After 14 years teaching fitness, Rhonda Goode knows within 60 seconds if a new student will stick around. Here’s what she sees and what she’d say to you.

Listen to the episode here:

She Knows Before You Even Start Moving

After fourteen years of teaching fitness classes, Rhonda Goode can read a room fast. And when a brand new student walks through the door, she usually knows within about sixty seconds whether they are going to stick with it or be gone by next week.

She is not judging. She is just paying attention.

This is the third and final episode of a special three-part series on More Movement Please, recorded as part of Podcasts On. This global initiative brings thousands of podcasters together in one week to raise awareness for a charity of their choice. Ashley has been highlighting the Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County, Kentucky throughout this series. Links to donate and learn more are in the show notes.

Now, here is what Rhonda actually sees when you walk in.

The Signs You Do Not Realize You Are Sending

When Rhonda introduces herself to a new student before class, she is already picking up signals. She tells them what to expect, reminds them to do what they can, and reassures them that even her longtime regulars cannot always keep up.

Some new students look her in the eye and nod. They are engaged. They are in.

Others look at the floor. Look away. Their whole body says, I am not really going to be here very long.

And then class starts, and some students just stop. Not because they are lost. Not because they need a break. They stop and stare with a look that says, I did not sign up for this.

Those are usually the ones who do not come back.

Does Seeing the Regulars Intimidate New People?

One of Rhonda’s long-time students sent Ashley a thoughtful message before this interview. She asked whether new people feel intimidated when they walk in and see the regulars, people who know all the moves and clearly have a rhythm with Rhonda.

Rhonda’s honest answer is that she does not think so. Not in her class.

Her students come in every body shape, every age, every background. New people tend to head to the back anyway, where they feel safer. And her regulars are welcoming. There is always someone in the room who will say something to a new face, whether out of genuine kindness or sheer nosiness, usually both.

She says gyms with cliques in the corner, where nobody acknowledges newcomers, those places exist. But her class is not that.

What Separates the People Who Transform From the Ones Who Stay Stuck

Ashley asked Rhonda the question a lot of people want the answer to. What actually separates the people who make big changes from the ones who come back year after year and stay exactly the same?

Rhonda’s answer is simple. The ones who stay stuck refuse to change anything. Not their workouts. Not their habits. Not their diet. Nothing.

She has watched people come in, have the same conversations with her repeatedly, complain about the same lack of progress, and then go home and do the exact same things they did before. If nothing changes, nothing changes.

The Lifestyle Habits That Derail People Outside the Gym

Most people focus on what they do in the gym. Rhonda says the bigger issue is everything that happens outside of it.

Diet is the obvious one. But just as damaging is sitting. A desk job five days a week is hard to outrun with a three-hour-a-week gym habit, especially if your genetics are working against you. It just does not math out.

Rhonda says you have to look for ways to move throughout your entire day. Take the stairs. Walk the dog. Actually walk the dog, not just let it into the backyard. Do the outside work. Keep asking yourself, what else can I do to be active today? She says that question is always running in the back of her mind.

The Netflix and binge cycle, she has never done it once in her life. She says it is fine if you are sick. Otherwise, it is just sitting when you could be moving.

Can You Out-Exercise a Bad Diet?

Short answer from Rhonda: it depends.

It depends on how bad the diet is and how much you are willing to work. She points out that if you are drinking half your daily calories in coffee drinks and sugary beverages, you have already used up a huge chunk of your allowance before you have eaten a single real meal.

She also makes the point that once you clean up your eating, your body starts to tell you when you have gone off track. You feel sluggish. You feel tired. You know. That feedback loop becomes its own motivation.

Can you eat junk and lose weight if you are willing to go to the gym five or six days a week and keep moving the rest of the time? Yes. Rhonda says you can. But you have to actually do all of that, not just pick one or the other.

What It Feels Like When a Student Hits a Big Goal

Rhonda admits that teaching is a job. She gets tired. Physically tired. Mentally tired. Tired of her students sometimes, and she says it with a laugh.

But then she gets a message. A student on vacation sends a photo from the top of a mountain and says that hiking felt easy for the first time in her life, and it is because of Rhonda’s class.

That is why she shows up. Even on the days she does not feel like it. People can take care of themselves. They can do the things they want to do without limitations. That is what matters to her.

What She Would Say to You Right Now

If you are listening to this and you are exactly at that crossroads, you know something needs to change but you have not made the move yet, Rhonda’s message has not changed in fourteen years. She says the same thing every time because it is always true.

Look at your future fifteen to twenty years from now. If you stay exactly where you are right now, which will actually get worse because that is how it works, what does your life look like? And if you have kids, what are you showing them? What are you leaving them with?

That is it. No fluff. No soft sell. Just a real question worth sitting with.

Action Items

• Be honest with yourself about what you are broadcasting when you walk into a fitness class. Engagement and effort show. So does the opposite
• Make one small change this week outside the gym. Walk more. Take the stairs. Spend less time sitting
• Think about what your life looks like in fifteen to twenty years if nothing changes. Let that thought motivate you, not paralyze you
• If you have been coming to class and staying stuck, look at your habits outside the gym. That is almost always where the real issue lives
• Go back and listen to episodes 48 and 49 if you missed them. This three-part series with Rhonda is worth hearing from the beginning
• Visit the Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County, Kentucky through the link in the show notes. Share the link. Donate if you can. Awareness is the goal and you sharing helps more than you know

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

—————————————

This podcast is supported by affiliate partnerships. Please check out a few of our partners below:

– Check out my Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/theashleygrant?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_4EEZX1HN7ZCWEBZ33TK3

– Start a podcast today here: https://rss.com/?via=moremovementplease

– Create content from your own voice with Castmagic’s Suite of AI Tools: https://get.castmagic.io/dcjy15cirnts

– Want to help support our show? Buy a girl a drink perhaps? https://ko-fi.com/famousashleygrant

– Need content for your podcast or blog? Check out Tools for Motivation!

The links above are affiliate links. This means my podcast will receive a small commission if you order through any of them at no additional cost to you. Affiliate commissions are one of the ways my podcast makes money so that I can create episodes free of charge. If you do purchase anything from my links, I sincerely would like to thank you for your support!

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

—————————————

This podcast is supported by affiliate partnerships. Please check out a few of our partners below:

– Check out my Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/theashleygrant?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_4EEZX1HN7ZCWEBZ33TK3

– Start a podcast today here: https://rss.com/?via=moremovementplease

– Create content from your own voice with Castmagic’s Suite of AI Tools: https://get.castmagic.io/dcjy15cirnts

– Want to help support our show? Buy a girl a drink perhaps? https://ko-fi.com/famousashleygrant

– Need content for your podcast or blog? Check out Tools for Motivation!

The links above are affiliate links. This means my podcast will receive a small commission if you order through any of them at no additional cost to you. Affiliate commissions are one of the ways my podcast makes money so that I can create episodes free of charge. If you do purchase anything from my links, I sincerely would like to thank you for your support!

Rhonda Goode never planned to become a fitness instructor. Here’s how one packed room and two quitting instructors changed everything.

Listen to the episode here:

She Never Planned Any of This

Rhonda Goode has been teaching fitness classes for fourteen years. Thousands of people have sweated, struggled, and kept coming back because of her. But here is the thing. She never set out to be an instructor.

Not even a little bit.

This episode of More Movement Please is the origin story. It is part one of a three-episode series recorded as part of Podcasts On, a global event where thousands of podcasters shine a spotlight on a charity of their choice. The charity Ashley is highlighting this week is the Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County, Kentucky. Links to donate and learn more are in the show notes.

Now, back to Rhonda.

Two Instructors Quit at the Same Time

Rhonda started working out in 2011 at age 35. She was just a student showing up for herself. But the only two instructors she actually liked, the ones who pushed her hard enough to make it worth her time, both decided to quit at the same time.

She refused to let that be the end of her workouts.

A few people from her gym went and got licensed in Zumba. Rhonda was one of them. Before she even finished her certification, she had already stepped in to lead a class when the room was full and there was no one else to do it. No plan. No prep. Just someone had to do it, and she did.

That is how legends actually start. Not with a big announcement. With someone stepping up when no one else would.

Starting Small on Purpose

After getting licensed in August of 2012, Rhonda did not go looking for the biggest stage. She went the opposite direction. She walked into Eastern Kentucky University’s community education program and asked if she could teach a Zumba class there. Small group. Low pressure. Time to figure things out.

She had two students at the start. Sometimes just one or two showed up.

She kept showing up anyway.

The Class That Fogged the Mirrors

Not long after, another instructor reached out and said she was leaving her classes at Berea College. She wanted Rhonda to take over. With almost no notice, Rhonda walked into that room and led the class.

It started slow. A handful of people. A few loyal regulars who told her they would never miss. They meant it.

Then something happened. Word spread. Students told their friends. Community members joined. What started as three or four people turned into sixty or sixty-five students packed into one room. Rhonda was teaching with six inches between herself and the front mirror. The room got so full, so warm, so alive that the mirrors fogged over completely.

That is not just a fitness class. That is a community that built itself around someone who refused to quit.

She Carried Her Own Equipment Up the Stairs Every Single Night

Here is something most people do not know. The sound system at Berea College would overheat from the bass in her music. So Rhonda bought her own PA system. Every class, she carried a mixer and two speakers up the stairs, taught the class, and carried everything back down to her car.

Every single time.

No shortcuts. No complaints. Just the work.

How She Ended Up at the YMCA in Richmond

Rhonda started picking up more and more classes. She was teaching at Berea, at EKU, and at another gym when the YMCA in Richmond called and asked her to sub. Two instructors were pregnant at the same time. They needed coverage.

She said yes.

Then she kept saying yes. She covered every format, sometimes with just a few hours notice. Boot camp. Aqua fitness. Low impact cardio. Formats she had never formally trained in. She figured it out each time. The suggestion box at the Y started filling up with her name. And eventually, the Y became her home base.

By the time everything settled, she was teaching twenty-three hours a week. Sometimes more.

What She Learned From Starting Over and Over Again

Rhonda says the same thing has happened to her in every job she has ever had. Someone throws her into something new with no training, and she figures it out. Fitness was no different.

She doubted herself in the beginning. She says that clearly. But she never felt like an imposter. She just did the work and got better.

That is actually one of the most useful things you can take away from this episode if you are trying to start or restart your own fitness habits. You do not need to feel ready. You just need to start. The confidence comes after the action, not before it.

What the Fogged-Up Mirrors Actually Mean

A room so packed that the mirrors fog over is not about Zumba. It is not about one instructor. It is about what happens when someone refuses to cancel, refuses to quit, and refuses to let a room full of people down.

It creates something people want to be part of.

If you are sitting on the fence about starting a fitness routine, this episode is worth a listen. Not because it will tell you which workout to do. But because it shows you what is possible when someone just keeps showing up, even when the class has two people in it.

Action Items

• Listen to the full episode to hear Rhonda’s complete origin story
• Think about one small, low-pressure way you could start moving your body this week, not the biggest version, just the smallest one you will actually do
• Remember that Rhonda started with two students and built from there. You do not have to start big
• If you have been wanting to try a fitness class, go introduce yourself to the instructor before it starts. That one step makes it easier to come back
• Check the show notes below for the link to the Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County, Kentucky and consider donating or sharing

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

—————————————

This podcast is supported by affiliate partnerships. Please check out a few of our partners below:

– Check out my Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/theashleygrant?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_4EEZX1HN7ZCWEBZ33TK3

– Start a podcast today here: https://rss.com/?via=moremovementplease

– Create content from your own voice with Castmagic’s Suite of AI Tools: https://get.castmagic.io/dcjy15cirnts

– Want to help support our show? Buy a girl a drink perhaps? https://ko-fi.com/famousashleygrant

– Need content for your podcast or blog? Check out Tools for Motivation!

The links above are affiliate links. This means my podcast will receive a small commission if you order through any of them at no additional cost to you. Affiliate commissions are one of the ways my podcast makes money so that I can create episodes free of charge. If you do purchase anything from my links, I sincerely would like to thank you for your support!

More isn’t always better when it comes to exercise. Nurse practitioner Stephanie Baubie explains why overtraining can work against you, what women in their 40s specifically need to know, and what a smarter approach to fitness actually looks like.

Listen to the episode here…

A Medical Professional Just Called Strength Training Medicine

Not helpful. Not a nice bonus. Medicine.

That’s how Stephanie Baubie, a nurse practitioner specializing in integrative medicine, describes strength training in this episode. And hearing it stated that plainly by a medical professional is worth paying attention to.

But this episode isn’t just about why strength training matters. It’s also about what happens when you do too much of it, and why that conversation doesn’t get nearly enough attention.

Why Muscle Mass Is One of the Strongest Predictors of Healthy Aging

When most people think about longevity, they think about supplements, clean eating, or the latest health trend. But Stephanie points to something much more straightforward.

Muscle mass is one of the strongest predictors of how well we age.

Muscle is metabolically active tissue. It supports blood sugar regulation, hormone balance, bone density, and joint stability. Higher muscle mass is connected to lower cardiovascular risk, reduced frailty, and better long-term health outcomes overall.

The way we build and maintain muscle is through strength training. That makes strength training one of the most valuable things you can do for your long-term health, full stop.

You Don’t Have to Live in the Gym

Good news for anyone who doesn’t want to spend their life at the gym.

Stephanie is clear that you don’t need to. Even 30 to 45 minutes of intentional strength training three days a week is enough to stimulate muscle growth, support bone health, and improve insulin sensitivity.

That’s it. Three days a week. Less than two hours total, depending on the session. You can protect your joints, improve your posture, reduce your fall risk as you age, and build a body that serves you well for decades. And you don’t have to make fitness your entire life to do it.

The Problem With the “More Is Always Better” Mindset

Here’s where this episode gets really interesting, and really honest.

In a culture that rewards pushing harder and doing more, a lot of high-achieving people equate progress with intensity. They add more workouts. They chase exhaustion. They assume that if something is good, more of it must be better.

Stephanie says that mindset can quietly sabotage your results.

When you overtrain, your body releases more cortisol, which is your primary stress hormone. When cortisol stays elevated, it can impair muscle recovery, disrupt sleep, increase inflammation, and actually make it harder to build strength.

Here’s the key point. Your body doesn’t get stronger during the workout. It gets stronger during recovery.

If you’re not protecting your recovery as fiercely as you’re protecting your workout schedule, you could be working against yourself.

Why Mobility Work Matters Too

Strength training without mobility work is a setup for stiffness and injury.

Mobility work improves flexibility, joint integrity, and range of motion. Without it, you can build strength on top of physical restriction, which often leads to problems down the road.

The good news is that mobility doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Stephanie recommends just 10 intentional minutes after your workout, focusing on your hips, shoulders, and spine. That’s a small investment that pays off significantly over time.

Rest Days Are Not Optional

Sleep matters. Rest days matter. Light walking counts as recovery.

These aren’t just nice ideas. They’re necessary parts of a training plan that actually works.

Strength builds resilience. Mobility preserves fluidity. Recovery allows adaptation. All three work together. You can’t just focus on the strength part and expect everything else to fall into place.

What Women in Their 40s Specifically Need to Know

Stephanie gives special attention to women in perimenopause in this episode, and it’s worth highlighting.

Starting in your 40s, hormonal shifts begin to affect muscle mass, bone density, and your body’s ability to recover. We naturally lose muscle every decade after our 30s unless we intentionally work to maintain it.

That makes strength training even more essential in your 40s. Not for how you look, but for your metabolic health, your bone protection, and your long-term vitality.

At the same time, your recovery capacity may not be what it was in your 20s. This season of life calls for intelligent balance, not constant intensity. Stimulate the muscle, then give your body time to recover.

If cortisol is already elevated from life stress, poor sleep, or other pressures, layering on excessive training can leave you feeling constantly depleted. That chronic depletion is a sign worth paying attention to.

Ashley’s Honest Reflection

Ashley gets real in this episode. She’s currently working out somewhere between 10 and 16 hours per week. She’s acknowledged before that she sometimes overdoes it.

Hearing Stephanie explain exactly what happens physiologically when you push too hard for too long, elevated cortisol, impaired recovery, disrupted sleep, more inflammation, hit close to home.

Ashley doesn’t commit to dramatically cutting back, but she does commit to looking at her schedule with fresh eyes. And she encourages anyone else who might be overtraining to do the same. If you feel constantly depleted despite doing everything “right,” this episode might explain why.

A Simple Framework for Anyone Who Feels Overwhelmed

If all of this feels like a lot, Stephanie ends with the most practical possible advice.

Three days a week of strength training. A few minutes of mobility before or after each session. At least one true rest day. Protect your sleep.

No extremes. Just consistency.

That’s the whole plan. And it’s more than enough to build the strength and health that support a long, capable life.

Action Items

• Aim for three strength training sessions per week, 30 to 45 minutes each
• Add 10 minutes of mobility work focusing on hips, shoulders, and spine after each session
• Schedule at least one true rest day every week
• Prioritize sleep as part of your training plan, not separate from it
• If you feel constantly tired or depleted despite regular exercise, consider whether you might be overtraining
• Women in perimenopause: focus on intelligent balance over constant intensity