Welcome to the Indoor Cycling Association
Profile: Mastering Your Intensity—a Heart Rate Pyramid
This is a profile that was popular when I was presenting at WSSC and other conferences. It is a ride of discovery for your students. You will guide them to become the Master of their Intensity, using both their heart rate and perceived exertion. It is deceiving in its simplicity and harder than it appears at first glance. Read more…
BONUS! Audio Master Class: Vuelta Team Time Trial
This is a BONUS Audio Master Class: Republishing last year’s Vuelta Team Time Trial with a few changes for this year. I want you to be able to teach this exciting profile with a Spanish flair during this year’s Vuelta – or any time of the year for that matter!ThisRead more…
Mainstream Music Monday: Suffering In Solidarity
One of my favorite Indie groups released a new album the end of April and it’s as entreating as their first. Here are two songs: my favorite from their first album, the emotional song that gripped me the first moment I heard it, the one I refer to in my classes as “Suffering in Solidarity”. Also, a new song from the recent album, great for a fast climb. Read more…
Magic Coaching Moment Video: Be Prepared
Here is a quick instructor tip that will help you be more prepared than ever for your classes. After this, you will never forget anything ever again!On my trip to Buffalo Athletic Club in July, I met some wonderful instructors who really go out of their way for their students. Read more…
Keeping it Fun while Keeping it Real
Cycling coach and indoor cycling instructor Mark Bedel and I have been trading notes on how to Keep it Real indoors while also keeping it fun. Mark took it to the next step and wrote it down! Here is some great advice if you are struggling with knowing you’re andRead more…
Mind over Misery—when was the last time you allowed yourself to “suffer”?
This is a reflection on a very challenging ride I did two weeks ago, and a challenge to you as an instructor: go out and do something you didn’t think you could do, something that makes you dig in deep to overcome the difficulty! Then take what you learned and teach it to your students. In this article, I give you some tips on how to do that.Read more…
Audio Master Class: Crossing the Threshold
This challenging and fun interval profile is multipurpose: it is a powerful fitness booster for your fitness enthusiasts, and a very effective performance enhancer for your cyclists.This high intensity interval profile consists of 5 sets of 6 minutes each. You will criss-cross from just below lactate threshold to just aboveRead more…
Spotify – the newest online music streaming service
Spotify music service comes to the US after successful experience in Europe. Will it be of benefit to indoor cycling instructors? Thanks to the handful of ICA members who emailed me with information about Spotify! It certainly is something we need to keep our eyes on as a potential timeRead more…
Coaching Resistance, Part 3: Creative cueing
Tired of saying “turn it up” or “add more resistance” all the time? Liven up your coaching for resistance increases with these cues. The best way to cue resistance is to teach your students about the relationship between cadence, resistance, and their effect on intensity. You use the equation CRead more…
Coaching Resistance, Part 2: How to inspire students to select the resistance to reach the objective you set
Part 1 of this series on cueing resistance described how to establish a baseline resistance for your warm-up so that your riders always begin with some resistance on their bikes, even though it is an easier effort. By establishing this baseline, you instill in your students the understanding that thereRead more…