Pole Instructor

Lucca Valentine started this discussion · 1/6/2015

So...I'm insanely excited, if not getting ahead of myself. A woman approached me and told me she plans to expand her personal training business to open a gym and asked if I would be interested in teaching pole there! I am trying to figure out the best way to go about this...her gym tentatively opens in spring...and to my surprise and delight XPole is having an instructor cert training a few hours away from where I live. Like. Soon. Like perfect timing soon/would be set to teach by spring for sure. First I would need my group fitness certification which shouldn't be hard cuz half of what is in the test is what I'm majoring in/what I've been learning for the past several years...basically all in all this would cost $1000+ but it's something I was planning to do anyways and my student loans will have very conveniently come in by then...on top of the fact there are MANY studios near-ish to me/no further than where i already work and a seemingly limited amount of instructors. The classes in multiple studios are regularly wait listed, so people are definitely going. Am I being irrational/overexcited? Has anyone done xpole training? Was it worth the money? Could I teach classes with just a group fitness cert until I save up money for teacher training? I admit im a bit uncomfortable with that since I'm self taught and the last thing I would want to do is start beginners off with poor technique... This is seriously....what I want to do more than anything. If I could make a living off pole and massage I'd be so stoked. :)

7 replies

Stefana of Light · 1/6/2015
Lucca this sounds so great!! How exciting;)
AllysonKendal · 1/6/2015
Yayyy! That sounds so exciting! I'm sure you'd make a great teacher... And your background education means you'd be very knowledgeable. I looked up my instructors certifications, I don't know if this helps but she is Xpert, AFAA, and elevatED certified. I'm not sure which of those were necessary or anything. One thing I know is she does those "trainications" at Body and Pole in NYC and takes classes there when she can, so I think she structures her classes like them. I think it's just good to have a model to follow, and see how other people teach classes so you can see how you want to do it. Also you're a very strong and dedicated poler but it'll probably be good to see other students in a class and see how other people work out, cause when you're a home poler you're only really tuned into yourself. Congrats! Sounds promising!
Rachel Osborne · 1/6/2015
Wow that sounds just perfect ! How exciting!
chemgoddess1 · 1/6/2015
Will there be a dedicated private room for pole? This is the one thing that tends to keep people away. Most are self conscious enough and if they can see the gym people or they can see them it adds another level of uncertainty. As for teacher training, so many don't have it. I always brushed up with the lessons here. Veena really has some if the best instruction. The training that is most helpful is spotting techniques and quite honestly a little psychology. I am sure you will be fabulous!
I polekat I · 1/8/2015
oooh that sounds so exciting!!! dream come true!! =) I would think technically you don't need any training to teach, but different studios may look for that on an individual basis, although it sounds like your potential new gym owner doesn't have previous pole experience so it probably wouldnt be a requirement. Liability insurance would be the thing to consider, im not sure what is required there..... To be honest even though you are self taught, as chem mentioned veena's lessons are so awesome, and so focussed on SAFETY that you probably have a better understanding of how to teach/learn beginner moves with correct POC and muscle engagement etc than a lot of teachers out there!! my first teacher was an incredible pole dancer but a shit teacher quite frankly - the very first things we learnt were spins, she told us to jump into moves, do one handed spins, kick up into inverts (after only a few lessons!!) - at the time i had no idea how bad this instruction was =/ and she wasnt very good at adapting to different levels - she would demonstrate a move then we each got up and had a go (only 1 pole) so if you didnt do it perfect first time that was it, your go over - id usually slide straight off with sweat, then limp off til the next pathetic turn =/ it makes me cringe now hearing teachers preach bad habits and it is SO COMMONPLACE i hear it all over fb etc ... makes me realise how special Veena really is!!! =D also, u have such a good knowledge of physiology and anatomy that will put you in really good stead, i think most people dont have a clue !!! Allyson makes a really good point re: classes though - its one thing to have the skill base to teach pole but a whole other kettle of fish to be comfortable organising a class schedule - if possible i think it would be good if you could pop into a few different classes to get a idea of the kind of structure you feel works well =) and practice on your mates if you can =] ahhhhh i wish you all the luck!!!! so exciting =D
Kira · 1/8/2015
ahhh how awesome for you! teaching is more about common sense (knowing how to warm up, what the points of contact is, the push/pull of the move etc etc.) and I don't think you NEED to do the x-pole cert. Saying that the elevaTED course sounds really good, I'm thinking to save up for that one day. I find other short courses like anatomy, sport injuries, kinesiology etc. useful as well. Always do courses that expand your knowledge and is useful to you and don't do it if you feel deep down you already know the stuff. I'm sure you'll be fab :D
catmoves2718 · 1/9/2015
This is awesome for you, and I really hope it works out. However, if it were me, I would have multiple conversations with the potential gym owner about what she thinks the pole program in her gym will look like, the role of her instructors, etc.. I would want to make sure she really understands pole, and how pole is different and similar to other fitness classes. Space/accommodations are also important. As someone else asked, will pole have it's own room, but also, will this room be used only for pole? If the room is used for other classes then you may have to take poles up and down for every class. As an instructor this can be tiring and can mean you're there close to two hours to teach a one hour class (depending on the number of poles in the room). If there are classes where people wear gym shoes in the same room, then making sure the floor is always clean enough for floor work can sometimes be an issue. I'd also want to make sure she plans to pay enough to at least break even on the cost of the training. My understanding is that being certified can make it easier to get liability insurance, but you might be covered under the gym's insurance. Aside from insurance, going through a training program may make you feel more confident in your ability to teach, which is important. I really hope this is a great opportunity for you, but please be careful. I have experience teaching in a gym, if you'd like to talk more you can message me.