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In: General Advice, Medical & Health
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Meet Jennifer Kaplan, owner of the PeloDog Indoor Cycling studio in Avon, Colorado. Like most studios around the world, she had to shut down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. I interviewed Jen about the meticulous steps she has taken to reopen the studio to ensure the health and safety of her riders, her instructors, as well as herself and her family. Read more…

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In: Class Profiles, Tour de France
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The team time trial is one of the more exciting stages of a bike race you can simulate in your classes. It’s a very challenging effort, and the extended warm-up plus the near constant rotations adds constant variety and keeps the class focused and committed. We provide you step-by-step coaching for this riveting race as well as a virtual ride so you can see how to manage your riders while teaching. Read more…

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In: Class Profiles, Teaching with Power
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Here is everything you need to perform two FTP tests with confidence: the ramp (MAP) test and the 20-minute test, including how to coach and motivate your riders to stay committed and how to add the most motivating and energetic music possible. You’ll learn not just the theory but also the practical skills to leading these two important functional assessments. If you have a bike, you can ride along with the two videos and test your own FTP. If you don’t have a bike, that’s OK; just imagine yourself at a conference session and view them with pen and paper in hand.Read more…

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In: Class Profiles
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This profile uses the concept of negative-split training to assist riders in developing aerobic and muscular endurance while targeting threshold training. The structure of this ride also gives fitness enthusiasts an opportunity to master body awareness skills and practice managing their efforts. It is an excellent way to teach new riders and those used to short intervals the concept of pacing. It also prepares riders for FTP testing in the future. Read more…

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In: Ask the Expert, General Coaching, Physiology, Heart Rate & RPE
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Teri asks if we could expand on what “breathless” means and how it’s different than gasping for air. This is important because at certain points in class we ask our riders to reach an exertion level where they are breathless—but could that mean different effort levels for each participant? Read on to find out.Read more…

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This profile by Bill Pierce is an excellent way to begin building endurance, either as part of the base-building phase in a periodized training program or as a challenging workout for people returning to exercise after taking some time off. At the time of this posting in May 2020, this is going to be one of the profiles instructors will want to turn to as they resume teaching following global gym closures and cancellation of classes. Read more…

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In: Biomechanics, Cadence, Power, Coaching and Cueing
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In part 1, I described a popular but ineffective coaching method that fails to account for the difference in abilities and fitness of riders or the differences in the wear and tear on bikes. The second method of teaching resistance that instructors should steer clear of is to assign a 1–10 scale of resistance. This one is even worse than assigning a number of turns. It’s very confusing, it’s subjective, and it’s not anchored to anything. Read more…