by Jim Karanas | Sep 25, 2019 | Master Instructor Blog
By ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
Building a class profile can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of teaching Indoor Cycling. Instructors sometimes find it stressful because they feel they’re “out of ideas.”
There are many approaches to class design. A few possibilities are: music as the road; duplicating an actual ride profile with which you’re familiar; fully interacting with selected videos; teaching cycling principles and philosophy; and eliciting specific training adaptations.
A general approach can become static over time. That’s what’s so much fun. Because of the many training elements that indoor cycling utilizes, any general approach can remain fresh and inspiring. Indoor cycling lends itself to structure, so it’s easy to formulate new and exciting variations on common training formats.
Intervals are a perfect example; every instructor uses them. There are thousands of ways to put a class through intervals. But the creative instructor is the one who comes up with an interval format you haven’t experienced before.
Once I decide on my approach to building my class for the day, my mind searches for an organizational format that supports the approach. For example, I decide that my approach to today’s class will be to teach a cycling principle. The principle will be cadence. With my approach and underlying principle selected, I need a structure to support that principle — and make the class enjoyable at the same time. It’s that last part that may take some creativity.
Having planned thousands of classes over the years, I frequently return to four basic organizational formats: Intervals, Ladders (or Ramps), Pyramids, or Steady State. These four organizational formats form the backbone that supports any indoor cycling class. The key to creative instruction is to find new ways to use them.
INTERVALS
Interval training is a common training technique designed to improve strength, power, aerobic capacity or endurance. It alternates periods of higher-intensity work with periods of recovery (i.e., lower-intensity work). Depending on the length of the work and rest periods, intervals may be aerobic or anaerobic. The higher-intensity periods instructors typically use are at, or close to, an anaerobic level of effort, but they can actually be of any intensity. That fact alone can generate a great deal of variation in a class.
The ratio of work to recovery will usually vary with the intensity of the work effort. Max-effort intervals, for example, are necessarily short, with recovery periods of equal or greater duration than the work interval. Aerobic intervals may be longer and require much briefer recovery. The recovery periods may permit either complete recovery (full drop in heart rate) or limited recovery of lower, but not resting-level, intensity.
Sample interval workout:
- 5 minutes of warm-up: light ride, low intensity, gradually increasing at the end of the warm-up period
- 1 minute of moderate or high intensity, followed by 1 minute of low intensity. Repeat six to eight times.
- 5 minutes of cool-down: light ride, low intensity, gradually decreasing by the end of the cool-down period
The above is a standard interval format that every indoor cycling instructor has used in his or her class at one time or another.
How can the intervals be varied? Here are some suggestions.
- Use different durations for the work and recovery efforts. A 2:1 format, with 2 minutes of seated climb at 75 RPM and 1 minute of recovery spin at 100 RPM is a good rollers simulation.
- Alternate the difference. 2:1, 1:2, 2:1, 1:2. 2 minutes moderately hard with 1 minute of recovery, followed by 1 minute very hard with 2 minutes of recovery.
- Vary the recovery. 2:1, 2:3, 2:1, 2:3. 2 minutes very hard with 1 minute of limited recovery, followed by another 2 minutes very hard with 3 minutes of full recovery.
- Vary with no pattern. This is called “fartlek.” The name is Swedish for “speed play”. It consists of hard-effort bursts of different durations, followed by recovery of different durations. The lack of predictability increases overall intensity, compared with standard interval training. 2:1, 4:1, 2:5, 3:3, 1:2, 4:3.
LADDERS
A ladder, also known as a ramp, is a training technique that involves progressive, incremental increases in one or more training variables, such as duration, resistance, cadence or heart rate. The progression can either increase or decrease. The ladder can be continuous or in interval format.
Here are some examples of a ladder, using an interval format:
- Increase the work duration, keeping the recovery constant. 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1.
- Decrease the work duration, keeping the recovery constant. 4:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1. These “descending intervals” are a commonly used form of a decreasing ladder. As the interval duration decreases, some other training variable increases.
- Maintain the work duration while decreasing the recovery. 1min:1min, 1min:45sec, 1min:30sec, 1min:15sec.
- Increase the work and decrease the recovery. 0:2min, 30sec:1min, 45sec:45sec, 1min:30sec, 2min:0. Easy for 2 minutes, followed by 30 sec hard with 1 minute easy, followed by 45 sec hard and 45 sec easy, followed by 1 min hard and 30 sec easy, catch your breath quickly and hammer the last 2 minutes.
A ladder can also be continuous. My favorite is a 10-minute, 4-3-2-1 format: 4 minutes easy, 3 minutes a little harder, 2 minutes a little harder, and 1 minute hard. These are done with no recovery between them. The often-used song Mojave by Afro Celt Sound System is perfect for a 10-minute, 4-3-2-1 ladder.
The next post will cover variations in pyramids and steady state training.
Originally posted 2012-04-09 06:51:30.
by Jim Karanas | Sep 5, 2019 | Master Instructor Blog
By Team ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
Cycling performance is all about oxygen. Muscle cells need oxygen to burn fuel and produce the energy necessary to power the muscle contractions that move us. This is known as cellular respiration.
All indoor-cycling instructors have received rudimentary training around proper breathing on the bicycle, but it’s rarely the focus of a class. Think about it. Can you create and lead a class profile that focuses just on breathing exercises and make it compelling for 45-60 minutes?
OK, you’re thinking, “Why would I want to?” But evidence indicates that we can improve breathing capacity with “inspiratory” muscle training and improve both performance and comfort. In “Endurance training of respiratory muscles improves cycling performance in fit young cyclists” by Holm et al (2004), riders rode a simulated 40-kilometer race on a computerized exercise bike after weeks of inspiratory training. Neither control group improved, but the experimental group rode 4.7 percent faster.
The trained riders found breathing hard more comfortable. The respiratory muscles didn't tire, so they filled and emptied their lungs more often with less fatigue. The fact that the athletes could breathe harder with no change in effort is an important finding because many people stop exercising due to severe shortness of breath.
Have you ever wondered what creates the need to breathe?
Of course, we breathe because we need O2. But the urge to breathe is triggered by a high concentration of CO2 in the blood, not a lack of oxygen. When we hyperventilate, we’re trying to dispel that CO2 and balance the pH of our blood. Inspiratory muscle training improves not only breathing capacity but also tolerance for CO2.
So where do you start? Some of the following techniques may help.
1. Integrate nasal breathing in your on-the-bike training.
Start with a short, low-intensity section of a ride. See how it feels to breathe only through your nose. Your anxiety may rise a bit with the sensation of not getting enough air. Carbon dioxide receptors adjust to this in time, however, and the urgency disappears.
2. Develop a regular practice of conscious breathing.
Develop a closer relationship with your breath. Don’t think about your breath more or try to control it. Just become aware of it. As you warm up on the bicycle, at what moment do you first become aware of your breath? Be more fully in the experience of breathing — really feel the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body.
3. Learn diaphragmatic breathing.
As you concentrate on deep breathing, you push your diaphragm down and the abdominals out. If you’re doing it correctly, your abs will expand more than your chest. I’m amazed when I hear an indoor cycling instructor still telling students to “hold their abdominals firm” to support the forward flexed body position on a bicycle. (Support for forward flexion comes from the posterior core muscles, but that will be another post.)
4. Synchronize your breathing with your pedaling.
Try to synchronize your respiratory rhythm with your pedal cadence. Start by focusing on pedaling. Once you establish your cadence, organize your breathing with the turning of the pedals. Inhale and exhale for the same number of pedal strokes. This gives you a focal point while you’re cycling and keeps your breathing calm and regular, which moves more oxygen.
5. Change your rhythm.
Once you’ve established your inhale/exhale pattern and coordinated it with your pedal stroke, change it. This idea has been expounded by numerous sources, most notably Ian Jackson in his book BreathPlay. I’ve used BreathPlay techniques for a long time and find them helpful. To strengthen the inspiratory muscles, you must do things that cause you discomfort.
The central BreathPlay skill is “upside-down breathing.” It involves pushing the air out and letting it in, instead of sucking it in and letting it out. The change is simple but profound. First, settle into a cadence. Then explore pulling your belly back for a three-count out-breath and relaxing it for a two-count, passive in-breath. Emphasize the three/two pattern. Next, fit the breathing pattern to your pedal stroke: three turns on the exhale and two turns on the inhale.
The 3/2 count is an easy way to start learning odd-count upside-down breathing patterns. Once you feel comfortable with the out/in 3/2 count, practice until you have the same level of comfort with a 5/2 count, a 2/1 count, a 4/1 count, a 4/3 count, and a 6/3 count. Whether you're out on the road or (in the studio), you'll need to be able to change breathing gears to accommodate changing work rates, and this repertoire of breathing patterns will give you a breathing gearbox. – Ian Jackson
Long-held patterns of breathing may actually have separated us from some of the natural strength, calmness, and energy we have within us. Changing them could reconnect us with those. Is anything more fundamental in our moment-to-moment experience, consciousness and awareness than our breath?
Originally posted 2012-05-14 08:50:35.
by Jim Karanas | Aug 28, 2019 | Master Instructor Blog, Zone based Heart Rate Training
By Team ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
Interval: n., the amount of time between two specified instants or events.
You teach indoor cycling, so you know intervals. If you asked another instructor for the workout he/she used in class that morning, odds are you’d get a response something like, “The main climbing set was 4 X 5/1:30 min at 85%,” indicating four five-minute climbs at 85% max effort, with 90 seconds of recovery between efforts.
Intervals are standard practice in indoor cycling and all types of CV training because of how effective they are. Interval training dates back to the 1930s, when German coach Dr. Woldemar Gerschler pioneered training methods based on sound physiological principles. He teamed up with cardiologist Dr. Herbert Reindel to develop a training protocol that would maximize the heart’s fitness.
The study involved some 3000 subjects completing three weeks of precise, heart rate-controlled training. The participants were track athletes who ran a relatively short distance at a very fast pace. Average stroke volume increased 20%, with significant improvements in performance. Gerschler and Reindel dubbed the repetitions “interval training” and considered the recovery period between the runs the most important part of the training.
When I first read this, I was amazed. To the founders of interval training, “interval” meant the recovery interval. When managed correctly, that period of time had the greatest physiological impact. The descriptive “formula” I used above would have made no sense to them because the rest interval should be the primary concern and dictate the repetition of the work effort.
For Gerschler and Reindel, if my heart rate did not recover properly in 90 seconds, I wouldn’t be allowed to do the next interval. Improved fitness would have occurred when my heart rate actually achieved the desired recovery in 90 seconds.
If that heart rate reduction didn’t occur, the workout was too difficult. Unless it was adjusted, the heart would be overworked, leading to fatigue and exhaustion, rather than to the desired training effect. So, the reduction of the recovery interval is the most important aspect of the training, not the degree of effort or duration of the work interval.
Consider the state of training within indoor cycling today in light of that information. Rigid interval formats form the core of most classes, with limited (or no) attention paid to what the founders of interval training actually meant by interval training. And not just in indoor cycling. Consider the prevalence of high intensity interval training (HIIT), such as the Tabata Protocol, in the fitness industry in general. Tabata intervals are often max efforts with extremely short recovery — less than half the duration of the work interval. Consider Gerschler and Reindel rolling over in their graves.
Is respect for recovery even possible with current class schedules, equipment or perceptions? My guess is no, except in selected, controlled situations. Is it even desired by the average class member? Most of them would not feel they were getting a good enough workout because we gave them too much recovery.
As indoor cycling instructors, we’ve all heard, “It’s not how hard you work but how fast you recover.” Yet it’s difficult to implement, given what we have to work with, and that includes the mindset of our members.
Maybe the question becomes whether or not we should really be doing intervals at all. When an interval is considered as described in the first sentence — the amount of time between two specified instants — then it’s a valuable tool for us as instructors. It allows us to develop patterns and give participants an understanding of the training we have planned for them. It also enables us to implement music more effectively by selecting songs by length to fit the patterns that we create.
As soon as “interval” becomes “interval training”, however, I think it’s wise to take a step back and consider where this kind of training came from and what the founders of interval training discovered about the work/recovery relationship.
Make that the recovery/work relationship.
Originally posted 2013-04-08 07:42:14.
by Jim Karanas | Oct 2, 2018 | Health and Wellness, Master Instructor Blog
by Team ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
“Today was the hardest recovery ride ever! I complained the entire way and had three different plans to abort and shortcut the ride throughout the route.”
That’s an actual comment sent to me by a former student of mine. The rider is dedicated, committed and strong. And the statement raised so much conflict in me, I felt obliged to write another post about the all-too-real dangers of overtraining. (Please see my earlier post, “Endurance Exercise and Heart Damage”.)
Being able to ride long distances makes you feel like a cyclist, regardless of how fast you are. Riding long gives a feeling of accomplishment. It’s the kind of training that can easily become overtraining because the conditioning increases your ability to endure whatever happens on the bike. Aches, pains, bad weather, lousy traffic are all part of it. You get tough. The tougher you get, the more you ignore the signs that it’s time to let the miles go.
Many of my students have graduated from my classes to the road. Some have gone on to become accomplished cyclists. Several have gone in the direction of riding long distances.
If you’ve never racked up a lot of miles, it’s important to understand that there’s a “buzz” to it. Each week, you end up riding many more miles than are good for you, but it’s gratifying to have finally reached the point where you can ride that many miles. All the training has culminated in considerable ability; you don’t want to let go of the conditioning. Couple that with the resilience you had to develop and, before you know it, you’re no longer getting stronger. You’re doing whatever you can to keep yourself from breaking down.
This kind of overtraining syndrome can be hard to discern. The intensity isn’t high, a day or two of rest helps you feel better, and there’s a mindset that this is what it takes to get strong on the bike. It’s difficult to know when you’ve crossed the line.
Dr. Philip Maffetone talks about three stages of overtraining. He calls Stage 1 Functional Overtraining. It may include a seemingly minor plateau or a slight regression in training performance. While that may be noticeable in a professional athlete receiving close observation, it’s likely to be overlooked in the situation I’m describing.
Maffetone refers to Stage 2 as Sympathetic Overtraining. The sympathetic part of the nervous system becomes overactive, which results in a classic overtraining sign — increased resting heart rate. This is discussed by cyclists and indoor-cycling instructors all the time. I can say from experience is that it’s easy to keep training through this.
Stage 3 is Parasympathetic Overtraining. Chronic overtraining has led to more serious hormonal, neurological and mechanical imbalances that parallel adrenal dysfunction. Eventually the sympathetic nervous system becomes exhausted, and most, if not all, hormone levels are significantly reduced, including cortisol. Believe it or not, this is not an uncommon state for many of our students who like to ride long distances. At this point, negative feelings increase, such as depression, anger, fatigue and irritability. Ratings of perceived exertion increase, as well. (Consider the statement at the beginning of this post.) Serious injury is possible, as is an increased likelihood of crashing. Yet getting on the bike for another ride is still within reach, still feels accessible.
My question for discussion is: What can be done with students in this state? I know from experience they don’t want to hear anyone tell them to stop riding so many miles. They know from experience that their conditioning will lose its edge and they’ll detune. That’s hard to accept. The ego is engaged here because they’ve reached a level of conditioning that makes them proud of their training.
I’ve often tried to intervene — to little avail — with students going through this. A coach of mine once told me that life is the only real coach when it comes to ego, and that everyone needs to go through significant downturns and trauma to learn life lessons.
I’m interested in what the rest of you have experienced.
by Jim Karanas | Mar 2, 2018 | Master Instructor Blog
By ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
Many things contribute to a great Indoor Cycling class, but none as much as cueing. Cueing a class is a skill, even an art, that develops over decades. Like public speaking, it’s about more than the words and involves multiple factors.
Cues add depth and color to a class and focus the students on aspects other than getting some exercise. In the class of a Master Instructor, the words flow, go beyond workout instructions, and command attention.
We’re professional instructors, and cueing is our craft.
The Opening
Every class needs an opening. No matter how many times you’ve taught the group, the opening is critical to the success of each class. While it’s OK to greet students personally with just your voice, always open on the microphone. The tone and content of a good opening should be amplified.
When you open, you must do two things: get in sync with the students and grab their attention. If they’re quiet and serious, don't open energetically. Use a subdued tone. Once your energy matches theirs, move them to where you want to take them. Even in a subdued voice, though, you have to get them to listen right away.
Instructors may miss an effective opening by socializing with the students or ignoring them while fiddling with their bike or music. As with any presentation, the opening sets the tone for the class.
“Good morning, everyone. As we start, I want you to focus on what you’re doing and what’s happening. The rollout is a special time in the ride. Let me tell you why.”
Whether you open from the bike or from the floor, your opening depends on that optimal moment that experience helps you feel. It’s the moment when students first direct their attention toward you and are most receptive. Use it as soon as you feel it.
Cueing the Class
The cues for the day should encompass more than ride instructions or motivation. Cues can relate to the Concept, the Workout, Exercise Science, Philosophy, Music, Video, Personal Experience, or Motivation.
The Concept is what you want your students to learn from the day’s class and is more important than the Workout. Your concept can be standard, such as Endurance, or more esoteric, such as Finishing Every Climb. If it’s an endurance class, teach the concept of endurance. There’s the science of endurance (aerobic metabolism, building a foundation, oxygen transfer), and there’s the philosophy (contemplation, discipline, resilience). The more your knowledge and experience grow, the more compelling your cues become.
The Workout consists of the mechanics of the class, which we learn in any Indoor Cycling curriculum: ride positions, hand positions, terrain, cadence, technique, proper breathing and modifications. Many instructors never progress their cueing beyond this.
Exercise Science cues should support the day's concept. If you don't know much about exercise science, read some articles or tap into the wealth of fitness information here for PRO members. Students look to us to explain what’s happening in their bodies through exercise. It’s disappointing when an Indoor Cycling instructor can't explain the physiology of cardio.
Cues around Philosophy take some experience. Yet students may need to hear them to realize what they’re doing transcends exercise (which may become boring). It takes courage to introduce these cues because they can sound preachy. The key is to say them as a student of philosophy who’s still seeking answers — and stick to cycling. When you talk about a philosophical point you’ve contemplated for a long time, it won't sound preachy.
Music and Video are sensory assets that can and should be included in your cues. Why did you select the song you’re playing — the nuance? The structure? Why did you want the class to ride to the video segment you put up that day? These make relevant and interesting cues.
Personal Experience lets your class know that you feel what you’re asking them to feel. Even if you don't ride a bike, years of dedication to your cycling-based workouts are a quality experience. For instance, how did your thousandth class differ from your first?
Last are Motivation cues. These are straightforward encouragement but too heavily relied upon by many instructors. When said time and again, motivational cues lose their impact. “You can do it” is much more effective when used infrequently. Said at the right time with the right tone, though, it can change the direction of a student's effort.
The Close
A close for each class is important and a good time to make a final, perhaps philosophical, point. Students are open and receptive after a hard effort.
Timing
Timing cues properly is one sign of a quality instructor. Timing is your sense of flow, your sensitivity to what’s happening in class, and how you change in the moment to balance and maximize performance.
Time your cues around the vocals in your music; speak in the pauses. Match the video playing. Couple that with tone: Should you be supportive and quiet? Firm and commanding? Never yell.
When you’ve timed your cues well, the class energy will build, and the students will be with you.
No matter how good you are, inexperienced students with less awareness will exercise “unconsciously” and not listen. You’ll need to repeat cues, finding different ways to say the same thing.
If this type of cueing is different from what you do, ease into it. One day, try an attention-grabbing opening that explains the workout, and close by summarizing it. Another day, open with how important cardio fitness is. During the class, explain one physiological point that you know really well. Close by reminding the students of that benefit they just got.
The goal is optimal communication that lets the students walk away with something besides exercise.
