Category — Presentation Skills

Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn

To see the right and not to do it is cowardice. – Confucius

The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was. – Walt West

Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable. – Franz Kafka

Do you see a pattern here?  Every job, no matter how big or small can be done the right way, or the wrong way.  Today, in support of my fellow blogger and Spinning Master Instructor Jennifer Sage, I am sharing with you the right way to teach an indoor cycling class. 

Before we have this discussion, you should hop over to Jennifer’s blog and take a look at her posts on Contraindicated moves (CI moves), especially her latest: Just don’t do it in your indoor cycling classes! In addition to being one of the most respected and knowledgeable Master Instrctors at Spin Fitness, she is an avid road cyclist who owns her own bicycle touring company. She literally wrote the book on Keeping it Real in indoor cycling, so when she speaks up about the goofy stuff going on in classes these days, listen up!

Now, I’m not here to pass judgement on anyone who teaches their students CI moves, nor am I completely innocent of having included them in my classes the past. But I believe as Jennifer does that CI moves are hurting our students and hurting our indoor cycling programs. Students are being taught, through the introduction of CI moves, that they don’t need to take responsibilty for themselves or their workouts. They are being taught that it isn’t the quality of the workout that makes a difference in their health and wellness, it’s how much the instructor can make them hurt. And that is a shame.

I recognize that group fitness as a whole is suffering, and gyms are doing everything they can to keep participants in their classes. But I urge you as an instructor, if you are heavily loading your class with CI moves, especially like what Jennifer describes, please reconsider what you are doing. Not only are you putting your students at risk for injuries, you are failing to provide them with the true benefits of cycling. My mantra is, “If you wouldn’t do it on a road bike, don’t do it in Spinning class” and to that I would add, “no matter what they are doing on YouTube.” My students have always been appreciative of my ability to “Keep it Real” in Spinning class, and I know they will appreciate it from you too. And when they realize that you have empowered them to be stronger, fitter and faster, they will love you all the more!

Keep it real, guys!

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.  [Read 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!