Final day to vote on the ICA Facebook photo contest! Please let us know your preference by voting on one of these great photos. If you want more information, here is the story behind each photo and contestant. On this page are finalists # 1-4.Read more…
You have this timeless classic Spinning song, don’t you? I hope that every indoor cycling instructor on earth has this song! (If not, this is a FREE post, so every instructor SHOULD have it!) Tomorrow is the day we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, and if you’re lucky enough to teach on Monday, you can play this song. I’m not teaching until Wednesday and will play it then. But this song is not limited to just MLK Day. It inspires ANYTIME you hear it! No words are necessary, just close your eyes and climb.Read more…
Dr. Haley Perlus has launched a new e-book called How to Lose Those Last 10 Pounds. But this isn’t a typical diet or exercise book; in fact, it’s neither of those. Dr. Haley takes the approach she uses with her elite athletes who need to focus on their goals, and applies them to weight loss. After reading the book, I am convinced that these techniques will apply to just about ANYTHING you want to commit yourself to, but simply need a little mental training assistance to get there. Instructors, this book will help you help your students achieve success!Read more…
FREE ARTICLE Two weeks ago I shared an amazing video of a cheetah running in slow motion that reminded me of a visualization that I used from my early days of teaching Spinning. ICA member Rebecca shared with me her and another instructor’s experience of using this video in their class, as well as their music. Hopefully this will inspire you to do something similar.Read more…
Last week I interviewed Tom Scotto about how an instructor should verbalize really hard efforts to students. This time I interviewed Dr. Haley Perlus, sports psychologist, an expert on motivation of the mental side of challenge. Dr. Perlus discusses when it is and isn’t appropriate to push through pain. Then she gives us 5 important tips on how to motivate our own students in our classes through the most challenging types of rides. Part 1 of this interview is FREE and includes 2 of the 5 motivational methods.Read more…
I had a strange dream about teaching Spinning. It was an instructor’s nightmare, kind of like Groundhog Day—I kept coming back to the same room, same people, same situation, but different things kept going wrong. It was exasperating! However, something very good came from this dream, and I woke at 5 am to write down the lesson I learned: the yin and yang of the pedal stroke. Read more…
Epic Ride’s latest virtual ride is Epic Aspen. Allen asked me to get a group of cycling girlfriends to be a part of this ride up two of Colorado’s beautiful climbs outside of Aspen. Epic Planet is offering a limited 20% discount to everyone, and remember, ICA members get a 30% discount on all Epic Planet virtual rides!Read more…
We’ve got some very exciting projects in the works at ICA, including a new website, planned educational series, videos, new contributors, an app, and more. To help us prioritize what you need the most, we would really love your input–whether you are a member or not. Let us know what are the most important topics that concern you as an instructor. Will you take a quick survey? It might take you one minute!Read more…
Two past ICA articles by Tom Scotto encouraged instructors to think of their students as athletes, and to design their program and profiles to reflect that mindset. ICA contributor Bill Roach has taken this a step further and asked his students to think of themselves as athletes. Here is hisRead more…
Today’s article is very timely since I taught the “Why Should I Keep it Real?” workshop twice while in Europe this past month. I sincerely wish every instructor could take this workshop; there is so much important information in how to do exactly what Mark is discussing in this article.Read more…