RE: Everyone's Entitled to My Opinion
Hi Workout Fanatic! Good morning! I'll answer your questions in order, then embroider . . .
1. I am not a member of AEA; I got certified thru ACE in February 1997 shortly after I began teaching aqua at a local club; I was sponsored by my club to get AEA certified in 12/98, but the CEC's were a pain and not much value to me anyway, so I let it lapse. In all honesty, I came to feel that AEA did not address the needs of high intensity aquatic instructors for people in better conditioning, focusing overwhelmingly on "special populations" (seniors, extremely deconditioned participants, people with musculoskeletal problems), and the workshops I took almost never provided protocols for any real muscle conditioning or even cardiovascular conditioning as I felt / knew / experienced could be so. And no, it NEVER enriched my teaching skills - by the time I got certified thru AEA, I'd already been aqua trained by my club and had developed my own skill base through teaching. I think that covers questions 1-3 (I hope)
2. I do not have any land based instruction experience. However, before I became an aqua participant (and shortly after that an aqua instructor) I'd done numerous land-based workouts at home through videos, primarily Kathy Smith step and hi/lo workouts. I was and am a devoted stepper; I toy every now and then with training in to become a studio step instructor, but the horror stories I read from other instructors (pressure to teach at unsafe speeds, participants pulling out cell phones in class, the implications of a mis-cue or a misstep) make me stay at home and do step for myself rather than for others.
3. Again, I've been an aqua instructor since 02/97; I began with 2 classes per week, then 3, then 4; then last summer due to mental burnout and body boredom with water work I cut back to 2 classes per week.
4. I get my best ideas from myself and my participants! I must say I'm blessed with the most motivated, good-natured population ever! I really try to make it a goal to make each class different in terms of choreography, which usually means taking the same base of productive movements and shuffling the deck so that they're organized in a new way each class. Movement combinations, movement speed variations, tempo variations, muscular focus variations . . . it is limitless. And it helps to have a gang of women who want a workout, and do not expect to be condescended to and spoken to like a bunch of hypersensitive 3-year-olds.
5. My response to those who say you can't get in a good workout in the pool is twofold: "Take my class (if you dare)" and then I take off my blazer (usually I wear sleeveless tanks) and show them my deltoids and arm muscles and say, "Do you really think I'd waste my time on something that doesn't work?" In all honesty, WF, I have a physique like Karen Voight's; I wear a size zero in a skirt, and I can do Cathe's Interval Max tape and add on 8-16 reps in EVERY interval.
6. Yes I do think the mode has been stereotyped for seniors, the extremely deconditioned and "special populations". It's a stereotype that continually feeds itself, often by the very promulgators of the mode. I do wish Cathe would do an aqua tape!
7. I LOVE TEACHING AQUA! I teach in the pool, not on the deck; I do not believe you can effectively demonstrate a water move on land, but I do believe you can learn to communicate proper form and execution of a move while you are in the pool. And you develop a much better, close connection with your participants when you are close-up and eyeball to eyeball. I used to use music (and I do not believe the only appropriate speed for aqua is 125-140 bpm - I usually used 147 - 160 bpm for the first part of the class, 125-128 for a 10-minute power bridge, back to whippin' fast, and then step tempo for deep water, abdominal and upper body work). Now, however, I teach totally a cappella - I find I put on an even more intense class when I can very the movement speed myself when I want rather than when the music calls for it. If you're gonna use music USE IT, and teach on the beat to keep it rhythmic.
8. In my early days I planned all of my choreography, but I rapidly got past that, and I really have no idea what's gonna flow out when I start the class. Over time I've built up a big enough bag of tricks where I never run out of things to do, and my biggest problem is usually what to leave out rather than how to fill up the time.
9. AGAIN, I LOVE AQUA! I find the aqua crowd to be overwhelmingly a good natured lot, and lavish in their appreciation. If you work them hard but hard in an empowering way (and yes, there is a way to combine the two), the health benefits they gain are enormous, and they WANT to come in.
10. CAVEATS: Be prepared for the Chatty Patty element. Aqua draws the yak-yak crowd; DO NOT LET THEM TALK! I tell 'em "I am the only one allowed to talk during class. If you have enough breath and brain cells left over to talk you could be working harder." sometimes I have to say it again directly to a chatter; and sometimes the chatter is mortally offended and leaves. I say "good riddance", and my participants appreciate my efforts to keep class focused on exercise rather than socializing. Also, do be prepared for a much higher percentage of deconditioned and uncoordinated participants who don't have a real relationship with their bodies. If you focus on them and their workouts, in terms of proper postural form and good execution, they will develop that relationship, and you will have done an enormous service to them. And it don't get much bettah than that!
11. Offer to you: I've developed a book of moves, combos and other ideas just for my own personal review and edification; I have no pride of authorship in it, and if you'd like me to bat off a photocopy of it I'd be happy to do so. Lemme know - I love encouraging new aqua instructors as well as participants! If this appeals to you, let's put our heads together and figure out how to get it to you; it's not on my computer so I can't e-mail it.
YOU GO GIRL!
Annette
