Spinning Instructor Certification

Certification Process

• To become a certified Spinning instructor, an individual must attend full-day training, pass a test and maintain continuing education credits (see Resources for a link). As of 2010, the instructor certification workshop cost $295, which includes the instructor manual. The workshop lasts nine hours and covers all the fundamental aspects of Spinning an instructor needs to begin teaching classes. The main sections covered include: the Spinner bicycle, the six basic Spinning techniques, visualization and instructing techniques, and choreographing music and movements. Students also take part in two rides during the day: a short ride in the first half and a longer ride in the second half of the day.

Spinner Bike

• Students learn how to properly adjust the Spinner bikes by getting into groups and assessing one another. The bikes need to be set up properly for each person to prevent injury. Students learn how to adjust the seat height and position and handle position for the different models of Spinner bikes.

Spinning Techniques

• Students learn the four basic Spinning techniques: seated flat, seated climb, standing flat and standing climb. Learning to adjust the tension properly and explain how to do this to others is vital to teaching a class. Other techniques covered include jumps and sprints.

Instructing Techniques

• Spinning has a mind-body connection philosophy. Students in the certification workshop are taught how to incorporate these ideas into a Spinning class. Visualization techniques, motivating phrases and guided imagery all give a Spinning class the sense of connecting the mind and body. Rhythm Release and Rhythm Stroke are Spinning techniques that enable instructors to lead a class through a mind-body awareness process. Students also learn how to instruct participants to breath properly to allow maximum inhalation and exhalation. Students also learn a regimen of post-workout stretches that focus on the main muscles used during a Spinning class.

Class Structure

• Students learn the symbols used to denote each of the Spinning techniques and how to use these symbols to create a Spinning profile. A profile outlines the different movements and their duration. An instructor can create many different types of classes, such as interval training or a recovery class. Outlining the profile for a specific goal keeps the class focused and allows the instructor to confidently lead the class through the journey. Matching the movement to music adds motivation, fun and a personal touch to the class. Slow songs are better for cool downs or climbs. Fast songs make good choices for flats, sprints and jumps. Students also learn to pair songs by beats-per-minute to certain movements.

Considerations

• Students attending a Spinning instructor certification workshop also learn about the contraindications to watch for when teaching their own classes. Spinning follows principles based on safe biomechanic body movements; some techniques that other indoor cycling certifications allow may be contraindicated for Spinning instructors to teach. Spinning doesn't allow these moves, which are commonly taught in some indoor cycling classes: handlebar push-ups, riding with no hands, pedaling backwards, using weights while on the bike, laying the forearms on the handlebars and dropping the seat. Students are also taught to not adjust another person's resistance or specify how many "turns" of the resistance knob. Bikes can vary in how much resistance is added or removed with a turn. Some bikes may require several full turns just to add a little resistance, while another bike may only need a half turn to achieve the same level of resistance.