Some thoughts and discussions from me.

Hi guys!

Yesterday was a busy day that started with training clients, sneaking in a run for myself, working for KIND in Denver (at WF!) and then meeting these lovely ladies for dinner:

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Erin’s in town for Great American Beer Fest, and it was so good to see her. She was one of my roommates at Blend, and I’ve been looking forward to her visit ever since!

Today I thought I’d talk to you all about my Spinning Instructor Training that I went to in Denver during the tail-end of the Boulder county flood.

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About 6 months ago, I knew I wanted to get certified to teach indoor cycling. I used to take RPM all the time, and really missed taking cycling classes, and thought it was about time to take the plunge and get certified. After researching and asking around, I learned that Spinning (Mad Dogg) is one of the most highly regarded certifications in the industry.

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Spinning’s main principles focus on quality and safety. On cycle-inspired rides and classes. It focuses on sound training, coaching, and a mind/body connection.

Unfortunately, I learned there were absolutely no Instructor Trainings available near Boulder for the rest of the year. I looked around at other certs, but kind of put it on the back burner because I really wanted Mad Dog Spinning. Luckily, I randomly checked back on the website about a month ago to learn that they had listed one just 45 miles from my house, in Denver!

Becoming a certified Spinning instructor is a lot different than becoming a certified personal trainer. There’s no 12 week courses offered on it, no months of studying, and no 4-hour long test at a specific facility at the end. It’s just one, long (9-hr) day of everything and anything Spinning.

A couple weeks before the class, I received the Spinning Instructor Training Manual on my doorstep. To be completely honest, it stayed in its sealed packaging until the night before… Luckily, the instructor didn’t expect us to be studied up before the training.

My particular training was from 8-5 on a Sunday, taught by Angie Sturtevant. Angie’s actually the developer of one of Spinning’s newest programs, SpinPower, so it was interesting to hear her take on that.

What I didn’t realize, and some others might not realize as well, was that the instructor training course only touched on the first part of the book. After the nine hour course, we were then expected to study the rest of the manual, and then practice on our own.

What did the 9 hour class cover?

  • 8:00-10:00 – learning bike set up, hand positions, and movements
  • 10:00-12:00 on spin bikes, practicing what we learned
  • 12:00-1:00 lunch
  • 1:00-3:30 – learning and applying cueing, advanced movements, and class/training design
  • 3:30-5:00 – back in the saddle, taking a spinning class from the instructor

At the end of the day, we all met back in the classroom, where Angie signed our Spinning Orientation Certificate of Completion

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This is, again, the first part of becoming certified. Next, is the studying and practicing on your own, and then taking the online test. After you take the online test, you receive your official Certified Spinning Instructor card in the mail:

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Pretty nifty Open-mouthed smile

My overall thoughts on the program? I think the basic principles and guidelines behind the Spinning program are sound. I’m not a fan of adding fancy, unnecessary movements in any realm of fitness, when it compromises safety, and neither is Spinning. The program and manual are thorough, easily understandable, and comprehensive. However, I thought I’d get more out of the 9 hour class. I felt like it should be spread out over two 9-hour days to cover the material. Obviously, this would cost a lot more money, and take more time and effort, but I think hands on learning is worth it, and very important.

What do you feel is a better way to learn? A 1-2 hour class that lasts weeks, or a 1 (or 2) really long days of learning?