Online Certification

Hi, I've been spinning about 3 months and love it. I spoke with the fitness director at the gym about certification. She gave me the website Fitour.com to checkout and once certified I would go through training with the gym. What are your thoughts on receiving certification online?

It would make me a) a little weary of the gym and b) think about how useful that certification is.

Many gyms(I work at one) are certified spinning centers. If they are, that means the instructor's need to receive their certification through Madd Dog. They teach proper technique and do continuing educatin credits throughout time. One very important thing about this is, learning proper technique!
Too many times have I seen people come in and tell stories of knee injuries because of the spinning instructor teaching a class with unsafe moves, and not suprisingly these classes were taken at non-Spinning certified studios.

I would seriously look into what is tought through this course, what it requires, and if you want to go and teach elsewhere would your certification be worth anything.

Call around to other facilities and see if they even value the program, if they do then it could be worth pursuing, but if it is only valid at your current gym then it is probably not worth your time and money if you can not use it further down the line.

I know a few instructors who obtained this certification. Let's just say that they teach every contraindicated movement in the book (read: very unsafe classes).

Fitness and knowledge of fitness and the human body needs to be taken seriously. I doubt that an online certification is worth much and I wouldn't waste my money on it. Put your money toward a more respected certification. My 2 cents.

I just went through Mad Dogg certification in May. I can vouch that you have to experience it first hand. If you google Spinning, you can get their website and find out where the certification classes are being held. It's one day, 9 hours, and by the time you're done, you'll know the moves, you'll know how to set up a profile (spinning class) the different kinds of classes, e.g., endurance, race day as well as how to properly set up a bike and instruct the moves. Well worth it.

Actually seeing the instructor on the bike was worth the price of the class. I've never seen anybody so fluid & effortless. They emphasize the mind-body connection and it has really paid off personally. I use it on my road bike & I don't fight the hills, wind, etc. like I used to.

Lastly, I think it's imperative that we teach safe moves. Not only morally, but because everybody wants to sue. I would think that having a well respected certification might help defray any efforts in that area.

I wouldn't even bother with FiTour's live workshops, at least the Pilates one that I did. This company is geared toward gyms (and instructors) that are looking to bump up their "certified" instructor base for insurance purposes without teaching any useful instructional techniques and especially safety techniques.

Just my $.02 as well.