As January is upon us, it is time once again to rebuild our fitness. This base-building process has a number of elements such as muscular endurance, muscular strength, leg speed, aerobic endurance, and, our focus for this profile, aerobic conditioning.Read more…
James Fell, my favorite irreverent fitness myth buster and journalist, has just posted an excellent article on silly techniques in indoor cycling classes. James was one of the first to publicly challenge some of the unsafe and ineffective techniques done at SoulCycle (and other similar programs) in his front-page feature in the LA Times two years ago. Both Tom Scotto and I were interviewed for that article. You’re going to want to share this one with every instructor, student, and group exercise director or studio owner you know.Read more…
This year I took a compilation of the four inspirational New Year’s Profiles on ICA and put them together into one 90-minute ride. If you want a longer ride, this will give you ideas how to combine these profiles. Remember, New Year’s rides can be done all through January as riders set goals for 2014 and you commit to helping them!Read more…
Last month Tom wrote a post asking whether we should educate our students. It was in response to an article on another website that suggested that the role of cycling instructors is less to educate and more to entertain and give the students what they want. We feel strongly that by teaching our students the reasons why we do what we do, they will be far more likely to instill fitness into their everyday lives than those who simply are “entertained” by a rah-rah instructor. By learning how their body adapts to training they will be more likely to eschew popular gimmicks and trends in favor of more science-based training. The best part: they’ll love you in the long run!Read more…
In addition to the Word of the Year profile, here are easy access links to past profiles for the New Year. The first is Jennifer’s very popular How Big is Your Why Audio Master Class, which challenges your thinking with a New Year’s Revolution, and last year’s Roll With The Changes profile, which will help your students put the stake in the ground and decide not to repeat errors of the past. Finally, What’s Stopping You will inspire students to reflect on the “How” they will achieve their goals, not just on the “What” aspect of what they want.Read more…
Last year’s New Year’s playlist has been updated with 52 new empowering songs of all genres, including quite a few pop and hip-hop songs that your younger audience will enjoy. These songs are based on the themes of change, personal growth, being unstoppable, self-confidence, and setting goals.Read more…
Christine Nielsen rocks your 2014 with profile that will challenge the way you view resolutions by picking one word to become your mantra for the entire year. The coaching throughout the her profile provides a plethora of motivating words to help guide your students to select a meaningful word to guide them throughout the year.Read more…
Don’t miss this interview on the Endurance Planet podcast by Tawnee Prazak. Their discussion gives insight on the world of stationary bike classes with tips on finding the right class, what “trends” to avoid, power and watts, biomechanics of stationary riding, techniques for athletes, enhancing hill climbing skills, customizing your workoutsRead more…
Despite how much I enjoy ranting about the craziness of our industry, this article focuses on standing. I’ve heard it said far too often that the only time cyclists come out of the saddle is to climb and sprint. There is a bit more to the story. In addition to the brief descriptions below, I’ve compiled a short video at the end to demonstrate application. Like they say, a picture (or video) is worth a thousand words.Read more…
I taught Shari’s excellent Winter Solstice Profile this morning with just a few changes and wanted to share it with you here. I had to add my favorite Christmasy mashup—heck I only get to play it once a year. I teased my class that their Christmas wouldn’t be complete without this song in my class! I also told them they weren’t allowed to call me if they found it running through their heads the rest of the day.Read more…