I am lucky enough to know one of Colby’s own student spin instructors, Georgia Goodman. I thought it would be fun to sit down and ask her a little more about herself, the job, and how she approaches her classes!
How did you first get into spin classes?
“I always loved to work out but my favorite part was always the music. I wanted to be in an environment where there was a really loud, fun energy. I didn’t really like group classes because it felt like too many bodies and kind of stressful. But then I went to my first spin class and it was like dancing and it was all centered around the music! I used to dance when I was younger and I think I missed having a workout that was synced to something. It was just so much more fun and I thought it was making working out way more fun than forcing myself to run.”
When did you decide you wanted to instruct? What was the certification process like?
“I’ve been thinking about being an instructor for a while because I was spending so much money on classes and I thought I might as well turn this into something. I thought maybe I could teach or work at a studio or something. Then, during quarantine, we got a Peloton and I was literally spinning every single day. I was like, this is so many hours of practice, and it was the only thing I could do and look forward to during quarantine and it made me so happy. So when we went home for winter break I decided to get certified and teach at school!
To get certified, I did an online certification that was a pretty big exam and then a bunch of hours I had to do for practice. But it was not that bad.”
How do you prepare for class?
“I spend a lot of time preparing for class because I feel like the playlist is the most important part. So I’ll sit down and make a playlist one day, probably a week in advance, and I’ll keep changing the songs throughout the week if I find one I like better or different things. Then I’ll write up exactly what I’m gonna do for class corresponding to the music, and then I’ll go in and run through the class one or two times to make sure I know exactly what I’m gonna do.”
Do you have any spin studio recommendations outside of your own class?
“100%! Rêve in Portland, Maine is my favorite. It’s where I took my first class ever. They’re in this socially-distant, really pretty brick building at Thompson’s Point now. Jibe Studio is fun in Portland as well. I’m just partial to Rêve because that’s where I started. And then SoulCycle is always fun, I feel like you just have to go!”
Thank you so much to Georgia for sitting down with me! Be sure to try one of her spin classes at the AC on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4pm!