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What methods do you use to learn your releases? How many programs do you teach and in what order do you typically learn your programs? Talk about the fun and stress of quarterly release time here! 

I currently teach BodyPump, BodyFlow, BodyCombat and BodyJam. We don't have a quarterly beforehand so the first time I get to see the new stuff is when my DVDs come in the mail.

I listen to the CDs right away. I give each one a quick listen through to find a few songs I love. After that, I listen to the music like mad, 24/7. I don't leave home without my portable DVD player, and whenever I can find a few spare minutes I watch some tracks. I teach almost every day after work, so I try to squeeze in my practices before or after my classes, or on my lunch breaks. Weekends are a long slog of practices for the 3-4 weeks leading up to release.

I traditionally try to learn Flow and Jam first, as they are my two hardest programs and take me the longest to learn. I start with them as soon as I get my DVDs in the mail. Once I have them down, I start on Combat, but still make sure to practice Jam and Flow once or twice a week so I don't "lose" it. I don't start learning Pump until 3 or 4 days before release, because I can usually pick it up pretty quickly.

 

Hi,

 I teach JAM, STEP, and PUMP and will be adding ATTACK soon. I watch the dvd first. I listen to the cd's usually starting with STEP when I can (mostly in the shower and when my son is taking a nap). I typically learn the first half of a program, I get together with a friend who has agreed to learn the other half and begin practicing. As we practice a few times her half kind of begins to become second nature to me and then I memorize the little details of the second half. Practicing with a friend is great to me because we cue, etc. I do this for all of them except Pump. I did starting out but I have found that Pump is the easiest for me to learn so I tend to just practice it in front of a mirror at my gym. I am interested to see how it will go adding ATTACK. They are all so different to me that as of right now I don't feel overwhelmed. Four programs might be my limit for a while.

I agree with the posters above:  whichever program's the toughest for you, start there.  I teach RPM and will be teaching Combat again with the new release (been on a bit of a sabbatical) when we launch it next month.  For me, RPM is easier so I've been spending more of my time with Combat for now.

Step 1:  Watch the DVDs as soon as I get them.  It's kind of like Christmas 4 times a year.

Step 2:  Copy the CD's to the computer so I can have the music on in the car, at the gym, and at work while keeping the original protected, and listen to them all the time so it gets to the point I've learned the words without realizing it.  I've got RPM 39 playing right now as I type this.  "good to be back . . ."

Step 3:  Do the workout with the DVD as if I was a participant in the master class.  I believe this is one of the most important pieces if I haven't been to a QW on this release yet.

Step 4:  Do the workout with the DVD a few more times to get a feel for the focus as well as the transitions, etc.  Believe it or not, I actually look for ways to improve or at least things on which to focus.  What things did I have to rewind a few times to figure out/get right/time correctly/etc.?  I'll try to coach my class through those or demonstrate them clearly.  The second time I do the workout with the DVD I usually watch the tips before each track, and begin working on whatever was in the education sessions if applicable.

Step 5a:  By now I usually start getting the choreography in my head, so while I'm listening to it in the car I try to keep straight what I should be doing.  I might sneak a glance at the notes when I'm at a red light, especially if I've enlarged them to fill an 8.5"X11" sheet of paper.  But only if it's safe.  ;-)

Step 5b:  Do the workout with the DVD but the audio switched to "Music Only" so I can't hear their cues.  If I say "Add on the back kick" and Rachael doesn't add on a back kick, I figure I goofed.  I may turn sideways so I'm not tempted to watch them too closely, but so they're there to check in with.

Step 5c:  Cue the tracks I know with a friend or fellow instructor.

Step 6:  Lather, rinse, repeat as necessary.

Step 7:  I'll go back and at least watch the DVD and tips again especially as launch gets closer.  By then I've got all my own cues set and am better equipped to incorporate some of the good stuff I might not have absorbed in the beginning when I was trying to memorize what comes next.

FYI, most of that's for Combat, and it's been a while since I taught Combat, so that may be excessive for the veterans.  RPM I can learn a track in 1/2 an hour in the car using different hand positions on the steering wheel and touching the shifter for gear changes.  Not the same feel as putting the time into it with the DVD though, so I use that mainly for reviewing or adding in tracks for mixes.

Dan 

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Always an Adventure!

dmoynehan:

I agree with the posters above:  whichever program's the toughest for you, start there.  I teach RPM and will be teaching Combat again with the new release (been on a bit of a sabbatical) when we launch it next month.  For me, RPM is easier so I've been spending more of my time with Combat for now.

Step 1:  Watch the DVDs as soon as I get them.  It's kind of like Christmas 4 times a year.

Step 2:  Copy the CD's to the computer so I can have the music on in the car, at the gym, and at work while keeping the original protected, and listen to them all the time so it gets to the point I've learned the words without realizing it.  I've got RPM 39 playing right now as I type this.  "good to be back . . ."

Step 3:  Do the workout with the DVD as if I was a participant in the master class.  I believe this is one of the most important pieces if I haven't been to a QW on this release yet.

Step 4:  Do the workout with the DVD a few more times to get a feel for the focus as well as the transitions, etc.  Believe it or not, I actually look for ways to improve or at least things on which to focus.  What things did I have to rewind a few times to figure out/get right/time correctly/etc.?  I'll try to coach my class through those or demonstrate them clearly.  The second time I do the workout with the DVD I usually watch the tips before each track, and begin working on whatever was in the education sessions if applicable.

Step 5a:  By now I usually start getting the choreography in my head, so while I'm listening to it in the car I try to keep straight what I should be doing.  I might sneak a glance at the notes when I'm at a red light, especially if I've enlarged them to fill an 8.5"X11" sheet of paper.  But only if it's safe.  ;-)

Step 5b:  Do the workout with the DVD but the audio switched to "Music Only" so I can't hear their cues.  If I say "Add on the back kick" and Rachael doesn't add on a back kick, I figure I goofed.  I may turn sideways so I'm not tempted to watch them too closely, but so they're there to check in with.

Step 5c:  Cue the tracks I know with a friend or fellow instructor.

Step 6:  Lather, rinse, repeat as necessary.

Step 7:  I'll go back and at least watch the DVD and tips again especially as launch gets closer.  By then I've got all my own cues set and am better equipped to incorporate some of the good stuff I might not have absorbed in the beginning when I was trying to memorize what comes next.

FYI, most of that's for Combat, and it's been a while since I taught Combat, so that may be excessive for the veterans.  RPM I can learn a track in 1/2 an hour in the car using different hand positions on the steering wheel and touching the shifter for gear changes.  Not the same feel as putting the time into it with the DVD though, so I use that mainly for reviewing or adding in tracks for mixes.

Dan 

Pretty much the same pattern here for me (thanks, Dan, for typing it all out for me :-) )  I learn Combat first, followed by RPM then PUMP.  I haven't liked the last few PUMP releases, so I think I procrastinate. 

I teach RPM and hopefully soon going through Vive training.  I'm an older instructor and way back in the day we learned how to learn chorey through the music phrasing (32 ct).  With original music sometimes you get broken phrasing but by and large it's still 32ct.  I've tried a lot of different ways but this is the easiest and quickest for me.  I watch the DVD once-to get the gist and fitness magic-sometimes the presenters make mistakes and I don't want to learn them-they'll stick with me forever.  Then I make copies for marking up the chorey-get my markers out and go to town.  I listen to the music (usually 3-4 times) and voila.  I try to make up some little story to relate to the class to reinforce the chorey...like Sunchyme to me is like riding along the beach-sprinting to the coveted beach chairs and a bucket full of favorite beverages for the finishers-but watch out for the villagers singing to us as we pass through-slow down don't hit the kids.  Silly I know, but it helps me know what comes next and gets the participants to connect.  For the big releases I work on it 3-4 weeks-for weekly switch outs-I work on it the day of.

I coach Attack and Pump. I've been coaching Attack longer so  start with that but my process is the same for both.

I watch the DVD as a participant. This is really important so you know if tracks are harder or easier than last time - vital in Pump where you have to advise weight selection. If you haven't done the work out you can't advise your participants.

I then go back through the DVD two tracks at a time. I watch and listen for the instructor cues and follow the instructor notes in the book. I break the tracks down to the chorey blocks as per the book because then it's easy to learn one section and often you just repeat it.

Next switch off the instructor voice over on the DVD and try to coach the track. As others, I turn side on to the TV and glance back to check I'm still on cue.

After that, it's music only. In the car and at every opportunity the release is playing and the moves are going through my head.

Then it's show time. I have to perform each track at least once "live" before I've nailed them. This is usually Ok because the routine is new to the participants so they don't know where you've gone wrong - yet!

Then I go back and practice where I've made mistakes. It's much easier doing the chorey in your hose opposed to the studio so the live performance irons out the creases

Attack takes about a day to get the chorey in my head ready to "go live" Pump takes a week at the moment.