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Teaching to the Back Row
By Lawrence Biscontini, MA

When preparing to teach our group fitness classes, we sometimes overlook the participants who most need our help: the new attendees who invariably stake out a place in the back row. Whether new to exercise or just a fresh face in our own classes, these students tend to gravitate to the far recesses of the room where they are unable to see and hear (efficiently?) properly. It’s a Catch 22 situation that these newcomers who probably most need our help often get the least attention.

That’s why it’s our job to find ways to reach out to these back-row participants while still  giving our seasoned students what they have come to expect. Here are some proven practical strategies that can help you extend a hand to even the shyest (most timid?) participants.

Before Class
As fitness professionals, we know that it is standard practice to arrive early to class. Doing so ensures that you reach those new participants before they take their place in the back row.

1. Welcome newcomers to class by introducing yourself when students come through the door. And don’t forget to ask them their name! (One way to remember a newcomer’s name is to repeat it immediately in your reply; this can also personalize the experience for the student.)

2. Use an interactive personal technique to help break the ice. This technique requires that you find out and remember one personal piece of information about a newcomer and then incorporate it later during class. This not only shows that you have remembered this client’s name, but can also make her feel part of the group. Make sure, however, that you ask nonthreatening questions, such as “Is this your first time taking step aerobics?” or “Is this your first time in the pool?”

3. Recommend key safety issues pertinent to that particular class. For example, in a step class, advise a new client about proper step height (and why it’s so important).

4. Make suggestions about where the newcomer might position himself during class. If the class is choreography-based, suggest a place up front where he can see you–and you can see him–to expedite class integration. If a new exerciser is not familiar with the equipment being used in class, suggest taking a place somewhere on the side of the room toward the front to allow visual access of you at all times without distracting the die-hard members front and center. But be sensitive to the fact that some extremely shy and nervous individuals may prefer to remain in the rear of the class. Respect their wishes, and remember (take extra care) to observe them continuously throughout class.

5. Encourage personal interactions by posing nonthreatening personal questions of the class at large. For example, ask a few seasoned participants if they like the new tape you are debuting that day and see how the newcomers react. If one of them smiles or shakes her head, it may be appropriate to ask the same question of her. But if she looks uncomfortable, don’t pursue it any further.

6. Share empathetic personal anecdotes with newcomers. Whenever you learn a piece of personal information about a new client, share something about yourself so the client feels there was a sincere reciprocal exchange of information.

During Class
Here are some techniques to try during class:

1. Use the sandwiching technique: When giving appropriate, positive feedback and motivational cues, mention the newcomer’s name in-between saying the names of two regular participants. For example, “Deborah (veteran member), your form is always great in class! Jeff (new member), excellent posture. Connie (veteran member), you are working so hard!” This technique ensures that everyone–whether seasoned or new-- gets recognition and motivational attention in a nonthreatening manner.

2. Vary everyone’s position and space throughout the class. (In other words, the “front of the room” doesn’t always have to be the front of the room!) For example, in a movement class, try having students face alternating directions in the room so they all experience front, back and middle orientations during class. This technique trains kinesthetic awareness by teaching participants to relate to class dynamics that continually change in a comfortable environment. New participants especially will quickly gain experience and comfort from having experienced different areas of the class. You should also vary your own position throughout class to keep everyone alert.

3. This is also a great time to relate some general piece of information you learned about one of the newcomers when practicing the interactive personal technique before class. If, for instance, you learned that one of the newcomers is a nurse, you may say “Hey, gang, we’re in safe company today because Nancy is a nurse!” By integrating such personal tidbits casually during class, newcomers are made to feel part of the group and everyone relates more personally to each other.

4. Use terminology that participants can readily understand while learning proper form and kinesiology. For example, don’t intimidate new participants with cues like “Sit on your ischial tuberosities and externally rotate the femur; now depress the scapulae towards the superior parts of the iliac crests.” Take the advice of Josie Gardiner, 2002 IDEA Group Fitness Instructor of the Year: “Use language they can relate to and understand, or they won’t get much benefit from the exercise. It’s got to be something that they can take away with them when class is over.”

5. To simplify things for newcomers, cue using lay terms first, then follow with the technical terms. For example, I use the following cue to teach newcomers proper core stabilization: (Lay cue) “Class, I want you to find your belly area and think of squeezing a lemon behind your belly button against your spine as making lemonade.” (Technical cue) “These are your deep transverse abdominus muscles and this compression action engages them and makes you stronger.” This technique not only helps both new and seasoned participants follow you, but it also helps fulfill our role as true educators in fitness.

6. Pay attention to the form underneath that newcomer’s baggy sweatshirt. It’s common for new participants to dress in loose clothing due to shyness or body image issues. While it’s important to respect this preference, you need to keep a keen eye on these participants to prevent injuries because it’s harder to observe proper form when someone’s dressed in layers of clothing. Instructors should encourage everyone to dress in a manner that is most comfortable so long as it doesn’t hamper the safety of the activity being performed. For example, wearing baggy clothes when exercising on a stability ball can be risky because participants can slip off of the ball in certain positions. To address clothing issues, focus on the safety concerns first. Here’s a nonthreatening cue to try: “Barbara, I want to maximize your success in class today, and I want you to feel comfortable. Feel free to keep your sweatshirt on as we warm up. However, once we start moving on the ball, it’s safer if you shed the sweatshirt so you don’t slip and fall. Trust me, I’ve learned from experience because I’ve fallen off a few times myself!” This not only addresses the safety issue, but your use of an empathetic personal anecdote will add humor and realism to the exchange. 

7. Consider how your own clothing choices affect newcomers. Often times, the first thing new participants notice is the instructor’s appearance. You should dress in a nonthreatening way that allows participants to see moves you demonstrate from all anatomical positions and planes. With the exception of your own facility’s name, clothes should bear no slogans or logos, which some may find offensive. Hair, footwear and  other gear should always be professional. If performing barefoot (as is common practice in some mind-body classes), proper foot hygiene is essential. Instructors who display a positive and professional image send the best possible message to both new and seasoned participants.

8. Demonstrate moves in a way that’s “user-friendly” for newcomers. We all know that it’s important to teach exercise progression and modifications at a level that’s most appropriate for the majority of the class. That said, it’s easy to lose sight of how your novices in the back row are perceiving such instruction. This is not the time to show off your own incredible flexibility, choreographic creativity or contortionist genius, since newcomers can be instantly put off by such displays. Remember that your goal as fitness professional is to create--in every class, for every participant–a feeling of success by including moves that everyone can perform safely.

9. Take advantage of the final stages of class to provide added customer service to new participants. Use the cooldown time to summarize the purpose of the class and complement newcomers for having completed the experience. Positive verbal feedback can be specific, such as, “Katrina, your form was just awesome today. I think we all can learn from that!” It can also be as general as “I want to tell all of you that it’s always rewarding to teach to a class that moves as cohesively and beautifully as you all did today.” Such cues include the newcomer as part of the group experience and also underscore what you have accomplished as a fitness professional.

After Class
After class, it behooves you to make one last effort to exchange dialogue with your new participants. “You’ve got to make that the most important time,” advises Petra Kolber, 2001 IDEA Group Fitness Instructor of the Year. She says that new participants will most remember their impressions from the first five minutes and the last five minutes of class. So, make these last precious minutes memorable.

1. To encourage dialogue, ask one or two open-ended questions, ones that are not answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” For example, don’t ask “Did you like your first experience at water fitness?” Instead, ask “How do you feel now compared to how you felt before class?” or “What did you like most and least about the class?”.

2. Ask newcomers about their specific fitness goals. This can help you bond with new students while also ensuring that their goals are realistic. For example, if a newcomer tells you that she wants to drop three dress sizes in a week to attend her upcoming college reunion, you can gently disabuse her of that goal and substitute it with one that is more attainable. Again, it’s best to ask open-ended questions so that newcomers can take a moment to reflect. For some participants, just being asked to verbalize their feelings about this new class experience can be part of the learning process itself.

3. Whenever possible, follow up. If your facility permits, call or email newcomers within  24 hours to inquire about soreness, adherence and overall feelings. A new participant who receives sincere, caring individual contact from an otherwise busy instructor can quickly become a devotee for life. In today’s competitive fitness market, your success truly depends on this customer service. When a newcomer feels valued as a customer, mutual success is almost guaranteed.

Make New Friends
There may be times when you look at all those new faces in your class and wince at the thought of all the effort involved in making class introductions and adding more basic instruction. When that moment strikes, remember that you, too, were (once) a newcomer. Try to see your class with their fresh perspective. (I would never start a sentence with “And”)And take a new class yourself every once in a while to stay in touch with how it feels to be the new kid on the block. (You might also pick up a valuable new trick or two in the process by observing another instructor’s teaching style!) Never forget that tomorrow’s classes depend on the success of the newcomers to your class today.*

Lawrence Biscontini, MA, serves as group exercise manager, mind-body personal trainer and nutritional counselor for Wyndham’s Golden Door Spa in Puerto Rico. He is a Reebok University master trainer, an AFAA certification specialist, a Resist-a-Ball master trainer and a member of IDEA’s Group Fitness Committee. He serves on the ACE Faculty Advisory Board and is the current ACE Group Fitness Instructor of the Year.

Sidebar: Tips for Teaching Newcomers

• Get to class early to introduce yourself to new participants.
• Ask newcomers one personal item about themselves and work this into conversation later in class.
• Use humor during class to help newcomers relax. (Remember that angels can fly because they take themselves so very lightly!)
• Vary the class dynamics by changing participants and your own positions during class.
• Try using an interactive personal technique.
• Share some empathetic personal anecdotes.
• Ask open ended questions before and after class to encourage conversation and thoughts about the new experience.
• Create a positive “micro-experience” for each newcomer so they all experience some success.
• Remember to dress and portray yourself in a professional and nonintimidating manner.
• Always use language that is inclusive and can be understood by all.