Today's guest blogger is Impro Melbourne ensemble member and personal trainer Jaime Cerda.
I started improvising and performing long before I got into fitness and coaching. My impro life was always my number 1 priority. It was just so much fun to do and gave me such incredible life skills. Skills that seemed to translate perfectly into Personal Training and fitness.
I never feel more alive than when I'm on stage improvising and I think it's that thirst for life and seeing someone so happy to be doing what they're doing that makes it that much more attractive to watch. Cue my journey into fitness coaching.
I also love coaching and exercising. The Arts and Fitness - not a common pairing.
When I started coaching, I watched other coaches to learn. Coaches with no background in the arts or performance explain and demo their classes and how members just kind of went through the motions rather than being actually present in the room and watching and listening to them, excited to jump in. I knew there had to be a better way. I remember leading my first session and instantly loving it. I drew from my impro skills and injected my exercise knowledge into it. Part scientific explanation, part performance. Members and my fellow coaches loved it. And most importantly, they began to get excited to come into the gym every day!
Impro has given me many things over the years but the gift that it most frequently gives when coaching or simply being in a room full of people is adaptability. Every person is unique, we're all different, that's why it's called Personal Training. It's important to have the ability to not only give people the appropriate information to help and keep them safe but also HOW you deliver that information. Everyone likes to be spoken to and coached a certain way. Some people like a gentle suggestion to pick up something heavier or move faster and others just liked to be yelled at. Coaches need to be able to distinguish what kind of client they have in an instant to keep them and help them.
Most people are intimidated walking into a gym for the first time. I know i was. There is just so much going on; new unfamiliar environment, new people, self-esteem, fear of doing things wrong or being judged for not knowing or even how one looks! All completely normal feelings that impro skills can help mediate.
I truly believe that my improvisation background is the reason why I have been able to be so successful in my fitness career. Whether that be building memberships and community inside various studios, my own online coaching business or stepping on stage at bodybuilding competitions. I always have my impro skills with me and helping me.
Jaime is an improviser, actor, and fitness coach, and a founding instructor with Barry's Bootcamp Melbourne.
You can find him at:
https://www.instagram.com/abcerda
https://www.facebook.com/jaimegcerdaactor/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3ccTvdZC_F4lgtEfka0yXQ
www.barrysbootcamp.com.au
Think improvisation could be great for you too? Check out Impro Melbourne's workshops! We have a range of exciting classes available for everyone from beginners to advanced students.
