Music and Cueing Group Work

Braden Durham

Exercise Leadership

You are applying to be a group fitness instructor at a nearby fitness center. The fitness director

is impressed with your resume but wants a quick snapshot of what you can do! They have

asked you to demonstrate a 5 minute combination (cardio + strength) block. While this request

is not choreographed/dance based, it is strongly led by the beat of the music, such that

everyone moves in unison. The director is very interested in your music selection and cueing

skills.

Music Criteria:

o Select music that is appropriate bpm and genre for the class

o Music duration lasts 5 minutes

o No inappropriate or derogatory language

Cueing criteria:

o Auditory/descriptive cues:

o Explain what movement is about to be performed and when they will do it

o Prepare participants for transition movements

o Explaining proper form

o Counting reps/duration

o Listing muscle groups that should be engaged during the exercise

o Visual Cues:

o Demonstrate proper form

o Signal reps/duration left

o Point out directions, movements

o Safety cues:

o Breathing, alignment, positioning

o Mention modifications, if possible

o Motivation cues

*Refer to Chapter 5 of textbook (PDF on Canvas) and previous lectures/notes

5 Minute Exercise Block (45 seconds each):

1. Jumping jacks

2. Side lunges

3. Jog in place

4. Caterpillar walkouts

5. Body weight squat + alternating knee drive

6. Jumping jack punches

 Music and Cueing Questions

1. Using the sample exercise block (listed above), create a 5 minute group workout by
selecting appropriate music.
a. What songs will you be playing?
Dynamite - Teo Cruz
I Got a Feeling - Flo Rida
b. What is bpm?
Low impact (120-140 bpm)
c. Why did you select these songs?
Upbeat, Uptempo, motivational songs
2. Please list the appropriate cues (auditory, visual, safety, and motivational) for each
exercise. Criteria/tips listed above.
a. Jumping jacks
- Auditory: counting down reps
- Visual: performing exercise
- Safety:
- Modification: step out with alternating feet on each rep (don’t jump)
- Motivational: “keep my pace”
- Say how many seconds left
b. Side lunges
- Auditory: step to side and back to center
- Visual: performing the movement beforehand and pointing which direction they should
be lunging in
- Safety: Step out to the side and sink into your heel, drive back up through the heel,
“push the ground away”
- Modification: step to side and squat
- Motivational: “good work, you got this”
c. Jog in place
- Auditory: describing the new exercise and keeping them at a steady pace
- Visual: performing
- Safety: make sure that there are no obstacles in the way
- Marching in place
- Motivational: “remember to breathe”
d. Caterpillar walkouts
- Auditory: “walk hands out to plank position, hold, walk hands back to feet
- Perform this at your own pace
- Visual: demonstrate and monitor form after
- Safety: Make sure you keep core engaged and back aligned with head
- On knees
- Motivational: “5 seconds left… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1”
e. Body weight squat + alternating knee drive
- Auditory: keep my pace for this exercise
 - Visual: performing exercise
- Safety: “keep weight in heels / don’t let knees over toes” , breathing depending on inhale
and exhale
- Modification: without knee drive
- Motivational: “keep it up!”
f. Jumping jack punches
- Auditory: Note when to start and when to stop, let them know how many reps are
remaining
- Visual: fingers that indicate how many reps are remaining
- Safety: Make sure that there is no one in front of you
- Squat instead of jumping
- Motivational: “last exercise, we got this! Stay on pace and remember to breathe in and
out”

3. Last step! Spread out and make some room! Practice your music and cues as a group.
Dr. K will walk around and sign off on your sample exercise block. Submit on Canvas once
completed.