Youre also changing the lives of the people who come to you!
Im telling you this because you want to know what its like to become a Barrys instructor.
Well, here is whatcanhappen: You become a celebrity trainer by brand affiliation.
You become a local celebrity.
Dreams can come true.
You become a rock star.
To this day, the best instructors are found in class.
Just ask Barry, the man behind it all.
Outside of being in great shape and having a pretty smile, I watch for form in class.
I watch you run on the treadmill.
I watch you engage in conversation with others.
Did you grab a mat for someone or help put weights away?
I met some unique people and eventually narrowed it down to 15 candidates.
Then, heres what went down:
Day 1:I call it The First Impression Round.
Afterwards, I give feedback.
Im not looking for perfection.
In fact, its typically a complete mess.
But thats the point.
I want to see how they handle pressure, how quick they are on their feet.
I want to see personality, knowledge and control.
I want to be impressed.
There is an academic component, tooeach candidate is given a manual and everyone is expected to know it.
It becomes their bible.
He was all over the place and in the bottom two.
He was far from perfect, but I saw potential.
If you show me small amounts of what Im looking for, I can teach you the rest.
Days 2-4:I look at these rounds like those middle rounds onAmerican Idol.
I need you to improve each day to stay in the competition.
Unlike Day 1, I give assignments 24 hours in advance.
That gives the candidate ample time to prepare each day.
Im looking for the candidate to take my feedback, apply it and improve from day to day.
Again, the candidates had about five minutes to teach a mock class.
The previously-mentioned top trainer remained the same.
He had more knowledge than the rest of the candidates.
But he was still missing that X factor.
The candidate from the bottom two was OK.
He wasnt an encyclopedia of fitness, but he improved each day.
He wanted it badly and I could tell.
He made me want to run.
He made me want to lift.
He had something special.
He was no longer in the bottom two by the time we got to the last day.
Day 5:The finale.
For this day, I like to surprise the candidates with a room full of actual clients.
LikeAmerican Idol, I have the audience vote for their favorites.
This is also where I look to see who is comfortable being uncomfortable.
It’s about the clients at the end of the day.
No one wants to take a class that was just good.
The bottom two candidate set himself apart.
He stole the show and won the crowd.
Thats what I want in my instructors.
Show me that you are willing to learn and apply what we teach you.
I need to believe in you.
If you believe in what you are saying, so will everyone else.
As a Barrys instructor it’s crucial that you be knowledgeable.
you gotta be motivating.
you better be inspiring.
it’s crucial that you be fit.
you gotta be intelligent.
you gotta remember everyones names.
You need be a DJ.
you should probably be able to essentially teach two classes at once.
you oughta make a class of 40+ people feel like they are each in a private training session.
it’s crucial that you be charming.
you better smile, a lot.
you better be active in the community.
you gotta be active on social media.
you better be punctual.
you should probably be passionate.
Etc..etc..etc.
So, are wejustinstructors?
Photo Credit: Seth Browarnik/WorldRedEye; Miami Herald / Contributor, Getty
