Introducing MixMeister Express 7

MixMeister Express 7 is now for both PC and Mac – but you still can’t use AAC Audio files of any type. Students of the MixMeister Express Academy learn how to convert their files from AAC to MP3 in lesson #1

Yep, it’s $70.00 but that’s better than the $200 Mac users needed to spend for MixMeister Studio. Existing users can upgrade for $19.99.

It’s a whole new install so you can keep MixMeister 6 installed and start over with version 7.

I have been playing with for a few minutes and the first cool new thing is it will import a playlist from iTunes. I have always preferred to build my playlists in iTunes instead of MixMeister so I see this is a big improvement.

I will have my full review soon and I will be making changes to the MixMeister Express Academy to reflect the new features.

Your iMix has been submitted to the iTunes Store

Dear John, Congratulations, your iMix “ICI/PRO Sport iMIX Electronic” has been published in the iTunes Store at:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=355752720

ICI/PRO Sport iMIX Electronic Playlist Notes: I thought all of us from www.indoorcycleinstructor.com should be posting Sport iMixes of our favorite Indoor Cycling Class music playlists. 8:46 warmup > Pushing West is a great climb to get aerobic and ready for the rest of the class. If you buy your music from iTunes try creating your own Sport iMix. The Sport iMixes are for fitness related activities. If you use ICI/PRO in the title others will be able to find them. Does this help?

Cupid is Stupid Valentines Profile

As you can probably tell, I really like the profile concept of dueling intervals, where each hard effort alternates between a flat road higher cadence and a climb with slower cadence higher resistance. It has become a staple, especially when putting together theme rides!

Last year I posted a Valentines Dueling Interval profile on my Funhogspins blog. This year I am going to do something similar for my Friday and Saturday classes, but with a little more of an “anti-Valentine’s” theme. Just for fun, my ride is called Cupid is Stupid.

Some of the recovery songs in between the efforts are the same as last year’s ride (I have limited good short love songs in my library)!

I am still in base building with my members so I won’t be pushing them too hard – but we’ll probably get up to threshold on some of the work segments. You can certainly raise the intensity above threshold during the work efforts if you wanted to. Enjoy the profile! Read more…

Did you back up your iTunes Music files last night?

I did…. Well OK I didn’t, but Carbonite did for me. Like it does every night

Good morning John. Every thing is backed up and secure

Could this happen to you? Video after the jump.

Read more…

With new single You’re Not Alone, he hopes to motivate people to make things happen in their lives.

Don’t ask why, but I was over at the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Site this morning. Thankfully you can’t sign up yet they have this great song available as a free download.

Minneapolis music icon Tim Mahoney completed his first Triathlon – the Life Time Fitness Triathlon – in 2008. With his new single You’re Not Alone, he hopes to motivate people to make things happen in their lives.

“It’s about trying to get deep inside yourself to find that inner strength that we all have but sometimes can’t find,” says Mahoney about his latest single. “I’m just a regular voice out there that says if you stick to it, you can accomplish your goals. When the chips are down, there is reason to believe.”

I though this tied in well with Jennifer’s earlier post about legal free music sites.

Carbonite Saved My iTunes Indoor Cycling Class Music

Watch as I recover my iTunes music and other data. Then cross one item off your 2010 resolutions list by signing up for a free trial of Carbonite here.

How to introduce longer periods of silence

I’ve been reflecting a little more on the silence issue since it came up in the teleconference on Sunday. Some instructors are still having difficulty feeling comfortable not saying something for much longer than 30-60 seconds.

If your students are so used to non-stop talking, it might take a little while for them to realize the benefits of riding “alone”, but I believe that sooner or later, everyone will begin to enjoy it.

On the call I also suggested that perhaps some instructors have the perception that their students want or need a verbal command, simply because they are staring up at them. But in actuality, they might not be thinking that at all – how many times do we assume that someone is thinking one thing when we find out later that we are entirely wrong? If they are starting up at you, looking like they are waiting for a command, I think it’s because they are just conditioned from all the instructors demanding their attention by talking too much. They are like Pavlov’s dog. It’s up to you to condition them otherwise, and it’s not as hard as you think.

This morning in a Strength class I finished with an 8-minute climb. It was what I refer to as an introspective song¹, a great opportunity to quiet the mind and simply focus on the rhythm of the music and their movement as they pedal, as well as on their breathing and their pedal stroke. My students are very used to riding “alone” for 5-8 minutes at a time so I didn’t have to convince them – they already LOVE doing it! Below is what I said prior to the 8-minute climb (although I didn’t say all of this – I embellished this to assist those of you who are struggling with how to introduce longer periods of silence). Read more…

Energia Magica, upcoming audio PROfile

I just posted this in the comments section of the “Top 100 Songs” post because I have two awesome songs I wanted to add to that list. I used them this morning and they really exemplified the theme of my ride. I decided to repost my comment here so no one misses it. I did this particular profile for the first time this morning and I am very excited about, I’ve decided to make it my next Audio PROfile (for ICI members) so I can share with you some inspirational and emotional climbing coaching techniques. The music choice in the profile should inspire you to use  your music selection, just like a soundtrack in a movie, to reflect your objective by using the feeling, emotion and power in a song.

I’ve been planning to do a “long grind” for awhile, a term for one long hill that has few if any breaks. I do this about once every 4-6 weeks. This particular ride has been incubating in my mind for a few weeks, the music I was going to use, the coaching,the visuals, the words I would use to inspire my students through the tough parts. And it has a lot of tough parts, as you can see by the profile below.

I call the ride “Energia Magica”. It is one long climb up the Col de la Forclaz in France, a “category 1″ climb in the Tour de France, with 10-15% grade segments – represented by the red sections in the profile. Yellow is the next hardest, so you can see that the middle is the toughest part, with a challenging finale as well. Ouch. A cyclist would look at the profile and grimace, recognizing the sufferfest that lies ahead, while also relishing the thought of the physical, emotional, and mental benefits that one gains from accomplishing an ascent such as this. This is one of those climbs that becomes a rite of passage for cyclists. There’s no reason why it can’t also be so in your indoor cycling classroom.

In the ride I talk about tapping into the energy from your surroundings and environment, such as the trees and the rocks and the road on a long climb, to help you get to the top. This is what I call the “magical energy”.  Read More…

Read more…

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!

It takes great music to be an ICI/PRO

Now ICI/PRO Members receive free tuition to the MixMeister Express Academy!

Save $19.97 while you quickly and easily learn the skills and gain the confidence you need to bring a professional sound to your next Indoor Cycling / Spinning Class.

Claim your spot in the MixMeister Express Academy as part of your ICI/PRO Membership.