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In: Instructor Issues & growth, Software Demos - Tutorials
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In the following video I will give you a tour of my iTunes library to demonstrate how I organize my playlists and music for indoor cycling. Along the way I will show you some tips and tricks for ordering your lists, using the BPM widget, building a playlist, laying out your profile, and calculating the time of multiple songs.Read more…

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In: Communication and Presentation Skills, Free Articles, General Coaching, Instructor Issues & growth
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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…

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In: Class Profiles, Coaching and Cueing, Teaching with Power
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Profile objective: To vehemently defy the cycling cardio gods with a dance of strength. Think of performing 1260 single leg squats; this profile requires no imagination.

The mention of “dance of strength” was not just a fun euphemism; get ready to bring your bike and legs on the dance floor with some powerful EDM (electronic dance music).Read more…

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In: Instructor Issues & growth, Software Demos - Tutorials
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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…

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In: Communication and Presentation Skills, Free Articles, Instructor Issues & growth, New Instructors
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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…

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In: Ask the Expert, Biomechanics, Cadence, Power
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What else can be done for a rider to improve their cadence range? I’ve got a rider who has been working with me for about a year and half. She is in her 50s and very fit. She runs, strength trains, and cycles about 2 times per week. She’s still unable to increase into the 90s. Her form and control are good and she can put out the watts, but just not at a high cadence. I know cadence ranges are individual and trainable, but is the 80s it for her?Read more…

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In: Free Articles, Music Resources
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I have a 75-year-old rider named Sally who mentioned she didn’t know any of my music (even though I play a lot of classic rock). So I came to class equipped with a song she was sure to know, and it brought a huge smile to her face—as well as my other riders! It’s the perfect beat for a flat road. Do you have any special classics you play for your older riders?Read more…

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In: Instructor Issues & growth
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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…