Beginning, Middle and ending of exercises
I once heard someone say that the three hardest parts of writing a book are:
How to start a sentence.
How to continue a sentence.
How to finish a sentence.
Obviously, the person was making a joke.
But anyone who has ever stared at a blank page knows there is at least a little truth behind it.
Ironically, I find much the same thing to be true about exercise.
Everyone who faithfully completes their workout feels pretty good about it afterward. They may have been tired. They may have struggled. They may even have hated a portion of it while they were doing it.
But afterward?
They are usually glad they did it.
The people who didn't exercise tend to have every reason in the world why they couldn't.
That is worth remembering as an instructor.
We already know that our students will probably be grateful for a good workout after the class is finished.
Our challenge is getting them successfully through the beginning, middle and ending of each exercise along the way.
And each of those three parts requires something slightly different from the instructor.
THE BEGINNING
Before beginning an exercise, tell the students what you want them to do.
That sounds ridiculously simple.
It is also ridiculously important.
The explanation does not have to be complicated. In fact, in most situations, the shorter the explanation, the better.
Students should know:
What they are doing.
How they are doing it.
Approximately how long they will be doing it.
What you want them concentrating on.
That may take twenty seconds.
“We're going to do twenty push-ups. Keep your body straight, keep your hands underneath you and work at a pace you can maintain. Ready?”
That is enough, as the student doesn't need a seminar on push-ups. They need direction.
In my experience, when an exercise or drill doesn't go as smoothly as I would have liked, I can usually trace at least part of the problem back to the beginning.
Did I explain it clearly?
Did everyone understand where they were supposed to go?
Did they know who their partner was?
Did they understand the pace?
Did they know what I wanted them concentrating on?
Sometimes instructors become frustrated because students are doing an exercise incorrectly when, in reality, the students are doing exactly what they thought we told them to do.
That's on us.
A good beginning also does something else.
It refocuses the class.
One exercise has ended. Conversations may have started. People may be moving around. Attention has naturally scattered.
Your explanation brings everyone back together.
It says:
That exercise is finished. Here is what we're doing next.
Keep it short and sweet. Frequently, twenty good seconds are better than five mediocre minutes.
THE MIDDLE
Once the exercise begins, resist the temptation to keep teaching as though everyone is sitting behind a desk taking notes.
They are exercising.
Their brains are occupied.
Their bodies are occupied.
And, depending upon what you asked them to do, they may also be getting tired.
This is where short instruction becomes extremely effective.
Someone doing push-ups probably doesn't want to hear:
“Remember everyone, one of the most important elements of proper push-up technique involves maintaining appropriate alignment throughout the posterior chain…”
They are doing push-ups, so give them something they can use immediately.
“Back straight.”
“Eyes up.”
“Good pace.”
“Hands underneath you.”
Those short corrections can change the exercise without stopping it.
And don't forget encouragement.
“Looking good!”
“Halfway there!”
“Five more!”
“Stay with it!”
“Excellent job!”
There is a wonderful opportunity here that instructors occasionally overlook.
When students are working hard, they actually welcome having their attention pulled away from the discomfort of the exercise.
That is one reason people listen to music, podcasts or audiobooks while running. Their bodies are doing the work, but their minds appreciate having somewhere else to go.
As instructors, we can use that same opportunity productively.
We can correct.
We can encourage.
We can count.
We can remind them what they are working toward.
And sometimes we can simply provide energy.
But be careful.
Don't turn encouragement into another lecture.
A student performing an exercise doesn't need seven corrections simultaneously.
Give them the correction that matters right now.
If someone's back is sagging during a push-up, fix the back. You can worry about the exact position of their fingers another day.
If the whole class is struggling, give the whole class a correction.
“Everyone—keep those hands up.”
If one student needs something quick:
“Shawn—little wider stance.”
Then move on.
Remember: See everything., overlook a great deal and correct a little.
And whenever possible, notice what is going well too.
“That's it!”
“Much better!”
“Excellent adjustment!”
A correction tells students what to change and recognition tells them they successfully changed it.
Both are valuable.
THE END
The ending of an exercise is probably the easiest of the three parts, but it is also one of the easiest to forget.
When the exercise is finished, finish it.
Don't simply stop counting and wander into whatever comes next.
Give the students a small moment of closure.
“Excellent job.”
“Very good.”
“Nice work, everyone.”
“Thank you.”
It doesn't have to be dramatic.
At the end of class, we traditionally use Gokurō-sama to recognize everyone's hard work.
Every exercise does not require that level of ceremony.
But the principle behind it is useful.
The instructor is communicating two things:
I recognize the work you just did.
And:
That exercise is finished. We're moving forward.
That second part is more important than it may sound.
If students know an exercise has a definite ending, they can give more effort while they are doing it.
Imagine telling a class:
“Start doing push-ups.”
Eventually somebody is going to wonder:
How many?
How long?
When are we stopping?
Now compare that with:
“Twenty push-ups. I'll count them.”
The exercise has boundaries.
There is a beginning.
There is a middle.
And—thankfully—there is an end.
When they reach that end, acknowledge it.
“Twenty! Excellent job. Everyone up.”
In five seconds you have congratulated them, closed one exercise and refocused them for the next.
SCALE IT TO THE SITUATION
Obviously, not every exercise deserves the same amount of attention.
If you are leading Jumbi Undo, you do not need to give an inspirational speech before every movement.
“Next exercise. Ten repetitions. Ready?”
During it: “Good posture.”
At the end: “Very good. Next.”
That's enough.
But if you are conducting a major drill, leading a large seminar or introducing something difficult for the first time, exaggerate all three parts.
Give a stronger beginning.
Make absolutely certain everyone understands what they are doing.
During the exercise, provide more energy, more encouragement and carefully selected corrections.
And when they finish?
Let them know they accomplished something.
The size of the beginning, middle and ending changes.
The principle does not.
PEOPLE REMEMBER HOW AN EXERCISE FELT
As instructors, we naturally think about the technical purpose of an exercise.
Did it improve strength?
Balance?
Speed?
Stamina?
Technique?
All of those things matter.
But the student experiences something else at the same time.
They experience the way we led them through it.
Were they confused when it started?
Did they feel like they knew what was expected?
Did someone help them when they struggled?
Did the instructor notice their effort?
Did they know when they succeeded?
That experience influences how enthusiastically they approach the next exercise—and eventually the next class.
A good instructor doesn't merely choose good exercises.
A good instructor delivers them well.
Start clearly.
Guide them while they work.
Finish positively.
Then move on.
Beginning.
Middle.
Ending.
It works for writing a book and it works pretty well for teaching a class too.