by John | May 13, 2020 | Instructor Resources
I just got an email from an ICI/PRO member who was scheduled to take part in the beta test of a new LIVE online training program that I will be offering in December. It was a very short message, sent from her phone; My computer crashed, the whole thing now has nothing on it! No files, no nothing…. so I won't be joining you tonight.
I feel very bad for her and I really hope she has everything backed up. I too have also suffered from hard drive failures that lead to the lost of hundreds of files, pictures and songs. After the first time I vowed never to be unprotected ever again so, at the recomendation of my little brother the computer guy in our family, I subscribed to Carbonite. Now every night Carbonite does it's thing and in the morning every single is backed up. I didn't have to remember to do anything.
Carbonite has a Free trial to get you started- and they don't require a credit card.
Originally posted 2011-11-13 14:36:01.
by John | May 10, 2020 | Instructor Tips and Tricks, Instructor Training
Back-to-School signals the end of summer for many of us. *Our participants will begin thinking about Fall and the transition to riding indoors. I'm thinking that you will want to be ready for them. 🙂
All of us here at ICI/PRO believe September is the perfect month to sharpen your Instructor skills for the upcoming Indoor Cycling season. This is exactly why we scheduled the ICI/PRO Conference for the end of this month.
Beginning this week, we will be delivering ICI/PRO members specific exercises (actionable steps) you can take to improve your craft as an Indoor Cycling Instructor. Most won't have any cost involved except for your time and effort.
Some of our suggestions will have you stepping a bit beyond your comfort zone. You will need to devote some additional time and effort this month if you truly want to improve… but then isn't that what's really necessary to grow and develop as an Instructor?
Each week will have a unique focus:
This week — How do you look?
Week 2 — How do you sound?
Week 3 — How do you feel?
Week 4 — Bring it all together!
*No slight intended to our Instructor members and friends Down-Under who are heading into their spring 🙂
Originally posted 2011-09-04 12:06:19.
by John | May 7, 2020 | Instructor Training
I was just notified by our Education Coordinator Heather Sawdey that the American Council on Exercise has approved the Indoor Cycle Instructor PRO Conference for 1.4 Continuing Education Credits.
If you register by September 7th 2010 this will be the best deal for CEC's on the planet!
What are you waiting for? Get your ACE Certification
Originally posted 2010-08-31 17:22:19.
by John | May 4, 2020 | Engage Your Students
I started writing this post with the idea of giving you some outside resources like this one:
Many of us have heard these words as part of the advertising campaign for the self-help book Verbal Advantage: 10 Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary and although I haven't read the book, as a long time salesperson I understand how powerful using the correct words can be.
And then it dawned on me that after 3 years we have resources buried within our 900+ pages that many of you may have never seen or heard. So I thought I would suggest some articles and Podcasts that speak directly (pun intended) to helping improve How You Sound to your class 🙂
Originally posted 2011-09-13 09:43:33.
by John | May 4, 2020 | Instructor Training, Strength Training
The increase was a 67 to 76% increase in energy expenditure for all standing cycling
conditions. Image from the study.
New research sponsored by ACE demonstrates that standing (vs. sitting) burns more calories, as long as you keep everyone out of the saddle long enough. This study was conducted by a team lead by Dr. Len Kravitz at the University of New Mexico.[wlm_private ‘PRO-Platinum|PRO-Monthly|PRO-Gratis|PRO-Seasonal|Platinum-trial|Monthly-trial|PRO-Military|30-Days-of-PRO|90 Day PRO|Stages-Instructor|Schwinn-Instructor|Instructor-Bonus|28 Day Challenge']
The study you can download here; Metabolic Cost of Weighted Vests During Standing Cycling was designed to look at the effect of adding additional weight (with a weighted backpack) to an Indoor Cyclist and learn the metabolic affect from how long you're out of the saddle:
Abstract
Whether cycling on the road or pedaling in a club cycle class, this mode of activity is done using
both seated or standing positions. Previous research has examined the effect that cycling position
exerts on physiologic parameters such as heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), or rating
of perceived exertion (RPE) during exercise (1—3). This research was intended to simulate hill
climbing, which is applicable to a majority of road cyclists. However, no prior research has
examined the effect of wearing a weighted vest during stationary standing cycling. As well, no
research has investigated the effect of extended bouts of stationary standing cycling (1, 2, 3 and
4 minutes) on metabolic parameters. The implications for this research may directly impact
individuals engaged in fitness center stationary cycling classes, which have become very popular
in recent years.
Anything to burn more calories
I met Dr. Kravitz in the Fall of 2012 at a fitness conference. Once he learned my interest in Indoor Cycling, he excitedly told me about his idea to study the potential training and calorie expenditure effects of adding weight to an Indoor Cyclist. If I'm remembering correctly, he expressed the understanding that weight loss / weight management is high on the list of reasons our riders come to class. If strapping on a backpack full of bricks was going to help someone reach their goal weight, I was all for learning more – and then share it with you.
Based on the chart above, it doesn't appear that adding weight has nearly the affect that simply getting everyone out of the saddle does.
The first minute is just practice
The biggest take-away from this study for me, was the huge jump in calorie expenditure that occurs beyond the first minute.
Will seeing this change how you structure time out of the saddle?
Energy expenditure stabilized between minute 3 and 4 on all standing cycling conditions. This information provides program design suggestions for personal trainers and club cycle instructors desiring to optimize caloric expenditure utilizing research-driven methodology. Clearly, the inclusion of standing cycling bouts for 2 to 3 minutes during a cycling bout meaningfully increases energy expenditure. This increase in oxygen demand occurs during standing, with or
without a weighted vest (up to 15%BW was used in this study). According to Tanaka et al (3), this energy expenditure increase is attributable to the increased muscle blood flow and/or involvement of a larger muscle mass with standing cycling.
[/wlm_private]Dr. Kravitz's team has done a number of other studies that you may find of interest. I interviewed Doctoral student Micah Zuhl in 2012 and discussed the article he co-wrote with Dr. Len Kravitz entitled HIIT vs. Continuous Endurance Training: Battle of the Aerobic Titans. ICI/PRO Podcast #201 — HIIT vs Endurance Training with Micah Zuhl
Originally posted 2013-11-10 09:00:43.
