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Ask the Expert
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Josephine has a rider who loves to sit right in front of the fan, but she never sweats. Is this good or bad? She also wonders if sweating plays a role in weight loss. We turn to the ultimate expert, Dr. Jennifer Klau, who did her master’s thesis on sweat. Dr. Klau’s answer goes way beyond this question and will help you understand the physiology of sweating at a much deeper level so you can inform your riders correctly about what it means…and even more importantly, what it doesn’t mean. READ MORE…
Following our in-depth series on different kinds of warm-ups for different types of classes, I received an excellent question about handling riders who are late to class and miss the warm-up. Here are five ways to manage late arrivals that keeps everyone happy—the latecomer, your class, and you! READ MORE…
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As temperatures rise, the topic of AC and fans in the studio heats up too. Learn the guidelines for temperature and ventilation in an indoor cycling room, the physiology of how the body regulates temperature, and the potential dangers of excessive heat. READ MORE…
Tracy asks an excellent question about insufficient recovery in Spinning classes. The answer is “it depends”! You earn the right to create these kinds of profiles because you regularly train your riders with properly conducted intervals that have sufficient recovery *most* of the time. READ MORE…
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Cynthia has a question about the perceived exertion for threshold intervals and the recovery in between the intervals. She also asks for motivational cues for threshold efforts. I’m sure she’s not alone with these questions, so I hope this helps many instructors. READ MORE…
Let’s face it: rejection hurts. Today we tackle negative student feedback, how to handle it, and moving past it. READ MORE…
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TBT (Throwback Thursday) Have you ever had a brand-new student walk into class who required so much of your time that it took away from your ability to coach your class? How do you balance helping the new unfit person and catering to your regulars? Where do your responsibilities lie and where should the line be drawn? The suggestions presented here, while beneficial to all instructors, are especially helpful for newer instructors to indoor cycling. READ MORE…
Suppose one of your riders began doing push-ups or picked up some weights in your class; what would you do? ICA member Melody asked this question in our Facebook group and several of us responded with advice. Next week I will give you some specific ways to address riders face-to-face. READ MORE…
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“Is there a way to cue a rider—in layman’s terms—so that they are not just using or mostly using their quads?” This is a great question and the answer is yes…and no. READ MORE…
Jean asked what to do about her new rider’s discomfort he feels in his triceps. The advice provided is not just for new riders, but is a great review for all instructors to know how to coach hand placement to minimize discomfort or arm fatigue for all riders. READ MORE…