I “met” Stacy through the comments section of this blog and quickly realized she had a ton of great advice and words of wisdom to share for first-time indoor cycling instructors, so I reached out to her to see if she might be willing to share some of her insight on the blog! Thankfully she said yes, so I hope you enjoy her advice and this awesome guest post from Stacy.
Guest Post: Tips for First Time Indoor Cycling Instructors
Hello! My name is Stacy and I’m honored to be doing a guest post blog for PBF! I used to have a blog a few years ago, where I documented my *40lb weight loss* by eating better/cleaner and working out with a personal trainer. Well, between 2 jobs and ‘life’ stuff, I gave up the blog but never gave up on healthy eating and fitness! With that said, I am a part time Certified Cycling Instructor, by day a bookkeeper/Office Manager (2 different worlds, I know!).
I have been in and out of gyms for a long time. Back in 1999, I started taking Spinning classes at my gym. I fell in love with the music, the instructors, sweating a lot, and not being bored in a fitness class! Fast forward to a few years ago, I thought hey, I can do that. I can get certified and teach! I felt some fear for a while, thinking, nah, nobody will hire me. Well, after a year of that fear, I finally ‘went for it’.
January 2012, I received my certification from Maddog Athletics.
I made sure to get my CPR/AED certification too before looking for a job. I did a ton of networking and ended up at 2 different locations. I was teaching twice a week, different locations, different students. Last week, I just completed another certification class; Schwinn Cycling. SO awesome!!!
I am very into the education part of cycling because a lot of instructors take these 9 hour courses and then think, okay I’m done. No. You are not. Study biomechanics of the body. Make sure you are not doing anything unsafe or ineffective. Just because they do hovers/isolation/tapbacks/lift weights on the bike at other gyms, doesn’t make it right. This particular subject can be another blog post at another time. As an instructor you have an obligation to do what is safe. Schwinns tag line is #rideright.
Ok, so why am I here on PBF? I have been reading Julie’s blog every day for a few years now. I was super excited to hear she is teaching cycling!
First, you need to be certified. You can learn a lot from a VERY good coach, yes indeed. But the certification classes are fantastic! PLUS, even when you go through the 9 hours of training, you need to constantly educate yourself. Once you start teaching and get more familiar/comfortable, things will come more easy. There are things that happen along the way and sometimes you ‘wing’ it, learn from it, and move on.
Fun examples:
-banging my knee on the stereo door, bleeding, in pain but teaching at the same time so the students are not affected.
-teaching with laryngitis (ps. USE a microphone all the time, if possible!)
-bloody nose (have no clue why but it happened)
-student comes in 10 min late AND she is a newbie. Learning to teach the students and set up newbie at same time
-no music! oops the stereo is not working
That is just a short list of the fun things that have happened in my 2+years of teaching. I’m sure more stuff will come up!
If any reader is new to teaching or thinking about it, please find below some helpful hints.
Also, I belong to the Indoor Cycling Association. I pay a small fee of $11.99/month for very valuable information.
I also found some blogs on Facebook. I not only made ‘Facebook friends’ with people from around the country/world, but learned A LOT of teaching methods from there. I would describe myself as very energetic, fun personality, interesting, different playlists all the time and caring. I have had very positive feedback from the students over the past years. We as coaches have to remember, it’s not your workout. It’s your job to coach, inspire, motivate and get them to have the best workout possible.
Now of course, we all have different energy levels, every time we go to the gym. That is why, never think of this as YOUR workout. GET off the bike as well. I like to throw in some recovery tunes (no more than 2.50 min) and connect with them, see how they are doing, ask them to check in with themselves, do they have enough in the ‘tank’ to finish. Cueing/motivational sayings can be very challenging and this, you learn over time. In my opinion, it’s almost impossible to learn this within a week or so. There is so much to it, learning from others and just getting into your own groove as a coach. BUT it’s fun to learn along the way! It’s so rewarding!!
Tips for First-Time Indoor Cycling Instructors
1. Bring a back up CD in case you have iPhone/iPod/Ipad issues.
2. Remember to introduce yourself, ask if you have any new riders in the class, go over proper bike setup and safety making sure all the rider pop-pins are tight. At the end of class thank the riders for attending your class.
3. Discuss with your riders that it is NOT about the number of miles they go. Remember, anything above 110 rpm is useless and dangerous!
4. Remember the 4 P’s to Spinning. Population, Purpose, Plan, Progression. Know your audience. Profile accordingly and think about the intent of your ride.
5. Keep an eye on your participants during class so it’s about them and not watching the stereo or your notes too much.
6. Pace your verbiage because even though it’s their ride, not yours, and you’re not going anaerobic, it is very different to talk and teach when first starting out. Remember you are not there for your work out. Yes, we sweat, but it’s good to connect to riders, let your personality shine and remember it’s their workout. They tend to push more when you get off the bike.
7. Don’t be afraid to jot down some notes of what to say during certain planned segments of your profile. There’s nothing wrong with an instructor having notes.
8. Try not to let lyrics of any chosen music over-ride what you are saying. Hence, it’s easier not to play that type of music so you’re not combating with it.
9. However, do play what you like initially because they will feel your energy.
10. Act confident. If you act it, you will feel it. They will sense that and respond to it providing positive energy back to you to go back to them! It creates a circling effect.
11. Don’t talk too much! Don’t feel obligated to fill every moment of silence.
12. Brining a spare water bottle for a rider who forgets is a good habit to get into.
13. You might feel like people are giving you the stink eye; don’t take it personally. Some people are very attached to their instructors and if you’re taking over a class, it might take some time for them to “warm up” to you.
14. Practice.
15. Relax. Be yourself. Smile. Bring your love for Spinning with you. If you have it, your participants will feel it.
If anybody has any comments/questions, please let me know!
***
Thank you so much for stopping by PBF, Stacy, and for taking the time to share such valuable information with us!
Questions of the Afternoon
- Group exercise instructors: What are some of your tips for new group exercise instructors?
- Group exercise class participants: What is one thing you look for in a quality group exercise instructor?
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Thanks for the post! I am not an instructor, but still found it interesting to read. I would love to read tips for a first time indoor cycling rider! I just recently started taking cycling and would love to hear any tips others may have to offer.
great idea for a post!! thanks for chiming in, heather!!
I just recently started teaching RPM (Les Mills’ version of indoor cycle), and these tips were SO helpful for me! I’m especially working on not talking too much. It’s in my nature and personality to talk a lot, so it’s been a little challenging for me. However, I know it’s important to not say as much, but make what I say important and meaningful. (I’m learning this in life too…ha!) Thanks so much for sharing, Stacy!
Ashley, how awesome. I don’t know much about RPM, altho I have friends that have that certification. I think you can’t choose your own music? In any event..I hear ya! I was teaching last night and sometimes I think I say too much but I don’t want to say too little. its just comes in practice! Glad this helped :)!
To some extent… Les Mills provides music and choreography for you. Over time, you build up your library and can pick and choose your favorite songs to create your workout for class. 🙂
Very useful post. Good advice for all group fitness instructors.
These are all great tips! I taught Jazzercise for two years and definitely miss teaching group fitness classes. Now that I’m just attending classes (not just Jazzercise) I’ve realized that I’m super picky when it comes to instructors! Two of my tips are: 1. Know your material. It’s one thing to glance at your notes (okay) and another to read them during class (not okay) 2. Cue to the person who’s struggling the most but without drawing attention to them. If they leave feeling unsuccessful or embarrassed, they won’t come back. Thanks for a great post 🙂
Thanks for this post! It was well written w a lot of valuable information. I am in the process of a career change and am working towards becoming a personal trainer. I was nervous bc I don’t want to work in a gym and “sell myself,” but I have met a few people who have given me advice. I feel like networking is also really big in terms of meeting people and being able to hear about new jobs first, so I am trying my hand at that even though I’m awfully awkward at it 🙂
Again, thanks for the information and glad to see you doing what you love!
Thanks for the post! I look for someone who is energetic but also really welcoming. For example, if is my first time in a spin class it’s nice to be asked if I know how to set up the bike if I have been there before. It makes me feel so at ease.
HI Lauren, I follow you on instagram! That is the first thing I ask when I don’t recognize somebody. have they taken spinning before, need help w/ bike set up etc. 🙂 and of course I check their form during the warm up.
Very cool – glad we are connected on Instagram! 🙂 That’s great – I’m sure your class is a lot of fun too.
I have been wanting to get certified to teach spin for years and I think this was just the nudge that I needed. I do have some questions though-why did you choose Maddog to get certified? And also, are you also a certified Personal Trainer?
And then a similar question for Julie-are you a certified spin instructor in addition to being a CPT? Thanks you guys!
HI Ali, I was working at New York Sports club at the time (I live near NYC) and they host a lot of the Maddog Trainings..so I just went with that. SInce then, I have met a lot of people that have taken the Schwinn training and decided (not needing 2 certs) to further my education, learn from other people etc. It was very worth my time and money. I am not a trainer although so many people have said I should be. I have no desire to be one but love working with one and getting that ‘push’………Thanks for reading!
LOVE spin, especially the “party on a bike” style of spinning classes. In Scottsdale they are popping up like crazy, the room’s walls are lined with LED lights, even on the ceiling, and the classes are in the dark. It’s awesome, super upbeat, and keeps you motivated to go because you have so much fun.
This info could not have come at a better time for me. Thank you both! 🙂
I’ve always thought that I’d be a good cycle instructor because I don’t like to talk a lot during class and well I just love spin. Thanks for the tips lady!
I’ve been teaching spin for 5 years now (!?) and have a couple more tips to add:
Smile (it really makes all the difference)
Be patient – sometime it takes a really long time to develop a following, just stick with it
Try to learn the names of those who attend your class – Both those who you know, and those who you don’t (yet) appreciate it
🙂
Jessica, you are so right. I know a lot of names and I have an email distribution list that I send out to some of my peeps. letting them know when I wont be in class or when I’m subbing for someone else or just saying ‘have a great weekend’..i agree w/ the smile!
As a student, I like that our instructors introduce themselves. Most also keep the light very low, which I love. A good flow of music is good too. I avoid the one instructor though, that has a “dance party” (glow lights, crazy arm moves, push ups and ball throwing DURING spinning)
Thank you for this post! I got certified to teach spin a couple weeks ago through mad dogg and I was actually kind of mad! I’ve moved around a lot and have seen a lot of different things done that apparently were harming my body more than helping it! That and I’ve asked every instructor to set up my bike and no matter what I’d have lower back pain and knee pain while riding. At least until I had it set up when I got certified. No pain! it was amazing! Thank you for the tips!
Also woah my picture showed up large haha weird
Hi! I take a lot of spin classes and do 2 long bike rides a week (2 – 2 1/2 hours, course and hills) on a spin bike. I constantly have lower back pain. I’m very curious to know what type of moves that you’ve seen that cause harm…I must be doing some of them.
As far as the back pain goes, the only move that hurts mine is drafting. There’s no real need to draft when you’re inside. There is when you’re outside obviously, but inside it just puts pressure on joints where there doesn’t need to be pressure. Sure there’s some benefit to it, but I think the risk when doing it on a spin bike outweighs the benefit. The thing that helped my back pain in spinning class the most was my bike set up. I had it set up by the person who certified me and it’s a lot higher than I’ve ever been, but for some reason it works. My back pain disappeared with spinning at least. There are still a lot of other exercises that aggravate my back, so I’ve been having to see a physical therapist for that.
I have a question! I do “rhythm ride” at my gym and we often to tabatas where we are encouraged to get way above 110rpm! I’m talking 150 -200rpm is encouraged. Only for 20 seconds at a time though, is this still that dangerous? I was really surprised when I read that you shouldn’t could go above 110!
thanks!
WOW problem is, most don’t know the correct way to do Tabata….150 rpm???????
horrible. where are they certified, if they are??? this is why you need to be certified by a REAL cycling/spin organization. not just ‘tips’ from someone that just does what they want. ugh. real work, power output is resistance. NOT w/ barely any on…I like to do a cadence check for 15 sec after warm up and usually 60-80 rpm is the way to go. the fastest they should go (warmup) is at most 110.
As a group fitness instructor, I’m very observational when I take a new class. Although I don’t teach cycling or spinning, I love it when an instructor makes eye contact, gives you a roadmap of what to expect, and is very clear with what you should be doing as far as resistance on your bike. I’ve written a lot about how to teach and grow group fitness classes.
Here are a few posts:
http://aladygoeswest.com/2014/10/09/top-10-ways-to-grow-your-group-fitness-classes/
http://aladygoeswest.com/2014/10/13/get-better-results-group-fitness/
http://aladygoeswest.com/2013/06/21/13-ways-to-run-a-good-group-fitness-class/
Great guest post Stacy! I have been teaching indoor cycling for about three years now and the two biggest things I have noticed is that the participants tend to be more motivated and work harder when you yourself work hard and stay on the bike. I know that when I take a spin class and the instructor spends half the time off the bike i don’t feel as motivated myself. Secondly, don’t small chat and talk about your life in the middle of a class because it takes everyone out of the “zone”. I have been to a few classes where the instructor just talks and talks which really makes me loose focus and not push as hard as I could!
This is so helpful!! I’m a personal trainer and have been thinking about becoming a spin instructor as well! I’m absolutley going to save this for future reference!
This was an awesome post! I’ve been an indoor cycling instructor at my campus gym for over 2 years now and follow a lot of the tips you provided. I think it’s very important for instructors to remember that it’s not their workout.
Stacy, love your post! I’ve recently returned to spinning more regularly and while it’s a love/hate activity for me because it’s always a challenge in the end it’s SO rewarding!
I’ve been thinking about getting spin shoes – any tips? I’m not sure where I can purchase locally and am nervous online ones won’t clip into spin bikes. Thanks!
Sounds scary– so many things to go wrong! I hope to teach at least one class someday!
Great post! I would also add that investing in your own mic pack and wind screen are really helpful. I never teach without mine. I’ve been teaching group ex for four years and work full time in fitness so my advice for anyone deciding to start out would be to have patience. Learning to teach group ex takes time to figure out what methods work best for you. It’s also something you have to be passionate about or you will get burned out quickly. Here are my tips for how to become a group exercise instructor and what you should know before starting a career in fitness.
http://littlegreenrunningshoes.com/how-to-become-a-group-exercise-instructor/
http://littlegreenrunningshoes.com/5-things-you-should-know-before-starting-a-fitness-career/
Teaching with no voice is the BEST. I lose my voice at LEAST once per year and the mic for me ALWAYS picks up my breathing so I teach without. II’ve been teaching for almost 2 years and the best is when the firealarms go off and you have to leave all sweaty and venture out into the snow….seriously it was HORRIBLE! Our joke for weeks was It’s getting HOT IN HERE so take off in the snow…set to the tune of Nelly’s it’s Hot in Here. I would suggest always using fun popular music, I know it’s kinda frowned up in SPINNING but no one wants to listen to techno and trans music at my gym.
I am an avid spin class participant and absolutely love these tips. I feel like it gives me a good behind-the-scenes look into what the class is like for an instructor. As a few people already said, when the instructor asks if anyone is new and offers to help set up the bike, that is KEY. Your first spin class can be so intimidating and that darn bike can be a pain to figure out. Popular music is also what gets me into the groove. If something is playing that I’ve never heard, I often loose my mojo. Also, I assume positions (1, 2 and 3) are universal to spin, but it’s really helpful to explain what good form should feel like. I remember being new and thinking, “what the heck is the different between 2 and 3?”
As another reader mentioned, would love tips for participants!
Hi Stacy! Thanks for the guest post. As a brand new cycle instructor I am wondering if you can expand on how you “practice”? Do you run through drills in the studio or at home alone or just start guest teaching parts of other instructors’ classes? I have a mentor who wants me to lead a few warm ups, but I would like to find a way to practice without actual paying participants first so I can start getting my timing/cueing in sync. I am so excited, but also very nervous. Advice?
Thanks,
Leah
Great post! I have been Madd Dogg certified for about 10 years now and my best piece of advice for newbies and amateurs is to make the ride your own! That’s the beauty of Spinning classes. You are able to go at your own level/pace. There is no competition. Nobody has to know that you didn’t add resistance or maybe you added more because you have the energy that day to take it to the next level. I feel television and movies give indoor cycling instructors a bad wrap at times. They make us out to be hardcore and super intimidating which makes the class seem impossible for some. It’s not like that AT ALL!!!
I have a more laid back teaching style and keep talking to a minimum. I feel I give enough instruction when necessary without talking the duration of the class. I am not bad mouthing those that chat a lot. That’s the reason there are many instructors at most gyms. Variety is key! Find your style and just be yourself. Someone is bound to like it! 😉
I’m not a fitness instructor, but still found this post super interesting and informative. Never knew it was useless/dangerous to go over 110 rpm! I find that I tend to be pretty “slow” doing like 80 rpm, even when the instructor is saying to do 100, so this gave me a bit of a confidence boost 😛
I first took a spin class a couple years back, and instantly fell in love. And I just recently tried RPM for the first time, and fell even more in love! My manager is trying to convince me to get certified in it, but we’ll see. I’m going to focus in on BP for now … don’t want to overwhelm myself or my body. Would love to take one of your classes someday!
Great post! If it is first time use the spin, must learn more relevant knowledge.
I love spin and I’m still new! I used to spin years ago at LA fitness and it was fun. I recently got back into it and have been going to a spin studio- wow, what a difference! Both were good workouts, but I much prefer the spin studio. Besides the teachers seemed a lot more educated at the studio, I never had to show up to class early just to get a bike. You reserve your bike before you go – it just makes things easier if you belong to a super crowded gym. I also like to pay as I go since I have a gym at my office
Having such type of incredible information for the people about in door cycling instructor, is very wonderful.
I have always wanted one of these! Thanks for writing about it! Thanks for the article! It was a lot of good info.
Thanks for this post!! I’m teaching my first class on Friday. I came by this post today when looking for tips. What exactly do you use for music/cues (in terms of app/device, etc).
I have my music on Spotify and my notes in a notebook….what do you recommend?
Hi
I am glad I found this lost. I need some motivation. I have been debating on getting certifiedin teaching spinning. I love it! I used to do it alot. But then I switched gym and my gym doesn’t for it much. I’m in good shape for a 46 year old. I would love to teach and get certified but I’m a little nervous because I’m not in perfect shape and I’m older. Can you guys give me some opinions? I’m stuck in a rut on what to fo??
Thank you do much!!:))
My last time I went to the gym was 7 years ago. Maybe this is the time I will work out again. Cheers!!
Thank you so much for your tips. I really enjoyed reading them. I’ve been spinning in classes for over two years and was certified by Schwinn as a spin instructor last year. I was recently hired by A big gym and really want a mentor. I’ve noticed that the spin instructors are not up to date on science, form and technique. It’s like they build their workout to music versus selecting music based on the created workout. They are also doing all kinds of cycling classes that I really don’t believe is safe for the body. First, how do I find a mentor that is up to date in spin science? Two, how would you start out as a new instructor when the current instructors are all over the place in experience and format?