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In: Biomechanics, Cadence, Power, Class Profiles, Coaching and Cueing
With: 14 Comments

If you love proving that indoor cycling is not just for cardio bunnies, this is the profile for you. The overall goal is to place as much force on the leg muscles as possible for the duration of each muscular strength interval. Consider this profile the equivalent of performing single-leg squats or lunges—800 of them!

The intervals are short, but they are intense. If done correctly, each interval will bring a rider close to failure in the last seconds.Read more…

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In: Class Profiles, Coaching and Cueing, Instructor Issues & growth
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Continuing our series on Educating Your Students, Christine gives some suggestions about how to use non-cycling examples to help students understand cycling technique and what they should be feeling while pedaling. She does this primarily through storytelling in her profiles, although that’s not a prerequisite of the method. Christine is an expert at this technique and has been extremely successful educating her students.Read more…

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In: Coaching and Cueing, Communication and Presentation Skills, Instructor Issues & growth
With: 3 Comments

Everyone had a class with a fun and wacky science teacher in high school, right? I’m not advocating that we start developing quirks or acting wacky in our indoor cycling classes, but the point is, making education fun using humor and wit is a great way to learn AND and a fun way to teach. Hopefully our dating, bagels, poultry, and pasta analogies will spark some ideas to create some of your own wacky ways to explain something on the bike.Read more…

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In: Coaching and Cueing, General Coaching, Instructor Issues & growth
With: 4 Comments

At first I was confused by this question. As indoor cycling instructors, why would we not educate our riders? As a rider, why would I not want to know more about how a class, drill, or movement was going to impact me? It seems silly. There are times when we need to educate a rider to help them make corrections in their form. Education can also provide great motivation to try or persist, knowing the ultimate short- and long-term benefits. Read more…

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In: Coaching and Cueing, Instructor Issues & growth, New Instructors
With: 3 Comments

As indoor cycling coaches, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our delivery and clarity in class so that we may continue to grow. This article explores one uncomfortable way for us to tackle our growth by audio recording our classes, then listening to ourselves and adjusting based on what we hear.
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In: Coaching and Cueing, Communication and Presentation Skills
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When it comes to cueing in the cycling studio, there are two distinct paths instructors can take: telling and asking. Both have their place and both are paired nicely with showing, or demonstrating. Cori explains how incorporating questions into your cueing can elicit more effort toward the goal and ownership in the outcome from your riders.Read more…

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In: Ask the Expert, Coaching and Cueing, Form and Technique
With: 6 Comments

I received a great question recently in the ICA Facebook group from Sarah asking what the difference between a “spin-up” and a “surge” is. We had an Ask the Expert post from 2013 with a similar question from Angela asking, “How exactly do you teach a spin-up? Is it different from a sprint?”  So, I have edited the previous article below and updated it with Sarah’s question to help you fully understand what a spin-up is and how to teach one, including referencing a full profile on these drills.Read more…