Why I took STRONG by Zumba® Instructor Training at 47 ! #strongbyzumba #strongbyzumbainstructor
Ok so 47 isn’t old by any means but after 30 years teaching land and water group fitness classes and programs it is atypical for an instructor to go for yet another group fitness certification and especially a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) one at that! #hiitworkout
A little background on my learning goals – my goal is to learn new things that I can share with others all the time. The content has to be connected to my personal philosophy of living the wellness continuum (mind, body, spirit) to its fullest aka living my best life but that’s really the only “limit” and it’s not really one because is there really a limit to how much you can learn? I always joke that I’ll be trying to log in to an online webinar in my hospital bed as I’m taking my last breaths but seriously I love learning new things that make what I do in my daily life, better.
So when training for STRONG by Zumba® came up within driving distance, I jumped on it. As an already loyal Zumba instructor (2009 baby woohoo!) and fan of the Zumba brand (also took Zumbini training), I had faith that this would be a great program.
I loved the fact that the moves were “sync-ed” to the beat because I’m telling you all now, I may be traditionally fit but I literally cannot exercise without a beat. I’m not just talking without music, I mean there needs to be a consistent beat, phrasing etc. Remember, I’ve been a group fitness instructor since the late 80s, I couldn’t exercise without music if I tried. Even when I was running half marathons I would make specific playlists for my runs and run to the beat because running is hard … but that’s another article lol.#zumba #zumbainstructor
STRONG by Zumba® combines body weight, muscle conditioning, cardio and plyometric training moves synced to original music that has been specifically designed to match every single move. I didn’t know how much of the workout I’d have to do and how much I would have to coach as I had been teaching pre-choreographed classes from Les Mills (BodyPump, CXWORX) for the last 5 years but I figured I’d done it all -small group training, personal training, aerobics, learn to run coaching - I could figure it out.
There was quite a bit of pre-training work that had to be done (manual, tests) and then training day came. I went with a fellow instructor and it was packed. 10 hours of burpies, air jacks, push up, fitness martial arts and intense core stability work later, I was wrecked lol. There were younger people, older people, all kinds of people and it was awesome. Zumba has that ability of bringing everyone (in the world) together so the vibe was great and I left feeling excited and I’ll admit a little scared because the class was challenging for sure.
When I received the official “pass” from the Master Trainer, I was overjoyed. It’s now been 1 year that I’ve been teaching the program and I’m still in love with it. It has made me grow as an instructor – coaching low, base and high options – and has pushed me in the best way physically. The best part though out of the experience has been the wonderful feedback and comments I receive each class about how I, at 47 (I’m a grandma ya know😉), am motivating and an inspiration. #healthynana #girlonthego
That’s pretty much why I continue to learn. If I can motivate or inspire someone to live their best life then it was all worth it. The 3 changes of clothes, the muscle rub, the constant going to the washroom because of going through at least 3L of water during training was all worth it lol. Yeah, I’d do it again, no question.
Always keep learning – can I get that on a shirt?
If you are interested in learning more about STRONG by Zumba® as participant or instructor, check out:
https://strong.zumba.com/en-US/ - Classes, Instructor Trainings, Shop
https://strong.zumba.com/en-US/member/profile - My Personal Site
http://sbz.pirsonal.com/5aeb6b132688c7e75f6f78e9 - My Promo Video
Or contact me and I can answer any questions you may have:).