Aisha asked me, how much cueing is too much? No one likes an instructor who talks non-stop, but we’ve also been in classes where not enough good cueing is given and the class seems to be at a loss on what to do or how hard to go. Here are 9 things to consider when doing a self-analysis on whether you are talking too much (or enough) in your classes.Read more…
Incorporating longer intervals of 5 to 20 minutes can be the key to a higher level of fitness, regardless of what your specific goals are. For some reason, however, there is a reticence to the idea of longer intervals. Here are six reasons why you should teach your riders to love longer intervals in high Zone 3 to Zone 4.Read more…
This year, I want to challenge you to reach new heights in your coaching. This may mean moving out of your own comfort zone. It’s something we ask of our riders all the time; how about ourselves? What can we do to push ourselves, to take risks, to put ourselves out there in front of our students and announce to the world that we aren’t afraid of growth?Read more…
We’ve all heard the adage “No Pain, No Gain,” and the reasons it’s a myth. But we also hear that it’s not possible to really succeed or improve performance unless you learn to suffer at your chosen sport. So what is it? Where is the line drawn? And how should indoor cycling instructors coach? Should we never use words like “suffering” in our coaching?Read more…
In the midst of the craziness we currently find ourselves, why not an entire playlist about things that make you happy? I put some of my favorite happy songs into a profile of three rounds of fast flats to climbs. I also recorded a virtual version of this ride—enjoy! Read more…
One of our more popular series on ICA is a set of articles with various strategies for inspiring your students up long climbs. The series was called Strategy for Strength, and is one of the favorites we’ve done on ICA. One of the strategies was to inspire students to come up with a mantra that they repeat over and over to themselves as they climb. Of course, mantras aren’t just for climbing. I was inspired recently to come up with some for sustained tempo pace.Read more…
In part 4 of this series I gave you critical information about how to cue resistance so that students find the amount of load or gear they need to meet the goals you set for that segment of your profile. In part 5, we manipulate the variables of that vital equation. I also give you 7 drills that you can use to create your own awareness exercises, solidifying the concept in your riders’ minds.
In part 4 of this series, I get to the meat of cueing resistance in a way that encourages students to find the gear they need to meet the goals you set for that segment of your profile. You coach this by teaching them the most vital equation they’ll learn in your classes. Read more…
In parts 1 and 2, I discussed two approaches to avoid when cueing resistance. In this and the following article, I provide tips on how to teach the concept of resistance and inspire your riders to add enough so that they achieve the adaptations your profile is targeting. This article describes the warm-up and provides cues for establishing that first touch of the resistance knob or gear level so riders can prepare the body at the proper intensity.Read more…
In part 1, I described a popular but ineffective coaching method that fails to account for the difference in abilities and fitness of riders or the differences in the wear and tear on bikes. The second method of teaching resistance that instructors should steer clear of is to assign a 1–10 scale of resistance. This one is even worse than assigning a number of turns. It’s very confusing, it’s subjective, and it’s not anchored to anything. Read more…