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…
“I brought my heart rate up to Zones 2, 3, and 4 and then changed cadence from 88 to 75, 70, and 60, adding resistance each time to keep the power the same. I stayed at each cadence for several minutes. My heart rate dropped considerably each time I lowered my cadence while maintaining the same power output. Did my heart rate drop because we use muscle more than cardio at lower cadences or is this an issue with the bike?”Read more…
What else can be done for a rider to improve their cadence range? I’ve got a rider who has been working with me for about a year and half. She is in her 50s and very fit. She runs, strength trains, and cycles about 2 times per week. She’s still unable to increase into the 90s. Her form and control are good and she can put out the watts, but just not at a high cadence. I know cadence ranges are individual and trainable, but is the 80s it for her?Read more…
Measuring power in cycling has been all the rage for a number of years. Many of the athletes I train as a coach are enamored with the amount of watts they generate. The ability to measure power output for a given effort is an excellent representation of the amount of work being produced, but does it tell the entire story?Read more…
A well-written article that sheds light on knee pain and injuries, while demonstrating the level of knowledge indoor cycling instructors need to balance out the focus on fun, community, and music.Read more…
Using a power to weight ratio is an easy and effective way to determine the amount of watts to target during various efforts. It is a very simple approach that is easy for instructors to use in classes where bikes with power meters are available. With any simple approach, there will be factors to consider for those who desire to be the exception.Read more…
“I have several triathletes and highly fit cyclists in some of my classes. A few of them seem to have really heavy, quad dominant downstrokes that results in what I “see” to be a highly inefficient circular pedal stroke. When in climbing position, these same “quad dominant” cyclists have a lot of hip rocking. (Not a ridiculous amount, but more than what a trained athlete should be doing if they are knowledgeable). I guess they are trying to really force the pedals down which, of course, leads to the inefficient stroke. My advice in class is to ”settle down” the hips. There should be some side to side, natural movement, but not overkill. If you settle down the hips a little, it forces a smoother stroke—especially the upward phase of pedal stroke. Am I right to say this?”Read more…
Are you or your riders ever tempted to ride in an aero position in your indoor cycling or Spinning class? This Bicycling magazine article will show you conclusively that it’s not really a good idea! Read more…
One of the gold standards of power is Functional Threshold Power (FTP): the maximum average power one can sustain, with or without puking, for 60 minutes. Sounds fun! If that is more excitement than you can handle in a single sitting, there are other methods or field tests that one can enjoy to determine FTP. However, I recommend first determining whether FTP is practical or applicable for your indoor cycling classes.Read more…
Many folks mistake speed and pedal-stroke work as only beneficial for those who ride actual bikes outdoors. This is not the case. Although it is a popular understanding that higher leg speeds produce greater power (force X velocity = power), there are also mechanical and neuromuscular benefits for everyone.Read more…