November 6, 2013
Quick Update!!!
I received my scores this weekend -----
I PASSED!!!
AND-- with flying colors, I might add-lol!! So, what are YOU waiting for- go ahead, register and start studying. It's that simple...
September 25, 2013
Hi Guys! Thanks for stopping by—
This is my very first blog entry and I could not be more
excited!
This past weekend I attended APEX weekend- hosted by AFAA (Aerobics
and Fitness Association of America).
During APEX, AFAA- the world’s largest fitness and Telefitness Educator, offers
certifications and workshops in multiple cities. I attended the Atlanta,
GA event for Group Exercise Instructor
Certification.
Why I Chose to Become an Instructor
I have always been physically active and as I matured- my love
for fitness continued to grow. I found myself being drawn to the fitness
classes/workouts that challenged my endurance and overall physical strength. If
you were to ever walk into any fitness class that I just happened to be a part
of- you’d find me on the left side of the room, front row- damn
near teaching the class!
Well, as the years went on- I decided that I wanted to move
from the front row to center stage. Countless instructors had motivated me week
after week, to continue on the path of a fit and healthy life. Three months ago
I decided it was my turn to pay it forward.
How I Prepared for Certification Day
So, three months ago I registered online at
www.afaa.com. On the site it suggests a study
time of 30 days for someone with a full time job. I have a type A personality
and even though I am a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom)- I wanted to give myself as much
time as possible. I purchased my study materials directly from the site. For
$110- I received a textbook, study guide, and practice test-
absolutely,
worth the investment.
In addition to registering for the Group Exercise Instructor
Certification, I also registered for Group Exercise (GX) The Practical Way.
This particular training is amazing for those individuals who’ve never taught
before. It is typically offered a day or two before the actual group
certification and it really helped to calm a lot my anxiety. GX: The Practical
Way focused on those skills which are necessary to
be a safe and effective instructor.
During the all day (GX) training, you can expect to cover
leadership and presentation, class formatting, warm-ups/training modalities,
cueing/music usage- among other things. It was a small class of only eight
participants so, we received a lot of one on one attention. Our fabulous and
very knowledgeable instructor, Yoko even shared with us several links and Apps
for finding music with the appropriate BPM (Beats Per Minute) - for teaching
group exercises classes. They are also ASCAP
(American Society of Composers,
Authors and Publishers) approved-
www.powermusic.com
,
www.dynamixmusic.com, and
www.yesmusic.com . A terrific App that she
shared is the Tempo Power App. With the app you can instantly adjust the BPM of
any song in your library. From your phone you can speed up or slow down any
track in your iPhone or iPod, without altering the pitch- thus, no chipmunk
vocals. The class was an additional charge of $99. Again, money well spent.
Several days prior to certification day, AFAA offered a free
online- audio study group. This was of course, not mandatory but I absolutely
took advantage of the opportunity to have a few of my nagging questions
answered. There were about two hundred of us on the one hour call. We could
hear the presenter however, we were muted. We typed in our questions and the
presenter responded to as many of them as she could. The one hour session was
very helpful and she even gave us a link to a site that really helped out with
the musculoskeletal portion of the test
www.getbodysmart.com
. She was so encouraging and I got the sense that she genuinely wanted each of
us to have a successful certification day.
There’s a lot of information to cover but it’s not
impossible to get through all of it. As
you study- I would recommend becoming familiar with the musculoskeletal system.
Get up close and personal with your muscle man and know how his muscles work. I
made copies of the one in the study guide and reached into my “former teacher”
bag of tricks and created a little game. It was very helpful and I assure you-
if you do this, you’ll be very happy come test day *wink*.
Additionally, in between studying- go ahead and get your CPR
AED certification. While it isn’t required to complete your instructor certification
on test day, you will not receive your certification from AFAA, until you
submit it to the home office.
Group Exercise Certification Examination Criteria and
Grading
·
To achieve certification, both the
written and practical components of the examination must be passed and proof of
completion of a valid and current adult-level CPR/AED certification must be
submitted
The Written Examination
Format- The written
examination consists of 100 multiple choice and matching type questions. You
will have 1 hour to complete the exam and at least 80 of the questions must be
answered correctly.
Content- The written
examination covers material from the following subject areas.
·
AFAA’s Basic Exercise Standards
and Guidelines
·
Group Exercise Program Design
·
Basic Anatomy, Kinesiology,
Biomechanics, and Exercise Physiology
·
Injury Prevention, Emergency
Response, and Special Populations
·
Nutrition and Weight Management
·
Basic Business Skills and
Professional/Legal Responsibilities
The Practical Examination
- Warm
up and Cardio Training
You will have 8 minutes to
demonstrate a warm-up and cardio respiratory training segment of a class. You
will receive two scores- content/intensity and movement/form/alignment
- Strength
and Flexibility Training
You must demonstrate the following criteria. Three minutes
per category, in a group setting-
- A
minimum of two strength exercises and one stretch exercise, per muscle
grouping must be shown. A cue will be given when it’s time to move to the
next muscle group.
- Primary
movement must be shown in every category
- No
equipment (hand weights, tubing, bands, etc) can be used
Here are the muscle groups we were asked to demonstrate-
- Pectorals
- Trapezius,
Rhomboids/Lattissimus Dorsi
- Deltoids
- Biceps/Triceps
- Hip
Abductors/Adductors
- Glutes
- Quadriceps/Tibialis
Anterior
- Hamstrings/Gastrocnemius/Soleus
- Rectus
Abdominis/Obliques
- Erector
Spinae
We reviewed each of the muscle groups over the course of the
day. Appropriate exercises and stretches were also reviewed. If you’re worried
about this section of the test- put your mind at ease. It’s not as hard as it
seems and any questions that you have on test day will be answered, in detail.
Individual Presentation
During this portion of the certification, we were called
forward- one at a time, by number (I was number 43- the last to be
called) and asked to teach the other participants an exercise pattern
(zumba, kickboxing, etc) or muscle strength. I chose to teach the proper form
for the squat. We were given 1-2 minutes to demonstrate three intensities for
whatever it was we decided to teach.
I must admit, having to go dead last was
pretty nerve wrecking. However, when my number was called- all the jitters went
away and I assumed my position in front of the room and ROCKED it! You will
too—if I had one tip to offer you guys, for this portion of the certification,
it would be to arrive already with an idea of what it was you want to
demonstrate. During my early studying process, I knew that I wanted to
demonstrate something simple. Simple is what you need to keep in mind during
the practical portion of the exam. They DO NOT want to see any P90X,
Insanity, Cross Fit- type moves! Your exercises/routines should be appropriate
for average participants.
I rehearsed my three intensities and exactly what I wanted
to say (yes, you have to talk for 1-2minutes, while demonstrating your
exercise/routine) on certification day. During that online study
session I mentioned earlier, the presenter gave us an acronym for what we’d be
expected to demonstrate. We were told that if we included the components
of the acronym in our demonstration- we were almost guaranteed a passing score.
The acronym is SAMSE and it stands for-
- Start
Up- Did you start your demonstration with an introduction and the name of
what you’d be teaching?
- Alignment-
Did you offer proper alignment cues for the other participants (your
class)?
- Movement-
Were your movements appropriate/correct
- Safety-
Did your exercise/routine present any safety concerns (remember- simple is
key)
- Engagement-
Did you interact with the class (eye contact, smiles, personality)
Examination Results
While I haven’t received my results, I feel pretty confident
(hope I didn’t just jinx myself). Scores will be mailed out for
each portion of the exam. Unfortunately, you can expect a wait time of 4-6
weeks!!!! If a passing score for either component is not achieved, you can
retake that particular portion again (at a discounted rate), within the year.
If you wait longer than a year- you must retake both portions of the exam.
Overall Experience
I was not expecting to enjoy the actual day of certification
as much as, I did. I met some really wonderful people and I can not say enough
lovely things about our AFAA instructor. She’s in her late 50’s and has been
with AFAA almost half her life! She started in Japan
and the details of “her” story are inspirational. I felt really honored to have
had her for both the (GX) Practical Way Training and the actual Group
Certification. Thank you so much Yoko!!!
Well, that’s it—
I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading all about my AFAA Group
Certification during APEX weekend. And so, until next time ladies--- Don’t Be A
Frumpy Mommy!
Bye Ladies J
