How To Be A Star Student. 5 Tips

Working out can bring you joy. Helping students achieve that joy is one of the best parts of teaching barre and HIIT classes. Be that as it may, truly, some days teaching fitness classes can be an insane asylum, and different days it tends to be an all-out dungeon—for the students and the instructor. Super-hard exercises aren’t the only things that can lead to torturous class environments. I compiled a list of things that are just plain rude in a fitness class. A “don’t be that jerk” guide, if you will.

1. Checking your phone: Why do some people find it necessary to whip out their phone during a fitness class? On the off chance that a critical call is coming through, I understand. However, I’ve had students pull out their phone to check Instagram or Facebook. It is so insulting to me that those students are more concerned with their social media than the class that is happening.

2. Being exclusively centered around weight, not different kinds of progress or goals: I want to scream when over and over again I have to talk a student down because they are focused on the number on the scale, not how they feel or how they feel in their clothing.

3. Not telling me prior to class about their injuries: Every class, I ask students to tell me about any injuries, pregnancies, or anything else going on with their bodies that might be relevant to what they can do in class. I’m not a mind reader. I don’t just magically know about your body. I’ve had ladies let me know after a class or private session that they’re pregnant. What? Any instructor worth their salt will tailor exercises to you, so speak up early on to get the most effective use of both your time.

4. Not listening to my instructions: It is super annoying when students make up their very own exercises during a group class. Modifications are one thing (but see #3 above and give me a heads up before class so I can help you tailor exercises to your needs!), but doing your own modern dance (this has happened, complete with singing a song that was not playing) when the rest of class is doing very difficult moves is distracting to other students.

5. Talking over me: Class is not the time for talking at any audible volume with your friends. It’s a mentality. You’re either genuine about being in a group class and putting forth a valiant effort, or you’re not. Pay attention—it just takes one hour of resolute assurance to draw out the best in yourself.

I hope this list will help you to be the well-behaved student you can be.

xoxo

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This article was first published on Fixing Fit

Weird Advice

It’s fun to eavesdrop on conversations about other people’s exercise routines or listening to a personal trainer giving weird advice to a client. Some of the strangest advice comes out of information that floats around in gym conversations. Most of these tips and tricks have been proven wrong or are not proven to be true at all.

Weird Fitness Tips

There is still a misconception that women should not lift heavy weights or any weights at all. Lifting weights will “bulk” you up. Certified personal trainers who know better state that women’s bodies are different. There is not as much testosterone flowing through a woman’s body as a man’s body. Unless you use supplements and increase your caloric intake significantly, lifting weights will not cause women to gain excessive muscles mass. The real truth, women, should consider adding some form of resistance training to their exercise routines. Lifting weights provides important health benefits. You hear this one all the time: “No pain, no gain.” This is a widely accepted motivation tool, but it just bad advice. Exercising may result in temporary discomfort or an uncomfortable feeling, but it should not leave you writhing in pain.

A new trend is confusing your muscles by constantly switching up your routine. The real truth? If you change too many exercises too often, it is difficult to get better muscles and adapt to any of those exercises. If you want to get stronger legs, for example, doing a hundred different leg exercises in one session will not do you any good. Exercise routines are called routines for a reason. Keep routines consistent and don’t change up before you start to recognize some benefits. Switch it up periodically.

Another odd piece of advice, when you are doing squats, you should pick a spot on the ceiling to look at during your exercise routine. Staring at one spot on the ceiling is a horrible technique. It takes the spine out of a neutral position. When you have a neutral spine, you are giving strength to movements. A neutral spine keeps your back in better alignment.

Have your heard this one? Don’t drink water while working out. Drinking water before and after is great, but water during workouts is not so great. Wow! Hydrate during exercise. Don’t believe the “Old Wives Tale” that drinking water while exercising might extinguish the “fire” that starts in the belly while exercising. That is quite a funky piece of advice. There is a true story told about a woman who thought there was a literal fire in her belly while she worked out. If she drank water, the fire would go out.

A very interesting nutrition fitness tip is “eat only fruit before noon.”  This piece of advice states that taking in only fruits and fruit juice in the morning will positively affect calorie burn. This advice is terribly wrong. Balancing meals and snacks with protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber is what delays blood sugar spikes and crashes and gives you the right mix for energy. The idea that eating only fruit is ridiculous, based on what science says the body requires.

You can’t believe everything you read about exercise, nutrition and fitness. Weight loss and fitness fads enter the media all the time. The best advice is to exercise regularly and eat a balanced nutritional diet. Combine both diet and exercise to help you become fit, and don’t listen to weird advice.

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