14 Years at the Front of the Room: What a Real Fitness Instructor Actually Sees

After 14 years teaching fitness, Rhonda Goode has strong opinions about what makes or breaks an instructor. Here’s what she actually sees.

Listen to the episode here:

What Does a Great Fitness Instructor Actually Look Like From the Inside?

You have probably walked into a fitness class and wondered, is this instructor any good? Are they actually watching me? Do they even care?

Rhonda Goode has been teaching group fitness for fourteen years. She has seen instructors come and go. She has watched trends blow up and fizzle out. She has strong opinions about what separates the instructors who build real, lasting communities from the ones who disappear inside of a year.

This is episode two of a three-part series on More Movement Please, recorded as part of Podcasts On, a global initiative where thousands of podcasters highlight a charity of their choice. Ashley is spotlighting the Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County, Kentucky. Links to learn more and donate are in the show notes.

Now, here is what Rhonda actually sees when she stands at the front of the room.

The Number One Mistake Fitness Instructors Make

Rhonda does not hesitate on this one. The biggest mistake instructors make is not showing up.

Canceling class. Calling in. Sending a last-minute sub or just leaving a room full of people with nothing.

It sounds simple. But Rhonda says it is the single fastest way to lose your students’ trust and their loyalty. And she is not just saying it. In fourteen years, she has built a reputation on never canceling. Not once. If the room was being used somewhere else, she moved the class downstairs. She found a way.

That consistency is a big part of why her students keep coming back year after year.

Teaching a Class vs. Leading a Class

There is a real difference between someone who stands at the front and calls out moves and someone who actually leads.

Rhonda leads.

She does the work right alongside her students. She watches every person in the room. She knows every injury, every limitation, every body part that needs to be protected. If she calls a move and sees someone who should not be doing it, she makes eye contact and says, not you, without missing a beat.

She calls it knowing your folks. And she says it is the most important thing an instructor can do, because people come back to a class where they feel seen. Not managed. Not overlooked. Seen.

She also gives people the side eye when their form slips. The front rowers know exactly what that look means.

She Can Tell Immediately If You Are There to Work or Just Check a Box

Rhonda says this without any judgment attached to it. She just notices.

You can tell by the eye contact. By the way someone moves. By their body language. All of it together tells her within minutes whether someone is there to actually push themselves or just going through the motions.

She does not waste energy chasing people who are just checking a box. That is not harsh. It is honest. Her time and attention go to the people who want to be there.

Why She Arrives a Few Minutes Late on Purpose

This one surprised Ashley in the interview, and it will probably surprise you too.

Rhonda intentionally arrives five to seven minutes after people start gathering. On purpose.

Why? Because people come to the gym to socialize. She knows that. She accepts it. So she gives everyone time to get the chit chat out before class starts, then she turns on the music and that is the signal. Talking is over. Time to move.

She says it is exactly like church. Get it all out before it starts.

What She Thinks About the State of the Fitness Industry

The fitness world is packed right now. Social media instructors. Online certifications. People with almost no experience standing in front of a class.

Rhonda actually thinks things have gotten better, not worse. She says the industry spent years chasing the next big trend, a new format every year, something shiny and specialized. She thinks people have largely moved away from that and back toward foundational fitness. The stuff that just works.

She is not impressed by certifications for their own sake. She has seen plenty of people get certified and never use it, or get certified and still not know how to lead a room. The piece of paper is not what makes you good.

The Advice She Wishes Someone Had Given Her on Day One

If she could sit down with a brand new instructor before their first class, she would say this. Be yourself. Let the chips fall where they may. Not everyone is going to like you, and that is fine.

You need thick skin in this industry. People will walk out of your class. They will tell you they do not like what you do. They will comment on your body. They will say things to your face that they would never say anywhere else.

Rhonda’s first sub at the Y, a woman came up to her after class and said the workout was good but that she was surprised because Rhonda was, quote, kind of big. Rhonda’s internal response was essentially, just wait. Then she kept coming back and eventually became one of Rhonda’s regulars.

If you cannot handle that kind of feedback without falling apart, the front of the room is not the place for you. That is not an insult. It is just the truth.

She Builds Her Own Choreography

One more thing worth knowing. Rhonda does not just follow a preset playlist or curriculum. She builds her own choreography. She will watch six YouTube videos of a song, pull one section she likes, and build the rest herself. She has been doing this long enough that she can create a workout on the fly from almost anything.

That is fourteen years of daily investment in her craft. And it shows.

Action Items

If you are looking for a fitness class, watch how the instructor interacts with the room. Do they know people’s names? Do they watch for form? That is a good instructor
Try not to walk in and immediately go to the back to hide. Introduce yourself. A good instructor will remember you
If you have been coming to class and just going through the motions, ask yourself why. Boredom? Wrong format? Time for a change?
Give your instructor some grace. Showing up every single time takes more than people realize
If you are in the Richmond, Kentucky area and want to find Rhonda, check the show notes for how to connect
Visit the Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County, Kentucky through the link in the show notes

Show Notes from this Episode:

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional before starting any diet or exercise program.

Be sure to follow me online: https://famousashleygrant.com/fitness/

Learn more about Podcasthon: https://podcasthon.org/

Learn more about and donate to Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County: https://www.humanesocietyall.com/

Follow Rhonda online: https://www.facebook.com/fitnesswithRhondaGoode

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