warm-up, perceived exertion

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In: Physiology, Heart Rate & RPE
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Some instructors and students believe that a “warm-up” always means an easy intensity, and is thus a waste of time. But remember that a body that is ill-prepared for the intensity of the workout will not deliver what is asked of it. In part 3 of this series on warming up, you will learn how perceived exertion does not follow heart rate in the early stages of a workout and why you should avoid heart rate cues during the warm-up. I also give you six factors to keep in mind as you design your profiles and deliver your class that may affect how quickly someone warms up.Read more…

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In: Physiology, Heart Rate & RPE
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How important is the warm-up in a 60-minute indoor cycling class? Far more than you might imagine! Too often instructors don’t give the warm-up the attention it deserves. In part 2 of this series, you will learn the physiology behind warming up. I give you an analogy that I think will greatly enhance your understanding of why having “all hands on deck” is so important to functioning properly during your event or training session!Read more…

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In: Free Articles, Physiology, Heart Rate & RPE
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I used to race mountain bikes years ago, but if I knew then what I know now about proper warm-ups I would have been much better prepared and probably would have performed better! This article is part 1 of a 6-part series on effective warm-ups for cycling classes. The purpose of this first article is to get you to pose the question to yourself, “Are you warming up properly in your classes? What can you be doing better?” (Originally posted in 2016, this series has been updated with new information and tips) Read more…

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In: Class Profiles, Training Videos
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Last year, I was in New York and had the pleasure of taking Michael Reilly’s class at Equinox. Michael has been an instructor since 1997 and is one of the original members of the Indoor Cycling Association (thank you, Michael!). It was the day before one of the big American holidays that serves as an entrée to summer, Memorial Day. Michael did a Memorial Day ride that was very moving and I wanted to share these videos with you. Pay attention to his coaching—he’s got a great way of engaging his audience.Read more…

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In: Theme Ride Thursday
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Sometimes a song about breathing is the perfect prescription for your profile playlist, whether you are performing high-intensity intervals, riding at a steady-state sub-threshold aerobic level, or encouraging your riders to immerse themselves in a meditative state. Take our playlist of almost 150 songs to create your own theme ride and “just breathe.”Read more…