So what’s coming next?

I have two new interviews coming over the next weeks that I feel you will be interested in hearing.

1. Learn how you and your class can create usable electricity, from your Indoor Cycling bikes, that can power your club. I interview the founder of egreenrevolution.com about connecting health & fitness with the creation of clean renewable energy.
2. The authors of “Perfect Breathing – Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time” join me to discuss how to integrate the most powerful techniques for managing stress, boosting performance, improving health, and increasing emotional intelligence into your personal and professional life, allowing you to more effectively deal with every challenge you face.

ICI/PRO Now Fortified With CECs!

This is so exciting!

ICI/PRO is now an “ACE-approved” Continuing Education Provider and I spent the morning sending out certificates of completion to all the Instructors who reviewed this course.

The title is Communication Effectiveness Training with Dr. Haley Perlus.

And guess what?

What You Can Expect at ICI/PRO in 2010

John and I are very grateful for everyone who visits our site and for everyone who has joined ICI/PRO. We are very pleased with our first quarter of being in business, and can hardly contain our excitement for what we have planned for the coming year.

Members of ICI/PRO can look forward to the following in the coming months either as blog posts, articles, podcast discussions, interviews with experts and more:

• How Big Is Your Why?! (upcoming teleseminar to help you achieve your dreams and desires for 2010)
• Heart rate training – using it correctly and inspiring students to wear HR monitors
• New content providers/ICIPRO Team members (including an expert on nutrition for endurance athletes and triathlon training)
• Threshold field testing information, including an audio PROfile and/or video (working on the logistics of doing this)
• What is cardiac drift?
• Teaching with Power – drills, profiles, coaching and more
• Detailed RPE description and how to use it effectively
• Videos! How to’s, drills, and more…
• Core training for indoor cyclists
• Back pain and indoor cyclists
• Strength training for indoor cyclists
• Teaching obese and unfit students
• Goal setting for you and your students
• Non-verbal cueing
• Remebering students’ names
• Ways to connect with your students
• Pedal-stroke drills (audio and/or video)
• Cadence drills (audio and/or video)
• The Anatomy of the Pedal Stroke (biomechanics)
• Bike set-up – how to do it quickly and properly (video)
• Top 10 ways to keep yourself motivated as an indoor cycling instructor
• Base building
• Periodization
• Triple Threat – 3 types of HIT intervals (the why and how)
• Race Day! Time trial coaching.
• Programming – putting together a training program for profit
• Programming to increase attendance
• Proper nutrition for endurance activities
• What to eat before and after class
• Learning preferences and how to teach to various learning styles
• Social media for personal trainers and instructors
• How to start your own training blog (to keep students, friends and family appraised of what you’re teaching)
• Tour de California, Giro d’Italia and Tour de France profiles – how to teach the various types of stages
• Dealing with the uncooperative student
• Subbing tips

And so much more! Remember, we want to cover what you want to know, so make sure to email us with your suggestions.

What else can you expect for 2010 beyond PROfiles and blog posts? Read more…

When the “Fitness Run” Begins – will you be ready to catch a few new students?

They’re coming In just 2 days and this is your one chance this year to change their lives. Why not use one of Jennifer’s Audio Profiles that are part of ICI/PRO to catch a few?

Your class will swell with “resolutionists”, those people who every year re-commit to an exercise program but some how disappear by March.

So, are you prepared to catch them?

What special class are you planning?

Would a Free week of ICI/PRO help?

A Forum We can Call Our Own!

Big Announcement for ICI/PRO Members!

We have partnered with Pedal – On to provide our ICI/PRO Members with their very own Forum.

Here is a short video that shows how to sign up and request membership in the ICI/PRO Group at Pedal-On

Watt Is Power?

Watt Is Power? Or rather what is power?

With a title like that, we could be here for days.  Perhaps a better title would have been: What Is Power As It Relates To Cycling or even more to the point would be: Training on Indoor Cycling or Spinning® Bikes With Power.  But as you see, that would have been quite a long and clunky title.  So I spared you.  Naturally, we will be confining our discussion to how the dynamics and science of Power has been applied to the sport of cycling.  More specifically how it relates to the world of Indoor Cycling or Spinning® and the equipment used for this in most fitness facilities; stationary bikes.  While most of our work was done on the Keiser M3 indoor bike, we are currently in the process of acquiring other power bikes for continued independent research.

Definition

Power is the product of strength and speed or put in terms of indoor cycling, the resistance applied to the fly wheel, and the RPM or cadence of pedaling.  That seems pretty easy to understand right.  The equation that comes to mind is:

Power = Resistance X Cadence

Oh if it were only this simple.  Well, for the purposes of Indoor Cycling or Spinning®, this is all we need to know, and thuse, we have made it that simple.  However, if you ride outside, you need to know that there are quite a few factors that also impact power as it relates to cycling.  While we enjoy the perfection of a controlled environment for training, riding outside is anything but a perfect and consistent.  Consequently, there are lots of factors that can affect one’s power.  A bunch of very smart people from Penn State put together a nifty Power Calculator for those of you who are even bigger data geeks than myself.  You can find it at: http://www.me.psu.edu/lamancusa/ProdDiss/Bicycle/bikecalc1.htm

Here is a sneak peak at all the factors that go into calculating power when we move outside:

As you can see form the screen shot above, at least 65 thousand other people have a similar curiosity about power.  You can also find a kazillion references to power as it relates to cycling on the internet, but our discussions will be squarely focused on how power is measured and used for Indoor Cycling or Spinning®.

This does not mean that the power generated indoors is not the same as the power generated outdoors.  Essentially they are the same.  It simply means there are different methods used to measure that power due to differences in equipment, environment and cost.  Yes, there will be differences in the Watts you generate indoors, and what your power meter measures outdoors.  Even cyclists who use the exact same bike, with the exact same power meters indoors and out will experience differences.  Shocking as it may seem, the most expensive equipment available will still produce variations due to the enormous influence environment has on the rider and the equipment.

Nevertheless, this does not take away the value of training with power.  Power meters still represents one of the best tools for improving your general fitness and/or performance on a bike that has hit the Indoor Cycling or Spinning® market in a very long time.  The differences between indoors and out will not negate these positive effects.  At the end of the day, it’s the results we are looking for, and training with power will surely deliver!

Read more of Gino’s Training with Power Articles – Here

Bike Maintenance? We don’t need no stinking bike maintenance!

Short notice but I have an interview with Jeff Wimmer of Studiocycles.com and BikeTekUSA.org today, Saturday Nov 14th, at Noon PST.  As far as I can tell JEFF IS THE EXPERT when it comes to Spinning and Indoor Cycling bike setup, maintenance and repair for any model bike you use. I’m planning to discuss his ideas you can use to get your bikes maintained properly.

Please post any questions you have and I will try and work them into the interview.

ICI/PRO’s Top 100 Indoor Cycling Songs

ICI/PRO’s Top 100 Songs

– Want to punch up your playlist with some of the best music on the planet AND get the inside scoop on how to teach each empowering song? Thanks to a suggestion from ICI/PRO member Charles Farrow of Montgomery, Alabama, we’re going to collect 100 of the BEST songs ever recorded along with coaching tips from YOU – the most passionate instructors in the world!

Think for a moment…what is your favorite song – that little gem that creates explosive energy and reaffirms your commitment to indoor cycling? Now, here comes the good stuff….how do you TEACH that magical song to encourage your students and help them squeeze out every last drop of effort?

We need your help to create this golden list of inspiration. I’ll kick it off with my top five songs and the rest is up to you! Simply reply to this post - ONE SONG per COMMENT. C’mon, send us your best! (Duplicate songs are welcome as long as the teaching method is different.)

Update: Comments are closed on this post and Barbara has compiled the list for you. We ended up with 161 and here they are ICI/PRO’s Top 161 Songs

Sadness (U.S. Violent Mix) - Nine Inch Nails vs Enigma. Establish a seated climb for about 4 minutes and progressively load resistance with two or three gear shifts.  When you hear Trent Reznor’s evil laugh at 4.15, transition to a standing climb, throw on more gear and attack for 1 minute or until end of song.

Let the Sun Shine (Rocco and Onno Mix) - Cevin Fisher/Scumfrog.  Great tribal beat! Listen for two distinct intervals where the music begs you to add gear and come out of the saddle for a standing climb. After the first 2 minute hill, recover during the quiet portion of the song (great moment to encourage), then loop around and climb the same hill again, this time increasing the RPE. Music crescendos to indicate second hill approaching.

Riders on the Storm – Creed. This powerful cover of a classic song has two distinct climbing intervals and a recovery between efforts. Use this song to pass riders on the mountain or bridge the gap. Nice thunder and rain sound effects.

Fast Car- Hellbent Ryder 2006 Mix – Seated flat with increase in gear as music builds. As music explodes, step on the gas! There is a natural recovery during the quiet portions of this song.  Use these recovery moments to encourage and hydrate.  As the music builds again, repeat the interval with slightly more intensity.

Switch On – Paul Oakenfold – You can tell something big is going to happen with the great swells and build up. This is a perfect song to begin or end your ride!

New Logo

I can’t decide if I prefer the blue/green or the red/blue. What do you think?

Help us raise $1,000 for Breast Cancer Research

You can help us raise $1,000 for Breast Cancer Research during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We are donating 10% of all new ICI/PRO subscriptions for the month of October. We need 100 new members this month to reach our goal!

Are you one of them?

10/17 update  – 23 so far = $275

Here’s how to join ICI/PRO and help us reach our goal.

http://www.indoorcycleinstructor.com/pro