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…

The term “Keep it Real” in regards to indoor cycling has gotten a bad rap lately. This subject has been talked about a lot lately on online forums and websites, so it’s time to put the stake in the ground and describe exactly what it means and what it does NOT mean. I wrote the e-book Keep it Real in 2008, and wrote the workshop for Spinning® in 2006 which was based on that concept, so I have skin in this game.Read more…

Group performance displays, such as the system created by Performance IQ, can be used to successfully market your program, increase engagement and attendance, inspire students to reach goals through greater opportunities for coaching, and to keep your students loyal. What’s not to love about a system like this? Now, you can receive an exclusive $250–$500 discount on your own system for your studio!Read more…

In all the heart rate training articles posted at ICA, we always stress the fact that heart rate, while an effective way to monitor your intensity, is subject to many external factors that have nothing to do with the work you are performing. These factors include over-reaching, over-training, lack of sleep, dehydration, caffeine, medications, heat, humidity, stress, and others. It is important to understand the limitations of heart rate training if one is to use it properly as a training tool. One of the factors we may ignore the most is stress. I share with you a personal example of the negative effects of stress on my own heart rate. Please share this article to help others understand the body’s response to stress.Read more…

              Class profiles on the Indoor Cycling Association Profile: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not This creative and fun profile explores the sensations that go along with the “He loves me, he loves me not” game—where you pull petals off a daisy andRead more…