This past fall, Barre Intensity and Virginia Commonwealth University Rec Sports, VCU, had the opportunity to work together training VCU fitness instructors in the Barre Intensity technique. We took advantage of modern technology and conducted the training remotely through the Barre Intensity Online Instructor Training Program.
A big thank you to Sydney Dale, Fitness Graduate Assistant for Virginia Commonwealth, who not only introduced Barre Intensity to the university, but also answered our six questions on the VCU training experience.
Did you have a barre fitness program prior to the Barre Intensity training?
We offered barre classes prior to implementing the Barre Intensity training, but were limited on what we could offer with a low amount of instructors. Using Barre Intensity's Online Instructor Training program allowed us to triple the amount of classes we teach each week. In the past, I was personally training students to teach barre, and this was an easy and effective way to train a large group of instructors in a relatively short amount of time.
You had 10 trainees participate. How were you able to recruit?
Our students saw an incredible opportunity to learn from an organization they could trust, and also learn together! We have high demand for barre classes at VCU and these instructors were eager to get a chance to teach to enthusiastic patrons. We also highly encourage our instructors to teach more than just one format, because we think their experience from each modality makes them well-rounded. We had some that teach cycle, strength, HIIT, yoga and pilates and now they all have barre! They also loved the online format since it’s so convenient with their crazy student schedules.
How was the learning experience with the online training program?
Feedback from instructors is positive. The online modules were easy to follow and worked at a good pace. Nearly all our instructors have been teaching for over a year so I’m sure that was helpful to already know basic anatomy and movement, but they expressed that the content was broken down nicely.
What was the trainee practice plan for the material learned?
We had 4-5 “practical” sessions over the course of the 3 months to help them practice with each other. We incrementally added on portions of the class: warm-up, upper body, lower body, core, cool down. We have an open studio to work in when classes are not in session. After each session I was able to provide feedback as well as hear what their peers thought. It was great to see how each of them interpreted the material. They also studied together when it came time to take the exam which was both helpful and fun for them.
Have the Barre Intensity classes been received well by patrons?
Our instructors are in their first week of teaching and so far they feel incredibly confident, and their patrons are giving a great response. One instructor was excited to convert many of her routine cycle patrons to barre!
Do you plan to use Barre Intensity's online training program in the future?
I would 100% direct any students who express an interest in learning barre to use the Barre Intensity training. I think they really enjoyed the easy access to the online learning, and the content itself is very comprehensive.
From an administrative side, working with Stephanie has been a breeze! She’s been willing to answer any questions that I’ve had in the process of helping our instructors. All of the guidelines and instructions have been straight forward easy to follow.
Ready to bring Barre Intensity to your university? Contact us about setting up a live in person training or taking advantage of our university bundle discount for our Online Instructor Training program.