Welcome to the Indoor Cycling Association
Theme Ride Thursday: Get Your Freak On!
Missy Elliot isn’t the only one that likes to sing about freaks or getting freaky. I’ve collected over 100 songs around this theme of freaks and geeks, from Superfreak to Freakshow so you can have some freakin’ fun! Read more…
Profile: Red Pill, Blue Pill—Intervals from The Matrix
In this profile you will set the stage with four intervals that reach into the VO2 max range. The final three intervals will be selected through audience interaction and a cruel twist of fate, what I call the “Matrix choice.” Be ready to ask your riders to make the choice of remaining in the blissful ignorance of illusion or embracing the painful truth of reality.Read more…
Quick Profile: Descending Track Intervals
This ride is patterned after a running workout on a track. It illustrates to the riders how duration and intensity are inversely related and shows how the body is able to produce more energy over a shorter period of time. Read more…
Theme Ride Thursday: Be a Warrior!
Here’s a short playlist of songs pertaining to war, warriors, and bravery. Feel free to pair it with our Never Give Up playlist for a ride that will propel riders to the top!Read more…
Quick Profile: Loop de Loop
This is a fun profile that has always been a big hit whenever I’ve used it. It is predominantly aerobic but brings riders to threshold on the second loop and briefly over threshold on the final loop.Read more…
Ask the Expert: How Much Time Should You Spend in the Red Zone?
Bill Pierce’s challenging profile “Strong Start or Fast Finish” is a series of intervals that either start off “very hard” and slightly back off to “hard,” or start off “hard” and build to “very hard.” We got a great question asking whether this was too much time spent in Zone 5. This article should clarify how much time a rider should be able to spend above threshold. Hint: The answer is it depends!Read more…
The Art of the Warm-Up, Part 6: Sample Warm-Ups for High-Intensity and Loop Profiles
Here are three more sample warm-ups for five more profiles. Two of the warm-ups can be used for challenging high-intensity VO2 max or anaerobic capacity training sessions. One is an example of how you might design your warm-up for a loop profile consisting of repeated laps of the same terrain. Read more…
Introduction to Body Alignment Concepts
As we begin to understand how posture and mechanics have on overall health and injury prevention, body alignment is becoming a more discussed topic in fitness. There are several different approaches to alignment so let’s begin by defining what proper alignment looks like. Later, we will explore deviations and ultimately expand on some things you, as the instructor, can do to help your riders.Read more…
Cycling Class Communication: It’s a Four-Lane Highway, Not a One-Way Street!
Our goal as instructors is to foster an environment of connection, motivation, and success. But it isn’t just a one-way street; there is actually much more going on. Let’s take a look at four pathways of communication and discuss some tools and strategies to foster clear and effective communication that keeps participants engaged and coming back for more.Read more…
The Art of the Warm-Up, Part 5: Sample Warm-Ups for Workouts at Threshold
Part 5 gives you four more warm-ups, this time for profiles that include threshold intervals of varying lengths, field tests, and time trials. Not all warm-ups are created equal—what you do to warm up depends on the intensity and makeup of your workout.Read more…