Meeting Coach Natalie Stuart!

Coach Natalie is a group fitness instructor from Philadelphia, PA. She is a certified Level II Spinning® Instructor through Mad Dogg Athletics and has been teaching cycling classes for over three years. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of a positive mindset and her rides will motivate you to push your limits and reach new fitness goals! Natalie started cycling in college after years of being a student athlete and credits her success and continued motivation to her experiences in the cycling studio. When she isn't teaching fitness classes, you can find her in the chemistry lab simulating molecular models and working towards her doctoral degree. Follow her on Spotify @snatalie.stuart for more fitness playlists or on Instagram @snatalie.stuart.

Get Coach Natalie’s 3-Ride Pack here!

“For me, one of the most satisfying parts of being an instructor is seeing a whole group of people sync up to the beat for tapbacks or other choreography.

It immediately becomes very clear how important music is for humans and how it can really unite us.”

1.    Tell us about you - your story and journey to becoming a cycle and Pilates coach.

I started cycling in college after going through some really tough personal moments. I went through an ugly breakup, and I actually got kicked off the crew team for an attitude problem. Suddenly, I didn’t have any athletic structure after coming from a very athletically-intensive high school and being recruited to row for college. It was a really difficult time, and I felt like I had lost a part of myself. Then I found cycling. I had never been a big fan of indoor cycling or bikes in general, full disclosure I can’t even ride a real bike, but I started going to a boutique studio in town and became absolutely obsessed! I started taking classes every single day, sometimes multiple times a day, because I loved the instructors’ ability to cultivate a collective motivational energy for every rider - I really felt like I belonged in the studio.

I am really deeply grateful to the studio owner, Angela Amedio, who is a Spinning® Master Instructor and knows more about cycling than anyone else I’ve ever encountered. She not only certified me to teach, but also gave me my first instructing job. I definitely had a rocky start and needed a lot of practice, but I was incredibly motivated to create the best possible experience for my riders. I improved with every class and eventually became a Level II Spinning® instructor.

After college, I moved back home to Philadelphia and started teaching wherever I could find a job. I honestly can’t count how many auditions I’ve had by this point, but I’ve learned from every single one. I auditioned to work in the Comcast Fitness Center before the new technology building was complete, which was basically like a top-secret operation because they wanted to ensure that pictures and other info weren’t leaked before the gym was open. Now I’m part of the team at Comcast and at Fitler Club, which is amazing based on where I started. I’m very appreciative of every studio that has given me a chance by hiring me, but I’ve also worked really hard for the past four years to hone my craft and create my own signature style. 

2.    From getting your PhD in Chemistry to coaching at Comcast NBCUniversal and Fitler Club, Philly's newest private lifestyle club - we are in awe of your hustle! How do you manage your day-to-day? 

Thanks so much! Honestly, I couldn’t function without my planner to keep track of my fitness classes, chemistry courses, research, and homework. I make sure to write down my schedule every day and focus on what I need to accomplish hour by hour, but it’s also important to understand your own limits and schedule breaks for yourself. I’m very much a morning person, so early AM fitness classes really help me to get my mind and body working before heading off to school. That being said, I also know that my brain usually stops working at around 4-5PM because I can only process so much information per day. To optimize productivity, I make sure to do my most important assignments early in the day because I know I won’t be as focused in the afternoon. I also take my off days very seriously. Our minds and bodies need time to recover, otherwise we can get burned out or injured.

3.    When riders come to you for encouragement and motivation, what thoughts do you share to help them push through? 

I love to tell my riders to get uncomfortable. Especially towards the end of a class, I tell my riders to embrace all of the sweaty, wobbly-legged, out-of-breath discomfort they are feeling, because it’s taken a lot of hard work to get that far. Our strength isn’t tested at the beginning of class when we feel energetic and ready to go. True strength happens when we are tired and want to quit, but choose to keep pushing and accomplish that last track, last sprint, last interval. As fitness instructors, we can’t force our clients to challenge themselves, but coasting through a fitness class without trying to push yourself is really just a waste of your own time. 

That being said, it is also critically important to recognize the difference between experiencing good pain vs bad pain while exercising. Comparing yourself to other riders and trying to match their resistance is ineffective and dangerous, because we are all different. Exercise bikes are also different from each other. Depending on how much a bike has been used, a quarter turn of resistance on one bike could be equivalent to a whole turn on another bike. When climbing, I try to encourage riders to find their own mountain. My mountain is different than your mountain, which is different than everyone else’s because we all have different bodies that can handle different amounts of stress on a day-by-day basis. It’s really up to each individual rider to assess how much their body can handle and challenge themselves to reach that point. 

4.    As a coach, what are your top sources of inspiration?

I am definitely the most inspired by the music. I’ve always been very musically-inclined, probably like a lot of other instructors who teach rhythm-based classes. Cueing a sprint to perfectly match an awesome drop gives me goosebumps because it just feels *so* right, and I want my riders to feel the same way. Being a good cycling instructor basically boils down to being a good DJ, because you’re really just playing music out loud for a bunch of people in a dark room. For me, one of the most satisfying parts of being an instructor is seeing a whole group of people sync up to the beat for tapbacks or other choreography. It immediately becomes very clear how important music is for humans and how it can really unite us.

5.    With all your experience as an instructor, what pro tips would you share with new instructors looking to get established as a coach?

I would definitely suggest taking whatever jobs you can find, teaching as many classes as possible, and attending other instructors’ classes. It’s impossible to get better without practice, especially with coaching a group of people. Sometimes you will forget your cues and mess up, but it’s totally okay! Just remain confident and go with the flow. Even the best and most experienced instructors make mistakes all the time, but riders are none the wiser as long as you’re confident in your delivery. That being said, even the best instructors need to hear and accept feedback sometimes. When you’re on a platform in front of a group of people who are really responding to you and following your directions, it can definitely go to your head. I’ve seen some instructors get way too into themselves and end up losing their jobs because they become difficult to work with. Don’t do that. Here’s a fact I’ve learned in graduate school: the more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. The most intelligent people are receptive to other people’s ideas and use them to grow, rather than being uncompromising or indignant. Taking classes from other instructors is an excellent way to learn new moves and expose yourself to different styles of teaching.

In the beginning, you’ll probably teach a lot of small classes of two or three people, but do not give up or discredit those sessions. It’s really tough to provide energy to an empty room, but it’s a really good learning experience and an opportunity to get feedback from riders. Don’t be afraid to seem vulnerable by asking ‘Is this music volume okay?’ or ‘Can you understand my voice well enough?’. Whether you have two riders or forty, their experience is important and reflects on you as a coach.

6.    Lightening round! Give us your top pick for each of these: 

· Motivation Mantra: You can’t get stronger until you get out of your comfort zone.

· Signature Move (in class): Definitely leg poppers, which are basically just intervals. I can’t remember where the name came from, but it always makes me think of popcorn chicken.

· Spirit Animal: I want to say a dog because I’m a dog person, but honestly I’m more of a friendly cat.

· Walk-on Song: Definitely ‘You Only Live Once’ by the Strokes.

If there's anything about using Struct Club that has aided you and you feel inclined to share, we'd love to know!

I really like using Struct Club, because it helps me to use new songs and create more varied playlists without having to memorize every move/drop. Before I downloaded the app, I really got into the routine of using the same songs for all my playlists, which is really boring. Now it takes much less time to create new playlists every week, and I can use all new songs without worrying about missing cues!