I've been having fun with the Lazify music discovery App for Spotify. Here's a few of my recent favorites including a resource for free, hour long DJ mixes:
This track Nothing Matters from the artist Tricky makes for a powerful tempo/FTP efforts @ 95RPM. Tricky was an early member of Massive Attack and I found this track in a Lazify playlist built from a Massive Attack song.
Next up is this track from artist/DJ Morgan Page — Fight For You which is an awesome climb @ 64RPM. The song has some great lyrics that you can incorporate into your cuing. I found this in a lazify playlist I started using another Morgan Page track The Longest Road – Deadmau5 Remix Radio Edit which I've used in the past.
You can download the original here if you don't see the download link in the player.
I'm hearing more and more how studios are bringing in live DJ's to supply the music for special events. If you ever wondered what it would be like to teach where someone else is controlling the music – Morgan Page has hundreds of 60 minute mixed MP3's that you could use for a private class… or maybe you're looking for something completely different. Check out a few and let me know if you'd ever consider using them in a class.
I know it's summer. I also know that this warm, beautiful weather is going to end long before I'm ready. When it does I'll want to escape to a warm beach, even if only for a week. Past experience tells me that there are limited opportunities to travel where Amy and I can teach fitness, in exchange for an all-inclusive vacation at a resort in the Caribbean.
This morning, Amy and I booked our week in the sun! We're traveling the week of December 7th – 14th and we'll be teaching at the Secrets St James resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica 🙂
We were there a few years ago. This resort is awesome and only a 15 minute cab ride (on the wrong side of the road) from MBJ – the Montego Bay, Jamaica airport. Here's a short video we made explaining what happens when no one shows up for your class – which is not uncommon and is nothing to be concerned about.
Teaching opportunities at Secrets are for Group Fitness and Mind Body certified Instructors = this will be an easy week for me as I'm neither. But I will help out. Many resorts schedule an early AM fitness walk, which I'll do, so Amy can sleep in.
Amy's teaching schedule will include a couple of Pilates classes each day. That's it, unless we work a trade with the other Instructor to cover each other's their classes one day, so we both have a full day off to explore Jamaica if we choose.
The company that makes these trips possible is FitBodiesInc. Amy and I have traveled with them for close to 20 years (has it really been that long?) and we have always enjoyed working with their president Suzelle Snowden. Suzelle was actually my very first guest on the Podcast and we have encouraged hundreds of other instructors over the years to take advantage of these very low cost vacations.
Suzelle and I recorded an interview back in 2009 that explains everything and how they added a few resorts where you can teach if you're not a Group Fitness/Mind Body Instructor – you're only certified as an Indoor Cycling Instructor.
Are you as particular about the songs you play as I am? Now I know that sometimes my choice in music may not appeal to you… or everyone in my class for that matter.
I like the music… that I like 🙂
Do you have this same problem? How can I easily find music that I like, without spending a huge amount of time sampling hundreds of songs?
Occasionally I'll like a track that was suggested on Facebook, or one that's included in a playlist from another Instructor I follow on Spotify. But I don't find either method very efficient.
Lazify is a tool for Spotify (they call it an App) that creates a playlist of complimentary tracks, based on one “root” / “seed” song. I've been playing with it and have already discovered a bunch of songs that I've added to my Future to Use playlist, where I keep all of my new music ideas.
It's really easy to use:
In Spotify > RH side bar click App Finder.
Scroll down and select Lazify.
You'll now have a Lazify link added the side bar.
To create a new playlist, drag any track up to the Lazify link > the main window will display your new playlist. The drop-down offers options for the number of tracks. There are options to drag the whole playlist into another of your playlists, or select Save and Lazify will add this playlist to you others.
Here's the results for a playlist based on Heart — Barracuda as the root track. I'll let these tracks play in the background, until I hear something I like…
Paul Swift from BikeFit sent out another infographic showing proper wrist alignment, this time for road bikes. We published his previous email that highlighted proper wrist alignment on a mountain bike. Notice in the image above how the curve of the handlebar drops matches the natural, straight wrist position?
I see this problem a lot on our group rides… Set up incorrectly (bars rotated down too far) causes the hinged wrist shown above, left. Where this becomes obvious is the additional arm movement needed to grasp the brake levers – there shouldn't be any 🙁
With your hands on the brake hoods, your wrists should be straight for best comfort and control. In this position you should be able to rest your fingers on the brake levers. Rotating the handlebars and/or brake hoods upwards helps improve alignment for more comfort and better control.
Cuing wrist position in class, or on the road, will be appreciated by your participants.
Remember bike fit is not about the bike, but where you touch the bike.
If you've ever had an idea for a new, fitness related product or service? Dream about building a company around your new widget and then selling your company to a larger company? If that sounds like you, you'll want to listen to this interview with fitness entrepreneur Sara Shears. Sara invented the Ugi ball to help her personal training clients train more frequently. After years of effort, she was able to sell her company Ugifit to Mad Dogg Athletics.
Rather than trying to explain Ugi to you – watch this short video to see it in action.
http://youtu.be/GxkBlo44XPA
Listen to Sara explain some of here entrepreneurial journey below.
I met with Sara at WSSC and took one of her 30 minute classes. It kicked my ass and the whole time I was suffering through Sara's class, I kept thinking how Ugi could be the perfect strength and balance compliment to a small boutique's cycling class.
Interested in training to teach Ugi classes? Here's the link to their website where you can find a certification training near you – or how to host a training at your club or studio. I'd love to know what you think about Ugi…
Paul Swift from 
