My brain started spinning (pardon the pun)... the door swung open... and I stepped out.
Once I realized that the indoor cycle doesn't move, I opened my mind to many things previously deemed unacceptable.
Hello
My name is Karen and I stepped out of the box last year. I am also the self proclaimed spokesperson for KEEPING IT FUNâ„¢ Indoor Cycling. I'm committed to helping other indoor cycling instructors who aren't afraid to approach indoor cycling differently.
Here is my story…
KEEPING IT REAL Indoor Cycling is where I come from. It was also where I thought I was going when I opened my indoor cycling studio a little over year ago. I was determined to maintain the integrity of the road and to honor the spirit of SPINNING®. Never did I entertain the idea of lunges, crunches, tap backs, push ups, BootiePops or hand weights on my indoor bike. NEVER, EVER……EVER would I allow that to occur on my instructor stage!!!!!!!! N E V E R.
Enter.....the shiny monkey.
I am plagued by, or shall I say blessed with SMS (Shiny Monkey Syndrome). The Shiny Monkey is fun, flirty, happy, and IRRESISTIBLE. After reading many KEEPING IT REAL articles, the Shiny Monkey bounced into my brain and pointed out something obvious about my indoor bike. The indoor bike is STATIONARY. It does NOT move, and nothing around it moves. There is no traffic, no way to get lost, no forward motion, no inclement weather, and no physical obstacles. Factors that keep us from doing things on an outdoor bike need not apply to the indoor bike. BooYah and three cheers, go to the Shiny Monkey!!! Thanks for changing my life, little guy!!!
Today, indoor cycling offers riders a diversity of classes that they have never had before! Understanding and identifying KEEPING IT REAL and KEEPING IT FUN, as two completely different forms of group exercise, is what gave me courage to step out and teach something different.
Don't get me wrong, I like a KEEPING IT REAL class. I don't want KEEPING IT REAL to change. I have simply departed from KEEPING IT REAL and celebrate KEEPING IT FUN! I want to build a community of instructors who share my embrace of the evolution of indoor cycling.
There needs to be a forum for “KEEPING IT FUN” instructors. A place to share their love of sweaty indoor awesomeness, on bike that has just one wheel and goes nowhere. I want to share my story and help other instructors who are trained in the traditional indoor cycling formats; Mad Dogg, Schwinn, Stages, etc. feel comfortable stepping away from what's deemed "REAL" and into the “FUN” world.
There are safe and effective ways to teach a lil “party on a bike.” There are also safe and effective ways to add upper body resistance training to an indoor cycling class. We are NOT outdoors. KEEPING IT FUN indoor cycling is a group exercise that can appeal to everyone. It is growing in popularity (without injury), among elite athletes, weekend warriors, all age groups, both genders, and most importantly.....with people who haven”™t had a work out routine, or haven”™t stuck to consistent fitness plan in years. I've seen in my studio how KEEPING IT FUN, keeps everyone coming back!!!
"If you wouldn't do it on the road, don't do it in class," may be the ultimate KEEPING IT REAL rule. I break this rule, EVERY ride.
Cuing from a KEEPING IT FUNâ„¢ instructor, may go like this.....
“Find your hill. Now, add some gear. Relax your shoulders and close your eyes. Create weightlessness on your pedals and get lost, in the rhythm. Follow the beat. Up 2, Back 2. Let”™s GO!!!”
When I ride, I close my eyes. This breaks the KEEPING IT REAL rule. You can't close your eyes and ride outdoors. On a stationary bike you CAN close your eyes. With my eyes closed, and when my optic nerve is completely relaxed, cardio therapy follows. I let the music penetrate my mind, my body, and my soul. I harness the power of those who ride with me and we ride, together. Everyone is connected through movement and the entire room moves like a jellyfish. I think this is what Les Mills referred to as FitnessMagic. FitnessMagic connects people with people AND it connects people with themselves. I live for FitnessMagic!!!
I am an indoor cyclist.
My cycle goes nowhere and yet, my cycle takes me anywhere I want to go 🙂
- Keeping It FUN … A Year Later - July 2, 2023
- WIN/WIN/WIN - March 26, 2022
- RECOVERY, ADDICTION, & INDOOR CYCLING - April 25, 2021
Thanks for this Karen – I’m excited to see the responses from others. You’re exactly right that there’s real diversity in Indoor Cycling; Power classes, conventional classes, virtual rides, hybrid cycle & strength class, SoulCycle type classes and everything in between. Isn’t it great that we live and teach in a place that accepts and embraces so much diversity?
Thank YOU, John! The diversity in the indoor cycling industry, is so exciting. I “get it” that everyone defines FUN, differently and I love that our program offers something for everyone!!!
I will continue to KEEP IT REAL and have fun at the same time 🙂
WAY TO TO GO KAREN… For the record, Keeping it Real as a movement to make indoor cycling instructors teach correct safe form and more effectively never really got moving outside these forums certainly did not fill up studios and only made it less fun.
I came to indoor cycle instructing from the front row. I totally enjoyed the high energy, great music and community fostered by the instructor. Very little keep it real in her sell out classes. Still learning to keep it real was a great education for me and did get me on the road. Moreover I met Sally Edwards, Amy, John Gino and many of our nations premier ICI’s.
Now that I’m a roadie, I see road riding and indoor cycling almost as mutually exclusive. Almost. I’ve done enough Soul Cycling to understand the difference between fun and whatever it is they’re doing. And though Soul Cycle riders seem to be enjoying themselves that model crosses my lines.
Indeed I’ve researched this quite a bit, from the perspective of how much spinning was losing market share to the ‘main studio’. Sadly, I couldn’t discover what it would take to convert the Zumba and UJamer’s to indoor cycling, I can say that there was lots of laughing and screams of joy in said studio. Sounded a lot like fun to me.
For me keeping it real is something I don’t emphasize or talk about during class. I just cue safe effective form and yes, encourage eye closing and self awareness. I work hard at connecting with my riders, not taking what we’re doing to seriously and have some fun. It is a great recipe for keeping them coming to my class.
They’re happy and not looking for something else. Management is happy with full classes and I’m happy for the affirmation.
Keep it Fun. Sounds like a win/win to me.
Thanks for chiming in, Julie and Chuck 🙂
I embrace the fact that people define FUN differently. The term KEEPING IT FUN, isn’t saying that KEEPING IT REAL is not FUN. The majority of my studio’s target market, however, is the person who does NOT prefer a KEEPING IT REAL style class. We appeal to a wide variety of clients, by offering a diversity of class styles…..all of them, are FUN, safe, and effective. There is no denying, that the indoor cycling industry has evolved and will continue to evolve. Accepting this, is hard for some people, which I understand. The umbrella of KEEPING IT FUN, to include a variety of class styles, riders can find something they find FUN, (which includes, KEEPING IT REAL style classes). I truly believe, that when it is FUN, riders return!!! My passion isn’t exercise…its nurturing the minds, bodies, and souls of people. I have built a place that judges no one and welcomes everyone. It is happy and feeds the soul, in a world that can sometimes be very negative and has the potential to bring us down. My purpose is to take my passion and foster a community of people, who uplift and help transform, one another. I live my purpose every day. I’ve seen the lives transformed. I hear, every day, from riders, that if the only class style we offered, was a KEEPING IT REAL style, then they wouldn’t keep coming back.
There is a HUGE audience of people who do not want what traditional cycling offers. Many of these people are nervous, scared, intimidated, shy, overweight, insecure and perhaps exercising for the first time in years…or for the first time, in their life. I LOVELOVELOVE, and celebrate that they have the courage to step into SaddleRooms, across the nation, and party on a bike. I LOVELOVELOVE hosting the party and am committed to keeping it safe, while doing so. Until the American Council on Exercise comes out with guidelines that prove tapbacks, BootiePops, crunches, and hand weights are unsafe or ineffective, I will continue to dance on my bike … after all, I’m just dancin’. It is FUN, for me … and as one of my most treasured BarnChicks says … “don’t you automatically find your spirit, if you’re just dancin’?”
And … like Chuck says…”Sounds like a win/win, to me.”
🙂
BooYah! Well said, Julie and ROCK the REAL!!!!!
This issue, just isn’t black and white for me. I see all the lives that have been forever changed, because they LOVE a party on a bike, class. I can’t find any evidence of anyone getting hurt. I’d love to see mutual respect, between KEEPING IT REAL and KEEPING IT FUN. I have absolutely nothing bad to say, about traditional indoor cycling classes, and I still offer and teach them, at my studio. But, I also love to get my groove on and sprinkle in the movement and weights. It’s all about balance, for me!!!
Cheers~
KC
Hi Chuck,
I love that you are a roadie, and still appreciate the evolution of indoor cycling. Indoor cycling and outdoor cycling, aren’t even remotely the same, to me. They’re different and why not embrace that!
Thanks for the support. Much appreciated, my friend!
🙂 KC
You are welcome Karen.
Self proclaimed or whatever, your keep it fun indoor cycling has become a topic of concern in other forums. That means you’ve got every one’s attention. Good job. It may be the perfect blend of information our indoor cycling instructors need to, as I like to say, give their riders a good reason to come back!
When I return to San Jose from doing my day job in frozen northern MN (Duluth) I want to come take or teach a ‘Keep it Fun’ Class at your studio in SoCal.
It’ll be a gas!
Morning Chuck~
Again, thanks!!! 🙂
I’m glad KEEPING IT FUN, has become created a buzz. It NEEDS to be a topic of concern, because other styles of indoor cycling are here to stay. I see the comments. I also, live and let live. I wholeheartedly, respect the traditional indoor cycling style of teaching. I’m not asking them, to change. The comments I read, simply build my confidence and validate that I am doing the right thing. There is a bigger picture, for me and many layers to peel back.
All I want, it to offer support to other instructors who have been afraid to “come out.” Any traditionally trained instructor who wants to depart from traditional indoor cycling, does not have a voice. I’ve been working on this, for a long time. I spoke to ACE, last summer and they do NOT have guidelines with regard to indoor cycling. The topic was escalated to Cedric Bryant, and rep for ACE acknowledged that I am opening “Pandora’s Box” and that a study in the future is something to consider. I’d like to see a study conducted on the biomechanics of all variants of exercise performed on an indoor bike. I am not saying that ACE is the end all/be all, but I do think that having a study conducted, is a good start. 🙂 One style isn’t “right” and one style isn’t “wrong.” Can’t we all, just get along?!?!!!!!!!
Next time you are in southern CA, please visit TheBarn. How fun to meet you and thank you, in person, for your support. Take a class AND teach a class. HOW FUN!!!!!! Maybe we could make it a 2 hour, special event!!!!!
Any chance, you will you be at IHRSA, in San Diego, next month?
KC
Good that you contacted ACE. At ICG, Jim Karanas had put on his ‘to do’ list trying to get an association like ACE to investigate ‘non-authentic’ cycling during an indoor cycling class. See his posts on Non-authentic Cycling.
Don’t know if his successors are pursuing that but I’m glad you are and know he would be as well.
As much as I would like to be at IHRSA this year (first i’ve missed in the last five) my other responsibilities will keep me away this year.
I will definitely put a trip to SoCal and TheBarn on my calendar.
The most important thing for the Fitness Consumer to realize is that the Fitness Industry is unregulated.
Everyday millions of people are put in harms way by imposter instructors that are nothing more than entertainers/rock stars spewing cliché platitudes as though they have actually BEEN to the mountain top.
GroupEX Directors and Gym Management don’t care if an instructor is certified and certainly don’t perform professional performance evaluations on them. Even Fitness Industry Educators have a name for the chaos that is GroupEX- “cirque de soliel”. That’s right, a circus.
So, next time an entertainer/instructor asks you to do a movement on the bike, ask them if they would have their own child do it.