This morning in Spinning class, I did a lot of harping about sprints.  We didn’t do that many, only two, but I had some new folks and wanted to get the point across.   Basically, we were doing the Pace Line Ride, and the concept of “pulling the line” seemed to be lost to a few who thought they were supposed to pedal fast and furiously instead of going HARD.    My first sprint description came as I needed them to focus on a heavy resistance as they pulled their team members.  The second came as we were actually doing a sprint to the finish.  However, the mechanics and the reasoning are the same, and I’m going to share the basics with you now.

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Another great contribution by guest blogger, Biray Alsac!

Biray Alsac
http://fittmaxxinstitute.com
http://befitwithbiray.com

 It’s refreshing to meet a gym member who is a ‘first-timer’ to a health club or a newbie to our group exercise classes. You know the ones – they aren’t very fitness-savvy, are overwhelmed by the classes available on the schedule, and aren’t entirely familiar with gym culture. But, bless their hearts, they are open to trying something new.

As instructors, we love these people. Why? Because it gives us an opportunity to dispel any myths about group exercise and a chance to create an experience that will hopefully motivate them to come back for more – not scare them away.

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I was hunting through some of my old reference materials in search of a quote I knew I had saved, but couldn’t remember.  I have a large directory on my computer that is backed up on my laptop and my thumb drive for portability.  I didn’t find what I was looking for, but I did come across an article by Jay Blahnik that I downloaded from the FitPro website a while back.  Update: June 17,2008 — Unfortunately, they no longer host it on their website.  (more…)

It isn’t hard for me to distinguish between who are, in my opinion, the really excellent instructors, and the ones whose classes I’d rather pass on.  The instructors who stand out above the rest are the ones with a message and purpose for every single class they teach.

As the fitness industry has evolved and expanded to include all types of movement, the mind-body principles of yoga and Pilates have begun to spread to other forms of exercise.  Even before they called it the “mind-body” connection, athletes could tell you about “the zone” or that place of mental clarity where they excelled in their sports.  They could also tell you about “the wall” or how their performance suffered as a result of distraction or negativity.  It is inarguable that a person who has cleared their mind to focus on their workout will most certainly attain greater results than a person who attempts the same workout with a bad frame of mind.

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What’s your message?

I am a huge fan of Spinning, and since I began my journey as a Spinning instructor in 2003, I have been unable to explain why the bike has such a strong grip on me.  I could never understand why it was so fulfilling even though it could be so grueling.  I could explain in “personal trainer’s” terms all of the reasons why I SHOULD be there and what was happening as a result of Spinning.  But those reasons are the same reasons I could have chosen running, Step, Tae Bo and often did.  While I still run and teach Step and Tae Bo from time to time, I pick the bike whenever the choice exists. 

Last night, I was given a marvelous gift.  Master Spin Instructor Luciana Marcial-Vincion, who I am priviliged to work with, presented her “Message Ride” from WSSC to our club.  She adapted the format and the messages to speak to group of students and members, but still spoke to the instructors in the room.  She spoke in a way that truly opened my eyes to what I get from Spinning and more importantly what I give.  This 90-minute ride was so refreshing, I walked away feeling as though I had awakened from a perfect sleep ready to greet the day and share the good news with everyone around me.  And guess what?  I’m starting with you.

No matter what genre of class we teach, we are held to a higher standard.  But what makes a Spinning instructor so special is their ability to help their students recognize their own inner strength and make positive changes in their lives.  That’s not to say that Step instructors don’t do it in some way too, but let’s consider the dialogue.  In a Step class, this is what you’ll here 90% of the time:

“Basic Right.  Turn Step. Mambo Cha cha.  How’s everybody doing?  Don’t forget to breathe!  If you get confused, just come back to a basic.  Woo!  You can do it!”

Lots of directions, few opportunities to truly inspire.  That’s not to say you aren’t motivating, but most of the words are about cueing.  Same with sculpting classes - mostly form descriptions.  And don’t get me started on Tae Bo…  (Hush, now.  I am a Tae Bo teacher too!)

Here’s what I heard last night:

“Spinning is about what’s in here [pointing to chest] and here [pointing to the head].” 
“Allow yourself to feel connected to your breath.” 
“Your muscles don’t move on their own; your breath moves them.” 
“Don’t ask for an easier hill.  Ask to be a better climber.” 

Now some of that is paraphrased or my interpreted version of what she said, but the message in Spinning is clear:  You have a purpose.  You have special gifts.  Your body WANTS to be fit and you come to class because you WANT to satisfy that desire.  On the bike, you are free to do what needs to be done in your own terms and in your own time. 

I have a long soapbox speech for the people who come to any class to be entertained are missing out on something far more profound and beautiful.  It’s even longer for the instructors who treat indoor cycling like aerobics on a stationary cycle.  I’ll save it for another time.  Right now, I just want to share with you the reason why Spinning is so important to me, and why I think it is the most popular form of group fitness out there.  As Luciana pointed out to me, Spinning is pure.  It breaks us down so that we can be rebuilt into stronger, better versions of ourselves.  When we let go of our judgements and fears, the bike can teach us about ourselves in a way no other experience can.  It is, as Johnny G says, what it is.  And that purity is what keeps me coming back.

Spin On!

Today’s early morning Spin class was a fun ride.  I can’t share the profile, though, because I had to make it up on the fly.  See, I was all set to have my regulars pound out a grueling 80-92% max ride using various flavors of jumps and very little rest the entire class.  To my surprise, however, a group of the early morning weight lifters decided that they would try Spinning out today.  With it being the start of the holiday weekend, we were missing quite a few which put our numbers at 5 newbies and 3 regulars.  The obvious tilt in the experience scale required that I switch things up and give everyone an easier ride than expected.  Yes, I was catering to the new folks, but in this situation, how could I not?  But what if those five new gentlemen had walked into my class of 20 regulars?  Now we are looking at a situation that reflects a more common occurence.  So how do you do it?  How do you satisfy the strong ones while encouraging the beginners?   In the words of a Girl Scout song, how do you “Make New Friends, but Keep the Old?”

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Are you seeking to improve your performance as a Group Fitness Instructor? Whether you just stepped out of your ACE certification workshop or you have been teaching since the days of thongs and leg warmers, you have strengths and weaknesses as an instructor.  Here, I offer you the A-B-C’s of growing from an average instructor to a great instructor. 

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I pray that you are the epitome of organization.  I hope for your sake that you are one of the folks who are on top of their stuff and never forget or leave anything out of place.  But, if you’re like me, and are over stressed, always rushed, never in the same place twice, then you’ve probably done what I did this morning at least once or twice. 

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“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.” - Eric Coffer

This winter provided me with absolute proof that you truly reap what you sow, especially when it comes to how you treat your students. There was a period two months ago when the temperature dropped significantly enough to entice my warm-blooded, South Carolinian Spinners to sleep through their 6:00 am workouts. Not that I blame them all that much — when it is cold, I’d prefer to stay under the covers as well. But, as the instructor, that was not my option, so I’d drag myself out of bed, slog myself to the gym and sigh with great resentment over the ever-shrinking number of bikes in my room. Where is everyone? I grumbled aloud, causing the students who were there to grumble along with me. Pretty soon, I was down to only two grumbling students. It seems that my negativity over what I wasn’t getting out of class (namely, an audience) was pushing my remaining students out the door one by one.

Never underestimate how your attitude will affect the people who come to your class. I did, and it nearly cost me my entire class. Fortunately, I picked myself out of my funk and got things turned around. I am proud to say the class is again full after two dismal months. While I can’t take credit for the nice weather helping folks get on over to the gym, I can tell you how I took my lemons and made lemonade. These simple tips can save your class or be the difference between being okay and being amazing:

1. Be grateful. Count each blessing that comes in your door and let them know how much you appreciate their presence. Try not to just be thankful you have students. Be grateful for their health and their willingness and their lives. Be grateful for your own health and abilities and the opportunity to interact with these people in a positive way. If you aren’t sure of the difference, you might check out what Steve Pavlina has to say about gratitude. Once you’ve stated the thought, “I am grateful for each of my students and their health and their fitness,” then treat them like you are grateful. Show them extra courtesy, provide as much personalized attention as you can, and go the extra mile to give them added incentive to always be in your class. It starts by acknowledging your gratitude, then sharing it with everyone.

2. Be excited. From the moment you enter the room, overflow with enthusiasm for the class you will teach. Leave the traffic, the kids, the fights, the drama or whatever is riding you… leave all of it in the car. Get in the habit of feeding yourself motivating thoughts as you walk from your car/subway/bikerack to the fitness room. Imagine you are like the football team awaiting their burst on to the field to the tune of ACDC’s “Thunder”. If that isn’t your speed, then carve out a minute or more to sit and meditate before you arrive so that your heart and mind are clear of clutter and you can genuinely be glad you are there to teach. Your excitement will be contagious, so “Fake it Till you Make it” if you have to!

3. Keep the comments to yourself. No matter how horrible your day is or how sick you feel, resist the temptation to unload it on your class. Chances are, they won’t even notice you skipped out on the extra riser, or slipped in a minute late. Just plaster on the biggest smile you can handle (fake if you have to) and get started! No matter what, keep the negativity to yourself and channel it into your workout. At the end of class, you can always explain or take responsibility for your behavior if it is necessary, e.g. you showed up very late, or you just didn’t deliver a solid class. They’ll appreciate knowing after the fact, without it festering through the whole class. If you find that you MUST say something at the outset, try to phrase it in the most positive words possible. If you get on a rant, your emotions will spread like a toxic spill.

4. Say “Thank You.” Don’t forget to thank them for coming before they walk out the door. Even the ones who try to sneak out early can be turned into die-hards when they sense that you are thankful they came and stayed for whatever length. Take time after your class to interact with your students, learn more about them, and encourage them to keep trying. The personal touch can make all the difference in getting someone who is non-committal to commit to your class.

It really is true that you reap what you sow. I learned the hard way by alienating my entire early morning Spinning class. You can prevent this by simply counting your blessings and sharing your gratitude with the students you do have.

Check out some of my posts on similar topics:
Making a Strong First Impression

Presentation is Everything

Sometimes, you just don’t want to teach.  I love group fitness, and I truly enjoy my classes, which include a variety of formats:  Spinning, Step, Body Sculpt, Dance…  But I also have a full-time job as a web developer, and I have family, so I can be spread a bit thin.  I guarantee you have been there too.  But what to do when it is less than an hour till go time, and all you want to do is get in a car wreck so at least you’ll have a valid reason not to show?

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