Confessions of a Group Fitness Instructor
1. You know that merengue we did? I choreographed it in the car, forgot what I was going to do and made it up on the spot.
On the same note, do not be afraid if I come up and want to booty pop and shake with you.
2. If youโre talking during class, thatโs my hint that itโs too easy. I โll make it my mission to change your words into huffing and puffing ๐
3. I like when people dance in the front row with me.
4. I donโt like when people wear flip flops to class. Any class. Please wear sneakers. Best shoe fail moment: sparkly wedge shoes. No joke. I asked her if she would mind switching to sneakers or do class barefoot instead.
5. Iโve used the same combo and music for my beginning aerobics class foreverโฆ and Iโll probably never change it. (For the record, itโs Motown music and we do: grapevine, V-step, hustle, rocking horse, walk up for 8 counts -with arms going up for 2, down for 2, up 1, up 1, 2 claps for the 8 counts- walk in a circle, โscoopโ to the right and left, mambo cha-cha combo and stomp combo)
6. When I canโt decide what I want to do next, it will usually be burpees into push-ups into planks <โ combo of destruction
7. The song Iโm playing has a โbad wordโ in it. This is when I start cueing to distract, or take it into some plyometrics. Jumping lunges! LETโS GOOOOOO!!
8. We eat vegetables, protein and fruit in the locker room before teachingโฆ we also eat cookies and frosting. Some of my favorite classes happen to be the sugar-buzzed ones.
9. Yelling and smiling are always encouraged ๐
10. There are days when I donโt feel like teaching. Either I ate too much for lunch, am tired, miss my baby, my to-do list is running through my mind, Iโm sick of my warm-up song or just donโt have my mojo. You give it back to me. Instructors feed off of participantsโ energy, and every day Iโm thankful that I get to do what I love. Teaching fitness is kind of like pizza: even the bad days are really good.
Confessions of a personal trainer
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Love this post Gina!!!! As a group fitness instructor I can more than relate to everything on this list!!! The only one Iโve never seen is flip flops!!! I canโt believe you had a participant in sparkly wedge shoes!!! Craziness!
I do most of those things too 8)
The funny thing is, even though we try to distract people with our yelling during bad words, unless itโs really obvious I donโt think they notice anyway!
I never notice bad words during workouts. Guess that means itโs a great class ๐
Love this!!! And flip flops?! People are ridiculous!
Ahhhh I love this post Gina!! Iโm an instructor too and I can totally agree with some of these confessions โ especially the distracting cues/ long โLetโs GOOOOOOโ to cover up the bad words! ๐ In fact, thatโs exactly whatโs going to be happening during one of the songs in my spin class tomorrow morning!
Hahaha. This is great. In Jazzercise yesterday the instructorโs mic was broken. In one of the songs she actually said, uh oh now I canโt talk over the dirty words. It was great.
Haha this made me laugh! So true! Totally relate to choreography in the car! ๐ I canโt believe someone wore sparkly high flip flops!!! Unreal!
I was literally just looking at continuing ed credits and felt my eyes crossing. What have you done to stay current in your certifications?
i do a lot of the online and mail-in credits- itโs super easy
That pizza looks soooo yummy!
Fun! Thanks for sharing ๐
I absolutely love this post! I donโt attend very many classes outside of spin but I still thoroughly enjoyed this post.
No way did someone wear flip flops and/or wedge shoes to a cardio class?!?! lol.
oh this list is too fun!
This post is so greatโlove the pizza analogy. I am fairly new to instructing but am addicted! I teach 6 classes a week right now.
Love this post!!! I teach boot camp & Zumba classes so I know what you are talking about!
Iโve had & done most of those. Especially yelling over bad words. I always hope they donโt notice. Then my sister will come to class & laugh cause she knows what Iโm doing.
As a fellow group fitness instructorโฆ.I can totally relate and agree!
People that talk in class, donโt come properly dressed with workout shoes or sneakers of some sort onโฆbaffling!
LOVE this! ๐
Iโm so with you on all of the above. I teach at 5:30 am so Iโm usually โ not always- making it up as I go along. At that hour if people are standing around conversing they will do bur pee jumping jacks combos forever !! And I do the same warm up everyday. Deal with it lol.
that pizza seriously looks delicious. now iโm craving pizza ๐
So funny. Nice to see it from the other side as I am going to a class at 8:30 tomorrow. Really though, sparkly wedges, who does that? How did you not just laugh?
working at a health resort, i see some amazing โcostumesโ
one lady did zumba in a golf outfit, visor and sunglasses. it was awesome
Was she drunk after a day playing the holes? Maybe lost a dare ? Lol
This was such a cute post, it made me smile. My mom has been a fitness instructor for over 20 years and a lot of the things you said hit home. Especially using the same warm up routine for the beginning of your aerobics class. Haha
As a fellow group fitness instructor, I LOVE this post!! People talking drives me crazy & I instantly make them regret that ๐ and Iโm totally with you on the burpees! ha
YESSS!!! These are so true! I am so guilty of putting together my Jazzercise classes in the car on my way to teach or even just picking my songs as I go along (GULP!)!!! ๐
This is so funny ๐ Love these posts!
Haha, I love this! ๐ Iโm a college teacher, and sometimes Iโm just NOT feeling it. But if the students are interested in the subject, ask questions, etc., then itโs exactly like you said โ I feed off their energy!
HA! love this! As a fellow Zumba Instructor I totally feel you on this โ I choreograph so much in my head in my car that I totally get cocky and think when I execute the routine in the class, it comes out exactly how I pictured in my head.. WRONG! lol. I do not get that lucky all of the time. I also HATE when people talk in my classโฆ I find it rude, but I donโt have the guts to quiet them because at the same time I donโt want to be rude, ha. I also get SO SICK of hearing the same songs over and over, but I donโt always have enough time to come up with new ones.. ahhh life. What did you think of ZIN 39?
I love this post series! I wish I could take a class from you sometimeโฆbut alas, I live in CA. Also, I still need to take Zumba. My Mom and my Sister recently started and love it!
I loved this! I canโt believe someone showed up to your class in wedges. Craziness.
When hiking in Cinque Terre, Italy there was a sign at the trailhead indicating no high heels. I thought it was hilarious and took a photo. Now I realize some people really need to be advised about proper footwear. Yikes!
Super great post! I wonder what my Zumba teachers (who are my cousin and friend) are even thinking and I know them!
Have you ever thought about doing a more โout in middle of nowhereโ type shopping list for people who have limited access to the good stuff? I know you lived somewhere that wasnโt super modern before so maybe it would help some peopleโฆlike myself. ๐ Just an idea! ๐ No gluten-free places here yet. lol We still get eyerolls and โwhat is gluten?โ
Haha, I love it when you have a talkative class and they wont to โwoohooโ and โyeah yeahโ with you.
Iโm not a group fitness instructor, but I was a dance teacher for three years and Iโm definitely guilty of making up choreography on the spot. I used to teach mostly young kids, but I had a few classes of older students aged 14-17 where I would play slightly โriskierโ music. I would just make sure I was yelling over the swearing ๐
Haha- I love it! I agree in particular with #10. Clients give me so much energy and excitement. ๐
I think that even the other participants will feed off each others energy. I know sometimes when Iโm not feeling a workout if someone Iโm near or with is pumped I get into it and enjoy myself.
Really enjoyed this post missy! I just posted about my first class teaching experience yesterday. Nerve wracking doesnโt touch the sides!
Are those Asics your running shoes? I wear the exact same ones! I just got my new ones (GT-2170s) in from Zappos yesterday. I paid for the free shipping, and they were delivered less than 24 hours later. Love it! ๐
2, 7 & 10 are SO true! i teach spin and have been known to get veryyyy vocal all of a sudden when i realize the song iโm playing has one too many curse wordsโฆ
Love, love, love this post. As a fellow fitness instructor I just found myself nodding along to each and every point you made. Almost reminds me of the post I did on fitness instructor pet peevesโฆ! http://fitnessandfeta.com/2011/12/02/fitness-instructor-pet-peeves-what-grinds-your-gears-in-class/
AMEN!
I teach group ex classes tons every weekโand I can say the exact same things! ๐ Esp the bad words-or โtoo sexyโ wordsโjust start yelling cues ๐
I wear Asics G-2160s, too. In fact, I have that exact pair!
Hi Gina! Great post! I was wondering if you could recommend sneakers specifically for Zumba class? I have been using my running sneakers, and theyโre starting to bother my feet. Thanks!!
I am a zumba/spin/power muscle/kickboxing instructor 38 weeks pregnant with my first baby and I have just loved reading your blog throughout my pregnancy. And yes, I can relate to all of these things- so true! Thanks for sharing your life!
Love this post, when you taught at Moody me and my friends would workout in the far back and then as time went on we started working our way up to the first. It really was more fun in the front then the back. Specially when we got the routine down and wanted to showoff a little ๐
You are adorable! Iโve been lurking for ages but thought Iโd finally speak up! I always love your take on things and youโre positive attitude is contagious! Thanks for all you do.
This was a great post! You are such an inspiration Gina! ๐
I have always wanted to be a fitness instructor and may have my one and only chance to get certified this fall.. Which would you recommend ?? Thereโs a few different ones and Iโd really value your opinion ๐
check out the link at the bottom of the post! itโs all about getting started
xoxo
My favorite Zumba instructor comes up with new routines every 8 weeks for each of her classes and I mean completely new routines. She will never repeat a song from a previous routine. I love that every 8 weeks we never know what weโre going to get! Keeps it fresh and keeps us on our toes.
I have a secret for you: theyre most likely from the DVDs Zumba sends us. It makes coming up with new stuff much easier, and def makes classes more fun!
As a fellow group fitness instructor, I can definitely relate to you on almost all of those โconfessions!โ especially the one that mentions that sometimes we just arenโt in the mood to teachโฆbut once that first participant walks in the door that slight hesitation or want to go back home is completely gone! ๐ I love group fitness!