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In: Ask the Expert, Coaching and Cueing, Safety and Contraindications
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Suppose one of your riders began doing push-ups or picked up some weights in your class; what would you do? ICA member Melody asked this question in our Facebook group and several of us responded with advice. Next week I will give you some specific ways to address riders face-to-face.Read more…

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There’s even more great news about the benefits of exercise—this time it’s been discovered that it will help our brain health. But not just ANY ole’ exercise. To reap these benefits, you need to have developed powerful legs, and cycling is the perfect place to build that strength and power. But heed this warning…it probably won’t happen if you prefer non-traditional methods of indoor cycling. Even more reason to #keepitreal and #rideright!Read more…

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In: Biomechanics, Cadence, Power, Form and Technique, Free Articles, New Instructors, Safety and Contraindications
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Suppose you hired a personal trainer. At your first session, your trainer, Jack, hands you 1 lb weights. You look at him doubtfully, but he smiles and says, “Trust me!” So you do dozens of biceps curls and shoulder presses and a few other exercises until your shoulder muscles areRead more…

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In: Free Articles, Programming and Management, protection
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Today, a man was awarded €15,000 in Ireland after sustaining an injury when a pedal fell off while in a Spinning class. There are those who believe I am being alarmist, but being wise about liability has always been an important part of being in the service industry, especially fitness. This includes equipment maintenance as well as adhering to proven safe training methods.Read more…

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In: Form and Technique, Free Articles
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I was interviewed for an article in ACE Fitness magazine by Amanda Vogel called “Are Celebrity Trainers Making People Fat?” The tongue-in-cheek title of the article mimics the headline that appeared in Harper’s Bazaar magazine last fall called “Is Spinning Making You Fat?” Amanda asks whether fitness professionals stay silent or take a stand against the popular but misleading headlines propagated by the media.Read more…

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In: Free Articles, General Fitness, Instructor Issues & growth, Physiology, Heart Rate & RPE
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Damn, I finally did it…I wrote one of those inane headlines that are so in vogue and are only designed to get clicks. I swore I would never do it. But sadly (not just that I succumbed to the trend but also because what I’m about to say is 100% true…) it’s probably the most descriptive and honest headline I could ever write about this topic. So get ready to have your mind blown if you’re a personal trainer or care about how fitness is taught.Read more…

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In: Coaching and Cueing, Free Articles, Instructor Issues & growth, Keep it Real & eBooks, New Instructors
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The term “Keep it Real” in regards to indoor cycling has gotten a bad rap lately. This subject has been talked about a lot lately on online forums and websites, so it’s time to put the stake in the ground and describe exactly what it means and what it does NOT mean. I wrote the e-book Keep it Real in 2008, and wrote the workshop for Spinning® in 2006 which was based on that concept, so I have skin in this game.Read more…