Part 2 of this Strategies for Strength provides ways to use the concepts of benchmarks and rewards in your indoor cycling classes, including specific visualizations and cues.Read more…
Creating benchmarks and rewarding yourself for completing them is a classic strategy to get through a long and challenging event. I bet you have used a version of this outdoors, whether on a bike or in a 10K running race or triathlon. I use it all the time when on long climbs as it helps break up the distance or length of time into bite-size chunks. Here are some photos to use to inspire your students to break up the challenge into manageable segments.Read more…
This strategy is a mind game you play with yourself. But it works, and it takes your mind off of the current discomfort you are feeling and allows you to experience the joy of accomplishment even before it’s completed.Read more…
Many of us have seen professional riders climbing the famed ascents of the Tour de France. One observation is the speed at which they climb. Not just how fast their bikes are going, but how fast their legs are spinning. This faster climbing cadence is often referred to as “climbing at tempo.” For those of us that ride outside, this is not climbing in one’s granny gear (no offense, Mom), but pushing a relatively hard gear at a fast cadence.Read more…
What if there weren’t any other options? This famous character has a very important lesson we can tell our students: listen to the man! This article also gives you some tips on knowing whether or not you might be pushing your students beyond their limits (hint: you probably aren’t)!Read more…
Have you used mantras to inspire your students up epic climbs? Do you know how they work? Here are the reasons behind why mantras help focus athletes on the task at hand, as well as 85 different mantras you can use in your coaching, and tips on how to personalize them and to inspire your students to create their own.Read more…
The majority of people who do not like to stand claim they feel awkward out of the saddle and it drives their heart rate through the roof. Many believe they don’t have the strength to stand. It is not an issue of strength but technique. Read more…
I started experimenting more with breathing technique after adding yoga to my training about ten years ago. We all know breathing is important, but I was unaware of the hidden benefits of developing breathing technique until I experienced it firsthand on the bike.Read more…
This strategy for strength dips in the world of biomechanics—one of my favorite topics! We can sometimes spend hours working on our pedal stroke seated, but neglect full muscle usage when standing. When proper pedal stroke technique is not emphasized out of the saddle, riders usually resort to simply mashing down on the pedals. This only activates the quadriceps and reduces efficiency, endurance, and power. So let’s throw some hip in there.Read more…
Before I contribute a few of my favorite climbing strategies, I want to share my perspective on climbing. Because I’m mostly a sprinter, one might wonder what climbing strategies I have to offer. Well, if anyone has strategies for climbing, it would be a person who knows suffering is always involved.Read more…