Pittsburgh Piyo Certification

                               

Today I got Piyo Certified!

I spent my Sunday doing something I never would have imagined doing... I got certified to teach a class!

Ever since signing up as a coach I have been absolutely fascinated with the instructors. I love the workouts, I love the results, I love being a part of something awesome like Beachbody... but the instructors/trainers are the real reason why I stick with it. They are dynamic, funny, and great to watch. 

I did Jillian Michaels dvds years ago, and honestly, I really disliked her style. I'm sure a lot of people got awesome results from her workouts, and she is awesome on her show, but when I put in the dvds I never felt... engaged.

Fast forward to 2.5 years ago, I decided the gym was just not doing it for me anymore. I basically paid to go on a treadmill and elliptical. BORING!

So I found my friend Kati on Facebook, asked her some questions, and ended up ordering Turbofire. I loved it right from the start. And little did I know, that cute blonde woman on the screen would completely change how I viewed fitness... then and now! Her personality and presence was incredible. She made me do burpees... I never did one before! She made me jump and punch... I never did that before! Crazy!

So here we are now. In September I decided to take the leap and sign up to get certified. I own the own workout dvd set for Piyo, and honestly, I was pretty good at it in my living room. I owned that room. I loved how it made me feel, and I am the type of person that puts down yoga... no offense! I learned to appreciate it! But I like faster tempos and weights... and Piyo brought that strength and flow all together for me!

So how did the day play out???

What to bring!

• water
• mat
• change of clothes (you get so sweaty!)
• your Piyo manual and pen
• snacks/light lunch
• bare feet (recommended but not required)
• your smile!!!!

Introductions!

I arrived at Faster, a really awesome fitness facility by the Robinson Mall in Pittsburgh. I was met with lots of smiles and my nerves of doing something new completely went away. I settled in.. I was not thinking of sitting front and center, but somehow managed to sit FRONT AND CENTER! Turns out it was a great spot.. I'm short so I got to see everything and really engage with what was going on.

Our instructor Kam is really nice and funny and makes things very easy going. She gave us each a goody bag... I loved this! The items inside were really cute and personal, each little item held a special meaning and I loved that personal touch. But also inside was the current round of Piyo being taught in classes, 35.

We learned how to introduce Piyo to our classes or to people who stop is and are like "hey you, what's Piyo??" I'm sure that will happen! 

                                    

Run Through A Class

Next we ran through the current round of Piyo, 35. 

I have taken Piyo classes live before, but I usually only pay attention to the fact that I am so sweaty I may die. Today I really focused on the class and the moves. Kam did a great job of showing us what a seasoned vet can do in front of a class. There were parts where I got a little lost because we moved so fast, but I was really just concentrating on getting the sequences of the moves... I can practice the moves and get better form later at home! She also stopped between the songs and sets, which was great so we could preview the next moves.

Break Down of Class

She then broke down the trickier parts of the class. This is where we saw how each move went into the other, how to correct form, and modifications. It was a quick review because we got more into the tempo and counting along to the music in the afternoon.

LUNCH!

Had a great talk with another Beachbody coach!

This also gave us a chance to sign up as VIP... which I did! That means we get the newest rounds of Piyo sent directly to us every other month when they come out. Awesome!

Questions, Breaking Down Piyo

After lunch and changing my shirt... I was so gross!!!! we sat and went over the manual. It gives really awesome information on not only the program, but the yoga poses used and how to conduct a class. We went through this quickly because the real result is that we want to be able to teach the class. 

Piyo is set to music. The moves and the flow of the workout are synced to pre-set music that the company sends you with the program. So counting and listening to the music is key, all while calling out the next move and DOING it! Really tricky stuff and the most intimidating. 

Learning How To Teach

Here was the real meat of the class and the part that made everything click for me.

Kam went over how to count each section and put the moves to the music. We counted out loud a lot and repeated the same moves. 

We then broke up into groups and were given a section to count and put to music. I really liked working with the other students because I knew we were all on the same level and only wanted to help one another out. 

After we reviewed our section several times, we all went up as a group to teach it to the class. A few of us had to wear the mic to learn how to be a presence in front of a class. Kam counted out the music for us and we went through moves in a sequence. 

What appeared to be hard at the beginning of class started to really become within my grasp. I knew that once I got home and turned on the dvd that was given to us showing the moves for the round, I could count it out and get it on my own.

Final Questions

We then were able to ask more questions and review the class. I learned a ton from the other students. And at the end, I felt really confident that I could go home and learn this on my own. 

Overall it was a really fun day. I met some new friends, and really learned how to stretch myself out of my comfort zone.

I would never have thought this could be something I was able to do. Going there today and learning was a blast. I was so intimidated when I first signed up, I thought I'd have to be certified in group fitness, been to a million Piyo classes, and know people who are instructors to succeed. I quickly learned that not only is the workout for EVERYONE but literally anyone can get certified to teach a class... if it is something you feel in your heart is right for you!

Stay tuned... I'm going to work really hard at learning this round at home, and hopefully will be able to teach a class soon. Or at least bribe a few friends into doing it with me in my house!