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I'm certified in BodyPump and have been for 10 months...I teach 3 classes a week and LOVE it. For the last 6 months or so I've also been doing freestyle spin 2x week.....sadly no certifications in spin (the owners know this as I've been somewhat following her freestyle method). I have a decent following and people seem to enjoy my music, etc, but I'd like to of course be certified and maybe attempt to transition at least one of those classes to RPM. I live in a more remote area and normally have to travel 3-4 hrs to get to a training (and then pay for gas and hotel, etc). Luck has come my way and there's an RPM training coming to my town!!! Now normally this would be totally fabulous and I'd be ALL over it, however, I have a friend visiting me that same weekend! Training is Sat and Sun. She leaves early Sun, so Sunday isn't really the issue. And since she has other friends that live here even Sat for training could probably be worked out...but it would certainly be expected for me to hang out on Saturday after training for her last night in town. We do plan to lay low - maybe go to a movie, etc, so no Sat night clubbing or anything.

 I'm assuming you present a track on Sunday???? I know for BodyPump besides being beat, I had to learn a track for presentation the next day. How difficult is that night between training days? It doesn't help that I don't get to take RPM classes often due to scheduling...thoughts? Do you think I could spend minimal time Sat night as long as I can be at the training itself?

Hi Julie -

You will present a track on sunday. In my training we presented first thing in the morning and then again in the afternoon. I found the RPM training nowhere near as overloading as Pump. Do you know what release you will be trained on? It may be useful to try and "borrow" the music from another instructor (where possible) so that you can familiarise yourself with it prior to training. You have already been teaching so have confidence in your ability to work under pressure! When you get your music listen to it as much as possible and then give yourself permission to enjoy your saturday night. One track is not too hard and the chorey for RPM is easier than pump chorey.

Good luck with your training - GO HARD!

Maree

Agree, Pump was more challenging that RPM. Both were awesome! You will be fine if you are ready to present before you go out that night and get a decent nights sleep. We talked the club owner in to opening the doors early Sunday AM so we could all practice before we presented (hint... bribe him/her with a warm breakfast)

getting in really helped!

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“A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone. else thought they could.” -Zig

Teaching RPM™ and BODYPUMP™ in Bowie Maryland!!

Definitely, if someone can get you a copy of the release, it will help to listen before your module as often as possible. Don't worry about the chorey until training, but at least you can get a feel for the flow of all tracks. We did our assigned tracks twice, and after our 1st attempt, our trainer critiqued everyone so you know where you need to improve for your 2nd time. Then we were given time to practice before our 2nd time.

Maybe you could make a deal with your visitor to let you go thru the chorey undisturbed for an hour before you go out, and then they get your undivided attention. Get as much review time in the morning as you can.

As a side note, I was stressed at doing everything right and realized when I did my 1st presentation that it was all for nothing, it was easier than I thought. Listening to the music before my module weekend really helped.

My suggestion? Quick review the night before, enjoy the downtime with your friend, then hunker down in the morning. Hopefully you'll get a good nights rest too. Best of luck and have fun, it's an awesome weekend!

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Robert - Certified RPM instructor & BODYPUMP enthusiast - LIVE TO RIDE, RIDE TO LIVE!

I was recently in the same spot as you.  Just script the track you get assigned, watch the the DVD a few times, and listen to the track and memorize your cues.  Like the other poster said, the choreo is easier than BP to learn.  In fact when I trained, I went to a party that Saturday night for about 3 hours, it'll do you a lot of good to get away from it and focus on something else for awhile that night.

Thanks all...I think I might have enough courage to go ahead and try it. I checked with my friend today and although she's a little bummed, she realized it is a great opportunity for me to get some training locally and said her goal is to be helpful (since she's visiting me cause my husband is deployed in Afghanistan). I still need to check with my GFM to see if I can convert at least one of my 2 group spin classes to RPM, but she's very pro RPM so I think she'd be willing....

 We just launched our latest BodyPump release so it's a good time to be able to focus on something different...

 

I just did my RPM module a few weeks ago.  If you teach Pump, you've got some mechanisms in place to learn the chorry -- I wouldn't worry about it.  

The module was good fun -- but personally I thought RPM was a bit more challenging than Pump.  But that's just me.

Oh and be sure to invest in some padded cycling shorts and proper click in cycling shoes -- well worth the money.

And a bag of frozen peas...

Thanks Tim-

The tricky part for me will be technique I think. I was doing BP for a few yrs as a participant and I knew my technique was spot on...although I did have to start thinking about music differently and that is a huge advantage for me now going into RPM. I've been reviewing the release and feel comfortable knowing where the transitions are and aniticpating them. But since I've only actually taken RPM a handful of times, I'm curious to learn how incorrectly I might be spinning now. There seem to be very subtle differences between standing climb and attack, racing vs racing (forward), etc so hopefully I can differentiate quickly. I think it'll be a lot different to get on the bike vs "galloping" at home on the carpet with no resistance at all! Waiting for those cycling shorts to arrive...hope to get to try them out a couple of times beforehand.

Be careful, though.  I was told that since release 43 was the current release, that is what I'd be learning.  I spent a lot of time in advance prepping for 43, only to get to training and be given release 42.  URGH!!!

Well, hopefully I won't be blindsided. I did check with my local Les Mills agent to ask specifically what release we were going to train on and he told me 44...I'll be crushed if it's not!

For my training, we only had to present one track (other programs were different) and yes you learned it for a short amount of time during the actual training but basically overnight.

For me, my Saturday night was absolutely no big deal, because I had ridden the release I trained on to death before training and I knew the choreo. (I was just lucky, to be honest. I also got track 3 which was easy choreo.)

If however you're not in that advantageous position, you would be expected to learn it on Saturday night, and I would not risk assuming you'll get some time to cram during training (because sometimes they cut that out, if they run over ...)

So ... if you can dedicate some time on Saturday night, you'll probably be fine, but I guess it depends on how quickly you learn choreo. But I wouldn't assume it'll be easy ...

You're in a good position since you have BP experience (so you know how to learn LM choreo) but I will tell you that RPM is not as much like Spinning as you would think. I was a Spinning instructor and thought therefore I would find it easier (technique-wise) with RPM. But nope - RPM is actually detailed, Spinning is all over the place and doesn't have the same structure. So you might "learn the choreo" but unless your legs are going the right speed etc, you're actually not teaching the choreo. All that stuff is a part of it.

Basically, prepare to work, and spend time learning choreo, or you may risk having wasted the money. If you can fit in some time with your friend excellent. But I wouldn't anticipate a free night ...

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Free the body. The mind will follow.

Training is this weekend...I've been studying the DVD and listening to the music nonstop in the car with my chore notes (and avoiding any crashes)...I feel pretty comfortable with each track individually, but if I just start rolling at track 2, for ex, I have to review the notes again to remind myself of it. So of course I'm desperately hopeing that when I gt the one comitted track to learn that I'll be able to recall it faster so I won't have to spend as much time on it.

Another big difference...I'm learning it without resistance so I think I'm going to be in for a rude awakening when I start to add that load...and the 3/4 pace is tricky for me, too. I also think I have a ton to learn in regards to technique. I'm excited to get the professional training which I think will really bust my confidance.

 But with a 7am showtime on Sunday...ouch....that's early in the best of circumstances, not to mention I'll be trying to spend time with a friend. I'll definitely be hoping for an early night - but have to really resist being the party pooper :)

Julie 

Julie, you sound like you are right where you need to be! You have studied, you have prepared and you have learned all you can. You will do great!

As for 3/4 pace, no worries! I tell them its just somewhere between climbing pace (1/2) and racing at (1/1), I then follow that up with 7/16 or 9/16 are acceptable, but please stay within that range or it completely negates your entire workout :)

 Fit in to the music and make the magic!

 

Keep it fun, Keep it funny! 

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“A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone. else thought they could.” -Zig

Teaching RPM™ and BODYPUMP™ in Bowie Maryland!!

My trainer had cued the 3/4 pace as Right, Left, Right, then Left, Right, Left.  No worries, all of the pace will be covered the first part of the first day.

I'm done...and I passed!! It was a great group of folks with lots of experience and positive attitudes - fun certification program! In fact all 14 of us passed!! Trainer said she's never had that happen....

I never got my cycling shorts - but I was able to borrow my guy friend's shorts which weren't super tight, but I think it got the job done so to speak. I ended up presenting track 3, so I was very familiar with that one already so that worked out well. We presented tracks 1-7 for anyone curious. I did end up going out with my friend for about 2.5 hrs, but only had a beer and felt pretty good about things.

Thanks for all your input...going to go enjoy a glass of wine and get ready for my BP tomorrow - the work week never stops.