by Jim Karanas | Jun 4, 2012 | Zone based Heart Rate Training
By Team ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
Everyone agrees that indoor cycling classes using heart rate are more effective and even more fun to teach. This post is not about which HR training principles to use or the best way to determine training zones. You or the facility at which you teach can decide those things.
This is about how to get your students to wear HRMs in the first place.
I’ve used HR-based training in all my classes since 1998. 100% of my students wear HRMs in every class. Instructors ask me how I achieved that.
Use HR-based training yourself.
You can’t convey the benefits of HR training unless you fully appreciate them. Once you adopt a specific training regimen, note your results so you recognize how the body is changing internally. My first awareness was on the rowing ergometer. (There weren’t many indoor cycling computers in 1998.) I was amazed at how my HR/power correlation improved with the use of periodized training.
If you don't prove to yourself the efficacy of HR training, you won’t present it to others with conviction.
Don’t Worry About Understanding Everything at First.
HR training science can get technical. You can use it and appreciate its benefits without understanding the science fully.
For instance, Polar offers Ownzone, a way of determining HR training zones based on Heart Rate Variability (HRV). HRV is not the easiest thing to explain. It's fascinating but takes a fair amount of study to understand fully unless you have lots of technical training. Still, Ownzone is an effective way to determine a student's HR training zones without a max-effort test.
One of the most interesting things about HR-based training is that it keeps evolving. Yes, there are way too many interpretations of the same information, but it's interesting to read and learn.
Perfect Your Pitch.
Sometimes I hear instructors ask if anyone wants to borrow or use a loaner HRM to try in class. Not surprisingly, the response is minimal. Your pitch is important. This is mine.
I never announce it. I walk over to a new student, hold up a HR strap and say, “Have you seen one of these before? No? This is a heart rate monitor. I want you to wear it today. It’s going to change your life.”
No one has ever refused. There’s no question in my mind that using a HRM will change his/her life. If you have that level of conviction, people will try it. They’re not paying for the loaner and have nothing to lose.
Carry Loaners.
I can't tell you how many of my HRMs have disappeared over the years. What's odd is that just as many HRMs come into my life as I lose. I no longer consider them an expense. If you want to teach with HR, you have to carry loaners. Get them on students at the start of every class.
You won't have enough for everyone and don’t need to. That's part of the fun. Carry three or four, plenty to get the class going. The others will want them next time. Then they’ll buy their own.
Cue Both Ways.
This is the clincher. It comes down to your cueing ability. You must make everyone feel part of the class but still demonstrate the efficacy of using HRMs.
Selective cues will make everyone see that the students using HRMs are actually getting a better workout than those who aren’t. It's extra work, but powerful. Example:
“Great job on that climb. Now spin your legs to recover, but not all the way. If you're wearing a HRM, I want you to drop your HR no more than 20 beats. Those of you without a HRM will not be able to do this as effectively, but you can still do it. Regain control of your breathing, but don’t feel as if you're cooling down. No shift in body temperature. This is only one of the reasons I want you to wear HRMs. They enable you to control the amount of recovery you allow yourself.”
Keep It Simple.
I was just talking about this with Team ICG® Master Trainer Chuck Cali. At ICG® Academy in SF, where we showcase Myride®+, we have many first-time cycling students. As we switch all of our classes to HR-based training, we have to be careful not to give too much information too quickly.
I call this Qualitative HR training. I don't talk about zones, threshold or HRV to start. I ask the students to watch their HR with respect to how they feel and what they’re doing. At what HR do you first start to breathe more consciously? Where’s your HR when you start to sweat? When you can't talk? When your muscles burn? When you’re cross-eyed and drooling?
Don't get rid of RPE. Simply get everyone to have FUN training with HR. There will be plenty of time later for numbers and metrics. And another post….
[plulz_social_like width=”350″ send=”false” font=”arial” action=”like” layout=”standard” faces=”false” ]
by Jim Karanas | Apr 30, 2012 | Health and Wellness
By Team ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
“Making News” in the March 2012 IDEA Fitness Journal reminded me of something I investigated years ago, of interest to indoor cycling instructors. The article was “Endurance Exercise Linked to Heart Damage Risk.”
In 2006, prior to my first ultra-distance bicycle race, the Furnace Creek 508, my coach asked me to have a full physical, including an echocardiogram. It turned out that I had an enlarged left ventricle as a result of rigorous endurance training over 35 years, and two heart murmurs (leaky valves). I was in the best physical condition of my life. I completed the 508 and qualified for RAAM, although I decided not to pursue RAAM for several reasons. One was growing evidence that rigorous endurance training might negatively impact heart health.
A muscle enlarges (hypertrophies) with specific training. When weight lifters train for strength, muscle may hypertrophy. When body builders train, they seek hypertrophy specifically. An endurance athlete’s heart naturally hypertrophies because of the demand placed on it to supply blood and oxygen to working muscles.
My cardiologist agreed that my condition was not dangerous or abnormal, but should be watched.
“Endurance Cycling Tied to Lasting Heart Damage” by Nathan Seppa was published in Science News in 2005. It claimed that people who compete in grueling long-distance bicycle races could harm their hearts. Blood samples revealed the cyclists had over twice as much B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a natural compound that identifies risk for heart failure, as a control group of golfers who were healthy but hadn’t done competitive cycling.
BNP is a 32-amino-acid polypeptide secreted by the ventricles in response to excessive stretching of the heart muscle. BNP is elevated in patients with abnormal left ventricle function and correlates with congestive heart disease.
I found several studies correlating BNP with left ventricle hypertrophy in hypertensive patients. One study found that cycling athletes had significantly larger left ventricles than hypertensive patients without elevated BNP. The researchers concluded that BNP is elevated only in patients with enlarged left ventricles due to hypertension, not intense cardio exercise.
I discussed this with several indoor-cycling instructors, including my colleague Joan Kent. Almost immediately, Joan suggested that BNP might be nothing more than a marker of hypertrophy, regardless of cause — heart damage, hypertension, or high-volume, high-intensity endurance training. Since the heart can hypertrophy for more than one reason, it’s over-extrapolation to assume that the association of BNP with both good and bad factors necessarily links the factors. (Yes, she actually talks that way.)
I kept researching. Several studies confirmed elevated BNP in endurance athletes, although exercise-induced BNP increases are poorly understood. These studies correlated increased BNP with levels of cardiac troponins, another indicator of heart disease, specifically associated with muscle damage.
The studies confirmed increased BNP in a majority of healthy athletes after prolonged strenuous exercise, although BNP may increase not from myocardial damage, but as a protective or growth-regulating mechanism. They stated that exercise-induced increases in BNP are not the same as elevated BNP associated with heart disease. Joan countered that, again, it’s the same BNP, but may just be associated with hypertrophy, rather than disease.
The best study was “Competitive Exercise in Professional Road Cyclists” in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2003). The study questioned conclusions of heart damage in apparently healthy endurance athletes. It investigated myocardial stress in professional endurance athletes after strenuous, competitive physical exercise by looking at BNP, cardiac troponins, and EKGs.
None of the athletes showed pathology upon cardiac examination. BNP was elevated, but, based on troponins and EKGs, strenuous endurance exercise in professional road cyclists was not found to result in structural myocardial damage.
The study cited in IDEA Fitness Journal was published in the European Heart Journal in 2011. Investigators uncovered evidence that some athletes who participate in extreme endurance sports (alpine cycling, ultra-triathlons, marathons) might damage the right ventricle of the heart. Notice this article said right ventricle, which pumps blood to the lungs, not left ventricle, which pumps blood to the body and was examined in other studies.
What does this mean to the indoor-cycling instructor?
Perhaps nothing. Scientific findings vary with new hypotheses. The fact that the subject continues to come up, however, suggests that we should pay attention to it.
As a fitness professional, my concern is the unbalanced view given to people we train. We have all experienced our students unlocking their potential through their indoor-cycling experience. We may need to stress adequate recovery, not turning every class into a max effort, the benefits of cross-training, and/or using cycling to enhance balance.
Case in point: The “Triple Crown” is a coveted California jersey given to amateur cyclists who complete three double-centuries in a season. In 2011, one of my students got it. I congratulated her and asked about her recovery plans. She told me she was going for the “1000-mile club” (first time I’d heard of it) and planned to do five before the year was over.
As a 58-year old endurance athlete with an enlarged left ventricle, two heart murmurs and a tendency to train too much without proper recovery, I’ll continue to stay informed and share my findings with you.
by Jim Karanas | Apr 16, 2012 | Master Instructor Blog
By ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
Last week’s post covered variations in intervals and ladders. This week’s covers variations in pyramids and steady-state workouts.
PYRAMIDS
A pyramid is a training technique that is essentially two ladders back to back, one ascending, one descending. The pyramid begins as an ascending ladder, but the top of the ladder becomes the midpoint, rather than the end. From the top of the pyramid, the progression of the training variable reverses and decreases in increments that are similar to the way in which it built.
Here is an example of a cadence pyramid that focuses on controlling leg speed: 80 RPM, 100 RPM, 120 RPM, 100 RPM, 80 RPM.
I should clarify that pyramids (and ladders) are not always about increasing and decreasing intensity. A cadence ladder or a cadence pyramid might adjust the resistance so as to keep the intensity consistent throughout.
Like ladders, pyramids can be done in either an interval or a continuous format. There are endless ways to approach them. A fairly standard intensity pyramid using intervals might be:
- 3 — 5 minutes of warm-up
- 30 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
- 45 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
- 60 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
- 90 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
- 60 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
- 45 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
- 30 seconds high intensity
- 3 — 5 minutes of cool down
Here are a few ways you can vary pyramids:
- Ladder up and down, using identical variables for each step in both the up and down ladder. The cadence pyramid above is an example of this.
- Ladder up and down, keeping one variable consistent while varying another. Use the cadence pyramid above and increase the intensity on the way up the pyramid. Then maintain the intensity on the downside.
- Invert the pyramid. Use the cadence pyramid above but begin at 120 RPM and build to a peak of intensity as the cadence slows. Then reduce the effort as the cadence increases.
My favorite pyramid is 11 minutes, as 3-2-1-2-3. This structure provides endless possibilities for class design.
STEADY STATE
In recent years, the concept of interval training has been popularized. Maybe over-popularized. Along with that, a rather major backlash against traditional forms of aerobic training (i.e., “fat burning”) has occurred. It’s common lately to read that low-intensity aerobic work is useless for fat loss, that everyone should always do intervals, that “regular” aerobic work causes muscle loss, and more. I’ve even read claims that aerobic exercise makes you fatter and stresses the adrenals.
In broad terms, steady state training is repetitive, rhythmic work that maintains a given level of intensity. The intensity is usually moderate and aerobic because the term refers specifically to exercise that’s maintained while workload, heart rate, oxygen consumption, and blood lactate remain constant. During steady state, the removal of lactate keeps pace with its production, preventing accumulation. As a result, the work can be maintained over a long time.
So this might be along the lines of 20 to 60 minutes at a steady heart rate. Steady state is a critical aspect of indoor cycling.
What are the benefits of steady-state training? Depending on the intensity, steady state may burn more calories during the exercise period than interval training. It’s also more appropriate for beginners. It can be done more frequently — daily or even more often. This last point depends on the duration, frequency and intensity, as well as the set-up of the rest of the training program.
Also, some research suggests that regular exercise encourages people to stick to a diet better. Considering that interval training shouldn’t be performed daily, steady-state activity might help people stay on their diets.
For indoor-cycling instructors, steady-state training is a chance for us to communicate, rather than just cue the next change. (Please see “The Art of Cueing” from several weeks ago for topic suggestions.)
Finally, high-intensity interval advocates tend not to take into account that you can go hard and long. Steady state doesn’t have to be limited to a recovery class. It might be a time-trial at 95-100 rpm at threshold heart rates, depending on duration.
These four elements of variation — intervals, ladders, pyramids, and steady state — are tools that enable you to create endless variations on similar class themes. This method uses both sides of your mind. Your creative thinking allows you to vary your approach and create concepts. Your ability to organize and structure what you’re doing creates a class that makes sense and is easy for the student to follow.
by Jim Karanas | Apr 2, 2012 | Master Instructor Blog
By Team ICG® Master Trainers Jim Karanas & Joan Kent
A key difference between training and exercise, as touched on briefly last week, is that training brings consciousness to the process. In so doing, it takes a more mindful approach toward work that induces physical pain.
Training is not about always working out at a comfortable level so we can enjoy exercise. That leads to stagnation. It’s not about always kicking it into high gear. That leads to overtraining or injury. We need a balance between soft and hard. We must have challenge, both mentally and physically, but know when to recover.
Performance is the crux of the hard going. It provides the opportunity to experience our self-imposed limitations and better understand how to go beyond what our muscles can do. Doing something arduous teaches resilience, maybe the greatest lesson we can take from physical training.
Performance creates conflict and anxiety that bring the ego forward, along with ideas about what is or isn’t possible. It can bring up self-doubt and self-defeating thoughts that lead to self-defeating emotions. It seems counterintuitive, but these are good things.
We begin to worry about how well we’ll be able to perform in comparison: in comparison to our goal (or the coach’s goal for us), in comparison to past performances, in comparison to other people. We can’t get past the anxiety until we know it’s there and look at it closely.
The objective of performance training is to put ourselves in situations in which we can learn to be nonreactive to discomfort, pain, and even defeat. This isn’t ignoring pain or defeat. It’s learning to feel them, but not react. (For the record, we’re not talking about pain that can permanently injure you. The only benefit of not reacting to that kind of pain is when your life, or someone else’s, hangs in the balance.)
A feeling of achievement or confidence is related to ego, and that becomes secondary. Even increased self-efficacy, our concept of what we’re capable of doing, becomes secondary. The point is to go beyond reacting to the difficulty. It’s not that it doesn’t hurt. It’s just that it doesn’t matter.
Not that we should discount achievement. There’s nothing wrong with success as such, or acknowledging it. When we bolster our egos by seeing ourselves differently through achievement, however, we’ve lost touch with the absolute side of who we are. Achievement is fun, but carving out an identity from it is ego.
With regard to athletic potential, the ego is a limitation. No matter how big it gets or how confident we feel about our achievements, there will always be someone better. Also, whatever ability we have will diminish with time because we’re impermanent. Ego obscures our true ability.
An amazing performance from someone who didn’t expect to perform well and isn’t really sure what happened is a spiritual experience. Wanting to repeat it and do well again is ego.
It’s an interesting paradox: Continued training will generate better and better results. But, as we get away from ego and experience our being through training, we find ourselves caring more about the training and less about the results.
Ideally, performance results become secondary to the awakening process. The events enhance our transformation — through heightened senses during preparation, through aliveness, and through focus. To prevent being overwhelmed by the physical side of the experience, we go through preparation. That’s training.
The danger with performance is that it can bring out the ego. If we do well, the ego expands. If we don’t do well, the ego may go into self-pity — or refuse to continue because of the bad performance. That’s also an ego response. We’re just creating an identity for ourselves in a different way.
What happens in a performance event happens. There’s no good or bad result, even if it’s a DNF — just an opportunity to experience life and examine ourselves more closely.
Everything is impermanent except the aliveness of our being. Every experience, good or bad, can help us become more enlightened. Even suffering serves a purpose. It makes us more conscious and helps to awaken us. Then it’s no longer suffering. Buddhists say, “Suffering is necessary until it is no longer necessary.”
Sure, performance can be simply a physical test of fitness, but it can also be a chance to go beyond self-imposed limitations. We may do better than we expected. If we don’t do as well as we’d hoped, we may have a different perspective on it and feel good about having done a great effort. We may even find that helping others get past their limitations is as gratifying as, or more gratifying than, getting past our own.
Ultimately, training is a spiritual practice. As the culmination of training, performance is, as well. Training on the bike means riding in such a way that it brings balance to life. Performance on the bike can be the culmination of that balance.
The harder the event, the truer this may be.
by Jim Karanas | Feb 6, 2012 | Master Instructor Blog
By Team ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas –
When you ride a bicycle, you must master four major skills — climbing, descending, sprinting, and riding on a flat road.
Climbs are like books, with a beginning, a middle and an end. You shift your position on the bike as the gradient changes. Hopefully, you enjoy the middle — although you might at times look forward to the end.
Descents require you to master grace and control and to understand gravity.
Jumps and sprints are about power and acceleration and are over quickly.
But a flat can seem endless and is the greatest teacher of the endurance athlete. Many virtues come from riding a bicycle on a flat road: discipline, connection, rhythm, patience, consistency, economy. Cyclists who have ridden many miles know that flats can be the most challenging terrain. Lacking the drama of great climbs, they may appear mundane. As a cyclist who has ridden many long and ultra-long distances, however, I can say that the flat has required the greatest application of my focus and commitment to the bicycle.
Although the seated flat road is the most basic ride position in indoor cycling, I’ve found that most instructors don’t equate that position on an indoor cycle with the beauty of riding a bicycle on a flat road. It holds the greatest potential for student experience but is typically relegated to warm-ups, cool-downs, beginners’ workouts, and recovery. As a result, the seated flat road is the least interesting facet of many instructors’ classes.
What follows are personal thoughts and experiences from riding my bicycle that will hopefully give you ideas and words to make the seated flat road position more exciting and even elegant.
It’s on a flat road that the greatest connection with the bicycle occurs, due to the consistent and unchanging terrain. Fidgeting, shifting in the saddle, unnecessary standing, or sitting up are all indicators of a novice, not a cyclist. Train your students to commit to the saddle and always keep at least one hand on the handlebars. They’ll begin to feel the bike like never before. The subtleties of the bike are felt only when the rider becomes less restless.
Cyclists share a greater understanding of nature and of the elements. The most important element to understand is the wind, which is best studied on a flat road. Riding with a tailwind offers a feeling of exhilaration as the elements give you the sensation of effortless power. Riding with a crosswind may require the efficiency of an echelon in diagonal formation.
Riding into a headwind requires commitment to the saddle and reverence for the power of nature. Adding resistance in class does not only have to simulate a climb. A headwind is arguably the most forceful resistance you can experience on a bike. Imagine descending a 5% grade, pedaling furiously in your easiest climbing gear to maintain 15 mph as you ride into a 20 mph headwind. On a climb, you can change position, but there’s little you can do while riding into a headwind to mitigate the effort. You must stay glued to the saddle in your drops. The wind is the greatest teacher of acceptance. Your connection with the bicycle is complete.
Turning out of the wind, you feel the acceleration. Organize the breath and sense the speed; the effort becomes bliss. Spin the legs at high cadence; recover at 30 mph.
The flat affords another opportunity for one of the greatest sensations you’ll ever experience on a bicycle: the peloton, French for platoon. The peloton separates on a climb because of weight and fitness. It separates on a descent because of skill and nerve.
The peloton stays together on a flat, since a wide range of abilities can work together.
A rider in a peloton spends 30-40% less energy to maintain pace with the group than if riding alone. A synergy takes place that makes you want to contribute, want to ride harder, want the sensation never to end. No one talks; it’s about harmony, speed, fluidity, passion.
Referencing the peloton, or a rotating pace line, is a powerful experience to bring to your students. Many instructors have developed indoor-cycling exercises and choreography around the sensation of being in another rider’s slipstream and the shared consciousness that cyclists feel when riding in a group.
Every class you teach offers a peloton experience.
Riding a bicycle is more than just a workout. Knowledge enables you to transcend a ride position on an indoor cycle and make it something experiential. You don’t have to ride a bicycle to express the beauty of a flat road. All you have to do is find the right music and an appreciation for your indoor bike — and ride the way a cyclist rides the flats.
