85: The Energy Exchange: 5 Tips For Making Group X Classes Electric!

Ever walked into a group fitness class where the energy was absolutely magnetic?Everyone seems connected and truly happy to be there? 

And then there are those other classes where something just feels...off. It could be the same type of class...but a completely different experience. What's the invisible force that makes the difference?

In this powerful episode of Group X Appeal, Kimberly and Terry reveal the secret sauce behind unforgettable group exercise experiences: the energy exchange.

Discover the 5 essential strategies that transform ordinary classes into electric, can't-miss experiences that participants rave about. Learn why your energy matters before the music ever starts, how to read the room and adapt in real-time, and the surprising way music shapes the emotional journey of your class.

Find out why celebrating effort (not perfection) changes everything, and how creating shared moments builds the unity that makes people feel stronger together. 

Whether you're an instructor seeking to elevate your classes or a fitness enthusiast who's experienced both magical and mediocre sessions, this conversation explains what's really happening when everything clicks.

The magic of group exercise isn't just the workout - it's the energy you create together. Tune in to this episode to learn how to tap into it?

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- @kimberlyspreenglick on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
- email: kimberly@theinspiredlifeuniversity.com
- website: www.theinspiredlifeuniversity.com

Stay Connected with Terry:
- @terryshorter on Instagram & Facebook
- email: terry@rippedplanet.com
- website: www.rippedplanet.com

Transcript

Have you ever walked into a class where the energy just felt electric, like everyone in the room was connected? Absolutely. And then there are other classes where something just feels off. Same kind of workout, but completely different experience. Today we're talking about the invisible force that makes or breaks a class, the energy exchange.

Kimberly/terry (00:23)
Welcome to Group X Appeal. I am Kimberly Spreen Glick here with Terry Shorter. We are so glad that you are here today because today we are talking about group fitness, group exercise.

the experience that we know it has the potential for being. In group exercise it's unique. It's unique because it's not just a workout. It is actually a shared experience. Energy moves between the instructor, the participants, the music, the moment. Yes and when the energy is right something truly magical happens. People they push harder, they smile more and they literally leave feeling way better than

just understanding how to cultivate that kind of energy can literally transform a class from good to unforgettable. Definitely. We all want to both teach and experience unforgettable classes. So we're going to share five ways to elevate the energy in a group exercise class. Yeah. So the first one is... Bring it! Speaking of bringing it...

For the first tip, it's really to think about bringing your energy before the music starts. Honestly, the energy you come into the room with as an instructor, it matters. Your energy begins before the first beat ever drops. So, I mean, when you first come into the room and you start engaging with other humans, by all means, smile, make eye contact, say hello, ask people how they're doing, welcome them to the experience, and set the tone before class ever begins. But honestly, even before that,

to be able to go into the class in a positive mindset, with a positive mindset and in a state of appreciation. That's why before every class I teach, always encourage instructors and coaches alike to have some kind of presence practice, and we've talked about this before. But before I go in to teach, I say to myself, I don't have to do this. I get to do this. I say that three times, sometimes in my car, sometimes in my head while I'm walking into the

say it because it does two things. One, brings me into the present moment, but two, it brings me into the moment in a state of appreciation because I realize, not realize, but I remind myself I get to do this. When you walk into the room with an I get to do this energy,

It sets you up in a very different way and the energy is lifted to a good place from the start and participants will often mirror the instructors energy. So you want to walk in with good energy before you start giving the first cue for the workout. Absolutely and one of the things I know Kimberly does as well, she's got the t-shirt on, she's giving people hugs before class I'm hug dealer.

Yeah if you if you're not watching this on YouTube she's wearing her hug dealer t-shirt. I grabbed that. Yes that yeah. don't know why I did that. I saw that. She does that too. That definitely changes the energy in the room right there. Let's just say if you ever see one on the street and you need a hug. Boom. I'm your girl. Come on up. That'll definitely improve the energy for sure.

So tip number two is to read the room. Read the room. So every class, different classes have different vibes, right? Your cycle class is going to be a lot different than the vibe in your yoga class, right? Your yoga class is going to be a lot different than your fit class. Your fit class is going to have a different vibe than your fighting class, your kickboxing classes. So some days people need motivation. You'll be able to sense that if you're really taking the temperature of the room.

Some

days they are going to need encouragement. You can also feel that energy in the room. And then there's other days where people just simply need grace. ⁓ yeah. Right? I have those days. Right? Yeah. I have a lot of those days as well, probably more than others. ⁓ And great instructors are able to adapt to the room.

And so, you know, it has to do not just with feeling, it's also asking the question, hey, how are you doing today? What's happening? What's new? You know, what's the best thing that you've experienced so far today? What are you excited about most today? I always will kick off, you know, today is national, today happens to be National Peanut Butter Jelly Day. Today is? Today is that day.

also coupled with National Burrito Day. So stop it. Guess what I'm having? Are you having a peanut butter and jelly burrito? That sounds good, doesn't it? It actually does sound good.

So just by sharing that, sharing little tidbits of information like that can change the energy in the room as well. Keeping it fun, keeping it light, keeping it interesting. ⁓ Again, for me, every day is a celebration. It really is. ⁓ Like Kimberly said, it really is a get-to. And you can... ⁓

by bringing that kind of attitude and that kind of energy to the room, makes you a lot more receptive to be able to gauge what's happening in the room as well. Yeah, definitely.

Another tip we have for you is to really make use of your music. Use your music as an energy driver because music, it's not just your cues and the experience you have planned, but music itself shapes the emotional journey of the class. We always talk about yoga as this perfect example because you start with this kind of creating sacred space and it's really quiet and then...

with the classes we teach anyway, the flow classes, we kind of ramp things up and next thing you know, it's kind of, you feel like you're at a nightclub and then it of comes back down. And so, and you know, a lot of classes mirror that kind of feel. And the right song at the right moment can really elevate not just the experience, but people's effort. You know, when they, they're kind of in it and then the...

beat kicks in, the right emotional feeling or the right words. If you're using lyrics in the music that you bring to the table, it can elevate people's effort and help them connect more to the experience right away, instantly. Absolutely. And nowadays it's a lot easier to curate your music playlists because the lyrics are more readily available than ever before to make it easier for your theming, if you're theming your classes. absolutely

really does or implementing the right songs can really elevate the...

She said not just the experience but the effort as well. So take your time with that Yeah, just play a random list when you don't know what's coming, right? Right. Absolutely. And then tip number four would be celebrate effort not Perfection we've said this before right? It's a huge one ⁓ the energy grows when people feel safe to try something new to maybe Step outside their comfort zone to find their edge, right? And so by kind of creating that place where they can

you can celebrate their effort and not looking for the perfect Instagram pose or the perfect Instagram exercise. Recognize their effort, their courage, their willingness to take it up a notch or do something they've never tried before and any improvement that they've made along the way.

So right in our last episode Kimberly just mentioned how she had a member who was typically in the back of the room. She found them in the front of the room and she acknowledged that person and by doing that I'm sure the energy from that person kind of stepped up a few notches just because you noticed.

Yeah, think it may matter. The way we're hardwired for connection, there's so much we can bring to the table to make the experience more powerful. So last tip we have for you is to create shared moments. Now this can be within the experience like group challenges where we maybe team up and have a little fun with a little healthy competition, a little competitive fun, maybe doing countdowns or kind of a, maybe it's a collective push. A lot of times when...

when I'm teaching, I will remind them, know, we are doing this here together because we are stronger together. And something, you know, kind of happens in the room, the moment they hear the word stronger together, it's like we're all in it, but we're in it and connected, and that creates like a sense of unity. And when you create moments like that, shared moments, where everyone feels like, okay, we're all in this together, those are the moments I think that people remember.

Absolutely, Friendly little competitions ⁓ are fun to do as well. Right side of the room, left side of the room. ⁓ At the end of, let's say, fight conditioning. It's kind of funny. We will take them through nine rounds of work and...

I'm thinking as an instructor, yeah, these rounds will be really solid. They'll remember this combination. It's always the end. The friendly team competition is the part that they love the most. This isn't even fight related, but okay. Because it's a shared moment where they all get to be involved. all feel like you're saying they feel interconnected. They feel like they're a part of something that's a lot more, you know, a lot more important than just themselves. So kind of cool to see.

So, you know, the magic of group exercise is not just about the workout, as I'm sure you've gathered, you've probably experienced. It's really just about the energy that we can create together. Yep. And when instructors and participants bring their best energy into the room, something really powerful happens.

Yeah, so we would love to know please tell us the most electric class you've ever experienced. What class was that? There has to be at least one and if there were more please share those as well. We'd love to know you know what kind of class it was, what modality it

even the instructor where the class was. Give the instructor a shout out. Yeah for sure. Perhaps we can go check out that class too. That'd cool. Because we love being students as well. So and also we really appreciate you in advance for sharing this episode and that way we just kind of continue keeping the energy flowing. Speaking of energy. Yeah. I'm gonna keep the group X appeal energy. right.

Thank you for tuning in, like and follow and share and rate and send us your messages, comment. We just love to hear from you, love to stay connected, but appreciate your support for sure. Yes, you're the ones who ⁓ have helped us come this far sharing our passion, sharing our love for this thing called group exercise, group acts and being the 85th episode. What closing on on triple digits pretty soon. Again, we couldn't do without you and we appreciate you. We're so grateful and until we meet again.

I'm Terry Shorter. I'm Kimberly Spreen Glick And as always we encourage you to make it a fantastic day today. why? Because it is a fantastic day to have. Yes it is. Thank you.