It's true. People lie to you.
Now I'm not talking about lying to you in a malicious/manipulative way, I have this awesome bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you really cheap - or - she's a real peach, only driven to church and back by the gentlest 80 year old grandmother you've ever met.
What I'm talking about is how people will/do lie to you... if they think telling you the truth could or would hurt your feelings.
Friends can be the worst. And I count a lot of long time members at our club, as friends.
“The truth is always an insult or a joke, lies are generally tastier. We love them. The nature of lies is to please. Truth has no concern for anyones comfort" - Arturo Binewski.”
”• Katherine Dunn
Here's a recent example.
Two weeks ago I took over a class for another Instructor. 6:00 am Thursday mornings. The previous Instructor is very solid and she teaches a cycling specific class - I've taken and subbed it multiple times, so I was a good choice to take over her class. Everyone there knows me by name and most I've known for years.
The first week was Spring break = only about 1/2 the normal attendance. It was an endurance day and I thought; "why not run them though some Effortless Exercise intervals?" I lead everyone through a series of ladders where the challenge was to keep your mouth closed (staying aerobic) - while maximising power output. I had them experimenting with different cadences to observe where they each were most efficient.
After class I asked a few participants their thoughts (I try to always ask for questions/comments) and each was positive. But as it turned out, they were lying to me 🙁
This past week was an ugly snowstorm, so again a small class. Wanting to build on the theme we did a bunch of climbing, but stayed down around VT1 = aerobic. I needed to get on the road quickly that morning, so I didn't hang around very long.
Walking to to Amy's class Saturday morning, a member approached me with; "John, you've really got to step it up!" And she proceeded to tell me how such and such's class on Tuesday is really hard and how a number of other members were disappointed by how "easy" my class was.
Finally someone willing to tell me the truth!
I can do hard and these members know it. In fact I'll bet I disappointed most of them. Beyond their (misguided) belief that a hard class always equals a good class, my reputation is that John teaches hard classes. When I didn't meet their "expectations" for hard, they probably felt cheated at some level.
In Krista Leopold's Dear Instructor post, she shared the honest disappointment of Patrick, a frustrated member. He had an expectation that wasn't met that was based on his perspective; the scheduled Instructor is totally capable of coming come to class prepared. I found the very specific honesty refreshing and I'm hoping that this Instructor will appreciate Patrick. He could very well be the only participant in his class that believes enough in him, to tell him the truth.
As a think back through this, I'm realizing that my mistake was not considering that these members would have an expectation based on their previous experiences with me and my class. I had walked in thinking; "these folks need aerobic base training... so that's what I'm going to give them." When I should have thought; "these folks are probably thinking I'm going to walk in and crush them... so I need to meet that expectation first and then slowly work in the base training I feel they need." As I type this I'm also realizing that ME, deciding what THEY need, was about ME and not THEM 🙁
This week I'm planning a class that will bracket a long aerobic climb, with two very long/intense FTPish intervals. I'm also going to have everyone fill out this Instructor Evaluation Form that Dr. Haley Perlus had created for us for us a while back.
And then act accordingly.
Originally posted 2013-04-14 08:45:39.
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
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So true John! At one facility where I teach the members expect ONLY high intensity and are “measured” by participants by the level of intensity. “So and so” taught a “great” class…always means race day intervals. I appreciate your honesty–it is refreshing to have a master teacher share this experience!
Thanks Sylvia – It was very freeing to write this. Now I can move beyond any initial defensiveness and focus on meeting the needs and expectations of my participants.
One thing I want to qualify as I wasn’t very clear; “hard” in my classes = long (4-10+ minutes)intervals around threshold HR or maintaining an initial wattage # – I so love that “Stage” button:)
The way I look at *hardness*, John is that it’s always going to be *hard*. The folk who like my classes tend to appreciate that I ask for extended efforts. Yes, I do the HIIT…..or, more specifically the long recoveries (I reckon that’s what the hard bodies really like) The quasi-negative feedback from a few tends towards the comparison that *X* kicks our butts with sprints (sprints and sprints and even more sprints, apparently)
What I always offer up is the insight that, if I’m asking for too much….ignore my cues and back it off. Conversely, if it looks like I’m not asking for enough…..ignore my cues because you didn’t understand them!!
I’ve done my series of Race Days this past week and, despite my description of what a 30 minute Best Effort should be (a trad SPINNING Race Day)…..there were folk who perceived that they were hammering it from when they walked into the studio (I’d call that *best effort* and endurance ride) and those who kept sitting up and doing the stretching thing (not sure what I’d call that)
There’s nothng about any of my classes that’s “easy”……even if the relative intensity in the short term is low.
This is an interesting post and also very timely for me. Two weeks ago I was approached by a woman in my class that I’ve known through the gym for a long time and she told me that “a lot of us have been talking and we all think that your class is too slow”. She kept comparing me to “all” the other instructors; she asked me why I didn’t tell them what gear to use; she didn’t understand why I would ask them to ride at 66 RPM (for example) and gear up. She went on and on. At first I felt very defensive, as I felt it was a bullying tactic to say that most of them did not like my class. I called her out on it because my class is almost full every time. But I tried to ask as many questions as I could to figure out why she didn’t like my class (she couldn’t come up with very good answers). I think it comes down to personality. The members are used to a certain style and are quite stubborn when it comes to change. The other instructors teach at 110-120 RPM A LOT, do hovers, etc. I refuse to do those things. I teach by cadence, I will not suggest a gear, as everyone will be different I have educated them about how they should feel when working in zones 1-4.
I am confident that technically I am correct, but I did some (okay a lot of) reflection on what she said and have put more flats/sprints into my next profile (instead of a lot of climbing and edurance which I admit I tend to lean towards). So they want speed? I’ll give them speed, but I will also try to educate them on why going 120 is not a good choice, why going 60 with a lot of resistance can be just as difficult, and I will continue to bring my energy and passion to the class (which I don’t think I can be faulted for). I teach it tonight! Wish me luck.
Good luck Kelly – wish me as well. I’m back to the lion’s den Thursday AM and I’m sure word that one of them called me out will have spread.
Side note: Amy subbed for this mornings “Hard” class. She assured me that she worked them and they will be primed for me on Thursday.
I figure “my haters are my motivators”. With the right attitude, these people have unwittingly done us a favour! Just makes us get better and keeps us on our toes. Haha! Good luck! Be carefuly what you wish for…. they’re going to get the best class of their lives when you hit them on Thursday!
Yes, I did teach this group this morning. One of them actually asked me, “Do you have good music today???” I responded, “No, I have awful music today!” 🙂 Of course, as John stated, we know these members quite well…so we can say things like this, but what a question! Class went great, I did kick their butts (but in a controlled and disciplined way). This group is a bunch of talkers- very active and talkative for 6 am, so I find when I sub I need to keep them in upper zone 3 so they are basically unable to keep up conversation! I am not even awake at this hour!
I do think there gets to be a level of familiarity and comfort that most often serves us well and once in awhile is to our detriment. Expectations are set and when we initiate something new, it upsets the applecart so to speak.
John, you are right. Kick their butts as expected, but then get them training ‘in the zone’. They need it. Just don’t let them talk! It too easily gets to be a coffee ride then.
Good luck with this group. They are nice and appreciative, but not easy (and they will tell you this).
There are your regular, real one with whom you have mostly nothing to say, and the others … new to IDC or new to your class, those have most of the time a false knowledge about IDC and so on what to expect.
There are no easy or hard classes, there are training ride, profile that are working to reach certain goals; that is important. We have to explain, not too much … , the why and the how; some will understand right, some will understand later and some will never understand.
Doing our best explaining and staying connected to our group are the most important, if some don’t understand let it go unless you miss some explanation, they can destroy you passion before you realize it.
Pascal you are so right. I woke up this morning wondering; “will they like my music tomorrow?” I then caught myself, realizing that I almost never think that way. I don’t think you can have passion, while feeling anxiety.
John,
If anyone can make them ALL happy All the time, if is for sure true they left IDC and went into politics.
Good luck Thursday. 😉
What Pascal said….
No such thing as an easy or hard class. One of the insights I offer up quite routinely is that, in a class of *X* number of individuals, there’s a mix of genetic potential, training focus, needs, wants etc…..but one set of cues from my mouth. It’s the hand on the resitance knob, the feet in the pedals and the head in the game that determine how hard or easy the class might be.
And, BTW…….don’t be dismissive of the “hardness” of my class if you can just hop off the bike barely 30 seconds into “cooldown” No…..it doesn’t make you look like a Hard Body. No. It doesn’t. REALLY
There’s my bit
Vivienne