Christine Nielsen was recently diagnosed with cancer. She is graciously writing a series of articles as she goes through her treatments and has an uncanny way of drawing parallels from life to what we do as indoor cycling instructors. This article on being a “newbie” cancer patient might inspire you to contemplate a little more deeply about the challenges our brand-new students face.Read more…
I was interviewed for an article in ACE Fitness magazine by Amanda Vogel called “Are Celebrity Trainers Making People Fat?” The tongue-in-cheek title of the article mimics the headline that appeared in Harper’s Bazaar magazine last fall called “Is Spinning Making You Fat?” Amanda asks whether fitness professionals stay silent or take a stand against the popular but misleading headlines propagated by the media.Read more…
In my journey through the health care system I have been observing the interactions I have with “authorities.” When you become a patient, everyone who carries the key to your wellness is an authority. It is an interesting turn of events for someone like me who is accustomed to being the leader and the one that has the answers. I can learn some valuable lessons from the experience of being on the “other” side. The first and very salient lesson came in the form of an experience with language.Read more…
A few months ago I walked into a class I have been teaching for 10 years and everyone was in a tizzy. This is not the usual energy I’m used to getting absorbed in. Before I was able to ask what was wrong, a member asked me if I was aware of the stereo situation. As the word “no” was exiting my mouth, the member hit me with the bad news…Read more…
I love drills in my indoor cycling classes. Here at ICA we try to teach you how to do technical drills of all kinds—cadence drills, pedal stroke drills to improve technique, intensity drills, outdoor simulation drills (like pacelines), etc. Last week, I took my indoor drills outdoors. It was really hard to do, but by the end of an hour, the difference we all experienced was substantial. I’ll even tell you how these benefit the non-cyclists amongst your students.Read more…
Damn, I finally did it…I wrote one of those inane headlines that are so in vogue and are only designed to get clicks. I swore I would never do it. But sadly (not just that I succumbed to the trend but also because what I’m about to say is 100% true…) it’s probably the most descriptive and honest headline I could ever write about this topic. So get ready to have your mind blown if you’re a personal trainer or care about how fitness is taught.Read more…
What are your favorite songs of the 1980s? Here are 32 of my favorites and how I use them in a class. Please help us create the most comprehensive and fun collaboration of retro songs for indoor cycling classes ever compiled! You do not have to be an ICA member—this is for everyone, so please share!Read more…
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m a big proponent of doing field tests to estimate your lactate threshold. I’ve done numerous metabolic tests in the past, but I’ve never had a chance to do a lactate test. Here are my results from my recent lactate test (I NAILED my LTHR!) and an analysis of one of my student’s profound aerobic improvement.Read more…
Are you a cycling instructor that hasn’t yet discovered the incredible joys of riding outside? Or perhaps you want to convince your students to consider riding outside. Robert gives you some tips on making the decision to become an outdoor rider. Don’t worry about cannibalizing your class numbers; in a sense, you are creating an even more committed client when you introduce them to outdoor cycling!
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I came up with a unique way to describe effort using a dog on a leash. I wouldn’t use this if you haven’t already set the stage for understanding perceived exertion at each level of intensity. It may confuse students. But once they already can identify the sensations of effort, fun and creative analogies like this add some humor and variety to your coaching.Read more…