2019 was another year of losing far too many musical artists, some as young as 21 and 30 years old. I compiled a Spotify playlist of the best songs for cycling from these artists. Then, I created a profile consisting of long intervals. I love the tracks I used in this profile—I hope you enjoy it!Read more…
A good profile should provide you with endless ways to use it, saving you tons of time in the process. We have had several versions of this profile at ICA. This is an example of taking a template for a solid, goal-based workout and tweaking the music not just for a specific genre (like Bill Pierce’s Pop vs. Rock version), but for a theme like I did with this one using songs about “wild,” “crazy,” and “psycho.” There are so many fun songs in that theme! I also modified the intervals slightly, so it will seem fresh and new to your riders.Read more…
Whether it be on a bike, a motorcycle, a car, or your own two feet, do you ever feel like you just need to escape? Get away from it all? Hit the open road? This ride, presented by guest contributor Laura Gurney, is for those who delight in the experience of the open road. As with any long ride, the main objective and benefit will be to build endurance: muscular, cardiovascular, and mental. This theme-based profile includes songs about driving, cars, highways, and travel. Read more…
Guest instructor Christine Nielsen loves to play interactive games with her students. She came up with this creative profile for Black Friday, but given that you’ve got a few more shopping weeks before Christmas, there is still plenty of time to have a lot of fun with this profile. In fact, it is possible to use it year-round just for fun!Read more…
“Sweet spot” is the name given to the intensity that overlaps upper Zone 3 and lower Zone 4, just below threshold. It’s called “sweet spot” because this intensity is an ideal balance of high intensity and the ability to cause some adaptations without needing a lot of recovery. Just for fun, this profile uses sweet-themed songs to enhance the concept of sweet-spot training! Read more…
Our newest profile by Bill Pierce is a structured climb consisting of four 10-minute hills. To keep it manageable, each hill is broken into four segments. To make it interesting, the timing and terrain of segments vary, either getting longer or shorter, steeper or flatter. To keep it achievable, the hills are all aerobic. To make it challenging, half of each segment is in high Zone 3 and the other half is in Zone 4. Read more…
Your riders are in for the treat of a lifetime! Leslie Mueller has created a murder mystery that she led (performed?) for her class for Halloween, and she has shared the step-by-step process so you can do the same. This may become one of your most popular and requested classes, and one in which you can seek publicity from your local media as well.Read more…
One of the foundational profiles in the ICA archives is Jennifer’s Progressive Dueling Intervals. Bill Pierce has taken this profile and added one more “dueling” element to it—pop versus rock songs. Read more…
In this profile you will set the stage with four intervals that reach into the VO2 max range. The final three intervals will be selected through audience interaction and a cruel twist of fate, what I call the “Matrix choice.” Be ready to ask your riders to make the choice of remaining in the blissful ignorance of illusion or embracing the painful truth of reality.Read more…
This ride is patterned after a running workout on a track. It illustrates to the riders how duration and intensity are inversely related and shows how the body is able to produce more energy over a shorter period of time. Read more…