I’ve been researching various workshops and conferences to attend before the end of next year, and I wanted to share the fruits of my labor. I’ve decided to attend the DCAC Fitness Convention in Alexandria, VA August 4-8, 2010. I’ve not been to DCAC before, so this will be interesting. The last conference I attended was Florida MANIA, which did not earn me any STAR Points for Spinning. But at DCAC I’ll be getting NASM, AFAA and Spinning CEU’s, so it is one-stop shopping for me!

If you are interested in DCAC, it will be in Alexandria, VA August 4-8. If you want to know more about DCAC or other major conferences, here is a compilation of what I considered before deciding to go to DC this year!

IDEA Health and Fitness Association

• IDEA World Fitness Convention™ August 4-8, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA
• Inner IDEA

Inner IDEA Conference Sept. 23-26, 2010 in Palm Springs, CA

• IDEA Personal Trainer Institute™ was held in Alexandria, VA (Washington DC) in February 2010. Look for it in late Winter 2011
• IDEA Fitness Fusion Conference™ was held in Rosemont, IL (Chicago) in April 2010. Look for it again in Spring 2011.

ECA World Fitness

• ECA/THRIVE Sports Training, Fitness and Wellness Conference Nov 11 -14 ,2010 Miami Beach, FL
• ECA/NYC 2010 OBOW (One Body One World) Show was held in NYC, NY in March 2010. Look for it again Spring 2011.

SCW Fitness/Sarah City Workout

They have so many, I can’t even post them all!!! Visit their conventions page for dates and details for available cities. I really enjoyed this convention in 2008 and recommend it to anyone who doesn’t need STAR points…. Visit the list of SCW Fitness MANIAs The cities include: Philadelphia PA, Burlingame CA, Orlando FL, Atlanta GA, Rosemont IL, Boston MA

DCAC Fitness

• DCAC Fitness Convention in Alexandria, VA August 4-8, 2010
• DCAC Fitness Convention was held in Houston, TX April 2010. Look for it Spring 2011.

Can Fit Pro

Can Fit Pro has many conferences all over Canada. Rather than list them all, I’m going to send you to their conferences page. Their cities include: Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, St. John’s, Saskatoon, Moncton, Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg.

IHRSA

• IHRSA – 29th Annual International Convention & Trade Show in San Francisco, CA March 16-19, 2011

National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA)

• 61st NATA Annual Meeting & Trade Show, June 23-25, 2010 in Philadelphia, PA

  

1. Attending major conferences is a big pain for me, not just because of the cost and taking the time off work, but I am a terrible traveler. If I have to get on a plane, count me out. This type of offering gives me access to the presenters I’m missing by not heading out to these events.
2. The cost ($129 for non-members) is a pretty good deal for the number of CECs/CEUs that can be earned by completing the course. Who doesn’t want to save on CEUs?
3. I can absorb these workshops on my schedule and take time to work through the concepts, rewind to catch the things I might miss. This is a great benefit! When you attend a conference, you tend to get mental overload from all of the sessions and information presented. This way, I can learn it instead of just get glazed over by it.

There is a downside. I notice that AFAA is not among the listed CEUs available for this course. I have no doubt that I could petition for them, but that would be an extra $30 or so. If you are certified with AFAA, as I am or through another not-listed program, you will also have this headache.

Check it out and let me know what you think of the concept. I plan to register and give it whirl. I’ll let you know how it goes when I am done!

Basically, certification involves these five steps:

1. Register for a Certification Workshop on spinning.com (Cost is $325 — $295 for workshop and $30 for manual.)
2. Read the manual
3. Attend the 9-hour workshop
4. Study and ride the Phase II and III rides
5. Take the online exam.

Keep in mind that certification workshops are scheduled by demand. Clubs in your area will host a workshop when they need or want to host one. If your area has a low concentration of gyms or programs, you might have to wait for several months before a certification comes to your area. You might check with your own club and request that they host an orientation.

Other things to be aware of:

• 6-7 of the 9 hour workshop are lecture. Bring pencil, paper and anything else you need to be comfy during the discussion. Worry not — it goes quickly and is full of great information, including how to develop your own Spinning rides and profiles.
• You will ride the bike twice, each time for approximately an hour.
• The first ride, the “Form Ride” is a review of each of the Spinning core movements and hand positions. You will sweat during this ride, so don’t forget to bring water,a towel and a change of clothes!
• The second ride, the “Energy Zone Ride” is a review of each of the Spinning energy zones, so bring your heart rate monitor!
• When you leave the workshop, you recieve a certificate saying you completed the Spinning Orientation.  But at this point you are not a Certified Spinning Instructor.  You are a person who has completed the orientation!  After you explore the rides in Phase II and III and study the manul, you will take the assessment.  You have one year to do this.  Once you pass the test (it’s open book and in the comfort of your home, so yes, you will pass!) you are a certified instructor!  Voila!

There really isn’t much to it, but I’ll be happy to answer any questions you leave in the comments section.

Atlanta, GA
Boston, MA
Charleston, SC
Chicago, IL
Columbia, SC
Dallas, TX
Denver, CO
Ft. Lauderdale / South FL
Kansas City, KS
Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles, CA
Nashville, TN
New York, NY
Orlando, FL
Phoenix, AZ
Raleigh, NC / Chapel Hill
Richmond, VA
Sacramento, CA
San Antonio, TX
San Jose, CA / Bay Area
Washington, D.C. Maryland

They have a couple of early-bird specials posted on the site — if you register before December 31, 2009, you can get discounts on training materials and some of their other courses. See you in Charleston!

AFAA APEX

• The Chic Life – “AFAA Primary Certification Day”
• Goodboy Norman Featherstone – “AFAA  Cerification Training”
• Geek Turned Athlete – AFAA Primary Group Exercise Certification

If you have blogged about your experience with the AFAA certification process, please share your links with us by leaving a comment.

Yes, you can attend the workshop and take the tests before you complete a qualifying CPR course. You will not receive your AFAA certification until they recieve your proof of CPR, which can be mailed in anytime after the workshop.

What equipment will be provided for the demonstrations?

The workshops are held in a variety of locations. Some locations provide steps, mats, mirrors, balls and/or weights.  Some locations do not. For example, all three of the APEX events I have attended were held on basketball courts. Mats were available, but no other equipment and no mirrors. Do not count on having a step, even if you plan to lead a step demonstration. Instead, lead your exercises as if there were a step present. The testers will not mark you down for not having the equipment, unless you do not do a convincing job of “using it” (See post #5  about miming tubes or weights). If you are worried about the possibility of not having a mat, you should bring your own. You can also call the hosting facility to ask what equipment will be available.

Will we be cueing during the group presentation, or just demonstrating with no words?

During the practical, the only time you will actually cue out loud is during your individual presentation. During the group movement and muscle group portions, when everyone is doing their own thing at the same time, you will not be expected to speak. In fact, I don’t recall specifically, but I think it might be forbidden. If anyone took it recently and knows, please comment!

Should I buy the primary study package?

I have heard from several folks that wish they had invested in the study package, instead of purchasing just the book. It really depends on how comfortable you are with what you know about group fitness. As one commenter put it, and I agree, “if you are looking for more than a practice exam, buy the package. It may cost a little more, but I felt it would have been nice to have before the big day.”

Do you think it is an advantage to take the AFAA group certification at a conference or should I take it at a smaller facility?

There are pros and cons to both. There will be lots happening at the conference and so much to do and learn, that you might not get the full benefit of the workshop. However, the conferences usually offer the workshops at a discount, and it very helpful to have the opportunity to take care of the certification at the same time as a conference. Basically, convenience vs. chaos — you’ll need to weigh out what works for you. The only other difference would be in the number of attendees. A conference will likely have a larger number of people, whereas a facility might only have a dozen or so. If you do better in a small group setting, choose the latter. And never hesitate to call the hosting facility and ask questions about the environment if you are weighing your options.

Any suggestions on how to remember all of the muscle groups?

Keep in mind that they are going to review muscle groups very specifically during the workshop. However, it is helpful to start learning anatomy several weeks before the workshop. To me, the best way to learn muscle groups is to head to the weight room with the book and do the exercises. As you perform each motion, feel which muscle does the work while repeating the name of the muscle group with some sort of pneumonic device to help you remember it. For example: Pectoralis Major (chest) is the major mover in a push up. So I repeat while doing pushups: “Pectoralis Push Up.” Here’s another one: Overhead press works the deltoids. The top of an overhead press looks like the position you are in when you dive off a diving board. So I repeat while doing overhead presses: “Deltoids Dive.” Take some time finding little devices like that to help you remember what the names of the muscles are, and you’ll do great! Another option is to take sculpting classes offered at your gym, or work with a personal trainer to learn the names while doing the exercises.

 
If you have more questions, or don’t feel that I’ve given enough attention to a specific topic, please don’t hesitate to ask!