In-person interview with Libby Kaiser
Fitness Instructor

I am a huge group exercise person. This week for example, I attended 10 different group exercise classes and saw 7 different instructors. Libby is hands down, the best fitness instructor I have ever come across and I would pay huge bets that others agreed with me. She teaches a variety of classes including: weight classes, cycle, and my all time favorite turbo kick boxing. Her turbo classes resemble something that might be seen choreographed at the opening of the Olympics or some other televised event - her cuing is right on every time and she pays special attention to correcting bad form and technique. She brings a load of energy into every class along with an authentic scandalous personality and her personal message. I have been taking her classes for over 2 years now and literally have developed somewhat of a sad feeling of longing when I have to miss her classes. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but it’s a sad and true. I admire her as a person and am thoroughly interested in how someone becomes such an effective fitness instructor.

We have developed a friendly relationship with each other but have had only a few conversations that lasted over 30 minutes, so I thought interviewing her would be a great opportunity!

The main questions that I had going into the interview were about how she became an instructor, expectations, preparation, feelings she had before instructing, why she loves group exercise, what are her other passions, the future of group exercise, the future of health, her future as an instructor, the role social media plays in her life, and tips she would give someone who was interested in becoming an instructor.

I learned a lot about her style and have concluded that what makes her such a great instructor is that she has mastered being her self, with out any inhabitions, or any judgement. Her individual outlook on teaching is to give it as close to 100 percent as possible, every time. She says,

• “My mentor told me that, I needed to GO IN hard from the start. If I went in weak, the students would chew me up.”
• “If you give it 100%, you can expect the class to give you 70%. If you give it 70%, then you can expect them to give 40%.”

Her vision is to help developing instructors become the best they can be.

• “The thing most instructors are scared about is putting their personality in to it. It’s scary, but that is what takes the class to the next level. That, and something as simple as smiling”
• “You have to wear the uniform, look the part. Don’t wear yoga clothes when teaching kick boxing.” “Don’t even think about wearing Birkenstock’s to class!”

Her interaction with social media is for communication only. She is against putting videos of her instructing on line saying that,

• “It’s just not my style. Personality is the most important thing for great instructors. A lot of that is lost when put on you tube.”

I think this interview was the most passion felt out of all 6 I have conducted so far. I felt the most comfortable note taking and genuinely interested in what her thoughts and opinions were. There is a re-occurring theme with the mention of finding a mentor I have been noticing, in particular with people who have found what it is that they love to do.

 I am thanking her verbally and will ask if she would let me take her to lunch one day.