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This is the final installment on the series by Bryon Black on Top Ten Tricks for Nailing Your Next Audition. This tip deserved its own article because of its impact. Get this one right and not only will you probably knock the socks off those in your audition, but it will establish your foundation as you progress as an indoor cycling coach. Incorporating this suggestion may change you; it will permeate how you create your profiles, how you coach your students, how you help them progress in their fitness, and how you grow as a person.Read more…

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As an indoor cycling instructor, I believe your job is to lead your students to greater fitness, provide motivation and inspiration, educate them, and have fun in the process. In fulfilling these obligations, you want to have a mix of the elements listed in this article in your quiver of classes. These aren’t energy zones or specific types of profiles, rather they could be what is stated as an objective (or sub-objective) for your profile.Read more…

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After three weeks being out of commission, I’m slowly getting back to teaching my Tues/Thur 6am class, the end of a 12-week periodized program. Since the information and coaching is very specific and is based on what was done in the previous weeks, I had no one who I could trust to sub for me. (Yup, really!) But I do have very understanding and wonderful students who cared more about my recovery than their class! So today was my second day back, teaching off the bike. My husband remarked these past two classes were the best he’s ever seen me teach, because I was focusing so much on my students. Here’s what I said and did, plus my latest field-test playlist, which I loved!Read more…

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I’ve taught many field tests over the past six years and have assembled what I believe are some excellent coaching tips to inspire my riders to give it their all without overdoing it. Coaching field tests well requires a good understanding of what lactate threshold effort should feel like and how to inspire your riders mentally to hold to that level of intensity for 20 minutes. Here are some coaching tips for before, during, and after your field test.Read more…

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As promised, following the interviews with Tom Scotto and Dr. Haley Perlus on the physical and metal aspects of pushing into the realm of discomfort, here are some of Tom’s and my favorite cues for hard to very hard efforts that include an element of suffering. There is a disclaimer of course: you must have a good relationship with your students and these are not appropriate for everyone. But you can also modify them based on where you are with your coaching and where your students are with their fitness.Read more…

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Last week I interviewed Tom Scotto about how an instructor should verbalize really hard efforts to students. This time I interviewed Dr. Haley Perlus, sports psychologist, an expert on motivation of the mental side of challenge. Dr. Perlus discusses when it is and isn’t appropriate to push through pain. Then she gives us 5 important tips on how to motivate our own students in our classes through the most challenging types of rides. Part 1 of this interview is FREE and includes 2 of the 5 motivational methods.Read more…

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In cycling we are surrounded by images of riders suffering as they go beyond their limits on steep mountain grades, vicious attacks, grueling time trials and hair raising sprints. The cycling and training world is filled with terms such as “the pain cave,” “hurt box,” and the “sufferfest.” Is there a place for these terms in our indoor cycling classes? Tom and I discuss the if, when, why, and how of cueing discomfort.Read more…