So, as promised, here is the followup post to 12 Things you can do right now to fall in love with teaching again. Because it was geared toward indoor cycling instructors and Spinning instructors, you might have found it a bit unhelpful. So here you go Zumba, Kickboxing, Step, Sculpt, Hip Hop and Whatever-Style-You-Teach teachers… A list just for you!
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Don’t you love that “top-of-the-world” feeling? When you are bursting inside with inspiration, look forward to coaching and can’t wait until your next class begins? And yet, those times are few and far between. Usually, we are just in the grind, day in and day out, teaching and going through the motions. Are you suffering from the doldrums? More importantly, are YOUR CLASSES suffering as a result of your doldrums? Wouldn’t you like to fall in love with teaching again?

I’ve compiled a quick list of ways you can kick start your inspiration and get back on top of the world again. While this list has specific inspirations for indoor cycling and Spinning instructors, the advice can certainly be adapted for any type of fitness instructor or personal trainer. But don’t worry, I’ve already started a list for group fitness instructors, which will be posted in a day or two.

Saturday morning, I taught one of the best Step classes I’ve taught in a long time. Maybe it was because I was still on a high from the Sanctuary Ride the night before. Or maybe it was because I slept really well. Or maybe it was something better than that….
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If you are an Indoor Cycling instructor and aren’t familiar with Chris Carmichael, please leave this blog immediately and go to Bicycling.com to start a subscription to the magazine outdoor riders read. Chris Carmichael is Lance Armstrong’s coach and he is an incredible resource not only for road racers, but for indoor cyclists as well. His training article in Bicycling Magazine this month is incredibly eye-opening and reveals quite a bit about the weaknesses of many indoor cycling classes. There are two big takeaways from his article: 1) develop your spinning profiles and teach your classes with a training purpose and 2) know your students. Adopting these two simple teaching habits will take your class to the top among gym rats and outdoor riders alike!

Here is his article: Q: Will an indoor-cycling class at my local gym help me in the winter?

AFAA APEX is coming up! Dates are February 12, 13, 14 2010. Here are the cities:

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

Just a quick post to share some blog posts I’ve found that provide some excellent information about the Primary Group Certification. They add details I have missed, and also share insights that I couldn’t have had. There are differences to be noted for location, who is the presenter, and more, so if you are looking for more information on getting the best out of the Primary Certification Workshop, or to hear how others have felt through the experience check out these posts:

• 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.