(Peek-a-boo Sadie!)
I must admit, I am quite nervous as I’ve never taught a class that relied solely on choreography before, but I hope that with enough practice, I will feel more secure. After talking to some PiYo teachers, it sounds like it gets easier with time and that your first class is the most nerve-racking. I hope that’s the case!
Breakfast
Ryan and I opted to skip our crack-of-dawn workouts in favor of sleeping in until 7 a.m. which was a great decision. I slept rather restlessly last night and was grateful for the extra two hours of sleep in the morning. Once I was up, I changed into workout clothes and made myself a quick breakfast of cottage cheese, fresh blueberries and oats to eat while I typed up my morning blog post.
![cottage cheese blueberries_thumb[6]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/cottage-cheese-blueberries_thumb6.jpg "cottage cheese blueberries_thumb[6]")
Plus a banana paired with a few spoonfuls of homemade sweet pecan butter that my sister and her husband made for me and Ryan for Christmas. It tastes like pecan pie!
Following breakfast, I headed out to take a late morning Pure Barre class that totally kicked my butt.
![Pure Barre Band_thumb[5]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Pure-Barre-Band_thumb5.png "Pure Barre Band_thumb[5]")
After more than a week away from pulsing movements that burn to the core, my body was shaking through the whole workout. It was intense! The fact that we used the tubing pictured above was just icing on the cake! It definitely kicks the intensity up a notch.
Lunch
Following my barre workout, I drove to Panera to work on the computer and grab lunch.
![Panera You Pick Two_thumb[5]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Panera-You-Pick-Two_thumb5.png "Panera You Pick Two_thumb[5]")
I selected the You-Pick-Two and opted for a BBQ chicken salad and a cup of the vegetable pesto soup with an apple on the side.
And now I’m back home ready to jump into PiYo choreography study time. Enjoy the rest of your Monday, my friends!
Question of the Afternoon
- Do you take any pre-choreographed workout classes? What are some of your favorites?
My personal favorites are BodyPump, Jazzercise and Pure Barre. Love ‘em!
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I’ve been taking PiYo and BodyPump for over 3 years now and love them both. The fact that they are so well-timed with music and have a core group of moves, makes it easier to follow and learn. Good luck with your first PiYo class! I can’t wait to get certified this coming year 😀
I have taken PiYo. My instructor would stop in between tracks and share the moves that we would be doing in the next track. I personally wasn’t a fan o fthat, but maybe that’s how you are taught to teach? I gave up after that, haha. Other than that, I really haven’t taken choreographed workouts! I’m sure you will be great.
I teach PiYo, and I typically go right through the tracks BUT if it’s a new release or a tricky move, I will stop and review some of the alignment and other cues before moving on. It’s really up to the instructors to tailor everything to the class — which I love! We get choreography notes/suggestions, as well as playlists, BUT we’re encouraged to do what we need to to make it safe and fun for our students. Sometimes that means holding poses longer, or skipping some more advanced moves. Other times, especially when I have regulars, that means cranking up the intensity with some plyo or binds.
Yay! Call me if you have any questions about the choreography or practice. You know I love me some PiYo!
<3 <3 <3
i love bodypump and flybarre charlotte – definitely choreographed but the teachers can pick what we are doing for each muscle group, so it’s always changing!
I’ve recently started PiYo and have become a big fan! I’m curious what songs you’re learning. I’ve come to hate Adele’s “Rumor Has It.” It burns soooo bad!
Yay, your first class is this week. That’s exciting! You will do great, I am sure 🙂
With learning so much choreo with all the Les Mills and Zumba classes I teach, it comes much easier, so it’s totally true that with time it’ll be faster to learn & such. Just fake it until you make it the first couple of classes & no one will be the wiser 🙂
Hi Julie! I can tell you it gets easier to learn choreography the longer you do it. I teach three Les Mills programs – BODYPUMP, CXWORX and my favorite, BODYATTACK, and after a while, I can learn a new release in a matter of hours. But I’ve been doing it for a long time! You’ll start to notice patterns and have an easier time seeing how things fall with the music. Best of luck!! I still haven’t tried PiYo yet and really want to.
Love seeing those tubes when I walk into my barre studio! For sure you know I LOVE my Pure Barre classes, but I also used to take Body Pump and loved that too. Zumba was always too hard for me since I seriously must have two left feet! I also really liked my Boxing for Fitness class.. though that wasn’t too much choreography…. 😉
Good luck teaching Friday! You will do fantastic!!
I would LOVE to be able to take a live PiYo class. The DVDs will have to do for now.
Random question – where did you get the piece of furniture (buffet?) under your TV in the first picture? I am looking for something exactly like that!
I don’t know if it’s sad or impressive that I instantly recognized your meal was Panera from that picture. Let’s go with impressive.
I really want to try a PiYo class! Also I’m DYING to see the rest of your house. It’s just so cute!
I have taken choreographed classes many times, and in fact, I took a Body Pump class for the first time ever in my life all because of you! (I needed more strength training!) Thanks for that. I might even check out Pure Barre because of you too (I need some serious core work to get my posture back up to snuff). Here’s an idea for a blog post to either keep or throw away: a workout for posture building. Upper/lower back, shoulders, neck, core, and opening up the chest/stretching out that hump!
I’ve taken yoga classes, and have LOVED step aerobics (yes, step aerobics – it’s a good workout! And fun!) I’ve also taken hip hop dance exercise classes and others that I’m sure I’m forgetting right now.
Full disclosure: I was in dance for 9 years as a child/teen for a major dance studio involved in competitions and whose members went on to be on “So You Think You Can Dance.” So it’s true, I’m used to choreographed classes. But that said, I really know that with the right instructor, it won’t be intimidating for your attendees, especially when it’s for exercise and for FUN. My old dance teacher used to rap the floor with a white cane for discipline, she was quite severe, so that said, if the instructor is friendly and open, the students will have a great time! The supportiveness of the instructor is the most important thing for a successful class, and you have that in spades! Attitude is even more important than perfection from the instructor. 🙂
Im sure youll do great! I took a PiYo class when I went to FitBloggin this year and it was a lot of fun. Id like to take a full one though since this was a condensed one with Insanity mixed in as well. Im glad things are getting back to normal around here too after the holidays. Off for more NASM studying!
I have been teaching PiYo for a few months now! The choreography definitely gets easier the more classes you teach! I tend to explain the moves a little more thoroughly when I have someone in the class that has never done PiYo before. I don’t take too long to explain though so that we can keep the class flowing. It seems to work well because people can grab a quick drink and watch my demonstration at the same time. It’s a really fun class to teach! Good luck 🙂
Sweet Pecan Butter sounds amazing!! Did they make it based off a recipe? I want some! haha
I agree with Erin… tell me more about this Pecan Butter!!! *drools*
Asking them now… Hope to share the recipe soon if they made it up! It is delicious!
that panera lunch looks so good- it’s been foreverrrr since I’ve been there!
I love cardio dance classes. They kick my bootay but it never feels like exercise (ie. I’m having fun the entire time!).
I’ve never taken a Pure Barre class, but I have taken BodyPump and BodyCombat before. I’m not a huge fan of choreographed classes honestly though. They seem too much like the instructor is just going through the motions.
Ooooo, Pecan Butter. Is this her own recipe? Or one she found? (Yummy)
I think they made it up! I’ll ask and try to share it soon! It is unreal! <3
I`ve been doing Barre 3 workouts online that I`ve really been enjoying.
I take Zumba every once in a while, but I usually like to stick to my independent workouts… Maybe I’m a little antisocial at the gym? That pecan butter looks and sounds amazing!
Pure Barre is pre-choreographed?!
yes! but instructors can format a class the way they want to by picking and choosing different exercises!
I got Panera and got something very similar 🙂 The pick 2 with the same soup. I opted for the chicken cobb salad though.
I have not tried PiYo yet. Barre is on my list to try soon! I usually do a lot of yoga classes. Good luck getting ready for your 1st class. I’m sure you’ll be great!
I haven’t tried PiYo. My gym doesn’t offer it. I don’t know if other around me do but I haven’t heard of any. I do take Zumba. I come out of that class drenched in sweat but it’s just cardio. I love that I get a workout by dancing. 🙂
While I have never actually taught a class centered around choreography, I have successfully given bizarre advice. I’m SURE you’ll do great teaching your first class, but when in doubt just stand up and shake it like a polaroid picture! (because laughter cures all!)
Also, I have furniture envy. The buffet table under the tv … details if you have them, please!
I’m not sure the brand but we got it at HomeGoods!
I’ve never taken a Piyo class, I usually do the DVD’s at home, but I like Bodypump. Although I do have to say I get a little bored with bodypump since I feel like it’s the same every class. Good luck teaching, I’m sure you will rock it!
I really want to try PiYo and Barre, I don’t belong to a gym right now, so I haven’t been to any classes in forever! I do a lot of dvds/videos online.
Did you feel the choreography for PiYo was relatively easy to pickup? I got certified in PiYo a few months back but haven’t practiced much because I haven’t applied for any teaching gigs. Definitely hoping to in 2015 though!
choreography is SO hard for me, but so far it hasn’t been THAT bad… we’ll see by the time Friday rolls around! 😉
I am looking for something like that too!!! Where did you get it?
Where are you teaching? I am not doing so good with dvds, so was thinking the classes would be better.
I tore my ACL and had reconstruction surgery and before I am cleared to get back to running (so far I am allowed to pool run), I want to do something that’s high impact for upper body and low impact for lower body just to get my endurance going again. You talk about Pure Barre so much…is that pretty low impact for lower body?
yes!!!!!! very low impact! i highly recommend it. there’s no jumping or plyometric movements at all.