The above preview is for Seamless Shallow, posted on 1/20/16
A new video in the Fitness Friends series just posted. Jackie Lebeau, founder of JLA Fitness, presents Seamless Shallow, 100 moves for the shallow end. This 60-minute blockbuster features all 100 moves first taught on deck (with pool footage inserted) and then all 100 moves are taught in the water. The deck portion is a “must-watch” for instructors. Jackie delivers a masterful performance of verbal and non-verbal cueing – cues that I will for sure be using in my classes.
Fitmotivation subscribers can print out the notes that list all 100 moves and thus take away a ready-made class that is dynamic, doable and seamless. Teach each move for one 32-count cycle of music and you have a 24-minute routine featuring 100 exercises. Teach each move for two 32-count cycles and you have a 48-minute routine – an entire class. The moves do not have to be taught as a full routine. Instead consider them a library of exercises that you can use for your choreography or your HIIT drills. I have already stolen a couple of her moves and blended them into my classes with great success.
Below – Jackie tells us more about the Seamless Shallow routine, how it was conceived and how it can be utilized. She also shares five tips for teaching from the deck. And stay tuned for an exclusive video interview featuring Jackie in the February Fitmotivation Video News.
Fitmotivation: How was the concept of Seamless conceived?
Jackie: Seamless (Deep) was created in August 2014 after some very extensive eye surgery. I was so restless during recovery because I was unable to read or watch television. I couldn’t stomach the idea of listening to another marathon of Family Feud so I pulled out my iPod and listened to some of my playlists. Along with the music, I started performing exercises in my head and thought how cool it would be to create a class that focused on transitioning one move right into the next. 100 moves sounded fun and also doable. Seamless Deep made its debut at IAFC 2015 and Seamless Shallow was created when I was asked to modify the deep routine for a shallow water pool at an AEA Regional Event.
Fitmotivation: How can instructors use these exercises in their classes?
Jackie: I have taught straight through from #1-100 many times, but I’ve also broken up the sequence and taught in smaller segments. The Moves 8-20 (and 22-34) along with moves 41-50 (and 56-65) make nice unilateral sequences in between resistance training intervals. Moves 96-100 makes for a targeted abdominal sequence while 1-7 and 71-82 are fun cardio segments.
Jackie’s 5 tips for teaching effectively from deck
1) Be consistent with your cues. If you consistently pat your shoulders and bend your knees before asking for a Level II move, they will always know what you are looking for. If you change up the way you teach a Level II move…your class might not know if you are asking for Level II, suspended, or one legged.
2) Use both verbal and non-verbal cues. To satisfy the visual learners and the auditory learners, it is important to verbally cue along with physical cues such as holding your fingers up to indicate how many reps remain in the set or pointing which direction the class will be moving.
3) Don’t do the full workout from the deck. You only have one body so don’t feel pressured to perform the jumps and other high intensity moves. Use your arms, a chair (or stool) and other non-impact cueing techniques.
4) Make your movements big and bold! Exaggerated and confident movements on the pool deck indicate that you are in charge up there. Take ownership of that space and use your body to direct your class.
5) Give yourself a few breaks. Teaching from the deck can be exhausting. Make sure you have a towel, a water bottle, a mat, a chair, and maybe even a fan up there. Also, include in your class plan a few lower intensity movements so both you and your class can take a breather every few minutes.
MORE ABOUT THIS VIDEO
NOTES: Enjoy the roster of 100 moves. This file will come in handy for future class planning. In the notes file, suspended moves are in italics. Unilateral moves are in bold. RIGHT & LEFT directives are capitalized.
MOVE #82: Spoiler alert – this move got skipped over during deck portion and it wasn’t discovered until post-editing. 100 moves was a lot for Jackie to film on both deck and in the water and I am surprised there was only one error.
MORE ABOUT JACKIE
Look for Jackie at AEA events and at the International Aquatic Fitness Conference (IAFC). Find out more about Jackie and contact her through jla fitness
COMING NEXT MONTH
Got some kickboards lying around gathering dust? Dust them off and get ready for some kickboard mayhem with Jackie. The video, Kickboarding Circuits, is slated to post on February 15, 2016.