Image of Dr. Suzuki and her team from suzukilab.com/
Here's a creative exercise for you to try.
Imagine that tomorrow you begin marketing your Indoor Cycling classes differently… Instead of focussing on physical benefits of increased strength, endurance or weight management/loss, what would happen if your marketing was directed at cerebral benefits instead?
Do you feel you could possibly attract a new/unique group of participants? Maybe those people who aren't necessarily interested in physical improvements. Computer types (geeks) come to mind. They are rarely seen in your studio, unless they're there to fix your computer of course 🙂
But what if you were able to show the Geek Squad technician that your special classes could actually improve their troubleshooting, problem solving or coding skills… things he/she might really be interested in improving?
Or how about that advertising firm officing across the street? Do you think they would be interested in a brainstorming class where their entire team could spark some additional creativity?
There's a lot of scientific research that is proving the link between exercise and improvements in the brain in the form of enhanced memory and creativity. I posted a fascinating Ted Talk video presentation last month on the subject and the presenter is my guest for this episode – neuroscientist/group fitness instructor Dr. Wendy Suzuki.
Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. She received her undergraduate degree in Physiology and Human Anatomy at the University of California, Berkeley in 1987, studying with Prof. Marion C. Diamond, a leader in the field of brain plasticity. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from U.C. San Diego in 1993 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health before accepting her faculty position at New York University in 1998.
Listen to this episode below.
Near the end of the interview, Dr. Suzuki describes a clinical trial she running on the effects Indoor Cycling has on cognitive abilities. Participants are riding three time a week at Swerve Fitness in NYC and she says that their study results should be completed by the end of the year.
I thought I would break from the routine just a bit, and rather that share a “story” this week, I would share some of the fun metaphors I use during my sprints with class.
SPRINT DRILL #1
Many years ago I saw a T-shirt for a Track and field team and on the back of it it had the words “If you can read this, then I'm winning.” I always loved that quote and so I made a fun game of it. Since almost all of my sprint songs (and most songs for that matter) have 3 choruses in them, I find two other quotes and run the drill this way.
*Describe the race any way you like (A marathon, a Cycling race, even a car race) and tell them they are behind someone and as they get closer, they see on the back of their shirt (insert your favorite quote) and in an explosive voice tell them to pass. Do it again with a second quote, and then use the “If you can read this……” quote last. Works every time.
SPRINT DRILL #2
Tell them they are either in a car or on a bike on a two lane highway. THIS Highway is the “Highway of Life.” They are in the right lane and in the left lane is fast moving on coming traffic wizzing by. Again, using a typical 3 chorus sprint song. At first chorus tell them the left lane oipens up and they have to take the left lane and sprint like hell before the left lane fills back up with on coming traffic. Do the same thing for the second on. But on the third one tell them it doesn't look like “life” is gonna open up that lane and that when “Life” throws you this challenge, you do what winners do and create your OWN opening by using the breakdown lane and sprint like hell.
RUN DRILL
Play a typical Run song with a steady temp. Tell them they are on a log like the old time loggers wearing those spiked shoes and they are competing against someone else. Remember when those lumber jack games used to play on TV ?? So they have to run without bouncing imagining they are on this log, trying to knock off the opponent.
HILL DRILL
One of my favorite things to say during a hill climb is to imagine they are walking in waste deep snow, climbing a hill. Increasing the resistance means the hill incline is getting steeper and steeper. And then when you think you have them close to their limit, Tell them you just hooked a sled to the back of their belt and on that sled is everyone and everything that means anything to them and that they MUST get them to the top of the hill !!
The guys at BikeFit.com do a great job using infographics to communicate the process of proper bicycle fit. Today they sent out these images and I wanted to share them with you. Each details the multiple points of adjustment that can be used to ensure a comfortable setup.
Having been through a three hour, professional fitting like what BikeFit.com offers – I have experienced how many of these adjustments are effected by others… i.e. saddle fore/aft affects height and reach to the bars, cleat position can require a change in saddle position, etc…
A comprehensive fitting is really important for someone who is riding thousands of miles a year and/or is super concerned about efficiency = getting the maximum amount of power to the road.
So how detailed should you be with a new participant? After setting up people for over 15 years, it's my view that you just need to get them close and feeling comfortable. You obviously don't have 3 hours and with the exception of the Keiser M3, the adjustments on Indoor Cycles are too coarse to really fine tune a person anyway.
This might be a perfect space for a 25 bike cycling studio – except the HVAC system was designed to supply air for a three person travel agency.
I'm learning that many small/boutique fitness studios are located in spaces designed as offices or small retailers. Businesses with a handful of sedentary people, sitting at a desk. The building's HVAC system isn't typically optimised for all the CO2 and moisture created by a room full of heavy breathing participants = poor air quality, especially at the end of class 🙁
Does this describe your studio? Should we be looking for solutions to improve your studio's air quality, while keeping energy costs to a minimum?
Hope you didn't just purchase a studio full of Spinner Blade Ions® at the regular price and then paid for Instructor training 🙁
I'd been hearing some rumors about Mad Dogg Athletics ending their long partnership* with manufacturer Star Trac. And then yesterday I received this email above, that frankly, looked to me like a “Going out of business!” fire sale.
Well today it is official… Precor will be the new manufacturer of Spinner® Indoor Cycles.
I traded some emails yesterday with Justin Kleber who's the Product Manager for group cycling for Core Health and Fitness.
Hi John,
Here's what I can tell you. Our contract terminated in June and we have chosen not to renew the agreement. They have been great partners but we've agreed to pursue new opportunities and are winding down our relationship with them. More details will be coming in the next few months.
And I will make sure I keep you updated on all new developments. I'm the Product Manager for group cycling for Core Health and Fitness. That includes Schwinn Cycling and the new Star Trac bikes. I'm your go to guy for everything cycling within Core Health and Fitness.
Did you catch that bit about the new Star Trac bikes? Justin wasn't at liberty to give me any additional details, so we'll have to see exactly what will be “new” about these Indoor Cycles.
It's my understanding that certain design elements of the Spinner Blade Ion were based on being different from the Schwinn AC Performance. IMO it was a mistake to continue with the friction resistance system vs. Magnetic and don't get me started on weird feel of a tensioned belts vs. the bicycle like feel of the Gates Carbon found on the AC and new Stages SC3.
My question is; If Star Trac will continue to offer rebranded versions of the PRO/NXT/Ion do we really need another brand of Indoor Cycle from Precor that will be the new Spinners®?
When it comes to food, no doubt you’ve heard, read, or even said something along these lines: Everything’s fine in moderation.
Many famous people have said that they’ve never been successful at achieving moderation.
Professionally, I never recommend moderation in sugar intake.
Instead, I favor this quotation by Saint Augustine: “To many, complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.”
Clinical experience has taught me that some people simply can’t achieve moderation around certain foods.
Sugar addiction is real. Encouraging a sugar addict to eat sugar “moderately” makes no sense. It makes as much sense to tell a recovering alcoholic to drink in moderation — or a smoker who’s just quit to smoke in moderation.
In fact, when you’re talking about addiction of any type, moderation makes no sense at all.
Many Of Us Should Abstain From Moderation
In cases of addiction, moderation may be an impossible goal. For some of my clients, a small amount of any addictive substance — alcohol, sugar, whatever — simply leads to more. In addiction literature, the phenomenon is known as “priming.”
When I’ve brought up priming and sugar, self-styled censors have chastened me online. Apparently, researchers have not yet tested such a thing on sugar.
My dissertation study, however, showed priming among women with binge eating disorder who were also sugar-sensitive. Sugar was a primary food trigger for their binges.
Yet lab research is often behind the curve — which seems exactly the opposite of the way things should be. Scientific research happens when a need, a problem, is perceived. It’s my strong hope that researchers will soon realize that we need to acknowledge and start testing priming and sugar.
The research delay isn’t surprising. I’ve been speaking and writing about sugar addiction for almost 25 years — and only now is it becoming mainstream thinking.
Better late than never, of course. A lack of abundant scientific study in the past didn’t make the notion false, though — just ahead of its time. Research existed back then but was limited. Much was done on animals, but not all. Chocolate studies, for example, were always conducted with human participants. But I digress.
The Moderation Myth Makes Clients Feel Crummy
The main reason I dislike the myth of moderation is it makes my sugar-sensitive clients feel as if something’s wrong with them. That bothers me.
When sugar addicts can’t eat certain foods in moderation, no one’s to blame. Certainly not the sugar addicts — it’s a brain chemistry thing.
Brain chem is largely genetic. You got what you got. I’m old enough to recall the public service announcements that used frying eggs to show us “This Is Your Brain On Drugs.”
‘Your Brain On Sugar’ isn’t your fault.
People now agree that sugar is addictive, yet the implications remain a mystery to some. Who cares who says what about moderation? Do what works for you.
If it’s easier for you to abstain completely than to try moderation … then fail … and then feel crummy about yourself, I strongly encourage you to abstain.
