Training to be a spin instructor is harder than it looks—here’s what happened when a W+G staffer tried it out

Have you ever looked up at the instructor during a spin class and thought, “I could do that. All they’re really doing is sharing motivational platitudes and telling you when to pedal faster, right?”

Well+Good social media manager (and indoor cycling enthusiast) Amanda Gaines has had that thought a time or two while clipped into the bike, so we had her put the theory to the test—by stepping out of her comfort zone and taking a crash course in what it actually takes to become a cycling instructor.

To do it, she traded her laptop for a mic and a headset to spend a day out of office under the tutelage of Jenna Arndt, director of instructor operations at SWERVE Fitness, who condensed an eight-week training program into one day.

One piece of insider intel Gaines discovered? You get sweaty while you’re up there dancing on the bike, so making time to refuel—with snacks like Smartfood® Smart50™, air-popped, 100 percent whole-grain popcorn at 50 calories per cup or less—is a total must.

For the rest of the behind-the-scenes lessons she learned from instructor training, watch the full video above. But spoiler alert: it was a lot more challenging—and a lot more fun—than expected. “Let me tell you: It is not easy,” Gaines says. “There is so much to consider when you’re up here on the podium, whether it’s the music, cueing the sprints, and giving off good energy to your class.”

Watch the video above for a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into learning how to become a spin instructor.

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