I’ve been a group exercise instructor for nearly a year now. Wow, time really does fly! I’ve taught at three major gym facilities all over the NYC metro area. I’ve seen what I call pushers, and lately, I’ve been encountering people who give up before we even begin.
One thing that I do when I teach is I push them hard. I want your time spent with me to drain you, and I want it to be motivating, and memorable. When you see me, I want your adrenal glands to wake up, I want you to quiver in fear, and I want you to prepare to work your butt off! Literally! I will push your body, but I will address your mind as well. Without the mindset, this is all for nought!
One thing that I don’t stand for is people quitting in class, without even trying. When I see them give up, I ask them, “Are you injured, dizzy, or otherwise in danger?” If the answer is no, then I scream “THEN YOU DO NOT QUIT IN MY CLASS! THERE ARE NO QUITTERS HERE! YOU ARE NOT A QUITTER! YOU WILL NOT DIE BY TRYING HARDER, SO GET ON THAT PLANK AND PUSH! PUSH!” And they stick their tongue out at me, they frown at me, but they do it, they try, and they give me a maximum effort! I accept nothing less!
Why do you go to the gym? Are you there to stand around and look pretty? Are you there to escape your family life? Are you there because you have nothing better to do? Or are you there because you have some goal in mind? I will remind you of that goal, I will make you dig deep inside and have a conversation with yourself about that goal, I will push you hard and you will want to succeed. I’m not there for a paycheck, I’m there because I love to teach, and as my participants, you are a reflection of me, and I don’t quit, I train hard, and by association, so will you. I will motivate you, and you will train!
My name is Angel, if you don’t like me, complain at the front desk, however, if you want to improve, then quit whining and push!
What do you think they do? They push, they try. There are a couple who give up, and I realize that pushing them is a waste of energy, and may end up offending them, so I allow them to stand around looking silly. In some cases, I can tell they are about to collapse, and I leave them alone too, but for the most part, I get them to push.
I must be doing something right, because at the end of every class, the participants ask me why I’m only there one day a week? They ask me why don’t I pick up more classes because even though I’m hard, they love my class. This is the case at all the gyms I teach. At Retro and Crunch, I’m only there once a week, and they want me there more. At 24 Hour I don’t even have a permanent class, and the participants always ask me why I don’t sub all the classes. My response is always the same, the instructors are all good, but if you’d like me to get more classes, contact management and let them know you demand Angel! Other than that, there’s not much that I can do.
All I know is that when you do see me, you’d better prepare to put forth a maximum effort, and know that giving up before you start is not an option in my class!
Just a life long New Yorker sharing the journey through my lens. Please take note of a post’s date. The views I express here are subject to change and evolving as I grow and learn.
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