I still have the privilege of teaching spin and abs once in awhile in the month of January while the regular instructor is away. This morning I taught cycling and an abs class and to sum it up...I loved the classes today. Some days you are just in the groove and today was one of those days.
Not only did I work my own butt off in the classes (a.k.a. I was covered in sweat) but I had a great conversation before I left the gym that really just got me thinking and reassured my decision to get certified.
A few weeks ago I subbed for a Zumba Gold class. I was honest with the ladies...that are a bit older than myself (Gold is for the senior crowd) that I don't do Zumba and it would really be a comedy for them if I tried. As they had their dance shoes on (which I didn't even know there were Zumba shoes) and were looking at me like, "what?" I let them know that I was going to teach them some strength training instead. I don't think that they had the same excitement that I did and their love of strength training was still in that denial stage. They never have been shown how to do it, they weren't comfortable with the words "strength training" let alone the exercises. In a friendly, non-competitive environment though they were able to learn some basics that they could do outside of a class setting.
The weights weren't heavy for me but this was challenging for this new crowd of strength training enthusiasts. I remember using those weights though and how it felt to do something for the first time...I have been there. What is most important is that these women tried, they challenged themselves and did a great job. Even with some injuries that we worked around they adapted and learned what they were capable of accomplishing. Yes...I even taught them how to do a push press with a weighted bar. I also challenged the women (because I have seen them just walking on the treadmills...day after day...like a really slow walk where you can have a conversation or even read a book) to increase their inclines or speed on the treadmills or ellipticals if they are doing some cardio work. Some of the women laughed at me as I said this but I was honest and just let them know that when they do the same thing each time their body already knows what to expect and the results are not going to be as great unless they change things up a bit once in awhile.
As I was leaving the gym today I ran into one of the women that was in this class. My challenge must have stuck in her mind because the first thing she said to me was, "I'm going on the treadmill" and then she smiled. I had to make a comeback since she was being funny with me and I reminded her, with a smile, to get that incline up higher than she did it the other day. After we joked she started to tell me that she really enjoyed having me teach her strength training. All of the women I guess were talking the next day how they were sore but they realized that these are muscles that they don't use but should be using. She said that if I had any influence to get a class for them they would come because they really want something like that.
That gave me those warm fuzzies inside. I had no idea if they liked the class or what they thought the next day. I was guessing they might be a little sore but didn't know if they would like that feeling and just want to stay away from me and lifting weights entirely or if they would appreciate the need to add this to their exercise routine.
I have absolutely no clout at the gym I go to so I may not have any ability to get them a class that they are looking for. Would I like to teach this...oh yeah! When and if that would happen...no idea.
Regardless of if a class like this is in my future at least I got to teach a few new women how to do a push press. :)
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