Welcome to the Indoor Cycling Association
Audio Master Class: Storm–Stayed
Today is March 3rd, and parts of the eastern United States are in single digits and covered with snow, so there is still time to use this profile! This profile accompanies the article Educating Your Students, Part 4: Using Storytelling and Non-Cycling Examples in Your Profiles. It’s called “Storm-Stayed,” which is an adjective unique to maritime provinces and Ontario in Canada.Read more…
Power Training for Indoor Cycling Chapter 9: The Decoupling Dance
Joe Friel (author of The Cyclists Training Bible) coined the term ‘the decoupling dance’ to describe what happens to heart rate and power when you are riding for extended periods. Put simply, your heart rate rises as your body fatigues, and your power declines. This can happen either together or separately, depending on which of the two is your focus, and on how fit you are. In this chapter, we will look at each one separately.Read more…
Power Training for Indoor Cycling Chapter 9: Cadence Considerations
In general, higher cadence = higher power. Nevertheless, you can’t just spin at 120 RPM everywhere you go, nor would you want to as it can put significant demands on your aerobic conditioning. Instead, it becomes an efficiency issue to pedal at an RPM that taxes your aerobic capacity the least, while generating the most power; the optimal cadence/gear ratio that gives you the most power for the least effort.Read more…
Group Performance Displays…Would You Consider It?
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…
The Dramatic Effects of Stress on Your Heart Rate Response to Exercise
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 ICA
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…
Teaching an Olympic Profile? You WANT This Album!
Are you teaching an Olympic Profile? Whether you are teaching one of the unique and inspiring profiles Christine has created or one of your own, then you want this album! The Complete Music of the Olympic Games. Available on eMusic, iTunes, Amazon. It has official themes, numerous clips of nationalRead more…
Power Training Chapter 7: Go Faster or Suffer Less
Chapter 7 of the Power Training e-book discusses the differences between exercise and training. Gene discusses the concept of ‘Practical Power’, or power for ‘the rest of us’ – the everyday cyclist, the recreational and avid cyclist who may want to suffer less rather than go faster. It is this kind of training that has more applications indoors.Read more…
Do You Want to Pack Your Classes?
Would you like to create programming that packs the cycling class? Would you love to have your students rave about your creative, authentic profiles and inspirational coaching style? Learn how here, and see how Cykl of Toronto created a very successful program based on this concept!Read more…
Cupid is Stupid Valentine’s Interval Profile
I’m reviving a Valentine’s profile I created many years ago called Cupid is Stupid. It is sure to get a laugh or two (or perhaps rolling eyes) from your students; that is, if they have any breath left…Read more…