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In: Communication and Presentation Skills, Free Articles, General Coaching, Instructor Issues & growth, Programming and Management
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One of the best ways to grow as an instructor is to attend other instructors’ classes. You can assess what you like and what you don’t like, you can look for similarities with your style, and you can seek out coaching styles that you would like to adopt. And if you suspect you may have a bad habit, you can ask yourself poignant questions like, “Is that what I sound like when I yell ‘Go!’ all the time?” Here are 30 things to evaluate when you take another class.Read more…

Profile Design Tips

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In: Class Profiles, New Instructors
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Part 1 of our new instructor series focused on providing numerous coaching tips to ease you into your first couple of classes. This article will focus on profile creation tips, one of the biggest hurdles for new instructors. We provide you with the four rules of profile design and include dozens of ideas for profile objectives.Read more…

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In: Coaching and Cueing, New Instructors
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Some new instructors are more challenged than others with stage fright, especially if they do not come from a group fitness background. Most of these insecurities are easily quelled with practice, practice, practice. Allow yourself the time and space to make mistakes. Here are some tips for new instructors that will minimize your nervousness as you move beyond your certification. Read more…

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In: Communication and Presentation Skills, Free Articles, Instructor Issues & growth, New Instructors
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For so many years I’ve heard cycling instructors lament that “Students get bored if the class is cycling specific, so I need to [add silly move here] or they won’t come to class!” Well, I have news for you…maybe it’s not the moves or technique that are boring; maybe it’s you! Here are 13 ways you can be sure to keep students engaged while riding and committed to your classes without resorting to silly gimmicks on the bike. Read more…

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In: Instructor Issues & growth, New Instructors, Programming and Management
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This is the continuation of our hints and tips that will help keep your “January newbies” in the saddle for the months and years to come. Here we cover introduction to bike operation, safety, and riding technique, and give you inspiration to use with your new riders. We finish with tips to make sure they not only will be happy with their first-time experience with you but will be much more likely to come back. Read more…

shy instructor

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In: Communication and Presentation Skills, General Coaching, Instructor Issues & growth
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Are you the shy instructor? It is possible to feel confident and energetic when teaching your indoor cycling class even if you are an introvert. You don’t have to be an extrovert, a performer, to get up in front of a class. In part 1 of this series, you will learn to stop trying to calm your anxiety and to stop thinking of public performance as a “gift” you were not granted.
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In: Free Articles, Instructor Issues & growth, New Instructors
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New instructors are faced with a dilemma: you cue the music to begin teaching your first indoor cycling class and realize there is so much information to cover within the first few minutes of class. Will you remember it all? Will you explain everything correctly? Will someone remove the butterflies from your stomach? Welcome to part 1 of a 3-part series to master your class intro. Read more…

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In: Communication and Presentation Skills, New Instructors
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You’ve landed an audition for a great teaching gig, but they are only going to give you 3 minutes. What do you say? What do you do? When you have an audition this short, it’s important to optimize every second. Here is a sample 3-minute audition template (which you can extend to a longer audition), along with 8 other tips to help you land any teaching job you want!Read more…

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In: Free Articles, Instructor Issues & growth
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All instructors are entitled to deference and respect, but in the absence of a ‘superhero cape,’ unfortunately respect is not as common as it should be. Instructors, do you get the respect you should? If not, consider weaving your own “don’t-mess-with-me” cape, and perhaps you can also wield the seven special “superhero” powers that Christine’s gives her. Read more…

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In: Communication and Presentation Skills, Free Articles, Guest blogger, Instructor Issues & growth, New Instructors
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Guest contributor and ICA member Izabela Ruprik has been collecting indoor cycling certifications over the past few years (about to take her 7th cert)! She attended a class the other day and came away frustrated so she wrote about her experience. She wanted to share this very important message with all instructors from every program: Always share what the purpose of your workout is with your riders!Read more…