by Tom Scotto | Mar 26, 2020 | Master Instructor Blog
I asked a few indoor cycling instructors how often they take time off from teaching and all I got was ………………….. Yup, dead stares and dead silence. What are you taking about? You know, like taking a week off from teaching — a little R&R? Once they understood the question (which I thought was clear the first time), the common response was — never.
I’m going to switch into Coach Tom mode. I want you to consider yourself an athlete, because frankly, that is what you are. The instructors I asked taught a minimum of 4 indoor cycling classes per week PLUS some taught other group fitness modalities, also worked as personal trainers and even competed. One of my future articles is going to specifically address balancing competition and teaching, but for now let’s just talk about taking care of YOU.
I’m going to shoot straight — many of you reading this (at least this far) will not agree or believe me until you actually take a legitimate break. No explanations will suffice and no scientific studies will convince. Why am I so confident of this? I experienced it. I was teaching 12 classes per week, commuting to the clubs and coaching riders on the road. Most of my weeks totaled 19-29 hours in the saddle. My justification: “This is what I do. I’m a indoor cycling instructor and coach.” People told me I looked tired and gaunt. Well, I’m supposed to look gaunt, I’m a cyclist. Due to a combination of business travel and a family vacation, I was forced to take 2 weeks off from teaching. I know what you are thinking, and yes, finding subs for 24 classes was overwhelming but doable. When I returned, I was refreshed, enthusiastic and healthy. It was noticeable by more than just me.
We will fight the concept of taking the needed time to care for our bodies and recover physically, mentally and emotionally, but we need it. So how much and how often should we take a break? That is a good question and one I don’t have an answer to because it depends on how much you teach and your lifestyle. As a coach, I like my athletes to take a week of rest and recovery for each 4 to 5 weeks of focused training. This may be a bit much if you teach fulltime as a means of making a living. I like to get a break after every 8 weeks of teaching. That works for me. Now there are other options as well. You don’t have to take a week or two off consecutively, instead take 3-4 days off or setup a long weekend. Remember, it is not just about you. You are providing the energy and inspiration for those in your class. If you don’t walk in with it, you can give it.
So how do you know you may be in need of a break? If you still have not been able to answer my opening question, the answer is simple — IT IS TIME! Some other signs are lack of energy (particularly before class), fatigue, low motivation, bored with your workouts or profiles, classes appearing longer than normal and overuse injuries. Listen to your body and listen to others. I’m very fortunate to have riders in my classes who respect me and who are not afraid to provide feedback. One rider in a class that I’ve taught for 7 years approached me afterwards and said, “you didn’t have IT tonight”. He said the class was still good, but it wasn’t at the level he had come to expect and enjoy. It was tough to hear, but he was right. It was time. I owed it to myself and I owed it to my class.
So take care of yourself. Listen to your body. You are an athlete, a motivator and an inspiration. Lead by example and lead strong.
Originally posted 2011-07-29 05:00:00.
by Tom Scotto | Jan 3, 2020 | Master Instructor Blog
Before we talk about how to get a beginner class started, the first question you need to answer is why? Not, why does my club need a beginner class, but why do YOU want to lead one (if this is your plan)? As an instructor starting a beginner class you need 3 main criteria: (1) The absolute desire to work with new riders, (2) the ability to teach appropriate classes for beginners and (3) excellent foundational knowledge of bike setup and form and technique.
Working with beginners is very gratifying but it does take a special individual to have the patience to work with those who may not have the conditioning or who arrive needing all kinds of help and have tons of (basic) questions. Many people never enter indoor cycling classes because they are intimidated by what they’ve witness through the class door of the studio (instructor yelling, riders sweating profusely and everyone limping out of the room). You will need to help beginners feel comfortable and confident that they will not only survive the class, but actually enjoy it. These classes REALLY need to be designed for beginners. This does not mean we do the same drills as our regular classes, just at a lower intensity. Some riders may have trouble (or are not confident) standing, while others may find pedaling above 60 RPM a challenge. Many beginner riders I’ve witness struggle to remain comfortable on the bike regardless of how hard they are working.
One of my biggest pet peeves is bike setup, particularly when working with beginners. This is often their first experience on the bike and it should be positive and pain-free. A few months ago a new rider entered my class (not a beginner class). I asked if she needed help with her setup because I saw her sitting in a very odd position. She told me she was experiencing some knee pain after a few classes. Once I corrected her position and gave her some pointers on proper posture, she confessed that she had taken 2 other classes earlier in the week and those instructors setup her bike in a much different position. She was also given some incorrect instruction on form, including straddling the stem of the handlebars when standing (she used a blunt sexual reference inappropriate for most audiences). So whether you are a fitness director recruiting an instructor for a beginner class or THE instructor, please make sure you are grounded in the fundamentals so we start our aspiring riders the right way and the safe way.
So now that we’ve got that off the table, what is the best way to start a beginner class at your club? I’m going to present a few tips to put you on the road to success, but also look forward to our indoor cycling community (YOU) to share experiences.
(1) What I the best time of day?
I’ve seen late morning indoor classes (9 — 10am) receive good attendance. However those who attend at this timeslot are often stay-at-home parents that do not have a desire to join the primetime classes. The best conversion rate (beginners who become indoor cycling enthusiasts) has been seen from classes that are offered just before the primetime class. For example, a 6:00am beginner class before the regular 6:30am class or a 5:30pm beginner class just before the 6:00pm evening class. The back-to-back beginner to regular class combo has proven successful for a number of reasons: (1) most do not require a separate instructor since the instructor for the regular class is often able to arrive early (for some extra $$ as well), (2) beginners who become confident and conditioned can stay and try to take the regular class and (3) “advanced” riders can take the beginner class as a warm-up and for more saddle time. NOTE: please advice advanced riders (especially those who dress in full pro-team clothing) to sit in the back so they don’t intimidate the newbies.
(2) Advertise with the Right Words
When you promote these beginner classes, it is important not to insult nor frighten people. Make sure you don’t advertise the class as “for those people that can handle a regular class”. Instead focus on what they will learn and/or experience. Also, don’t send them running in fear because the flyer posted at the club lists “Threshold Management” and “Anaerobic Capacity” as some of the benefits they will get from this neuromuscular, cardiovascular class. What da….?? Yeah, those training terms may arouse us, but a beginner will assume that if they don’t understand the description of the class, they will certainly not understand what is going on once they get their. Use general fitness and cycling terms. Keep it simple.
(3) Dress Down. Make sure the photos and advertising you use to promote the beginner class is not littered with pro cyclists or riders digging into “the suitcase of pain”. It doesn’t need to include pictures of people in lawn chairs on the deck of a cruise ship either, but just take time to consider the apprehension people can have to the perceived intensity of a class and lean towards a “fun workout”. On a side note, the instructor teaching the class should also dress down. I do recommended cycling shorts, but maybe a non-cycling top (but still athletic) to put new riders at ease.
(4) At Cycling Fusion, we have found that 30 minutes is the perfect amount of time for a beginner class. 30 minutes is long enough for those without the conditioning to feel like they’ve received a good workout while keeping them from fatiguing (physically or mentally) in a position they are not yet used to.
So, go and start that beginner class. Give them a good workout, start them off the right way and have fun!
Originally posted 2011-07-15 07:00:00.
by Tom Scotto | Dec 6, 2019 | Master Instructor Blog
Short of provoking a sexual harassment suit, this maybe the best way to get your class excited about what you have in store for them.
I’m grateful because my riders often take the time to leave comment cards at the club’s front desk after class and my group fitness directors continually share the feedback with me. One “positive” comment that has been consistent is that members feels that I “set them up for success” from the start. When pushed further, they said, “Tom always tells us what his goal for us is and then how we are going to accomplish it”.
I — MUST — HAVE — AN – OBJECTIVE
As an indoor cycling instructor, I’m a slave to my coaching tendencies. Simply put, I can’t design a ride unless I have a clear objective. Because of my cyclist tunnel vision, I consider indoor classes either a training session or event (something we have trained for). So before I start selecting drills or music, I first determine my overall goal for the ride. Am I trying to help them develop some aspect of their fitness (if so, what is it)? Is the goal to climb to the top of a feared moutain? Are we racing in a stage of the Tour de France or a local criterium? I can’t help myself — I MUST HAVE A PURPOSE! Fortunately, this seems to be viewed as a positive.
Do You Have An Objective For Your Class?
Instructors often mistake all of the tedious work that goes into a profile as the objective. I do not doubt that a tremendous amount of time was invested in creating our ride profile, but more specifically, was the class designed around an objective. To find out, ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this ride? What does it produce or help my riders achieve?” Unfortunately, an answer of “to develop general fitness” usually doesn’t cut it.
Do You Explain the Objective To Your Class?
I proctor numerous auditions for instructors and sometimes sit in on classes (usually spying). In most cases, I’ll take a moment to talk with the instructor afterwards to introduce myself and ask a few questions about the ride. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover that many instructors have some cool objectives for their ride, but never told the class. They were equally surprised that riders would be interested in that level of detail. “Absolutely, it demonstrates not only a purpose for the ride, but the amount of thought and planning that went into designing it. Your class wants to know what to expect (physical demands), as well as, what (long-term) value it will provide.”
A Sample From This Week’s Ride
Here is the objective I communicated to my class for this weeks leg speed development ride:
“One key element of cycling fitness is steady, fast and powerful leg speed. Since we are in our base training mode, this is a perfect time to focus on it. We are going to approach this by first performing a drill that helps engage more muscle followed by a series of drills that trains the brain to send the signal to the muscle quicker so we can pedal faster and stronger.
Keep in mind, as you look at today’s profile (I hang an 11”x17” color laminated chart for each class) you will see a number of consecutive drills before we receive more substantial recovery. So pace yourself. Finally, remember that leg speed is a skill that must be trained. Be patient as you develop your own leg speed. It takes time.”
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If you are in the habit of creating classes with a specific focus or training objective, make it known to your riders AND reiterate after class the value they received. If you have not been approaching your rides with a specific purpose, I want to encourage you to start. You don’t have to be “Joe Coach”, but it should be something that can be explained to your riders. Practice saying your objective out-loud and to yourself. If you are finding it difficult to come up with an objective for an existing class, well…. you may want to revisit the profile and tweak it until you can explain its purpose.
Just to clarify, “fun” is not a purpose, but rather how you deliver it. So Have fun! Really!
Originally posted 2012-01-19 14:19:42.
by Tom Scotto | Oct 11, 2019 | Master Instructor Blog
The beginning of class can be disjointed at times. Riders are trying to get settled. Some people are still chatting (loudly) and we are trying to establish that official “class has started” moment. Then 5 new people show up and need to be setup on their bikes.
Yesterday I’m teaching at a club I’ve taught at for over 7 years. The cycling class is held in a multi-purpose room, so each member is responsible for pulling their bike onto the floor from the side of the room. The class starts right on time (I’m a stickler for punctuality). Five minutes into the class, 5 “new” riders enter the room. All of them have on running type sneakers and they are standing next the to the remaining bikes and appear confused.
I meet them at the back of the room and immediately understand their hesitation. The bikes are equipped with Schwinn Triple-Link pedals, which allow for the standard SPD clip on one side and then a removable toe cage on the other side, which accepts a LOOK compatible cleat. The problem was that none of the available bikes had toe cages. I found a set of cages thrown to the side. One cage was missing a strap, which I found and re-threaded. Then I went around the room to other riders who were not using their cages and started removing them from their bikes to allow the remaining 4 people to ride. Throw in a few bike setups and now we were 15 minutes into class before I re-emerged back at the front of the room.
Obviously, the big challenge was not the pedal hunt, but trying to teach the class and keep everyone focused while controlled chaos was unfolding in the back of the room. At the time my 5 newbies entered the room, I had just finished my opening spiel. So while I was getting them situated, I was simultaneously leading the class through some Spin-Ups (short 10-second accelerations followed by 20 seconds of easy pedaling) and then a set of 30-second speed intervals. In addition to staying on top of the timing, I found myself continually pushing the headset mic onto the top of my head so I could talk with the new riders without our conversation bombing over the sound system.
As chaotic as all of this was, I actually love this kind of challenge. As a cycling coach, I spend a good amount of time coaching off the bike. I’m constantly leading drills while speaking one-on-one with riders to help them with specific issues and technique. But it made me think, “how could an instructor train themselves to handle a situation like I experienced gracefully?” Here is a suggestion:
Try teaching your entire intro and warm-up off the bike. But don’t just stand at the front of the room. Instead walk around from rider to rider. Pace the isles (if you have them). Provide encouragement and make suggestive corrections as you go. Try to keep track of the timing and any intervals. See how it goes. Remember, it is all about experience. Obtaining the ability to stay on task and keep your riders focused in this way will provide some great preparation when those 5 new riders show up at the last minute.
Also, please share any other tips you have used to stay in control and command when all hell breaks loose.
Originally posted 2017-03-30 18:50:10.
by Tom Scotto | Jul 26, 2018 | Master Instructor Blog
Over the last 8 years, I’ve come across a number of indoor cycling studios that don’t provide a microphone for the instructor. Albeit, these studios are generally small (but not all were) and all of the instructors appeared confident that a microphone wasn’t needed. “My voice really projects” was the common response I got from instructors. I dare say that not one of the classes I’ve seen taught without a microphone (near 100 from around the country) was acceptable. Now I’m not saying the instructors were not good. Many were excellent. However, the absence of a microphone stole their effectiveness as an instructor and robbed the riders of a much better experience.
I Don’t Feel No Music!
One of the ways instructors can compensate from lack of vocal support is to lower the volume of the music. Makes sense. However, music is a major motivator and an excellent tool when training indoors and out. Without a microphone, the music was so weak that any emotional component was lost. Although I am biased on this point (being a musician), many research studies have been conducted that prove the body’s response to pulse, volume and emotion of music. This is the reason we spend so much time on our playlists. The music is an inseparable part of the workout.
The Angry Instructor
If the music volume is appropriate, then most-often the instructor is simply yelling at the class the entire time. I’ve even seen instructors try to smile the entire time (while they yelled). This just made them look mad (not as in angry). Even with the yelling, which is NOT projecting by the way, I could still barely make out what they were saying. Forget giving any audible instruction, they were just short guttural tones “SAANN…….SIIAA……SAANN…..SIIAA!” This was the instruction given for 8 MINUTES of jumps. Of course it didn’t help that I don’t do jumps (not in the way they have been traditionally taught) which made all of the harsh yelling and ineffective movement all the more aggravating.
Effective Vocal Inflection
It is not just that we need to be heard clearly, our voice is an instructional tool that guides riders through the physical and emotional profile of the class. Yelling or even speaking at the same volume and/or tone for the entire class is not only boring, eventually riders will tune you out. We need to build a vocabulary (pun sort of intended) of vocal volume, emotion and even cadence (the speed and rhythm at which we speak) that keeps riders engaged and matches the intensity, focus and characteristics of our class. You should have a vocal inflection for educating, recovering, steady-state work, hard efforts and the like. I honestly think more instructors have the ability to do this, but they are either hindered by lack of sound reinforcement of they’ve never been taught properly how to mix their voice and the music.
We Want to KEEP Teaching
One of the major reasons I was distracted watching these instructors unknowingly strain to deliver their class, was the potential vocal damage they were causing. As a drummer, I didn’t experience much of the vocal issues personally, but have watched a good many singers in my bands suffer. They experienced vocal nodules, polyps, cysts (these are all lesions or bumps on the vocal folds), and even vocal fold hemorrhage (blood vessels on the surface of the vocal fold ruptures and bleeds). As indoor cycling instructors (microphone or not), we may be at a greater risk due to a lack of vocal training, high physical exertion while teaching, temperatures and improper breathing (I’ll talk about this more in another post).
Dr. Lee M. Akst, director of the John Hopkins Voice Center, said “Red flags for an over-used voice are frequent hoarseness, a sense of strain while talking, or discomfort while speaking. Chronic hoarseness is an occupational hazard not just for singers, but for coaches, teachers, broadcast journalists, clergy, attorneys and other people who use their voices a lot as part of their professional responsibilities.” Some of his suggestions for protecting your voice: drink plenty of water, don’t overuse your voice (like talking too much on a cell phone), don’t smoke, pay attention to how your voices feels and sounds so you know when it needs time to recovery AND use a microphone.
We do what we do because we love it. We love the fitness, the teaching and seeing people's lives change for the better because of what we give. Let’s ensure we can keep giving buy protecting one of our needed assets — our voice.
I beg you…PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE…if you do not teach with a microphone, talk to your facility about obtaining the proper sound equipment. It's not about being loud(er), it is about being safe and professional.
TIP: Place a recording device somewhere in your class and listen back to what your riders are hearing and pay attention to how your voice sounds. Our voice and ability to teach and coach is such an important part of our effectiveness as instructors. Let’s continue to sharpen our skills together.
