Congratulations to this year’s top 7! The HOTWORX Virtual Instructor (VI) Competition is one of the most exciting events in fitness. It’s the search for the next energetic, knowledgeable, and inspiring fitness leaders who will guide members through workouts in studios all over the world. Every year, contestants bring their passion, skills, and unique styles to the competition, each hoping to earn a coveted spot as a HOTWORX VI.

As the competition grows, it’s more important than ever to ensure that the selection process remains focused on merit, on the qualities that make a Virtual Instructor truly effective so HOTWORX members get the very best coaching experience possible.

What is the purpose of the VI role? A Virtual Instructor is much more than a face on a screen. They are leaders. They set the pace and tone for each hot exercise session. They are coaches and motivators inspiring members to push beyond their comfort zones for maximum fitness and life results. They are educators teaching proper form, safety, and technique. They are role models representing the HOTWORX brand commitment to excellence.

These responsibilities demand a high level of skill, knowledge, energy, and professionalism, qualities that can only be measured through performance and dedication.

Merit-based selection ensures that every HOTWORX member benefits from the highest standard of instruction. When judges choose finalists based on objective performance factors such as cueing ability, energy level, form, clarity, and on-camera presence the customer workout experience is elevated.

In order to maintain fairness for all contestants, merit must be the overarching criteria. To break it down, contestants are evaluated based on the merits of the following judging criteria:

Knowledge of the Brand

Ability to be a Team Player

Stage Presence

Professionalism

Communications Skill

Fitness Conditioning

Fitness Skill

Trying to achieve some sort of cultural quota is NOT a criteria. This competition rewards hard work and preparation. Those who show up as team players, supremely conditioned, polished and with honed skills to hold long postures with excellent form are scored accordingly.

It just makes sense to select the very best to protect the brand’s quality standards. Keeping the competition based on merit inspires future participants to train hard, improve, and show up with their best conditioning, skill, and brand knowledge.

When evaluating contestants, the focus has to remain on factors that directly affect the member experience!

Vocal clarity, ad lib ability, and coaching skills are important. Can they motivate and instruct effectively in front of a camera? Do they demonstrate proper form and are they in supreme conditioning to last hours on set during filming? Do they cue with skill for safe and correct movements? Do they bring the energy and stage presence. Can they keep members engaged from start to finish?

What about consistency? Do they perform at a high level across all sessions?

As a part of the Finals competition at the HOTWORX Convention each year, we have an outdoor workout session during which each contestant must perform a posture for those who are working out. The competitors are not only judged on how well they deliver the posture when it is their turn, they are also watched very closely to see how well they preform all of the postures throughout the entire workout. It is easy to see who is in better conditioning under those circumstances. Conditioning matters big time! And what about professionalism? Do they represent the HOTWORX brand with integrity and enthusiasm?

The right approach is to celebrate diversity through talent and skill. A merit-based competition doesn’t mean ignoring diversity, it means celebrating it through genuine talent and skill. When contestants from different backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences are evaluated purely on their ability to deliver world-class workouts, the diversity in our VI team becomes authentic and earned. This creates a richer, more relatable experience for our members, and shows that excellence knows no boundaries.

HOTWORX has the opportunity to lead by example in the fitness industry by keeping the VI Competition focused on skill and performance. When the best instructors—regardless of age, gender, race, and body type are chosen to represent the brand, it sends a powerful message: We are united by the pursuit of excellence, period.

In the HOTWORX VI Competition, every contestant should know that their talent, preparation, and performance are what truly count. By keeping the selection process merit-based, we not only ensure fairness for participants, but we also guarantee that every member stepping into a HOTWORX sauna receives guidance from the most capable, inspiring, and effective instructors possible.

In the end, it’s not about where you come from, it’s about how you lead, how you inspire, and how you help our members achieve their goals.

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