Welcome to the Indoor Cycling Association
First Power Column – A Bit of a Rant
Welcome to my first ICA post on power training. I’ve been shocked and bewildered at the degree of dogma that has emerged from the discipline of power training for cycling. There continues to be a dearth of books on the subject, and all of them are speaking to the very narrow population of competitive athletes. Worse yet, there is a consistent “bashing” of the heart rate monitor and all the methods for training using that tool.Read more…
Cycling Fusion Launches Online Certification
BREAKING NEWS!! Cycling Fusion is launching the industry’s very first online indoor cycling certification. Listen as Tom Scotto describes the new concept of becoming an indoor cycling instructor online. If you have doubts about the effectiveness of this, I think that will change once you listen to the Cycling FusionRead more…
Introducing a New Power Track on ICA
I am very happy to announce that we are starting a regular power segment on ICA. Gene Nacey will be the primary contributor, as well as a few other guest writers. Even if you do NOT currently have power, I’ve explained in this post how knowing more about power willRead more…
HIT IT! Audio Master Class with Tom Scotto
When it’s time to go hard, you might as well learn how to do it the right way. This is more than just a profile, though. Tom teaches you how to perform explosive power efforts and lactate tolerance efforts for any class. We discuss when a class this hard is appropriate and when it is not, and provide suggestions on how to give options to students not ready. Therefore, this audio master class is a MUST for those who like to HIT IT hard!Read more…
Creating a Newsletter for Your Students Part 2: Managing the Distribution
Bill Roach recently wrote about the benefits of starting a newsletter not only to keep your students informed of your classes, alert them to schedule changes, or provide fitness tips, but also to increase your connection with them, leading to increased attendance and loyalty. In this article, Bill goes theRead more…
Ask the Expert: Lactate Threshold Resources Needed
ICA member Cheryl asked about supporting documentation to understand why maximum heart rate zones are not advised and more information on lactate threshold zones and training. Apparently, she has a doctor and some “scientific types” in her class. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about LT and why it should replace MHR zones! Be prepared…your summer educational reading material is all right here.Read more…
Proper Hip Angle When Standing
While teaching yesterday, I noticed a student standing up tall with her hands perched on the handlebars when on a climb. Do you know why this might be inefficient and how to fix it? Here is how I resolved this issue.Read more…
Cueing for High Intensity Efforts
What do you say when you want to push your students beyond their threshold? Here is a list of inspiring cues to help them achieve what you are asking so they can reap the benefits that you are seeking (the objective of the profile). Some cues are visuals, some areRead more…
Ask the Expert: Handlebar setup question
Tom Scotto weighs in on a question about setting up the handlebar position on the bike.An ICA member asked about using the arm to determine the distance between the seat and the handlebars: Hi Jennifer, I’ve been a spin instructor for a bunch of years now and I keep seeingRead more…
Audio Master Class: The Roller Coaster Ride
This mountain bike profile has proven to be one of the most exhilarating rides I think I’ve ever done! Hidden beneath the twisty-turny-uppy-downy terrain are unstructured intervals. This is the kind of “real” ride that your interval training prepares you for. So get ready to show your students what solid interval training can do for them!Read more…