The Y-M-C-A (camp); What I've Learned in my First Month

As I pass the one-month mark leading my M/W/F 5:30 a.m. boot camp at the Mission Valley YMCA, it occurred to me that I have not really said much about it here. Which is a shame because I'm learning at an alarming clip, and loving it.

It's been such an amazing experience for me for many reasons. First and foremost, I had no idea that I would be working with such a motivated and truly kind group of people. Each day when I walk in that room to setup, I know that in about 20 minutes, my team will start filing in, ready to work, and be eternally optimistic. It makes being with them so much easier and more enjoyable.

The class has also been great in terms of pushing me to try new things and making things adaptable for different skill levels, because my camp has a wide variance when it comes to age, skill level, size, etc. The same things that make the group so fun to be around because of all the unique people also make the challenge to me more specific and educational. I am learning a LOT very fast. It's a very very great thing for a future trainer to have to break down each exercise to find ways to make it both more difficult and less difficult - it adds to the "arsenal" for when I'm working with folks one-on-one.

What has also become clear is that a leader can NEVER be too prepared. Yes, it is very important to be able to improvise in the middle of an exercise class and yes, there is something to be said for spontaneity. However, I pride myself on always having thought through the workout for the day, having things laid out for my team when they come in, and on thinking through a workout from start to finish; reverse engineering it from the goal I want them to reach and the tools I have at my disposal.

Finally, I think this last month of acting as a leader for a motivated group of people has taught me to never underestimate the power of a large group (or pair, or small group) of people working together for a common goal. It's unscientific, as I haven't really surveyed anyone, but I sense that the vibe and energy level in class is best when I have people working with others, whether it be as a pair exercise, a group of 3-4 going through circuits together, or the entire team lined up on the baseline of the basketball courts sweating through suicides together. This type of training makes me truly understand why people love Group Ex so much, and why it's a nice fit for me as a teacher.

If you haven't stopped in to check out the class yet, please do! Let me know if you're not a member and I can get you a one-time entry pass ... if you don't come down to my camp - try someone's! I think you'll find that working hard, together, makes exercise much more palatable and exciting.