by John | Sep 13, 2010 | Music, Product Reviews
BPM control for all of you who teach to tempo and use an iPhone or iPod Touch.
Here's the new Class Builder iPhone App for Spinning Instructors.
Tempo Magic Pro is a new iPhone app that allows you to change the BPM of your music on your iPhone, while it's playing. You old Group Fitness instructors all know what that slider is for on the CD player. Looking to add a little more intensity to a song? Adding a few additional BPM may be just what you need.
I saw Tempo Magic Pro at IDEA last month being promoted by Petra Kolber and Yes! Fitness Music. They didn't have a working demo at the time and I just got their announcement that it is now available. I downloaded (purchased $4.95) the app and am giving it a try. I hope to have more about this as I play with it.
Here's what I do know so far:
- It sounds great! Changes to the BPM seem to have very little effect on the pitch. No chipmunks in your class 🙂
- It takes a while for the App to analyze the music in your playlist. But then it appears to work without delay.
- The change in BPM is gradual, without a sudden change that would disrupt the flow of your class.
- It only works with unprotected files (AAC or MP3), not with protected AAC files – which is no different than MixMeister or any other music software
- You can add individual songs or a complete playlist. You can control the BPM of each song as it's being played or set it to match all the songs at the same BPM.
- You lose the “now playing screen” that shows time elapsed and you will need to use the volume control on the side of your iPhone.
- You can move ahead or back from one song.
Tempo Magic Pro iPhone App is another toy for you to play with and for 5 bucks it is something you will want to try in a class. As I type this I am thinking of all sorts of ways I can use this… Strangle Hold (my favorite climbing song) is at 148 BPM so it has you pedaling at 74 RPM. What would happen if I slowly increased the tempo at the half way point? Or started it a little slower so they really add on the load?
UPDATE: I have added a video about Tempo Magic Pro here
Have you seen our new: BEST 210 Indoor Cycling Songs in 2010 list? It's free to subscribers to our email newsletter. Click here to join now.
by John | Sep 12, 2010 | Latest News
Enjoying our birthday
Title: ICI/PRO One Year Anniversary
Description: We are celebrating the One Year Anniversary of ICI/PRO today September 12th
Date: 2010-09-12
by John | Sep 11, 2010 | Latest News
Not sure I want to experience a week like that again 🙁
The most important thing is that www.indoorcycleinstructor.com is up and running in time for the one year anniversary of ICI/PRO which is September 12th 2010 – tomorrow!
by John | Aug 25, 2010 | Featured Articles, Your Fitness Business
What if you discovered, after struggling with a consistently small class, that the problem wasn't you or your teaching, but that people simply couldn't find your studio when searching online?
Now you may be thinking; “John, my studio has a web site.” “When someone Googles [indoor cycling class or Spinning class + your city] I'm certain we show up.”
You know what they say about making assumptions…
I teach for a large “Big Box” health club and I always assumed that they were great marketers. They would never make the simple mistake of not being Findable online.
So for fun I decided to try a search for myself. I Googled [Indoor Cycling Eden Prairie, MN] and the results floored me. None of my clubs showed up on the map Google showed. NOT ANY OF THEM! Just two bike shops. Please forgive me when I tell you that my initial reaction was WT_ is this!
Click here to see a map I made showing all the Indoor Cycling Studios missing from the results in Google from my little corner of the world. This isn't Google's fault. It's a complete oversight by my club's management and/or whoever is responsible for online marketing.
Now if I have you just a little curious, try this Online Findability Test on your studio or club…
Pretend you woke up this morning and decided to take your very first Spinning Indoor Cycling Class. Two questions you need answered are; “where can I find a class” and “what times are the class”
Most people nowadays will do a simple Google (or Yahoo or Bing) search for indoor cycling & the name of your town. Try it now and see what you find. If you also teach another format try that as well.
What did you find? A Map listing? Search results listing? Nothing?
If you did find your studio or club on the (hopefully) first page, click on the link and see where is takes you. Does it obvious answer those two questions; “where is it” and “what time is the class” ???
Leave me a comment with the results of your search.
Now many of you know that I'm all about solving problems for myself and other Fitness Professionals. So I have started a new blog and Podcast all about solving this problem of Online Findability for the studios where many of us teach.
Check it out at Fitness Studio Marketing if you are interested… or maybe forward the link to someone who has some work to do 🙂
