We're a little less than a month away from the Day Light Savings time change – Sunday, November 6. I've always considered that the un-official start of the Indoor Cycling season; rolling the clock back an hour makes it easier to commit to that 5:30 am class and you're certainly not going to be riding after work… in the dark!
So October can be a great time to polish up on your presentation skills. What follows is one of my all-time favorite interviews, featuring master Educator Lawrence Biscontini. I say favorite because not only was Lawrence a joy to talk to, but the importance of delivering a well crafted class introduction really helped to improve my classes.
Give it a listen and see if you agree.
“Great actors don’t show up on set and improvise as soon as the camera starts rolling. They practice putting their own personality into the words scripted for them…. Practice delivering your opening and closing scripts and you’ll be as polished as a professional actor.” So says Lawrence Biscontini in his Scripted Starts and Flawless Finales article in the October 2012 issue of the IDEA Fitness Journal.
Lawrence describes the 8 essential points that he feels you should be including in the first few minutes of your class in this episode of the Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast.
After recording this with Lawrence, I felt strongly that including a Scripted Start in every class is another Best Practice that will help improve your class presentation 🙂
This look may not always be appropriate when you teach.
This was awkward. Have you ever had a dream where you're naked in some public space? Well yesterday I wasn't dreaming, I was dressed, but inappropriately it turned out. The feeling I had was very similar.
That's because yesterday I had the privilege of taking a class at The Firm in Minneapolis. They were the very first official Johnny G Spinning® studio in the Midwest – introducing Indoor Cycling to us here in the frozen north around 1995*. As far as I know, they could be the oldest operating indoor cycling studio. Do you know of another?
I had met the one of the owners, Neil Miyamoto, at IHRSA. I sheepishly told him that I hadn't been to his studio for about 20 years. Turned out he understood us suburban folks don't stray far from home. To remedy that, Neil invited me to come downtown to see his club and meet his wife Kelly. She actually started The Firm back in 1986. Our plan was for me to take a class and schedule a time for me to interview Kelly. I'm guessing there's a lot of new studio owners who would love to know how The Firm as been so successful, for so long.
So yesterday was the day and as I'm driving into the city, I'm thinking; who comes to a 3:00 pm class, on a Saturday?
I got checked in, quickly dressed and ran up the stairs to a nearly full studio. My quick count showed about 50 riders… many of them watched me as I walked in. And a number continued to look at me. Not in an unfriendly way, no. Their expressions seemed friendly enough, some even smiled as they continued their appraisal of me. I started getting that awkward, I'm standing out like a sore thumb, feeling as I set up my bike.
What are they looking at? Could I be the only new guy here… Is that it?
Then it dawned on me. I was the only person in the room wearing a full cycling kit – my Life Time Cycle Team bicycle jersey and matching bib shorts. There were lots of t-shirts, running shirts, ripped sweatshirts, women's workout tops, gym shorts, regular shorts and yoga pants – but nothing remotely like what I typically teach in. 50+ people and I only could see three pair of bike shorts. No wonder people were looking at me funny. I couldn't help but think how silly and out of place I looked. What was I thinking?
They're not cyclists
This experience has me re-considering something I feel I've mistakenly believed; at some level all indoor cycling participants are cyclists and I should look like a proper cyclist (to set a good example) when I teach.
These folks at the Firm seemed to really enjoy riding indoors, wearing whatever they wanted, but by no stretch were they cyclists.
Kelly (the Instructor) was wearing a cute top and yoga pants. Nothing to distinguish her role as the leader. She looked like her tribe and her tribe looked like her… and they fill the place, on a Saturday afternoon, in part because she makes everyone feel comfortable. There was no pretentious; look at how cool I look in my fancy getup.
In fact the entire club is much the same. Simple concrete floors and white walls. Quite a change from the cherry walls and bamboo flooring where I normally conduct class.
So what to wear?
This picture is of Stages Indoor Cycling Master Trainer Doug Rusho, at a past ICI/PRO conference. Notice there's nothing that screams I'M A VERY SMART LOOKING CYCLIST in what Doug is wearing. He looks sharp and professional, but nothing about his shorts or shirt would communicate; I'm a hard-core cyclist. If you aren't a hard-core cyclist like me, well… you might not fit in here. Which I'm now concerned I have been communicating (and not always subtly) to the people who come to my classes.
*1995 is my best guess. Amy was originally certified and her club (The Flagship Athletic – now a Life Time) added Spinning around 1996.
I had the privilege of visiting the Stages Cycling HQ and factory in Boulder Colorado with my buddy Randy Erwin. Director of Indoor Cycling education Cameron Chinatti, along with Stages vice president Pat Warner, were our tour guides. We spent a fascinating couple of hours learning exactly what goes into building the Stages single side crank arm power meter used on the new Stages SC3 Indoor Cycle and available for most road/mountain bicycles.
You know these people are cyclists the moment you walk into the place. Everywhere you look there are bicycles; tucked into every corner, hanging from the ceiling, along every wall – heck, their conference room has probably the coolest table I've ever seen. Instead of legs, the table top is supported by a pair of 70's vintage Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycles.
Cameron explained the hiring process, “you pretty much have to be a passionate cyclist to even be considered… many of these guys have been riding buddies for years.” And I'll add that these “cyclists” are also some of the most brilliant people I've ever met 🙂
Cameron explaining all the cool features of the Stages SC3 to cyclist Randy Erwin
Cameron met Randy and me and our tour started in their official “training room” except it won't be for long. Stages is growing so fast that half of this room has been taken over by manufacturing stations. My friend Randy was very interested in the new SC3 because the Westminster, CO Life Time Fitness (where he's a member) will be the very first location to get these new cycles. Now if we could get Dennis Mellon in there as an instructor…
New power meters being installed and tested – this is super technical stuff.
Early in the our factory tour, I asked Pat; “why aren't your power meters built in Asia, like most other technology companies?” His responses made perfect sense to me; “there are multiple reasons actually.” “Stages has become the leading provider of bicycle power meters, after only a few years. We can't afford any preventable issues when it comes to quality or availability. It's critically important that we control the quality of these power meters… we can't if we're dependent on a third party supplier's factory, regardless of where it's located.”
Pat explained how keeping everything in-house provided a solution to a unique challenge they faced. “We manufacture power meters for 16 different model bicycle crank arms, from major suppliers (Shimano, SRAM, Cannondale and FSA) plus the power meter for the SC3 Indoor Cycle. Bicycle cranks aren't made just one size. Multiply each model bicycle crank by the four or more available crank arm lengths and we have to stock over 60 part numbers. Sure, 172.5 is the most common size for a road bike, but how many of each should we be building? The lead time for overseas manufacturers is measured in months – customer's won't accept waiting that long. We have thousands of stock crank arms on hand and we're setup to quickly change production. So if we receive an order for an out of stock power meter, we can normally build one and ship it within a few days!”
Pat Warner explaining the complicated process that attaches the power meter to the crank arm.
Every power meter is checked for proper calibration and the results captured using a iPad with custom software that's developed in-house too!
The Stages SC3 is build by Giant Bicycles in Taiwan – Pat told me,”those Giant guys are experts at mass producing high quality bicycles and fitness equipment, so we leave that part to the experts. We still produce the SC3's power meter here in Boulder and then ship them out for installation on the cycle.”
Stages has a separate facility, near their main offices, that's use for product endurance and destructive testing. We just missed the completion of a test rig that repeatably pressed down on a handle bar, tens of thousands of times without any failure.
Want to know how long the drive train will last pedaling at a continuous 360 watts? This video shows the test rig that pedals 24/7 for weeks at a time. Not only are they watching to see if something will break, or wear out, but they also record the actual power readings vs what they know their electric motor is pushing.
Quality control – Early production Stages SC3 cycles are unboxed and checked for any defects.
Feel free to leave the lights on! There's the battery charger for the Stages SC3 power meter.
Ever notice how, if you teach on multiple brands of Indoor Cycle, your class presentation changes a little from one to the other? From the distance all the IC's from FreeMotion, Keiser, Schwinn and Star Trac, look pretty much the same. But you know better if you're teaching at more than one location. Each brand's bikes have their own unique characteristics:
The resistance systems react differently and the method for adding and subtracting load is different.
The consoles are all different in what information they display during and after class.
Is there a lap/stage button? How do you use it?
Hand locations & positions vary.
So why not help our ICI/PRO members learn the differences?
Do you spend any time practicing your classes? I realize that few of us have a lot of extra time. If you do – why not spend an hour of “ME” time, riding along with Dennis leading your ride. This may be the best 60 minutes you'll spend this week 🙂
Our membership really grows this time of year. So if you've been contemplating joining us here at ICI/PRO, you won't be alone.
Start your PRO/Monthly subscription $9.95 – no minimum. [wlm_paypalps_btn name=”Monthly-trial Product” sku=”E90D58D12B” btn=”pp_pay:s”]
I edit many of my interviews. When my guest misspeaks, has a few too many ums/ahs/likes/you knows or they run off topic. They tend to say “stop” and then ask “please edit that out”.
Although I've been asked multiple times, I never agree to let a guest listen and then approve the final recording. I also never agree to edit or delete anything just because a guest says; “I sound awful!” I've learned that people are just too critical of themselves > especially when they're not used to hearing a recording of themselves in conversation
But more frequently I'm editing myself out of the recording. That's right. Even after recording over 300 interviews I still; talk way too fast and my tongue get's all tied up, signal my agreement with the same, tired; “that's awesome” or “OK, so…” and it drives me crazy!!!!
So I edit it much of it out and you never hear it 🙂
Unfortunately none of us has an edit button we can hit during a live conversation or class presentation.
Like you, I love learning and improving. I've recently been going through an online training course to improve my speaking and presenting skills. The course is called How to Create a 1000 Watt PresenceLearn business communication skills for personal and career success by actress and communication coach Alexa Fischer. I really enjoyed this particular video (one of over 40 in the course) and Alexa has given me permission to offer it to you.
What grabbed me during the intro of this video is when Alexa says; “But unless you're a professional performer….” Aren't we all are Professional Performers? The PRO in ICI/PRO is short for Professional…. as in Indoor Cycle Instructor Professional.
I feel I am a Professional. Do you?
Here is the PDF she refers to that you can use to (as she says) compassionately critique your recording and then begin the process of improving your communication skills through changing how you speak. NOTE: the correct link to the Fricken Fillers video is here > it's broken in the PDF.
Here is a past Podcast that explains an easy way you can record your own class, using your iPhone or Android phone.
You can check out Alexa's complete training program here at Udemy.
