GroupFitPower has been honored to share the insights of a very talented and very successful fitness blogger and presenter with you in the past.  She has provided a wealth of advice to us and we are thankful she let us pick her brain for this interview.  Many thanks to Biray for taking time to answer some questions about who she is and what she does.
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Here is another outstanding contribution from Biray Alsac on a topic of great personal interest to me!  Music plays a very large role in how our classes are received, so I know you will appreciate this great info from Biray!

Music Outside the JukeBox!
By Biray Alsac

It’s no secret – music can make or break any group fitness class. Without good tunes, members may tune out (or listen to their iPod while exercising to their own beat). So, instructors are always looking for new songs (or remix of old songs) that continue to engage and motivate participants.

With websites like iTunes, Napster and Pandora (a site that recommends new music based on songs you already like), there are endless opportunities to discover new material. But sometimes we don’t have time to search for new music or find different resources on the web. Read below to learn new ways to create your perfect soundtrack for class.

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By Biray Alsac

What makes a great instructor an extra-ordinary one? While there isn’t a golden answer to this question, there are certainly things every instructor should do. For extra ideas, you can learn from other successful colleagues and fitness professionals around the world. Last week I was an invited guest at FitnessTurk 2008, a conference for fitness professionals based in Istanbul, Turkey. In my down time, I attended a session facilitated by Lawrence Biscontini, an international presenter and extra-ordinary instructor, himself!

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GroupFitPower is excited to present guest blogger Biray Alsac.  Biray is the CEO of the FITmaxx institute and blogs at Be Fit With Biray.  Biray will be sharing her wisdom and expertise with us to keep things at GroupFitPower pumping while Krista takes some downtime to be pregnant.  We are certain you are going to get great things from her contributions.  Welcome Biray!

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

I recently reconnected with a fitness colleague who, after the birth of her son, left teaching to focus on being a full-time mom.  She was an excellent instructor and most of the members were sad to see her ‘retire’. Last week she emailed me to see if I’d be interested in subbing a class for her. “I didn’t know you were teaching again” I said, surprised. She explained how she had missed teaching aerobics, but found that picking up classes at a club was no longer financially lucrative (i.e. childcare costs, drive time, gas prices, class flexibility, etc). So she began piloting fitness classes out of her garage, and wanted me to be the week’s guest instructor.

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