In the fitness industry by far the most complicated position is that of group fitness instructor. Having to be "on" every second you are in your environment year in year out can be exhausting not to mention the lack of pay, respect, recognition, politics, average/poor learning material & incentives that run rife in this sector. We have taught 1000's of classes at many different locations with the same types of issues eventually arising 99% of the time - this is the landscape we have to learned to survive & thrive in and have developed strategies to combat.
A major strategy is to become the best instructor you can be... sounds like a cheesy line but hear me out - if you consistently teach to a high standard, look the part, say & know the right things, own your material & back it all up with a smart internet presence you will by default become a serious player wherever you go. Sounds simple & pretty straight forward right? Well why aren't many doing it? Judging by the learning material available it seems to be dominated by 1 or 2 companies that are running a licensing business and it is important for us as instructors to understand the intention of such businesses (and this is not necessarily a bad thing in many cases) is to maintain a revenue stream based around constantly purchasing their material. Now the line gets blurry when the question is asked if they want the instructor to evolve - which in every case means dropping off their system = they don't get paid.
This is the thought process behind our mentoring program. We have to remember that we are sub-contractors & business people - too often GF instructors are the nice guys of the gym, the upbeat happy go lucky types that tend to get caught up in pointless politics which only stagnate our careers - this is the landscape.
Please not that we are not "Peter Panners". We pay rent, buy food, have debts, have no University quals to fall back on, have to stay in most weekends because we have to teach mornings - we teach classes everyday of the week. Our abilities we born out of a love for what we do massive successes and epic failures. We are no strangers to the school of hard knocks so you can rest assured we offer real world perspectives on this subject.
Our goal is to take group fitness instructors skills to the next level & teach how to create material that serves your personal brand of instruction and open your eyes to different opportunities available to everyone now in the digital age. The following list of class styles is in order for easiest - hardest in terms of execution.
- Circuit, cardio boxing, bootcamp, martial arts, pilates, yoga classes not to music
- Pre choreographed classes to music
- Free style* to music (*style = type of class including barbell, step, shadowboxing etc)
- Personalized programs* to music (*program = progressive structure designed for longevity)
The 4th level of this list should be the goal of all career instructors which is what we are all about promoting. Being the best you can be in this context means mastery of all facets of GF which is what our mentoring program sets out to accomplish.
Besides becoming a better instructor have you considered any of the following:
- Starting your own classes? (this includes materials required to start - stereos, mics, etc)
- Program design & creation?
- Music & Video editing/production?
- Photoshoots & post editing with photoshop?
- Creating & maintaining a professional website?
- Creating a database?
- Technical Mastery?
In order to navigate the optimal path in this business you need someone to keep you pointed in the right direction and thats where we come in. Our workshops are consist of 2 X 5 Hour days usually spaced over 2 weekends and are progressive depending on the participants knowledge/skill level. Minimum 2 people maximum 6, costs $150 per day - second day is optional. Here's how our workshops work step by step:
- Learn specific choreographed style (Shadowbox, Barbell, Rebound, etc)
- Execute in front of peers & camera
- Free style* to personally selected & edited music (*style = type of class including barbell, step, shadowboxing etc)
- Repeat 1 - 3 until completely confident in front of camera (this process can take months even years)
- Business & required mindset training
- Individual class & program design, development & production.
Here is something to think about we found useful in defining what separates us from the crowd. Please think about these 5 steps and how they relate to your classes & persona, if you can define each of these points you will be ahead of most instructors out there on the market.
5 Steps to creating a unique identity
- Understand the true power of identity & how you are influced by peers + environments
- Identify and articulate your strengths & advantages honestly
- Practice communication, then practice some more
- Practice what you preach - live what you are selling, believe in what you do
- Know yourself
Interested? Email your questions & inquiries to info@ricogroupfitness.com for more details on how we can help take your career to where you want it to be.
