This morning my alarm went off before 4:30 a.m. Intense!
I worked the early shift today which meant I arrived at the gym before 5 a.m. I thought the morning might drag since I’ve never had a job that began at 5 a.m., but fortunately the energy and hustle and bustle of the gym made time fly by.
Before leaving for the day, I met up with one of the group exercise instructors to take her water fitness class and pick her brain a bit since I will be teaching the class myself very soon. The class is quite popular at our gym which is a great thing, but also intimidating.
Knowing that many of the fitness instructors have a loyal fan base at our gym is a little unnerving since I don’t want to come in as the new instructor and be a disappointment. I’ve talked to a lot of the instructors at our gym about being the new kid on the block and they have all been so encouraging and said they remember feeling the same way at some point. They’ve been honest with me and told me that I will likely be compared to previous instructors for a while until the members get to know me and my teaching style.
I’m looking forward to the challenge and developing my skills. I’m hoping to learn some valuable takeaways during my AFAA group exercise certification workshop and will continue to take water fitness classes at the gym and learn from current instructors. I also want to be sure to select some good music!
Lunch
When I arrived home from the gym, I dug into a late lunch. I packed breakfast and cinnamon peanut butter popcorn to eat as a mid-morning snack while I was at work but didn’t bring food for lunch and was pretty darn hungry by the time I got home.
I fixed myself a plate of tuna salad served with a sliced pear and peanut butter.
I made the tuna salad with carrot, celery, cucumber, scallions, mustard, light mayo and sweet relish.
Hunger = Satisfied!
Question of the Afternoon
- What do you look for in a good fitness instructor?
I’ve always loved fitness instructors that select motivating, upbeat music and really push me to work harder than I would on my own.
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
That class looks so cool! Do not worry – it is clear from you great personality that you have what it takes to be an outstanding fitness instructor 🙂 I think I just look for someone that motivates me and brings energy to the room…but not too much haha
I like instructors who have great energy and play upbeat music! Although you would assume fitness instructors have some sort of rhythm and can keep the movements to the beat, I’ve had a few before that got off track at numerous points which ended up being distracting and a little annoying.
Good luck with your first class! Something I’ve always thought would be fun so I can’t wait to hear all about it!
4:30am makes for a long day! Phew! I look for someone who is approachable and friendly with high energy! They seem to have the most fun in class 🙂
4:30 AM is very early! Luckily, that means you get off earlier.
When I take a class, it is important that the instructor knows what he or she is doing, can explain the moves, has upbeat music, and is motivated!
I look for an instructor who works me hard but is always very approachable and not intimidating.
I always like a fitness instructor (especially when they’re new and depending on the size of the class) to personally introduce themselves to everyone individually as they come in. Whenever I’ve been new to a class, most instructors will do that and it makes you feel more comfortable with each other and with the class in general I think.
And like you said, upbeat good music is a must 🙂
I agree!!
I’m SUPER picky about my fitness instructors and I think a couple things make a huge difference — seriously challenging participants while also offering modifications, having a plan you’re familiar with and won’t need to stop to review, and not repeating workouts over and over again! But you’re so planned, organized, and friendly I think you’ll be great!
Your lunch looks so delicious!
I look for a charismatic who is always friendly and upbeat. Sometimes getting to the gym is a struggle, so I really love it when someone is able to pump me up!
I like instructors who have good music and who are energetic but not TOO over the top. My favorite instructor always pushes us and is really outgoing, but you can tell she’s being herself and not this weird peppy version of herself. You’re going to be great at it. Good luck!
That tuna looks great! I like energetic instructors that are encouraging but really push me to be the best that I can be!
From what I know about your personality through blog land I feel like you’d be a great instructor. They should be nice and fun to chat with but still able to challenge the whole class and not ignore anyone. You seem aware and eager to make a fun and engaging environment.
I like instructors who are encouraging – willing to work with me where I am, but also push me a bit when I need it.
I look for upbeat instructors, who arrive early and will stay after the class. I also like ones who stick to the time schedule. if it starts at 8, start at 8. If it’s supposed to be over at 9, end at 9. I’ve been to too many classes where I have to leave so I can get ready for whatever is next and the class is going over the time!
I love when fitness instructors find a good balance between challenging you to push yourself and still allowing you to work at your own pace and fitness/flexibility level. It’s really motivating to feel like an instructor understands where your capabilities are but still encourages and believes in you to improve! I am currently being trained as a barre bootcamp instructor, and it’s really nerve-racking to think of teaching big classes, but I look to my current instructor as my main source of inspiration!
I’m a fitness instructor myself — It’s ALWAYS nerve wracking joining a new gym, bu tnot to worry — you will get the hang of it! I think it’s important to have a positive attitude, always provide modifications, and make every workout different. Good luck!
The thing about being an instructor is to just be yourself! Don’t try to be like someone else. Bring your own style and go with it. Interact with members. The worst instructors get up there and do the workout for themselves. Don’t be afraid to get close to them, correct form and get in their bubble.
Riff a little, share your knowledge a little bit. But not to much. Keep all your cues straight forward and to the point. They aren’t going to understand or care about all the terminology you learned.
Most of all.. HAVE fun!!
I like fitness instructors that have great music, are encouraging and energetic throughout the class, and that call the next moves with enough time to switch to them while keeping the rhythm (if that makes sense)! I’ve been to too many classes lately where they call the next sequence right when it’s supposed to be happening and I get so thrown off
What has kept a core group of us going back to our boot camp instructor for three years now, in my opinion, is knowing he cares about us. That we’re not just a customer at the gym. He asks how my week was and how my kids did on their state tests (I’m a teacher). He knows stuff about all of us. Going to work out with him is like having a friend up there. :). It’s fun to work hard for someone like that. And when he yells and pushes you, you know he really does care!!
I always love it when instructors quote some kind of fitness saying, especially when we’re all in the middle of a really intense part of the workout. This is especially true in body pump for me! “Summer is coming whether or not you’re ready for it!”-great for living in WA state and wanting to get bikini ready! “Crazy is a word used to describe the dedicated.” ect. Sometimes I’ll even use quotes to get through the tail end of a challenging run. Positive self talk is so important. I’m sure people will love coming to your class Julie- your blog is so positive, inspiring, and hilarious!
I recently had a spin instructor who emphasized individual goals but also working as a team. ie “we’re beating the other team up this hill, keep going!” I’d never had an instructor refer to the class as a team and it made me feel a sense of responsibility to everyone to work my hardest.
I’m gonna go ahead & put another vote in there for upbeat music. I once went to an interval training class & the guy was playing trance type music(?)! I just couldn’t get into it.
Also, I love when an instructor is super approachable in case I have questions after the class
You’ll be great! I like different instructors for different reasons. All of my spinning instructors take a different tact, and I really like it. There’s only one that I have hated, as he was too busy showing off to his friends and ignoring the rest of the class (plus his workouts were boring and samey).
Personally, I love the fitness instructors who are as out of breathe and sweaty as the rest of us but keep encouraging us to keep going! I love funny instructors, too, who throw in little bits of information within the workout to make me giggle and ease the tention IF possible. lol
This has nothing to do with the fitness instructor question… but I love that you add so many things to your tuna salad! Normally I just do mayo/mustard/relish, but this makes me realize I can add so many more things!! BRILLIANT! 🙂
I like instructors that bring energy and enthusiasm to the room, and from all I’ve read on your site, I think you’re going to be great at that. It’s also important to me that an instructor is familiar with the routine so I don’t feel like they’re taking the class because nobody else wanted to. For me, a teacher that is good at explaining form or the moves (especially for something like BodyPump, which I really hope is in your teaching future!) quickly becomes a favourite; I know there are many that will attend a class very frequently, but for those new, learning or wanting to improve, it’s a really valuable check and is often overlooked by teachers that cater to their regulars.
Hi Julie – I’m a fairly new follower and have never commented before – but had to give you a shout about that yummy popcorn in the previous post!! Can’t wait to try it!
Best wishes with your new classes – I’m sure you’ll be great!! ( :
Yum that tuna salad looks great!
I think once you start all these worries you had will disappear once you’ve had your first class. I love instructors who are motivating and push you but also know when not to push you. It’s great when instructors ask at the start of the class if people have injuries so they know not to push them on certain exercises or include modified exercises. Variety of music and moves in the class to me is essential as well. Good luck I’m sure as I said you will be great 🙂
That is an early start, yeeesh! 5 a.m. stuff can be so so early… ;)I teach a BP in that hour, and it can be quite rough some weeks. hah!
You’ll be fine as an instructor, Julie! No worries. You are organized, fun, and upbeat, and you care about people. That’s what people want!! Also, this was huge in helping me get to be a better fitness instructor: FIND the favorite instructors & take their classes over & over & over again. Learn their cues. Talk to them & pick their brains apart. You’ll become ‘your own’ after awhile, but so so important is to fake it til you make it. Make sure you come off as confident, even if you don’t feel it. Gym people immediately get turned off if they feel the instructor is insecure. And even if you are, FAKE it. 🙂
And of course, music is huge. Learning people’s names is huge. And pushing people outside their comfort zones is huge (while still giving options & being calmer for those who want it). You’ve totally got thissssss!!! Email ever if you have any questions! xo
I love when an instructor is friendly and approachable. If I need help with something, I’m going to feel better if the instructor is approachable. That helps to ease a lot of tension for me!
As someone else mentioned, love instructors who cue you ahead of time for the upcoming move. Bonus points if you face the audience and mirror the moves while using the terms left and right from the audience’s perspective, not your own (tricky but I had Jazzercise instructors who were awesome at this).
I love instructors that do the workout with you; a bit hard with water fitness but I find an instructor that is sweating along with the class say in the likes of spin a real motivation! 🙂 Looks like your settling in the new role nicely! Do you mind your workout schedule changing around a bit?
I like good music as well, but also someone who is nice and enjoyable to be around. I quit taking a class once because the teacher talked too much about herself and made me feel worse about my abilities than I already did! 🙁
Even though I’ve been going to the gym almost every day for the past 8 years, I’ve never actually taken a class (& yes my gym does offer Body Pump). The one big reason why I avoid them is the instructors. Every time I’m around when there’s a class going on and I hear the instructor screaming over the crazy loud music I just cringe. I couldn’t handle most of the music they play let alone having someone screaming at me. My advice to you would be to not pick songs that the radio overplays for one, and don’t crank it so loud that its viberating the speakers and you have to scream over it. It’s one thing to get your class excited and motivated, and another to come off as annoying. Good luck!
I echo lots of the sentiments already about group fitness instructors (personal introduction, etc), but something that irks me is timeliness. If a teacher habitually starts late or runs late then I don’t attend their class, as I often plan a specific time window for workouts. Also, demonstrating and correcting form, I used to feel too awkward to speak up and ask and just adapted certain moves based on how they looked- and I wasn’t always doing them right!
Oh boy, I know the 430am hour very well-that is frequently the time that I am already at work in the lab. The joys of grad school! Luckily, you get used to it!
I have to go with the fabulous music and upbeat personality!The instructors that have those qualities always end up my favorite classes.
I have always loved instructors who change up the order of the moves or even the moves that are done. It helps with making the workout fly by. So does an upbeat and excited instructor to give me some excitement and enthusiasm as well. Good luck! 🙂
i haven’t attended a ton of group exercise classes at my gym, but i love the instructors who are upbeat, friendly, and, most of all, welcoming to first-timers! i’m sure you will make a FANTASTIC instructor! =)
I like upbeat but not pushy, I find that rather annoying. More motivation and less demanding is always best!
I would like to see instructors that can recognize new students and kind of help them out without putting them in blast in the class. When I went to my first BodyPump class, I wished the instructor was a little more helping. I was able to keep up, only because I was watching everyone else. The second time I went with another instructor made the biggest difference and actually made me want to go back.
Hi Julie,
Have you ever tried Zumba? for some reason I can picture you as a hard core Zumba instructor =)
Music makes all the difference!!
A balance between encouragement and motivation. “Remember why you are here!!” Is one of my favorite lines from an instructor haha I also like when an instructor will circulate through the room giving personalized feedback / tips / encouragement. Individual comments no matter how small have a greater impact for me than the general group comments. That is much easier to do in spin class, yoga etc. I can imagine anything in the water would make that challenging!!
I love an instructor who balances that fine line between pushing me and encouraging me!
I’m sure you would never do this, but I can’t stand when instructors are more like “STOP CHEATING! WORK HARDER!” … are you kidding? That’s not motivation! I actually recently had one like that!
I love when instructors are actually encouraging and working hard *with* you. 🙂
I like when an instructor asks if anyone in the class is there for the first time. I think it allows people to introduce themselves as new, and also shows that the instructor is aware of the class week to week and probably noticed some new faces. Similarily when the class is all familiar with the structure, I like it when the instrutor bumps up the intensity, trusting that everyone is ok with the basics and adding a new challenge. Congrats on your new job!
I like when an instructor is firm in direction-but it usually annoys me if they are over doing it and yelling in an angry tone. I totally get that they’re trying to motivate the students, but I feel there is a very fine line between yelling at the class and instructing firmly in a loud, encouraging voice.
I think it’s really important that instructors treat everyone in the class the same. I’ve seen some that only pay attention and focus on the people who are regulars or who are more fit than others. Then there are also those who seem to single out the overweight, out of shape and/or new people. I like the idea of helping in a discreet way – like telling everyone just to hold up their hand or something if they need any help rather than running over to them and making them feel embarrassed.
Also, as a high school teacher, the best bit of advice I can give you is to go in there with an air of confidence and let everyone know (without saying it, of course) that you know what you’re doing! Good Luck! I know teaching anything for the first time is nerve wrecking.
I’m sure you are great! I love fitness instructors that are fun, upbeat and motivating!
Your tuna salad always looks so yummy! 🙂
Water aerobics sounds so different! I always think of a bunch of old women in a pool but I’m sure it’s different 😉