Alisha Shulter is an indoor cycling instructor who recently taught her first class off the bike. But, she hadn’t planned on doing it that way. The results, however, were magical and taught her a lot about herself and her students. She wrote this blog post about it and gave me permission to share it with you here at ICA.Read more…
Last week I posted a video of my iTunes filing system, a result of years of trial and error to find the best way to organize and categorize songs so that making playlists for profiles will be much easier. Here are some close-up screenshots of my category folders and playlists. In addition to organization, this will give you ideas for naming your profiles as well as many fun theme ride ideas!Read more…
This article on managing a participant’s bad attitude by guest contributor Nancy Korf is very relevant to any type of group fitness class. It is a situation that many of us have encountered in our cycling classes so we wanted to share it with you. There are some real gems in the advice she gives here!Read more…
Come take a tour with me through my iTunes to see how I organize my music into folders and general playlists, as well as my individual playlists for my class profiles. These tips may save you many hours as you create your own playlists with much less hassle!Read more…
It is often said that the answer to many important questions is “it depends.” There is no greater truth in the world of health and fitness. Great instructors know there are many variables and factors when dealing with the human body, how it is conditioned, and how to overcome injuries. Then there are the psychological battles and infusing motivation and inspiration. Here are three traits that I believe encapsulate our ICA members.Read more…
I posted this on the ICA Facebook page the other day, as well as in one of the indoor cycling forums on Facebook, and it caused a firestorm. I’d love your thoughts on the subject of stretching on the bike in your indoor cycling or Spinning class.Read more…
Are you or your riders ever tempted to ride in an aero position in your indoor cycling or Spinning class? This Bicycling magazine article will show you conclusively that it’s not really a good idea! Read more…
One of our ICA members shared his technique for keeping his riders who like to chat engaged. I thought it was a fun and creative way to add variety to your schedule of classes, whether your purpose is to let the talkers have their day or just to increase the fun level! Share with us your technique!Read more…
As instructors, we have all had one of these classes. New England has been hit with multiple snowstorms resulting in 96 inches of whiteout. Driving in downtown Boston is reminiscent of the maze scene from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, except the 8- to 10-foot walls are not green shrubbery.Read more…
Have you ever walked into class and just known it was going to be one of those days? At the front of the room sit the fitness warriors, donning serious faces as they set their heart rate monitors and fine-tune their bike setup. At the back of the room a small riot brews. There is tons of chatter, laughter, and a couple of folks whose voices project more than is tolerable. The front row is noticeably annoyed.Read more…