New instructors are often unsure how much they should be talking or what they should be saying in their classes. One of the litmus tests to discover if you are talking too much is to simply ask yourself, “Why am I talking?” The answer may surprise you. Caesar provides tips on examining the purpose of your cues and making sure your riders aren’t confused by what you say. Read more…
Creating new profiles is one of the more challenging aspects of being an indoor cycling instructor. But you may have a deeper well of profiles at your own fingertips without even realizing it! Here are 6 tips to take your existing profiles and double or even triple them with a few tweaks. Read more…
Jean asked what to do about her new rider’s discomfort he feels in his triceps. The advice provided is not just for new riders, but is a great review for all instructors to know how to coach hand placement to minimize discomfort or arm fatigue for all riders.Read more…
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…
A new instructor posed this excellent question, and because it depends on so many caveats, I am creating a series out of this topic. Part 1 provides the most basic, short-term way to assess how hard or easy your class is for your riders. But instructors, get ready to do a little self-analysis—I’ve got some homework for you. This series may very well pave the path to tremendous personal growth!Read more…
This is a blog post by group fitness instructor Erica Barker (reprinted with permission). She accurately describes what most of us go through as we prepare for our one-hour fitness class, of any format. It’s a LOT more than that one hour, isn’t it? Share this with your peers and even with your students; it’s helpful when they understand how much your passion drives what you do!Read more…
Energy in science can neither be created nor destroyed. What about energy in your classroom? Energy is one of the primary things that distinguishes a good class from a poor one. A class with good energy is almost always a good class. A class without energy is, well, dead. Here are tips to keep the energy high.Read more…
Bill arrives at the studio to teach his class, but there is a construction team at the front of the room, just minutes before class starts. What does he do? Learn from Bill’s experience in effectively managing a challenging situation, and apply it to others that you might encounter. Your response will have an effect on how your riders respond!Read more…
This article on managing a participant’s bad attitude by guest contributor Nancy Korf is very relevant to any type of group fitness class. It is a situation that many of us have encountered in our cycling classes so we wanted to share it with you. There are some real gems in the advice she gives here!Read more…
If you haven’t seen Simon Sinek’s TED Talk yet, it’s a must-watch. Sinek’s central message, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it,” holds profound implications for those of us in the fitness industry. This principle encourages us to reflect on our motivations and infuse our teaching with a deeper purpose.Read more…