After more than 6 years operating a 46-bike cycling studio in the suburbs of Boston, I have seen a ton of instructors come and go. We”™re not a big health club, we are a dedicated indoor cycling studio, so the survival of our business depends on our instructors abilities to fill up classes. Because we have no other source of income for the studio, our definition of a “good” instructor has to be quite pragmatic: If you fill up classes (and don”™t do anything unsafe or stupid), you are by definition “good”.
This may sound mercenary, but in fact the instructors that are able to fill classes are the ones who are adept at a) engaging their students and b) providing expert guidance towards a fitness objective. They use a wide range of tools including music, imagery, language and cuing and
all the best ones have a natural ability to vary their workouts. Variety is indeed the spice of life (and of indoor cycling classes)
At our studio, the great instructors are not all alike. In fact many have vastly different styles, and while there is no sure formula for creating an experience that keeps indoor cyclists returning, I have noticed one thing all our best instructors do intuitively: they believe in variety: Variety within a class and variety from class to class.
Everyone knows the benefits of exercise, so what is the one reason we hear again and again why people won”™t commit to regular workouts? “It”™s boring”. What is the single biggest complaint we here about an instructor that is not drawing in our studio? “They”™re boring”. A great instructor”™s class is not boring, and one of the primary reasons is because they know intuitively to commit to variety.
Easier said than done of course, but here are some examples of variety from the top-drawing instructors at our studio:
- Vary playlists. Never, ever, use the same playlist twice in the same month. Not only because your regulars will notice, but also because your own energy is not as sharp. If you want to use the profile again, find substitute songs.
- Vary counting and intervals. If you are doing intervals, vary the length or at the least vary the way in which you count them up or down. (i.e. instead of counting down from 20 every time, try counting “one, two, one, three, one, four, etc. etc.” It”™s a small thing but it keeps students mentally engaged.
- Vary genres of music. You may love techno or classic rock or pop….but I guarantee someone in your class does NOT. If you play only one genre, you are likely to annoy someone totally. Mixing genres is a great way to assure you find something powerful for virtually everyone and they will tolerate the stuff they”™re not crazy about.
- Vary positions: most drills can be done, and most heart rates can be achieved…in or out of the saddle. Technically there is really no reason to ever come out of the saddle --- other than the fact that the variety of moving in and out is appealing in an indoor cycling class. Students love it…..but they will get bored with too much work, in our out of the saddle.
Variety is simply more interesting, and more fun. It is an antidote to the worst enemies of working out: drudgery and boredom. What are some other examples of variety you use? I”™m hungry for ideas!
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Spot on! Pretty much rules I live by teaching to virtually the same group Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It makes alot of work for me to keep it fresh but they appreciate the variety in music, work and profiles.
I agree that variety is the key to keeping things fresh and challenging for both the students and the instructor. I do several things to mix things up in addition to the ones you listed.
1. I gently insist that people occasionally switch positions in the room. This gives them a different perspective and also allows me a different “view” of them – their form and performance. A gentle stir of the room also facilitates new social relationships.
2. I take detours off my planned progression of classes to celebrate birthdays (with music designed to appeal to the celebrant) and other silly events (like my “I hate winter” ride – work to winter/ice songs, recovery to summer songs). The insertion of my personality into the mix is guaranteed to keep people guessing. So long as I am still following my basic plan for the year my long-time students don’t mind a few digressions.
3. I teach dedicated “intro to cycling” rides but during one 60 minute time slot I welcome people new to both indoor and outdoor cycling as well as old hands. I multi-task and instruct a half hour intro ride layered onto a 60 minute program. The mixture of new learners really adds a spark to the class – the more experienced students turn into teachers themselves (with content monitored by me) and they seem to enjoy watching me dealing with my own personal “many balls in the air” challenge.
I am not sharing everything … yes we have to bring variety … in every direction, that is the best way to improve on a fitness level and keep interest.
Vary playlist … yes but when you can put one profile or playlist in your vintage list, your riders, yours clients would love to do it again (not everyday, everyweek of cause) unless it is a really HIT one and physiologicaly it would not be recomended.
Vary genre … yes … but that is a “arme a double tranchant” as we say in French … a weapon with double “direction” … we are there to train ! Doing a fun party ride sometime is ok but we do not to forget our main objectif.
For me genre of music match with genre of coaching and training specificity.
Vary position, for that sorry we ride and train on bike. We can have profile with different position but that have to be a goal in training. Keeping a “position” is not boring, the instructor would make it boring but not the “position”.
We’ve had huge success by inviting guest instructors to teach using video, a themed ride, or other forms of instruction not typically on the weekly schedule. Whether it’s a Master Instructor from Spinning, Tom, Gene, John, Amy, or even a member of ICI/PRO, why not invite a guest in your club. First comes a NEED…yes, we all need variety. Next create DESIRE by posting a sign-up sheet and adding names quickly (even invite other studios you compete with if the list doens’t fill up)so students want to be part of something special. NEED coupled with DESIRE creates MOMENTUM, which is what drives your program. Case in point: I’ll be teaching with Melissa Marotta in Vermont soon and can’t wait. Charles Ray from Chattanooga has a standing invitation to teach next time he’s passing through Georgia. Use resources and members here at ICI/PRO where you know the quality will be exceptional.
Love the additional ideas on variety! Suggesting new position in the room….great idea. Guest teachers, specialty classes, intro sessions, occasional video, love it. Has there been a good post lately on “language / cuing”? I’m always looking for some new words and phrases to vary the feel of the class.
Best new cues I ‘borrowed’ from Scott Schlesinger with MDA:
If you haven’t struggled at least once during this ride, congratulations…you’re average.
Why are we climbing? Because we can. So dig deep and climb the remainder of this hill for someone in your life that will never climb.
Yes! Let’s create a post for awesome cues…I just started it 🙂 Your turn….
Bill,
Congratulations on running a successful studio. Six years in a tough business is something to be proud of.
As Amy, John, Tom, and Gene can attest to, I always read these posts from the point of view of the new instructor and what they can learn.
I most especially am keying on your comment, …the great instructors are not all alike, and I agree. But indeed what you are actually saying is, they are all alike. They all have the same common trait which is (for whatever reason) people like them and they all vary, vary, vary.
Is that really the message your are trying to deliver and why you are successful?
Although your advice on variety is well heard and understood, it is your selection of instructors that has fueled success.
Let me be so bold as to suggest that what is really working for you, is that you have many different instructors that all deliver a pleasant and consistent ride/workout for those of your customers that have chosen their classes.
Let me further suggest that people who go to instructor A’s class may find instructor B’s class not to their taste, even though Instructor B has all of those qualities you mentioned. Everyone paying to use your service is there for their own reasons. They have their own metrics for rating the class and by extension the instructor.
What the new instructor needs to understand is simply, the public at large is unpredictable in predictable ways. The most predictable of which, is that you can’t make everyone happy all the time, regardless of who you are.
It has been written – in this forum – that although a class had a great ride profile and music, the instructor’s delivery was not considered acceptable and so the writer would not go back. Others have told me, if the profile and music is good they’re happy. That they don’t need an instructor to get a good workout. For me, it’s not so much about the ride profile. It’s all about the music and the instructor, so long as they keep it real.
The message to the newer instructor is not to deliver a chopped up experience in an effort to bring variety to your classes, but to bring YOUR energy to the class in a well thought out way. It is expected that you’ll be prepared, so what gives you energy is what you bring.
I think the best advice I was given as I started in this business was. “Chuck, the class gets their energy from you. You clearly get your energy from the music so, pick the music you like, for the ride you are doing, relate the to the class and let it go!” On this I’m with Pascal, genre of music has to go with coaching style.
If you bring that, the rest will happen. Learn something from every class you teach and try to get better. Moreover, forums like ICI/PRO provide an opportunity to learn from the best. They already have the experience.
Watch all the instructors at your club that have a good following. Watch and learn. They may not all have a style you can relate to but like Bill says, they’re filling the room consistently.
Great Idea Barbara,
Here is one I’ve stolen from somebody along the way. Just when the class is looking a bit red in the face and some are sneaking a peak at the clock. When I reach the second to last song before cool down I tell them… “this is the last song” big pause here, ” before the last song” They smile and know, only two songs left.
Chuck, consider that one stolen!! 🙂
Great points Chuck….and you’re right, ironically great instructors are “different” in that their energy, style and music are unique to them……but “the same” in that they commit to a unique style their own. Ah irony. These ideas also speak to a post I did recently on http://www.cyclingstudio.org “Are Great Instructors Born or Made??” I would argue there are “best practices” (like using variety) that can help an instructor hone their craft…..but that much of what makes them able to engage and fill classes is actually a skillset instructors either have or don’t have. Very tough to teach someone to have passion, style and energy (for indoor cycling) —- it it’s not in their nature. Thoughts?
Bill,
My thoughts at this very spontaneous moment: I like the way you think. It is no wonder you are successful. I would love to take some classes there as well as teach at your studio. I think I could learn a lot there. My thought is the instructors there feed off each other and keep getting better. I think your turn over is not that high for just that reason. It is the nature of the ICI. Like John likes to say, “It really is all about us and the affirmation we get from our class”
Thanks Bill.
And yes this is really me.
Chuck
HELP!! I have been teaching for just a year at a small workplace gym-2 classes a week. There is a core group of people that come to class but erratically. We only have 9 bikes. In the fall I had 7-8 students almost every week and now have that many occasionally but somtimes only 1 or 2. I do now compete with a boot camp class at the same time. I feel as though I am failing even though I try to do what was recommended above-Never use the same playlists even monthly-use all kinds of music ect. I ask for music suggestions and am told “we like your music” No one makes negative comments(even to the club manager) and I do hear positive comments but what good is that if the class is not attracting students? For the record this gym has historically lost students from every type of class after members initial enthusiasm. I wonder if my disappointment with poor attendance is coming through. I was so pumped in the fall to fill the class-what could have happened in so short a time? Any comments would be welcome Thanks!
Hi Lynn, boy it is tough to assess what might be the problem because there may be a variety of factors. That being said, my experience tells me people return to classes where they get a great workout, where the time goes fast, and where they are genuinely ‘engaged’ by the energy and style of the instructor. This site has tons of material on how to engage…..but at the end of the day it is up to you to find a genuine style that resonates with people and gets them to return. Hang in there, network with others, take the classes of great instructors, hone your craft! Good luck.
Hi Lynn, I definitely agree with Bill and here’s a similar scenario. As well as teaching, I sit in many of the other Cycling classes. I do this to observe other styles and to support the other instructors.
OK…to the point; We have a new instructor she really likes teaching but is very soft spoken. She’s also reserved in her display of energy, and engagement with the students. She also was getting positive feedback from her students, so she thought. If they were really excited about the class, they will spread the word and their friends will come too.
She asked me one time why the students didn’t seem to have any energy, I told her the truth: If you want students to have energy you must be energized!
I know when I teach, I engage with students before class starts. When I get on that bike I’m amped and I never fake it, I’m excited about what I’m going to deliver and give my students in return…They will get all I have to give!
I started classes with numbers similar, I fill classes regularly now. It could be that I show to the other classes as one of them, or that I’m always positive about my studuents and my routines…I do have a theme though: Extreme Spin-The Experience! PS I do I advertise it:=D
Best of Luck!
Harold
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