Proud Sissy
This winter my sister got certified to teach fitness classes and went through all the Body Pump certifications. She got a teaching gig in January at NYSC and has picked up a number of Body Pump classes at their various locations. I have been DYING to see her in action – mostly because she doesn’t have the traditional fitness instructor personality and it’s so far outside her comfort zone (I’m the loud outgoing teacher-y one).
For months I’ve been hearing about her classes and I was finally able to go to one on Monday! T and I were at my Mom’s for a quick Easter trip, we spent Sunday night with my sister so I could join her for class. Her beloved 6:30am Monday morning class on the UES. So we were up around 5 and out the door by 5:40am. It was fun to be her shadow for her regular routine.
The NYSC on 91st and 3rd has a lovely group fitness room. We got there early and she set up her mic (which she had to buy for $300 and lugs it around on the days she teaches). I was pleasantly surprised that her class had about 18-20 people show up. I was even more surprised at what a GREAT instructor she was.
She was a perfect balance of “drill sergeant” and motivational. She gave super clear directions and cues. I’ve been taking Body Pump weekly for the past 3 months and was familiar with most of the tracks she did, however she was by far the best as explaining the combos, cues, counting etc.
The night before class T, my sister, and I were talk about my lack of upper body strength and inability to do a real push up, so during the push up portion of class I locked eyes with my sister as I struggled to do girl push ups she laughed into the mic. Shortly after that she left the class know that I was in the class with her in case they noticed any weird exchanges between us (or the fact that we look very much alike).
After class I gave her feedback – 95% it was positive (I told her she needed to smile more as opposed to look concerned or angry – however that is just our faces haha). She also gave me feedback about my push ups (my arms are too close together) and she told me she was pleased with the weight amounts I used in each segment.
I hope to frequently attend her classes when I’m able to, but those of you with NYSC memberships holler at me – she’s teaching all over the place and she’s looking at getting certified for another type of class this summer.