by Jennifer Lintz | Oct 9, 2019 | Engage Your Students, Instructor Training
I'd like to welcome Jennifer Lintz – the latest addition to the ICI/PRO Team. Jennifer is a registered dietitian and indoor cycling instructor from Rochester, MN. She will be contributing a series called “Speak their Language,” focusing on specific populations of cycling students. I interviewed her a year ago when she had recently completed her Spinning® certification – John.
By Jennifer Lintz, RD, LD
I will be the first to admit — after my husband, probably — that I am a terrible dancer and leave a lot to be desired in the rhythm department. So, naturally, I attended a hip hop dance class a few weeks ago.
Okay, in reality, if it weren't for running into the instructor just prior to class, I probably wouldn't have set foot in that studio to save myself the embarrassment. But, before I knew it, there I was … a new student in a foreign environment, about to do something that intimidated me.
In retrospect — and with all kidding aside — the experience was hugely valuable for me because it refreshed my memory about what it feels like to be “the new guy.” It also reinforced all of the things we instructors can be doing to help first-timers feel welcome, comfortable, and eager to come back.
I hope you’ll find my observations about the instructor’s strategies useful, and perhaps you will have a few of your own suggestions to share. Below are the techniques the teacher used that were helpful to me.
She identified me as a new student. She knew I had never been to this particular class before and was enthusiastic about me trying it. That alone began to ease my nerves and opened the door for more conversation between the two of us, building the foundation for a relationship.
She gave me a pep talk. New cycling students may feel just as jittery and intimidated as I did. The instructor let me know that I would not be the only new student in class and also mentioned there would be some veterans; that brief interaction removed another layer of my nerves. In cycling, this type of conversation could take place while assisting new students with bike set-up.
She provided an introduction. As a new student, it was nice to hear the instructor say “My name is _______________, and today we are going to do X, Y, and Z.” In cycle, this could be achieved by starting a class with: “Good Morning Everybody! My name is _______________ and I’m glad you are here. We’ve got a lot of endurance work to do in the first half of class today, followed by several hill drills in the second half.” Brief is usually best here; specifics can be saved for just prior to each drill or activity.
She didn’t single me out. Instead of saying “Jennifer, make sure you get that grapevine right this time,” she said something along the lines of: “I know we have a few new folks in class today, so if you are feeling a little lost, don’t worry. Just make it your goal to keep moving and have fun. You’ll get more comfortable with the moves each time you come to class.” Similarly, if we see new students — or any student — who needs some helpful coaching, we can address the entire group rather than looking directly at the person who needs the assistance.
She offered modifications. Several times throughout class, I was informed that I could simply things a bit. When we know there are new students in our midst, we can let them know they have options by saying something like: “If your body is asking for a break on this hill, scale back your resistance and ramp things back up when you feel ready. Just keep moving.”
She gave great cues. Given I had no idea what I was doing, clear descriptors were hugely helpful to me. In cycle, some of our first-timers may be clueless about what a flat road should feel like, not realize that tension is needed in order to do speed work, or be unaware that it can be dangerous to pedal with too little or too much resistance. Even if we feel like a broken record, providing clear instructions and safety cues during a workout is very important. The individuals who are more versed in the specifics of cycling can (and may) tune us out, but that is okay.
She checked in with me afterward. When it was all said and done and participants were trickling out the door, the instructor approached me and said “How did it go?” This gave me the impression that she valued me attending and cared that I had a good experience. It’s not always possible to touch base with each new student after class, but when we have the time, it can give them a chance to ask questions about anything that didn’t make sense and provides us an opportunity to offer up a “Congratulations on making it through” and a “Hope I’ll see you again soon.”
While I’m sure I’ll never be on the next “So You Think You Can Dance,” my experience in that hip hop class gave me the confidence to know I can survive a dance workout and can keep it in my repertoire of exercise options for the future. Hopefully we can give new students a similar feeling when they attend indoor cycling for the first time.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, too.
Originally posted 2012-12-08 06:40:20.
by John | Sep 21, 2019 | Engage Your Students, Giving Back To Your Community
Last year I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Sadvec, co-owner of Fit On Indoor Cycling Studio located in Manhattan Beach, CA. Michael shared with us his plans for their upcoming Tour de Pier, which was a big success!
Tour de Pier is back again this year and Michael sent me a note asking for my help promoting the event. They're planning to raise a half million dollars to be distributed to the; Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research (pancreatic.org), The LiveSTRONG Foundation (livestrong.org) and Cancer Support Community (cancersupportredondobeach.org)
John,
I hope all is well!
Tour De Pier is right around the corner… May 18th! This year we should smash our $350.000 mark and are already at $256.000 with over a month to go. Goal is $500,000.00 (http://www.tourdepier.com/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1086425) Mad Dogg Athletics is donating all of the bikes this year and we should be close to 300 or more. Would love it if you could give us a shout out.
This year they are partnering with a SoulCycle studio located in Greenwich, CT – where I see they've already sold out all of their available bikes 🙂 There are still spots open for the Mahatten Beach event – more info here.
You can learn more about Tour de Pier and possibly pick up a few ideas you could apply to hosting a charity ride of your own, by listening to this podcast
Originally posted 2014-04-10 09:53:47.
by Ben Greenfield | Sep 4, 2019 | Engage Your Students
As an indoor cycling instructor, you’re going to find a large percentage of your students dabble in triathlon, or engage in it as a serious sport. Either way, you don’t want to be embarrassed by using the wrong triathlon-related words or terms in your class when talking to them about triathlon (including the ever-popular pronunciation of triathlon as “triath-a-lon”).
So to help you look better and converse intelligently and confidently with your indoor cycling students who are triathletes, this is Part 1 of a five part series called “Tri-Lingo 101” that will teach you how to use the correct triathlon terms. In this article, you’ll learn common triathlon swim terms. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Beach start: Starting from the beach and running into the water to begin a triathlon.
Buoy: The floating markers used on a triathlon course to indicated course layout, distance and turns.
Deck: The hard surface around the pool.
Draft: To swim directly behind or beside the swimmer in front of you, which makes it easier to swim.
Floating start: Starting from the water without the feet touching to begin a triathlon.
Freestyle: The common front stroke style swimming usually used in triathlon.
Kickboard : A floating piece of styrofoam used to for kicking drills.
Lane : A sectioned area of the pool for lap swimming. Typically, a pool is divided into 3 or more lanes.
Lane Lines : The floating markers which that separate the lanes.
Lap: From one end of the pool to the other and back.
Length: From one end of the pool to the other. A “half” lap.
Flags : Small triangular pennants hung over the pool to indicate that the end of the lane is near.
Master’s: A swim class, group or club for adult swimmers.
Open Water: Outdoors swimming in a lake, river or ocean.
Pull Buoy : A floating piece of Styrofoam that goes between the legs so that a swimmer doesn’t need to kick.
Transition: Transitioning from the water to the bike portion of a triathlon.
Wall : Vertical part of the pool that is typically touched between lengths.
Wetsuit legal: A triathlon in which the water is cold enough to allow a wetsuit.
Bio:
Ben is a fitness business coach, triathlon author, and sports nutritionist. If you want more videos, aricles and audios about swimming and other triathlon related topics, visit Ben’s free blog and podcast at http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com . Also be sure to check out Ben’s endurance sports website Endurance Planet, at http://www.enduranceplanet.com and his Rock Star Triathlete Academy, at http://www.rockstartriathlete.com . Finally, if you want to learn how to grow your fitness business and make more money, visit Ben’s fitness business advice website at http://www.trainfortopdollar.com .
Originally posted 2011-02-06 09:08:50.
by Jay Duplessie | Aug 12, 2019 | Engage Your Students, Jay Duplessie, Motivation
Blink, Blink, Blink …………………goes the clock on your VCR. Yep, I said it, VCR. It is mind boggling to me that I have children (ages two and four) who will never know a Tape Player, VCR, 8 Track, and possibly even a DVD. Technology moves fasters than the fastest cyclist on his/her best day. But this story isn’t about VCR’s or technology. It’s to illustrate a point about how we as a culture like to change, modify, and complicate things even when they don’t need to be. I am writing this even at the risk of getting backlash from much more “technical” and experienced outdoor riders. But like I said in my first post, I speak from the heart and you’re either going to love me or hate me. If you’re looking for stats or data to shave off 3 seconds from your hill climb…..then I’m not your guy.
I still remember the very first VCR my mom and stepfather bought. He was a car dealer and had gotten a great bonus check. It was summer, probably July, and we loaded up in the car and headed to the Video Rental store. For you young readers, we used to have places that had VCR tapes lined up on all of the walls so you could choose what you wanted. In addition, WAY back then (early 1980’s) we had discs that looked like large vinyl records but played like a DVD. They were encased inside hard plastic covers. Anyway, back to my story. The VCR most likely costs us $600, weighed as much as my brother and I combined, and if I am not mistaken had no more than 5 features. Play; Stop, Pause, Forward and Backward. More expensive ones had “Record” so you could tape Price is Right or your favorite soap, but as a 10 year old I was just excited to rent Friday the 13th (The first one).
That VCR had less technology than the cheapest, crappiest cell phone on the market today, but when I look back it did absolutely everything that we ever needed it to. Then somewhere in some big board room a group of people decided that we (the consumer) needed to have options. And not just a couple, but over a hundred that the most experienced technical engineer would have trouble programming. So my question is WHY !?!?! Why do we need to complicate every single thing in our world to the point that we either lose some of the enjoyment OR feel like a complete idiot because we can’t or don’t want to spend the day trying to figure it out ?
How does this apply to us, the indoor cycling people of the world? And actually, I will go so far as to throw in all Group Ex AND Personal trainers to this query. What are WE doing as coaches and leaders to complicate things that don’t need to be complicated? I still believe, and may be wrong with everyone OUTSIDE my class, that my people come to me for more than instruction on how to peddle, when to get their heart rate up, or when to stand up. Let’s face it, I “teach” (HATE to use the word teach, I prefer coach) a class on how to get on a bike and peddle. Sure, there are MILLIONS of ways to teach and A LOT that goes into it……FOR AN ELITE ATHLETE to do the tour!!! But I have 30 to 60 people who, like me, are there for so much more than to learn all the tricks to shave off 3 seconds from their best time. And even if my people ARE there to learn how to shave of the 3 seconds, I believe (speaking about my people of almost 20 years) are trying to shave that time for internal reasons. Reasons of personal growth, pride in ones accomplishments, or even to use that shaved 3 seconds as a metaphor for something much bigger in their life. That’s why I teach and have always taught from a spiritual perspective and not so much from a technical perspective.
I am so fortunate to “coach” at arguably the best club in the US. I spent 10 years in all 50 States as a Sales manager and so I have been in too many gyms to name. I have seen trends in workouts, classes, equipment, and I am never surprised at what comes next. Right now this “Cross Fit” craze is amazing to me. We are now as an industry demonstrating that “hey, you didn’t need to join a gym with all the Cybex equipment because that spare tire in your garage, sprints up and down your street, and jump rope is all you need for a great workout. And you know what, they’re right. Why is a sprint on a Schwinn spinning bike any more beneficial than a sprint up the hill in your neighborhood?? It’s different because our people come to us for something they can’t get at home in the basement or in the garage. For some of you, maybe it is the technical lingo you use. Some of you may be like me and teach good form but with a focus on the “spiritual” aspect of the ride. The truth is that if we do it right and with proper form, then all of these things will get us to the goal, which is for our people to walk out feeling healthier and in MY opinion both “physically” AND “mentally.”
My point is that we don’t have to complicate things the way we sometimes do just so that we can stick with the trends. If your class demands that, than do it. But don’t lose focus on your core audience of people, the ones who stuck by you for 20 years. Give them the best music, the best guidance, the best stories, and the best up to date techniques IF that is what is going to give you and them the result you’re looking for. Let’s remember and never lose sight of the fact that our members come to us to lead them and if we tell them that rubbing their tummy while sprinting doubles the amount of calories they burn, then chances are most will do just that. So it’s our obligation to introduce the right amount of “new” technology if and only if the benefit is there. THEY are giving up one hour of their lives and putting it in our hands. I for one ONLY want to provide the best.
So the next time you jump on your bike ready to start class, remember that blinking clock on your old VCR and ask yourself “have I put together a class with total focus on helping them achieve their goals?” or have you designed it based on an article on the latest “Crave” from some gym in a posh LA studio? Do your research, make sure the latest “thing” is right for your students and then apply it. But don’t buy the VCR with 100 programmable features that you don’t know or understand until you SET THE CLOCK ON IT FIRST!! Now go press PLAY and have some fun. And please send me your thoughts so I can learn my audience.
by Joey Stabile | Feb 25, 2019 | Best Practices, Engage Your Students, Instructor Tech Help
While it may seem redundant to say, most indoor bikes do not move. Please, stop and think about that for a moment. We are not talking about forward motion or distance, of course an indoo
r bike does not move forward. But what about the other motions that are involved in cycling.
When a rider is out of the saddle, most riders sway the bike from side to side a bit. Why does this happen? Generally, it is the mechanical reality of the situation due to applying extreme power to each pedal. Since the pedals are not on the centerline of the bike, applying a large force to the right pedal will, physically speaking, apply a rotational force that pushes the top of the bike to the right and the bottom of the bike to the left. Without this counterbalancing motion, the wheel would kick out to the side. By swaying the bike in the opposite direction, the amount of force that can be applied to the pedals is increased without crashing.
The second primary aspect of swaying the bike is that it allows the rider to engage their upper body (especially core and arms) into the movement which increases power.
Take a moment and watch some of the pros race, they only have about a 12 degree sway; less than most avid riders. This is due to their efficiency and power.
The last aspect of swaying the bike is that it allows the rider to more thoroughly align their biomechanics with the work that is being done. By tilting the bike, the rider is able to keep the leg that is driving down with a majority of the force in alignment lessoning the outward lateral stress on the joints.
With the exception of a few new bikes on the market, most indoor bikes do not provide movement side-to-side, and none of them replicate the true motion of an outdoor bicycle. Because of this limitation, instructors must emphasize relaxation when riding and allow gentle upper-body movement. Attempting to maintain a still upper body can place the spine and surrounding muscles at risk from the forces being generated by the legs.
I hope this helps, Joey
by John | Nov 1, 2018 | Best Practices, Engage Your Students, Instructor Training, Master Instructor Blog, Training With Power, Zone based Heart Rate Training
If your objective is to communicate (sell) the value of either Training With Heart Rate – or – Training With Power, teaching your class using Three Zones will be the most easily understood, accepted and remembered… here's why.
The Rule of Three
It's no accident that throughout history – thousands of years in fact – three (3) is the magic number in many, memorable fairy tales, myths and marketing campaigns. They're easily remembered and shared because they follow The Rule of Three…
There were three little pigs, three blind mice, Goldilocks and the three bears, Three Musketeers, three wise men and the Three Stooges.
{Reduce, Reuse, Recycle} {Earth, Wind and Fire} {Good, Better, Best} {Hot, Warm, Cold} {High, Medium, Low} {Small, Medium, Large} {Gold, Silver, Bronze}
1st, 2nd, 3rd – who ever remembers (or cares) who came next?
This copy writing blog explains the Rule of Three very well in the context of effectively communicating ideas.
It all comes down to the way we humans process information. We have become proficient at pattern recognition by necessity, and three is the smallest number of elements required to create a pattern. This combination of pattern and brevity results in memorable content, and that’s why the Rule of Three will make you a more engaging writer.
Sticky Ideas
You see the Rule of Three used all the time across diverse areas of life. Why?
Because information presented in groups of three sticks in our heads better than other clusters of items. For example:
- “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
- “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”
- “Friends, Romans, Countrymen”
- “Blood, sweat and tears”
- “Location, location, location”
- “Father, Son and Holy Spirit”
- “Faith, Hope and Charity”
- “Mind, body, spirit”
- “Stop, Look and Listen”
- “Sex, Lies and Videotape”
- “I came, I saw, I conquered”
I'm confident you can add a bunch more to this list, which kind of makes my point. All of our brains are hard wired to create and retain patterns of three concepts… not four, five, six or seven – three is the magic number.
Sally Edwards understood The Rule of Three. Her three heart rate training zones concept called Zoning is designed to appeal to as many people as possible.
Please note that I didn't ask; What's the most accurate/precise/correct number of HR or Power zones? My question was; What's the best number of Heart Rate and/or Power Zones in our classes?
Cameron Chinatti with Stages Indoor Cycling says the answer is 7 Power zones. So does Joe Friel, Dr. Andrew Coggan. Chris Carmichael appears to use five. All super smart and knowledgeable people to be sure. Administered properly to a committed endurance athlete, 7 power zones is probably the most accurate/precise/correct number of HR or Power zones for them to train with.
But 7 Power training zones is too many IMO for our classes filled with Club Athletes.
The ICI/PRO Power Training Zones follow The Rule of Three.
I'll follow up with more detail later this week.
