Well actually it really started last week on Black Friday, but everyone has some special deal then. I've been after dozens of product and service providers to give you an extra special discount, for one day only, for our PRO/Deal of the Week.
Tomorrow's featured product will be of great interest to all of your students who wear Road Bike shoes with exposed cleats. You can typically identify them slipping and sliding on your polished floors – not to mention walking funny on their way to the studio 🙁
Every week we plan to offer something different, but always of interest to Indoor Cycling Instructors. Some will be of a limited quantities, others (like the deal tomorrow) isn't.
If there is some product or service you feel will make a good PRO/Deal of the Week please let me know.
I learned something really important about Spotify this past Saturday morning. If your iPhone battery goes dead you will need to log in again before it works. Not a big problem… unless it's 3 minutes until your class is supposed to start and you can't remember your user name and password 🙁
Enter the rescue CD you have stashed at each club where you teach – or switch over to iTunes.
You do have a rescue CD backup music plan… don't you [wlm_firstname]?
But I digress…
The real purpose for this post was to show you that I have links to all the Spotify tutorials now on one page so they are easier to find – www.indoorcycleinstructor.com/spotify or you will find it under Resources > Help With Spotify in the navigation above.
It was actually funny watching the Instructor who followed me, cursing his iPhone… “I just charged this %@#$ thing”
“Would you like to use my CD?”
“Thanks” … “would you mind leaving your video too?”
Here's a great idea from ICI/PRO Member Instructor Chuck Gauran that has me smacking my forehead; “why did I think of that?”
With all the excellent, structured Virtual Ride videos available, I'm to the point where it's rare to teach a class without one. I teach to the profile of the video as much as possible so there's a synergy between what I'm coaching and what everyone is watching.
To teach effectively I need to watch the video, right along with the class. So I prefer to ride with the class, rather then up front facing them. I use the mirrors to keep an eye on everyone so it's all good… except I have to leave my iPhone on the sound system – out of reach. So I don't have any option to make volume or track changes if needed. I have a 15′ cord I've tried to use but it's been more hassle than help.
As far as I know, every Smart Phone has Bluetooth built in so you should be ready. iPod users can purchase a Bluetooth Dongle that will plug in and have you ready to go wireless in your next class.
Have you have ever faced this dichotomy in your class?
Two riders, call them Bob and Susan (not their real names) are sitting front, center, smiling at you. You know them both and what you know about them causes you to almost freeze with indecision about how you will coach the class.
Here's some background on the two:
Bob is 40 years old and a somewhat competitive cyclist. Bob comes to your class to get stronger/fitter/faster (which is what he wants) so he needs to Train ~ 80% of his time in ZONE 1 to develop aerobically and the remaining 20% in ZONE 3 – above AT/LT. From a Training perspective, Bob should spend as little time in ZONE 2 as possible (junk miles). But the upper part of ZONE 2 is exactly where Bob performs during (long/fast club ride, RR or TT) so Bob's training in ZONEs 1 & 3 is to make him stronger in ZONE 2 when he is competing. Bob also understands that the hard work in ZONE 3 will leave him a bit trashed – which he accepts as the cost of getting stronger.
Susan is a 40 year old Mother of three kids who isn't training for anything, unless you count her continuous battle maintaining her body composition at an acceptable level. She's in your class to burn calories…specifically body fat if at all possible. She wants to leave your class with the energy she needs for the rest of her day while also not having her sugar stores depleted to the point where her low blood sugar level has her stopping at the doughnut shop. I would argue that Susan needs to spend the majority of the class in ZONE 2. There is where she can maintain the highest level of intensity for the longest period of time, without feeling exhausted, needing to recover and eating everything she sees after class.
With few exceptions, the majority of our classes are made of students are more like Susan than Bob… and arguably the #1 reason people come to class is for weight management.
Does it then make sense that we design classes much more for Susan?
Are we boring/alienating Susan when we sit there and proudly explain how our class is scientifically designed to help Bob?
In her post about not teaching to the squeaky wheel, Cameron Chinatti lays out some excellent points on how no one at your facility should be valued higher than anyone else. Easier said then done. I find myself wanting to teach to a class of Bob's, even while smiling back at Susan.
Beyond her role as the Senior Group Fitness Instructor here and at the other clubs where she teaches, Amy is a very accomplished Makeup Artist … where she finds herself today. So I get to give my suggestion for a track you might want to consider for an upcoming class. I've used it (them) for years but this past Monday I received a response unlike any before; Women near the back of the room yells “THIS SONG IS SO AWESOME! It actually shocked me with how loud she was. She had only heard the first few bars from Rods and Cones from the Blue Man Group and that was all it took:)
What I enjoy most about many Blue Man Group tracks is how they build – perfectly suited to use for a “Big Finish” if that's your style. ~ 63 RPM, I use Rods and Cones as the platform for a series of Sprints over it's 5:58 length – starting with heavy pedals and using the rise and fall of the intensity to cue each new effort. Let me know if it works for you. Here it is in Spotify
In my play list Rods and Cones followed this remix of Twilight Zone. It's an interesting mix, you're 4 minutes into a song most everyone knows before there's any vocals. It may have caused the reaction that followed. BileeEdits-Twilight Zone by bileebob
that you can purchase from Amazon for just $32.99
that will plug in and have you ready to go wireless in your next class.
