If you're looking to add to your Instructor education resume, Schwinn Indoor Cycling and RealRyder Indoor Cycling are offering Instructor certifications at the IDEA World Fitness Conference in Anaheim, California. Both are running pre-convention, 8 hour live certifications on Wednesday, August 13.
Schwinn® Cycling: Instructor Certification LECTURE/WORKSHOP
9:00am—7:00pm (1-hour lunch is on your own)
Master Trainers are Julz Arney and Jeffrey Scott
Here's the link to register for the Schwinn certification and for more information.
RealRyder® Indoor Cycling: Certified Instructor Training WORKSHOP
8:00am—5:00pm (1-hour lunch is on your own)
Douglas Brooks, MS, and Adam Reid
Here's the link to register for the RealRyder certification and for more information.
I'm going to be there Thursday – Sunday > if you're planning to as well please shoot me a note. I would love to meet you while I'm there.
At WSSC I had the opportunity to complete a PST (Personal Spinning® Threshold) test – which is (their words) the key to Spinpower success. I couldn't agree more as knowing your maximum sustainable power or Heart Rate, and then building training zones around a known metric BPM/Watts is crucial to effective training. Here's some notes on this session and the discovery process MI Janet Toussaint lead us through to determine our Personal Spinning® Threshold.
PST is something we can change
Janet's session included a lecture period before we climbed on the Blade Ions for the PST test. During her presentation she made three very profound points that I feel are important for anyone teaching with power, to convey to their participants…
It is possible to change/raise/improve your PST. You maybe familiar with the statement; if you can test it you can improve it. In the past the Spinning program was based on Maximum Heart Rate – a number that doesn't change no matter how hard you train. Yes you can become more efficient at Fat utilization, except that's difficult to measure without a metabolic cart. Sustainable power at threshold (PST) is something you can easily see changing and that can be very motivating.
PST is based on Maximal Efficient Effort – key word being efficient, as in where efficiency drops off during the graded intensity ramp test. This isn't a test where COME HELL OR HIGH WATER I'M GOING TO PUT UP THIS HUGE WATTAGE NUMBER!!! Janet made the point a number of times that you have to be careful not to let these assessments become a competition, where people are trying to prove something.
Your PST is specific to this sport – actually Angie Sturtevant made similar statements. The wattage you see as a PST only applies to a Spinning class – not your road bike with a power meter. I would add that it also only applies to the specific brand of Indoor Cycle.
I snapped this picture showing the ramp test protocol used to asses the PST used to create the 6 power zones in the SpinPower program.
Constants and Variables
The constant during this test is cadence/RPM which doesn't change during the test. Janet suggests you not mandate a cadence, instead ask every one find “where they hang out” = natural cadence. What will vary will be the amount of resistance, and the resulting changes in HR and perceived exertion/RPE.
Start everyone warming up in zone one, finding that natural cadence for 10 or more minutes. Include a few brief accelerations – but not too intense or long.
Every two minutes you'll add resistance / ramp up. How much? Janet recommends 10-20 watts from women and 15-30 watts for men.
After you've added the new ramp, push the reset button to record your average for that ramp – remembering the previous ramp's wattage.
When you can't maintain your cadence, for the whole two minutes, you're done. Your PST is the watts from the last fully completed ramp.
How many ramps is the right amount? Janet explained that there is no “right amount”. You need to run the assessment until everyone has completed the test. There were some questions about this and it sounds like you should see at least 4 ramps until failure. Less than that probably means that the rider is adding too many watts with each ramp.
My experience during the test was as I got closer to PST, I wanted to reduce the size of each ramp's increase. I also knew very quickly when I wouldn't be able to finish a ramp. My numbers are in the image above. I couldn't complete my last ramp of 240 watts, which actually isn't that far off what I'm used to seeing as my threshold on the FreeMotion bikes I teach on at Life Time.
Thinking about conducting an assessment like this in your class? I would suggest that you practice on yourself first, so you understand what your riders will be experiencing.
If you are teaching on Spinner Blade Ions I would love to talk to you. Please contact me.
Over the past month or so we're published multiple posts related to the accuracy and consistency of the indoor cycles in our studios. Gene Nacey chronicled his experiments toward finding a method of handicapping his cycles, in the hope of addressing the differences in wattage he is seeing between bikes and my series on the results from our survey both pointed to the same conclusion; Indoor Cycle manufactures have work to do to ensure a level of consistency that will give both Instructors and participants the confidence we need to really use power as a training tool in our classes.
Last week at IHRSA, Amy and I had the chance to sit down with Keiser founder Dennis Keiser, before he formally announced that his engineering team had secured the first European EN-ISO 20957-1 accreditation for an Indoor Cycle that displays power – the new Keiser M3i.
The Keiser M3 group fitness cycle has been the first product of its kind to receive prestigious EN-ISO 20957-1 recognition for the accuracy of its power display.
“This is a big step. Our industry needs to validate the numbers that our users are seeing,” said Keiser founder and President Dennis Keiser. “This gives our customers a level of comfort at what they are seeing in our display.” The accuracy certification represents the first time that TUV Product Services, a European safety organization, has tested for accuracy in a data reporting system on an indoor group exercise cycle. To achieve EN-ISO 20957-1 recognition, TUV requires a group fitness cycle consistently perform within plus or minus 10% of accuracy. “To be the first in our industry to receive this is a great achievement and an honor,” expressed Keiser Vice President-Europe Alastair Watson. “It is important to everyone at Keiser that our customers know they are getting the best bike in the industry and the most accurate reporting system as this designation confirms.” Keiser has been the undisputed industry leader, the first to employ magnetic resistance, introduce power, and now the first to receive accuracy certification. “It’s very easy for someone to talk about the accuracy of power but this test is very difficult. To achieve what we have is significant,” explained Dennis Keiser. “We have been the leader and intend to remain the leader in indoor group cycling.”
Dennis explained to us that the primary focus of EN-ISO 20957-1 (ISO is the International Organization for Standardization) is safety. Passing is required to sell new fitness equipment in many European countries. The certification of any power displayed is a sub-category of EN-ISO 20957-1 that's been initiated to bring more consistency to our industry – something Dennis expressed is long overdue and I completely agree.
Now while a +-10% accuracy may not sound all that impressive in these days of super accurate (and expensive) bicycle power meters, that's the maximum allowable variation from any randomly sampled production M3i. To achieve that level of accuracy, while making allowances for production tolerances, Keiser's engineers designed the M3i to have single digit accuracy.
Upgrade for older Keiser M3s
So why would this be important to a club or studio who own the older versions of the Keiser M3? My understanding is that Keiser will be offering retrofit kits for older M3's. By replacing the console, a small circuit board near the magnet carrier and the magnet carrier you'll be able to bring your M3s up to this new certification's level of accuracy. Included with the kit will be the new power console that incorporates BLE Bluetooth Low Energy which will easily pair with an iPhone/Android phone + work with the new Keiser GX group exercise projection system for on-screen power and heart rate display in class. More about that soon.
Both are supposed to be available later this summer – I'll be posting the details on cost and how to order once it's been finalized.
That's Coach Robin Robinson in the pink jersey at IHRSA
If you are a group fitness instructor my discovery could save you some money.
My ACE cert is due for renewal this Summer and I need .6 ACE continuing ed credits, and quick. I looked at the ACEfitness.com site for some online CECs and found two courses that I thought would be interesting; Nutrition Strategies for Fitness and Performance $59.95 (.3 ACE CECs) and Flexibility Training Specialist$69.95 (.4 ACE CECs) $130.00 total.
The weather is supposed to be crappy this weekend. I figured I would hunker down and go through these two programs so I could have the privilege of sending ACE more of my money and keep teaching for two more years.
I asked John for our business credit card so we could expense my training. He looked over his readers and asked; “why would you pay for CEC's when ICG has them available for free?”
Good question. I wasn't aware that ICG had free CEC's and it turned out that they offer 12 different online courses that are approved by ACE. I found two similar courses that would get me my .6 CECs. Total cost will be ZERO.
Not an ICI/PRO conference but maybe the next best thing.
Heart Zones and Cycling Fusion have teamed up to create TrainDifferent – what I believe is the very first fitness conference / workshop that offers you three different ways you can attend.
CONFERENCE CENTER LIVE: From Oakmont, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at our Cycling Fusion Training Center, this will be the live conference that will be web-broadcast to the Official Host Sites as well as to the At Home participants. You will be participating and part of the televised audience.
OFFICIAL HOST SITES: Locations across the USA are joining the Conference remotely with a combination of live instructors as well as web-simulcast. This is the best of both using the net and having certified instructors providing you with hands-on learning opportunities. Your workouts will be led by a CHZT, Certified Heart Zones Trainer for the workouts and the keynote lectures and party will be a web simulcast. There are still openings for additional Official Host Sites. Contact Sally Edwards for more information on adding your club or studio.
AT HOME: Participate from your home or any place that has an internet connection. You can attend the Conference as it's happening or watch up to the next 30-days at a time and a place you choose.
HEART ZONES CONFERENCE FACULTY
Sally Edwards, MA, MBA, is one of America's leading experts in business, exercise science, and lifestyle living. In 1993, she created HZT, the Heart Zones Training patented and branded training system and in 2010 she launched the new ZONING Fitness program and brand. Sally, 65 years old, is a professional triathlete finishing over 200 raes and ultra-marathon running champion. She is an author of two dozen books including the popular Heart Rate Monitor Guidebook, the definitive source on heart-rate based training. She is the founder of the Fleet Feet Sports retail stores. Sally is a professional speaker and as she has for the past 22 years, she continues as the national spokeswoman for the Danskin Womens Triathlon Series.
Gene Nacey, MPH holds 2 bachelor degrees and a masters degree in Public Health. A former entrepreneur of the year, Gene spent 20 years building a technology business before his passion for fitness lead him to become a fitness studio owner. His company has licensed the rights to be the official cycling program for Heart Zones as Cycling Fusion. Gene is a certified USA Cycling coach and one of America's premier fitness experts with a specialty in using heart rate and power data for improved cycling. He is the author of the popular ebook Power Training .
Carl Foster, Ph. D. is a Professor of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. He is the co-author of Be a Better Runner, and is a renowned researcher with over 300 published scientific papers to his credit. For the last 20 years he has served as a consultant, faculty member and friend of Heart Zones USA, the training and education company. He continues in that role with the company's new division, ZONING Fitness, asuring that all activity protocols are safe, research-based, and appropriate for individuals.
Where to Attend? Official Host Sites of the remote broadcast are in the following areas: Peachtree City (Atlanta), GA; Bellevue (Seattle), WA; Boston, MA; Lakewood (Denver), CO; San Francisco, CA; Milwaukee, WI; New York City, NY; Rochester, NY; and Oakmont (Pittsburgh) PA. More locations will likely be announced, too! Specific site details are presented below.
All the information on CECs, locations, times and delayed broadcasts options is available here.
As promised, here is part 2 of my interview with Schwinn Master Trainer Jay Blahnik – for ICI/PRO members.
In part 1 Jay briefly describes what he sees as the three different segments of people (Instructors and participants alike) that you will probably encounter when introducing Power.
I convinced him to stick around for another half hour and really drill down on his strategies for bringing all three of these groups on board – if possible.
[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']
Jay describes the three segments as:
Those that reject measurement and Power.
The 30% who are engaged, but don't know quite what to do with it.
Then there's people like me (you too?) who loved it from the start 🙂
You can listen to this interview below and you will also find it in your ICI/PRO Super Secret iTunes Feed – instructions are here if you haven't set your's up yet.
At WSSC I had the opportunity to complete a PST (Personal Spinning® Threshold) test – which is (their words) the key to Spinpower success. I couldn't agree more as knowing your maximum sustainable power or Heart Rate, and then building training zones around a known metric BPM/Watts is crucial to effective training. Here's some notes on this session and the discovery process MI Janet Toussaint lead us through to determine our Personal Spinning® Threshold.
