experience is the integration of the trainer vocal instructions and music. The mix is expertly moulded to match the structure of each workout, calming during the rest or building during the finisher.?

Tomorrow - An exclusive interview with Peloton Interactive!