If you’ve ever taken an indoor cycling class, or commonly known as a spin class thanks to Spinning® brand that owns the term, you’ll probably be in awe at the fitness level of the instructor. The dedicated indoor cycling instructor will do around 4 classes per day, granted, they’re probably not going as hard as you in every class but they’ll still need to have a high level of fitness. Not all instructors lead multiple classes in a day, some will instruct 3 or 4 sessions each week and fit them in around their other work commitments. Working as an instructor enables them to complete a cycle based work out and get an extra income on the side.
So whether you’re intrigued by how they become an instructor or would like to explore some options for yourself, the information below will help you to get started. So here’s how to become a spin instructor.
Firstly, you should know that there are numerous cycling fitness class brands out there. Gyms will usually licence one of these programs for use in their facility. Meaning they don’t have to worry about purchasing additional music licensing, or issues around copyright.
These companies that license out their programs each come with their own style, education system, certification and affiliations.
The companies
Spinning® (Spin®, Spinner®)
Spinning is the major player worldwide and has become synonymous with indoor cycling. That’s why you’ll often hear any indoor cycling class referred to as a spin class, or spinning class.
It was the company that turned indoor cycling into the huge industry it is today. Spinning is said to have been born from the road. It was founded by endurance road cyclists, and their desire to bring that authentic cycling experience indoors.
To teach classes under the Spinning name, you’ll need to finish their education program and become an accredited Spinning instructor. Spinning classes are massive in the USA and are one of the major players here. If you find a local gym or club near you that licences Spinning, you might want to choose them.
Les Mills®
Les Mills are the biggest player here in Australia. They run numerous choreographed exercise classes, from BodyPump® to BodyCombat® and their indoor cycling class is called RPM®.
RPM is said to be based on race simulation, whereby you control the intensity and follow the instructor’s commands, simulating sprints and climbing out of the saddle to perform hill climbs.
To teach a Les Mills class, like Spinning, you’ll need to become a Les Mills qualified trainer. This means undertaking their training program and assessment. The advantage of qualifying with Les Mills is the flexibility it will give you to teach in any of the gym they are licenced in, which are many.
Others
There are many more indoor cycling class providers out there, usually in single locations, for example Sprinnt in Camberwell or Crank & Grind in Geelong. Each of these smaller alternatives will either have their own training and assessments, or don’t require you to have any. Most will have unique selling points that might attract you. For example, Crank & Grind use Stages bikes, which use ground-breaking bike technology to digitally track your power output and help your fitness grow. Radical are also a well-known indoor cycling brand in Australia that you might want to look into.
Before looking into who you might want to work for, do your research. Find out what gyms/classes are available near you or are convenient for you. Find out if you’re going to enjoy teaching these types of classes, and even take a couple to see. If you already have a class you enjoy, ask who your current classes use if you don’t already know. But, before you even think about who to align yourself with, you’ll need get yourself qualified to teach group fitness classes.
Qualifications Required
Before you even consider which provider to train with, you’ll first need to get qualified to teach group fitness classes.
To do this, you need to get at least your Certificate III in Fitness before you complete the specific cycling instructor course. You can study this with a number of fitness institutes, with ours being one of them. We’ve been teaching students who have the goal of becoming a qualified Les Mills instructor for as long as Les Mills has existed. In fact, we’ve been teaching students long before they came into existence, for 24 years now.
Then contact one of the organisations who provide the specific cycle instructor qualifications such as; Cycle Excel, Les Mills, Radical Fitness, etc.
Many people that want to teach classes, and believe that is the only thing they’ll ever want to do, end up loving the job so much they want to do more. This is when they realise they need Certificate IV in Fitness to teach things like bootcamps, PT sessions and anything else. It is therefore usually a good idea to enrol in both the Certificate III and IV, and become a nationally recognised, fully qualified personal trainer.
To summarise, it’s not too difficult to become a spin instructor, or indoor cycling instructor if you’re not aligned with Spinning. So if you like indoor cycling classes, and want to teach them yourself, then simply follow these steps:
- Sign up to get your Certificate III in Fitness
- Choose an Indoor Cycling operator to complete the specific cycling instructor course
- Pass their assessment
- Find a gym that offers cycling classes
- Contact them and let them know you are available to instruct classes should an opportunity become available (it will!)
- Be ready for a call up when the gym needs a replacement instructor
Take the first steps by enquiring with us for more information on our Certificate III in Fitness., or call us on 1300 232 348 to talk to one of our career advisors.
