'I don't like to leave anyone behind': This male spin instructor improves not only his students' fitness but his own

She can, He can is an original AsiaOne series where we showcase Singaporean men who are working in female-dominated jobs and their empowering personal journey in overcoming stereotypes.

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Being an instructor is no easy feat.

Besides catering to the needs of each individual student, one also has to balance the need for personal development to improve in one's chosen field.

But this is something that male spin instructor Zachary Tan seems to have nailed down.

The 25-year-old tells AsiaOne that his process of gathering feedback from students and his observations during a spin class are all ways to understand what needs to be improved. 

After reflecting on the feedback and observations, Zachary makes a mental note on how to improve in the next class to grow as an instructor of the high-intensity workout.

"I think persistence in understanding what needs to be improved [has] to be a factor in your growth as an instructor. You can't just come in, teach and leave because then you're not really giving what you can for the people who are spending 50 minutes with you."

This personal mantra has followed Zachary even from his debut class. 

During that first class, he admits to being "a little lost" and made the mistake of leaving out one song. This mistake was pointed out by one of Zachary's students. 

Thanks to his quick thinking, he improvised by extending the cooldown portion of the workout. Furthermore, Zachary apologised personally to the student and thanked her for the feedback.

In the end, that student appreciated his effort and ended up coming back for more of his classes.

"I made a mistake, but I'm really thankful when it turned out for the better."

From road-cycling to spinning 

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Strangely enough, though, Zachary shares that he got into spinning purely by chance. 

Initially, he started attending spin classes at Sync Cycle studio as a show of support for his best friend who was teaching there. 

Being a road-cycling enthusiast, he instantly took to it like a duck to water and enjoyed it so much that it turned into his weekly workout. 

Spinning became so "routine" for Zachary that when the instructor auditions came around, his best friend decided to put him up for the role without his knowledge.

So when he was approached by the boss, he was surprised but decided to give it a shot.

"And in the end, being a spin instructor became something that I really enjoy and can truly devote to," Zachary tells us.

That was a year and seven months ago and he is still going strong in the industry. 

Upping the tempo

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In its early days, the spinning industry was dominated by mostly female students and instructors. But Zachary tells us that this is fast changing.

In the past, only 10 per cent of his class students were male. But in the past year, Zachary says that it has now grown "30 to 40 per cent".

He chalks it down to spinning as an effective cardio workout that "burns about 600 calories" per class which is the equivalent of a 10-kilometre run. 

No doubt, this is music to the ears of guys who are looking to lose some weight or bulk from the gym and something that Zachary can attest to himself.

"Commit to spinning for twice a week, and you'll find that weight loss comes quite quickly. I lost about eight kilograms. It really burns a lot." 

This process of slimming down is also something that he has witnessed firsthand with his students, some of whom have been riding with him for more than 100 classes.

Besides the weight loss, Zachary also saw his loyal students "getting stronger on the bike" which translated to him upping his class workout intensity.

"And each time I increase it gradually, they feel that sense of improvement. So it's always a continuous process of growth and when you see them progress, it makes you feel really good."

With such a positive and self-affirming environment, it is not hard to look at why Zachary's style has built up a loyal base of students that have followed him throughout his spin instructor career to date. 

"I believe in supporting everyone, I don't like to leave anyone behind," says Zachary sheepishly.

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timothywee@asiaone.com

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