Several people have asked me how to structure a 90-minute profile, and at what intensity it should be taught. Here is the outline of my 90-minute sub-threshold endurance class this week. I also give you a modified version that allows for some high-intensity intervals above threshold. The balance of intensity is extremely important to consider as your duration exceeds one hour.Read more…
There’s even more great news about the benefits of exercise—this time it’s been discovered that it will help our brain health. But not just ANY ole’ exercise. To reap these benefits, you need to have developed powerful legs, and cycling is the perfect place to build that strength and power. But heed this warning…it probably won’t happen if you prefer non-traditional methods of indoor cycling. Even more reason to #keepitreal and #rideright!Read more…
Do you know why we have the generally accepted cadence ranges that we do? Do you know how to teach your students to stay within these ranges? This handout will help you immensely!Read more…
The attacks in Paris had a profound effect on me, as I’m sure they did many people. I have been to Paris many times and have ridden my bicycle thousands of miles around France, so I have a deep connection there. I’ve put together a list of songs you can use in a tribute to Paris. Please add your suggestions to the comments. Read more…
Throwback Thursday: Have you ever had a rider pedal way too slowly with too much resistance, yet she didn’t respond to your cues? It may be time to offer a little physiology lesson. You have to be careful not to go over their heads and have their eyes glaze over, so here is a short, interesting, and easy-to-understand way to explain why they might want to increase their cadence. Read more…
In part 2 of our discussion on teaching recovery, I define workload, recovery, and adaptation and give you examples of when you ABSOLUTELY do need to teach recovery classes. You will also learn how to teach your students about taking responsibility for their own recovery.Read more…
Here in the Rocky Mountains, the snowline that has already covered our higher peaks is getting lower and lower, and it won’t be long until snow is an almost daily reality. I thought I’d share some photos of our last-ditch efforts to squeeze out some mountain bike rides in the high desert, before we hang up our bikes for the winter and ride exclusively inside. And yes, there is a reason why I wrote “refugees” in the title of this post. Please continue reading to find out why…Read more…
For today’s TBT (Throwback Thursday) we are reposting one of the articles that became the foundation for ICA’s philosophy of heart rate training. Instructors should understand why maximum heart rate is not a good anchor for training zones, and instead learn how to perform field tests and talk tests so they can more accurately guide their riders to success.Read more…
The final segment of this series addresses two of the benefits of teaching off the bike that have the most impact: assessing intensity of your riders and teaching HIT intervals. You now have all the tools you need to be a highly effective indoor cycling coach who knows how to teach off the bike.Read more…
This profile is a series of climbs that get progressively longer. Each one is very different from the other, not just in length and cadence, but also personality. This is manifested in the music choice. I took a previous ICA profile and kept the terrain, but completely changed the music and objective to create an entirely new profile.Read more…