Ever feel like you’re teaching a killer class but you aren’t filling those rosters up at the rate you’d like to? I hate to break it to you, but your music choices may have a lot to do with that! Lagree is not necessarily a musically driven workout like Zumba or Spinning, BUT music has a major impact on us psychologically when we do physical activity. If you’re in the habit of pressing shuffle on your playlist and seeing where Spotify takes you, consider being more intentional with your class playlists to create a better experience for your clients!
#1 Choose Music for the Class, Not for You
I’ll admit it. I’m a diehard Justin Bieber fan. I could listen to his songs on loop every single time I take a class and be content for the rest of time…but I have a hunch most of my clients would get sick of him pretty fast.
Your class doesn’t care how cool and up-to-date your Spotify queue is, or what fanbase you belong to. Frankly, they’d rather listen to the tunes they used to break it down at the club to than listen to the current top 10.
Look at the demographics of your class and target your music to fit their preferences versus yours! If your studio has a ton of college kids, Madonna and Aerosmith tunes are likely foreign to them- stick to Harry and Taylor. The more your playlists appeal to the clients at your studio, the more enjoyable your class will become to them.
#2 Balance the Playlist
A playlist of all house music may be fun for someone who loves house, but for a rap-lover, that doesn’t sound like a good time. Throwing some rap, house, R&B, and pop with a remix sprinkled in once in a while creates a much more dynamic experience for the class!
Additionally, different genres of music bring a different energy to the class and a different beat. For example, upbeat house and remixes help keep the energy up at the end of class when you need everyone to stay in their final plank, but an R&B song with a strong beat keeps the clients moving at a slow pace as you push them through a heavy upper body sequence.
Listen to your playlists before teaching to them and see how they make you feel energetically throughout the whole flow!
#3 Crossfade, Crossfade, Crossfade!
Crossfade is a setting on your streaming service where you can have songs overlap slightly so there is no gap between songs. Leaving a gap between songs breaks up the flow and energy of the class and can be distracting. By setting your songs up to overlap by 8-12 seconds, you create smooth transitions from song to song and never give those clients a chance to break focus 😉
Try implementing these 3 changes for your next class and see how it improves client satisfaction of your class experience. Remember, part of your job as a fitness instructor is being a DJ, so go out there and create a party in your classes!
have a question? drop them here!