This week I went with a mix that included the magically mixing ability of Peter Gonzalez, the soulful voice of Elle King and finished it off with the rocking guitar of Van Halen. I think it worked. The beauty of harmonic mixing is that you can mix all these genre and it just seems to work.
I used West End Jump to get the group rolling, I saw this as a flat road with some resistance increases to bring the group up to their threshold. Then, I saw Ex's & Oh's as a slower seated climb where I added some short 15 second standing surges. I finished the set by standing and surging to the top of the imaginary hill being pulled along by Top of the World.
[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']
Right Click on the blue underlined link
Select “Download Linked File As”
Select a download location
Once file is completely downloaded, find it in the location you selected
Drag the file into your iTunes or Spotify library OR
Right Click on the file and Select “Open With”
From the drop down menu select “iTunes” or “Spotify”
File should begin playing and is now part of your iTunes or Spotify library
To download the above media on a PC:
Right Click on the blue underlined link
Select “Save Link As”
Select a download location
Once file is completely downloaded, find it in the location you selected
Drag the file into your iTunes or Spotify library OR
Right Click on the file and Select “Open With”
From the drop down menu select “iTunes” or “Spotify”
File should begin playing and is now part of your iTunes or Spotify library Click here to watch a video on how to download media files from ICI/Pro.
Sometimes I need a cool video to play as a warm up song. This video is perfect! Beautiful scenery, classic rock song and a smooth flowing video that everyone can appreciate and “Get Lost in the Moment.”
The entire, full length, movie is available for download on iTunes.
[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']
Below you'll find Week 2 of August's Keep it Simple and Progress indoor cycling profile.
When I started this progression last week I was VERY concerned that my classes were going to complaining about the significant recoveries, but after the first week my riders began to figure out just how hard they needed to work to make this workout effective. Not one person mentioned that they felt they were getting too much recovery, most of them were hoping for more. The beauty of training with power is that you can give REAL wattage goals for each interval. Exercise physiologists have proven that riders can hold wattages in the Anaerobic Capacity Zone, which is 121-150% of Functional Threshold Power for 30 seconds to 3 minutes. I set my wattage goals with these proven parameters in mind.
5 minute benchmark ride to find “Maximum Sustainable Wattage”
1 minute recovery
3 x 1 minute intervals
1 minute recovery after each
3 x 3 minute intervals
2 minute recovery after the first 2 intervals and only 1 minute after the third
5 minute interval
1 minute recovery
3 x 2 minute intervals
2 minute recovery after each
3 x 30 second intervals
30 second recovery after the first 2 intervals and 2 minutes after the third
3 x 30 second intervals
30 second recovery after each
5 minute cool down
5 minute “Maximum Sustainable Wattage” Test
Settle in to a 5 minute interval at 80-110 rpm.
This interval should be ridden at a maximum sustainable intensity.
if riders know their threshold they can spend this 5 minutes riding at it.
At the end of the interval take note of average wattage or HR or be aware of the RPE.
3 x 1 minute interval goals and specifics:
1st one minute interval should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at 140% of maximum sustainable wattage or threshold.
1 minute recovery or reset
2nd one minute interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 1st.
1 minute recovery or reset
3rd one minute interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 2nd.
1 minute recovery or reset
3 x 3 minute interval goals and specifics:
1st 3 minute intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at 120% of maximum sustainable wattage or threshold.
2 minute recovery or reset
2nd 3 minute interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 1st.
2 minute recovery or reset
3rd 3 minute interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 2nd.
1 minute recovery or reset
5 minute “Threshold” interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 5 minute seated at 80-110 rpm and try match the output or wattage from the “Maximum Sustainable Wattage” test
1 minute recovery or reset
3 x 2 minute interval goals and specifics:
1st 2 minute intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at 130% of maximum sustainable wattage or threshold.
2 minute recovery or reset
2nd 2 minute interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 1st.
2 minute recovery or reset
3rd 2 minute interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 2nd.
2 minute recovery or reset
3 x 30 second interval goals and specifics:
1st 30 second intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at 150% of maximum sustainable wattage or threshold.
30 second recovery or reset
2nd 30 second interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 1st.
30 second recovery or reset
3rd 30 second interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 2nd.
2 minute recovery or rest
3 x 30 second interval goals and specifics:
1st 30 second intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at 150% of maximum sustainable wattage or threshold.
30 second recovery or reset
2nd 30 second interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 1st.
30 second recovery or reset
3rd 30 second interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 2nd.
4 minute cool down
[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'].
Trainer Road Profile (If you're Trainer Road Member join my Team to get this and all profiles)
This week I was asked by a class participant to NOT play “Stairway to Heaven” in a class she was planning on attending. I was shocked that someone would ask me NOT to play what many people still consider the greatest song of all time. If any of you have ever been to a video class of mine I sometimes play Heart's cover of Stairway.
Here it is:
That's AWESOME! Would you ever ask someone NOT to play THAT?
or THIS:
I was so shocked by this request that I decided to ask the “experts” at the Indoor Cycling Instructors Facebook Group how they would respond. I was even more surprised by some of the comments:
“I would stop playing STH. It's 2015, save that for a classic rock playlist. As a rider, I too would be annoyed hearing Stairway if you play it so often. Or maybe try to find some remixes of it if you love it so much.”
“my surprise is that anyone would use STH for a song in Spin Class!!”
There were some great comments and advice given but these two really stuck out. Stairway is timeless and I'm sorry that I sometimes like to play music that was created with real instruments.
Ok, enough ranting. As anyone who has followed me here at ICI/Pro, listened to one of my recorded classes or taken a live class from knows, I play music from all genres. This week I put together a 3 song mix from some more “current” artists.
[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']
Right Click on the blue underlined link
Select “Download Linked File As”
Select a download location
Once file is completely downloaded, find it in the location you selected
Drag the file into your iTunes or Spotify library OR
Right Click on the file and Select “Open With”
From the drop down menu select “iTunes” or “Spotify”
File should begin playing and is now part of your iTunes or Spotify library
To download the above media on a PC:
Right Click on the blue underlined link
Select “Save Link As”
Select a download location
Once file is completely downloaded, find it in the location you selected
Drag the file into your iTunes or Spotify library OR
Right Click on the file and Select “Open With”
From the drop down menu select “iTunes” or “Spotify”
File should begin playing and is now part of your iTunes or Spotify library Click here to watch a video on how to download media files from ICI/Pro.
Many instructors tell me that teaching indoor cycling has ruined their appreciation of music. They say that once you become an instructor music comes in only two genres, can be used in class or not. This is sad but true. I have been experiencing a different problem since I started using video in my classes. Now when I watch YouTube videos they are put into the same categories. I am stuck in the never ending quest for the best videos to use in my classes. Every once in a while someone posts a gem that magically appears in my Facebook News Feed, this week the gem was posted by non other than our very own John Macgowan.
[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']
I hope you like it and I wonder what would happen if the bike stalled?
Below you'll find Week 1 of August's Keep it Simple and Progress indoor cycling profile. Over the past few months we have been working hard but with the limited rest most of the work was being performed in the Lactate Threshold and VO2 Max Zones of 90-120% of Threshold. The August progression is going to call for higher intensities into the Aerobic Capacity Zone of 121-150% of Threshold. Because of these higher intensities I'll also be giving more recovery. At first it may seem scary to recover this much, but I promise you, if your riders are working in the Aerobic Capacity Zone the'll appreciate the rest.
5 minute benchmark ride to find “Maximum Sustainable Wattage”
2 minute recovery
3 x 1 minute intervals
1 minute recovery after each
3 x 3 minute intervals
2 minute recovery after each
5 minute interval
2 minute recovery
3 x 2 minute intervals
2 minute recovery after each
3 x 30 second intervals
30 second recovery after each
5 minute cool down
5 minute “Maximum Sustainable Wattage” Test
Settle in to a 5 minute interval at 80-110 rpm.
This interval should be ridden at a maximum sustainable intensity.
if riders know their threshold they can spend this 5 minutes riding at it.
At the end of the interval take note of average wattage or HR or be aware of the RPE.
3 x 1 minute interval goals and specifics:
1st one minute interval should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at 140% of maximum sustainable wattage or threshold.
1 minute recovery or reset
2nd one minute interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 1st.
1 minute recovery or reset
3rd one minute interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 2nd.
1 minute recovery or reset
3 x 3 minute interval goals and specifics:
1st 3 minute intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at 120% of maximum sustainable wattage or threshold.
2 minute recovery or reset
2nd 3 minute interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 1st.
2 minute recovery or reset
3rd 3 minute interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 2nd.
2 minute recovery or reset
5 minute “Threshold” interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 5 minute seated at 80-110 rpm and try match the output or wattage from the “Maximum Sustainable Wattage” test
2 minute recovery or reset
3 x 2 minute interval goals and specifics:
1st 2 minute intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at 130% of maximum sustainable wattage or threshold.
2 minute recovery or reset
2nd 2 minute interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 1st.
2 minute recovery or reset
3rd 2 minute interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 2nd.
2 minute recovery or reset
3 x 30 second interval goals and specifics:
1st 30 second intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at 150% of maximum sustainable wattage or threshold.
30 second recovery or reset
2nd 30 second interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 1st.
30 second recovery or reset
3rd 30 second interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage or intensity as the 2nd.
4 minute and 30 second cool down
[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'].
Trainer Road Profile (If you're Trainer Road Member join my Team to get this and all profiles)
