by John | Aug 23, 2020 | Best Practices, Instructor Training, Master Instructor Blog
With any luck I might get to your class in 2015
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I did a ton of traveling this past year. Visiting studios where I've been brought in to troubleshoot issues, attended multiple conferences (IDEA/IHRSA/WSSC) and I have lost count of how many dozens of classes I've taken as a participant in 2014.
When I take a class, as a consultant or participant, I pay attention to things many other's don't. Take for example Instructor cues directed at correcting form/position/techniques… they almost always come at the very beginning of class, during her/his initial introduction – never to be heard again.
Which is exactly the wrong time IMO > let me explain why.
Think about the last time you walked into a party, an important meeting or a new class at school. There's a good chance that you were consciously aware of your body language as you entered the room, right?
You want to project confidence, so you stand up straight and tall and walk with purposeful steps. Your chin is lifted and your gaze is focused across the room, not (hopefully) down at your feet.
Perfectly natural as most of us want to make a good first impression, when we meet with new or important people.
When we sit down in these situations, we tend to stay near the front edge of the chair. We smile and continue to display strong, erect posture while seated, that is as long as we stay focused on it.
Conversation requires us to concentrate on things other than what we look like. Over time we may tend to relax. When we do, we will start to soften our posture, drop our head & shoulders, slide back into the chair and slump slightly, rounding our once flat backs.
The same process occurs to the participants in your class.
The start of class is an exciting time for your participants. Riders maybe looking around at who's riding near them or watching the Instructor. Some will feel a touch of insecurity (how do I look on this bike?) that causes them to “preen” a bit when they realise others are doing the same and casting a critical eye on them as well.
In your next class watch for this, if you haven't noticed it already. You might see a few checking themselves out in the mirrors. Others are focused on the rider in front of them, as they try to appear disinterested – but many are and their body language gives them away. The first words you speak may cause a few to sit up a little straighter. Right now your class doesn't need any direction on form/position/technique.
Everything come crumbling down
I have to smile thinking back on family dinners when I was young. My dad was a stickler about not slouching at the table; “sit up Mac!” – my nickname – was a less than gentle reminder. It never came at the beginning when I was focused on looking like I was in the military, rather at some point later in the meal when I'd lost focus, interest, or was simply bored with the whole ordeal.
So when should you be cueing form/position/technique?
When you see that your class needs it. Pay attention to everyone during the recoveries. Are they reasserting themselves on the bike? Watch and you'll see this with many of your outdoor cyclists, as they gather themselves back after a hard effort. There's a lot of unspoken peer-pressure in a group ride and many cyclists have learned to fight through the fatigue and at least appear strong to those around them.
When you observe dropped heads, shoulders, elbows or rounded backs, this could be your cue to jump off and walk the room. I know for me personally, when the instructor is walking near me I will self-asses my form without them saying a word.
This is getting long so I'll save; When it is time to cue form/position/technique – what should I say? until next week.
Originally posted 2015-01-01 04:09:36.
by Jim Karanas | Aug 17, 2020 | Engage Your Students, Indoor Cycling Group - Team ICG, Master Instructor Blog
Susan? or Bob?
It’s a given that different people come into our classes with different expectations, needs and goals. How can we as instructors/trainers accommodate their individual needs without alienating any single group?
Let’s take two hypothetical participants — Susan and Bob. They’re the same age, but Susan is interested primarily in weight management, arguably the most common fitness goal, while Bob is interested in getting stronger, fitter and faster on the bike because he rides outdoors frequently and races regularly. Can these two find happiness in the same indoor cycling class?
I’ve resolved this with a reasoning that works for me. First, I needed to define my professional role as I see it, which may differ from how the fitness industry sees it. As an instructor/trainer, my job is to create a situation and an environment in which members can experience the benefits of physical exercise, and nothing more. Which benefits these are will vary with the individual, and it’s important that I never assume what they could or should be.
Even though Susan tells me she wants to lose weight and Bob says he wants to race bicycles, I know from experience that what the members want is often far removed from what they need, regarding the benefits that training has to offer. Here’s an easy trap, though: I have to be careful not to presume to know what they need.
The goal-oriented approach to training has a built-in limitation. I have known many members who, after 10 years of trying to “get something” out of exercise (e.g., weight loss), were frustrated and disheartened. Maybe they had some limited success from time to time (that I even helped them achieve), but it didn’t last.
If a workout session has to produce a result, you have a paradigm for unhappiness. Instead, my current approach is to create a training session that allows a person to get whatever he/she needs from the workout without interference on my part. I keep in mind that the average member will not understand this approach right away, so the training has to be about something they can understand and offer them some fundamentals of training.
So I teach indoor cycling. This is because the bike has brought balance to my life. It has been a source of both hardship and delight, but the practice of cycling has made me happier. I look forward to riding my bike, whether indoors or out, every day.
I explain early on that I will ask them to ride as if they were riding a real bike outdoors because there are excellent reasons for everyone to train that way, no matter who they are: greater enjoyment of the class, for example, and good technique that will prevent them from wasting energy, so they can apply the energy to creating power. (The last point will clearly help Bob, but it helps Susan as well. The stronger the trainings make her, the more power she can generate, and the more calories she’ll burn.)
Now my job in class is simple: Teach the bike. Completely. Offer my students structured trainings that have helped me and never assume what they need. If it’s in my heart to lead a training on riding big gears in the hills, that’s what I do. What the students get, they get, and I don’t over- or underestimate my influence on it.
Sure, a student with a specific goal may need individual attention. If Susan really wants to lose weight, I can make recommendations and/or referrals. The same goes for Bob. My job as an educator is to show them how to modify what I teach — which is a valuable skill they can use in any class they may take in the future. I offer suggestions but recognize that this is their path. I can’t overshadow it with what I think they should do with, or gain from, their training. That’s not my job and would be a misuse of the trainer role.
Originally posted 2018-11-14 06:00:01.
by Joey Stabile | Aug 5, 2020 | Best Practices, Class Work-Sets, Creativity Indoor Classes, Instructor Training, KEEPING IT FUN, Master Instructor Blog, Training With Power
Welcome to the The Weekly Ride by Cycling Fusion
No more hunting for new music or counting out cues to develop your ride profile. Here is your ready to ride profile for a fully choreographed ride, that can be displayed from your phone, or printed out onto cue cards for your class. This ride is timed out, down to the second, to make your life as easy as possible!
(more…)
Originally posted 2018-06-12 06:36:07.
by Tom Scotto | Jul 30, 2020 | Master Instructor Blog
I appreciate all of the comments on the previous post which discussed what those kcals were. Let’s continue with another number often found on our indoor bike computer (and other fitness equipment) – TRIP or Distance Covered.
Looking at your total distance number at the end of a cycling class can often provoke 2 very different responses: “Oh, that’s cool” and “No Stinkin’ Way!”. Someone who doesn’t do much riding outdoors may not have a perspective on (1) how fast they would actually be riding and (2) how far they could go in, say, an hour. This rider may see a TRIP number of 20.0 — 22.0 and think “oh, that’s cool”. Another rider who is accustomed to tracking their distance when riding out doors may view 26.0 to 28.0 (miles) after a steady hard class and say (out loud) “No Stinkin’ Way”.
What’s going on here?
As I coach, you keep hearing me talk about all of these “factors”. I seem to have factors for everything from cadence to training zones to power output to riding aero on an indoor bike and the list goes on. Well, smirk if you want, but the Tom Scotto FACTOR-Y is going to churn out a few more. Indoor bikes and fitness equipment that calculate distance are often only looking at a single measurement. For the indoor bike this would be the rotations of the flywheel (heavy wheel providing inertia/momentum). The bike computer simply adds up the number of rotations of the flywheel (not the legs or pedals) and determines the distance as how far the wheel’s circumference has traveled. Since there are no internal or external gears like on an outdoor bike, one rotation of the pedals ALWAYS equals the same amount of rotations of the flywheel. What are some of the other factors? How much resistance the rider is using can play a significant role. Is the person pushing a lot of resistance which could indicate a “fast” actual speed or spinning at high cadence with little resistance translating to a slower actual road speed? Is the rider going uphill or downhill? What about wind resistance (no, not the fans)?
Here is an example from one of my riding experiences and the factors:
A number of members from my team would travel to Turkey every year for a couple of weeks to train in the mountains in warmer temperatures. One day, after having our traditional cup of Çay (Turkish tea), we headed toward one of the bigger climbs in the Taurus mountain range. It took us about 30 minutes to ride to the base of the mountain road where the climbing began. We climbed for 3 hours, transversing close to 70 switchbacks (sharp winding turns in the mountain road). We descended on a shorter back road for 45 minutes and arrived back at the cafe. One of the locals sitting at an outside table asked us how far we had traveled. I confidently looked at my bike computer and was disappointed to read only 48 miles. We were out for over 4 hours and only covered less than 12 miles per hour. In this case, my computer was not incorrect because it included ALL of the factors involved in my ride (the foremost being going “slow” uphill).
Simple Math?
Bringing it back to our indoor bikes, due to the factors that the bikes are NOT considering, the number we see displaying as our TRIP distance will rarely ever be accurate. So what is it? Each manufacturer may calculate this differently, but here is the formula for the Keiser bikes:
– 200 revolutions on the Keiser M3 = 1.0 (TRIP)
– Flywheel is 49 inches in circumference
– 1 revolution on crankarm = 8.75 turns of flywheel
– 49 x 8.75 x 200 / 12 = 7145.8 feet
– 1.0 on our computer = the rear flywheel traveling 1.35 Miles
Remember, the above calculations do not include the “factors” so we are still ONLY measuring how far the circumference of the flywheel is traveling. So what is the TRIP number good for? Since it is directly linked to our cadence (the more pedal rotations the higher the TRIP), one can observe if their overall cadence was higher or lower for a given ride or effort. Although the Keiser bikes already provide an average cadence number, the TRIP can tell you how many rotations you pedaled during the class (divide your trip by 200).
So, as instructors, it is important that we understand how these number work and what they represent. This will enable us to give sound guidance to our riders so they can view their efforts with a touch of reality. This will better prepare them (and not discourage them) if and when they venture outside.
Originally posted 2011-03-10 07:00:15.
by Jim Karanas | Jul 27, 2020 | Master Instructor Blog, Mental Toughness
By Team ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas –
What’s the use of a state-of-the-art bicycle and a robust training plan if the rider hasn’t developed spirit or mental control?
Many coaches will tell you that no equipment or training method has value unless it helps to develop your spirit. Those coaches search for ways to infuse a calm and balanced mental attitude in their students and assure heightened clarity of perception. They may turn to enlightenment/spirituality to help students understand life better and cope with its complexity.
In the pursuit of effortless power on the bike, you must know that you are more than your intellect tells you. Training that emphasizes discipline of mind and recognition of spirit is paramount in that. To my understanding, two concepts are the basis of all training: center and intrinsic energy. In previous posts, I’ve referred to these as balance and aliveness or vitality.
I first witnessed effortless power in the mid-1970s at a martial arts demonstration. An aikido master displayed the power of ki (or chi), our intrinsic energy. With the slightest shove, he sent the five students attacking him into the air and onto the floor. The attackers appeared to be on wires doing a Hollywood stunt.
The next time I witnessed it was in the late 1990s at an indoor rowing regatta. The women’s world record holder for 2000 meters was on a rowing ergometer, warming up for the upcoming heat. The power output on her computer and the ease with which she rowed simply did not match. It was the first time I witnessed the combination of advanced fitness and the effortless generation of power.
I saw it again in 2002, during an annual time-trial up Mt. Diablo in Northern California. I was pursuing the coveted “under an hour” t-shirt for the 10.8-mile, 3200’ ascent. Most of the way, I followed a giant of a man, 6’4” tall, who outweighed me by 50 lbs. He wasn’t built for climbing but floated up the mountain effortlessly. He broke the hour and I did not. What I saw didn’t match what I believed he should have looked like on that climb.
My first personal experience with effortless power was in 2006, during the Furnace Creek 508, which I rode in 33 hours and 49 minutes, qualifying for RAAM. It was my pinnacle in cycling, training and racing. During my race preparation, my coach instructed me to “forget everything you think you know about cycling.” I learned that you can’t train your way to effortless power.
Although effortless power is not a result of fitness, fitness does result from the necessary training that culminates in effortless power. The simplicity is what I still struggle with, even to this day. It’s not a constant state, being centered and channeling intrinsic energy. The last time I experienced it was in 2008.
Center, maintaining balance, is always a struggle because of our chaotic reality. I spoke with one of my mentors recently about the difficulty of maintaining balance if you’re involved with business, friends and family, or are at an age where health matters manifest. Balance is more achievable when things are simple. In our society, living simply takes great discipline and sacrifice. Our balance is in constant flux, and so is our ability to achieve effortless power.
Sensing intrinsic energy is easier for some than for others. It’s not a simple declaration that you’re happy to be alive. It’s not a thought at all. Thinking obscures the sensation of feeling alive, even though it’s inherent in everyone. It takes discipline and practice to stay constantly aware of it, even more so to direct it. I spend time in all my classes searching for new ways to communicate the sensation. Without it, effortless power can’t be experienced.
In part 1, “What About The Watt?” I alluded to an indoor cycling practice that uses watts for something more meaningful than measuring power and improved fitness (along with its inevitable decline).
The watt measures force. How much force you can apply is a perception. So watts represent a limitation — in your mind — of your ability. Typically, to improve your ability to generate watts, you train your fitness. This improvement is short-lived. My experience is that generating watts beyond your current belief system is largely unrelated to fitness. It’s related to balance and your ability to coordinate and direct your intrinsic energy.
If the training you provide in your classes deals solely with fitness improvement, your students will never sense effortless power. Their watts may go up for the short term, but will eventually decline and disappoint. If, instead, the training you provide deals with achieving balance and coordinating the sensation of life, the students’ watt display will, at times, feel effortless, regardless of age. The pursuit of that engages the student for life and will lead to greater clarity and understanding.
Accepting that effortless power happens can be difficult, but becomes more possible once you witness it or experience it yourself. To experience it, however, you must have the discipline to deviate from the way you currently train and train others.
You can experience this through indoor cycling and using watts. My next post will provide pragmatic, specific, how-to exercises for leading yourself and your students to effortless power.
Originally posted 2012-12-10 04:43:02.
by John | Jul 21, 2020 | Instructor Training, Master Instructor Blog, Zone based Heart Rate Training
Cameron Chinatti from Stages Indoor Cycling alerted me to this Indiegogo project: BreathAcoustics All-in-One Headset. She was excited by it and I can see why.
I've spoken with the inventor Nirinjan Yee who's the CEO and Founder of BreathResearch and we will be recording an interview this coming Thursday morning – I'll try to have it posted by Friday so there's still time for you to help fund this project.
Nirinjan has some big hitters on her team including Sally Edwards and Dr. Carl Foster. Dr. Foster is conducting clinical research at UW Lacrosse to validate if this headset can accurately identify VT1 (first ventilatory/aerobic threshold) and VT2 (second ventilatory/anaerobic threshold) by measuring the distinct changes in breathing that occur with changes in intensity.
Breath Acoustic All-In-One Headset from Nirinjan Yee on Vimeo.
Here's why I feel this project is worthy of your support.
Perhaps the hardest part of teaching/Coaching Indoor Cycling / Group Fitness classes is effectively communicating your intended intensity.
Effective communication requires a common language between you and your participants.
How hard is HARD? What exactly does MODERATE feel like? Is my perception of an “8”… the same as yours? All of those descriptions are subjective = they only mean what I (me/you) think or feel they mean.
Walk into a Home Depot and ask for a gallon of Red paint – or – visit Amy at the makeup counter and ask for Red lipstick. Both Amy and the paint salesperson will ask; “we have quite a few different Red's… which shade are you looking for?” Then they'll show you a chart with all the different shades of Red for you to choose from.
With out realizing it, you're probably doing the same thing in your classes. In our attempts at getting our classes to work where we want them, we introduce more object descriptors = we'll probably be cuing to breath & breathing patterns; you've first noticed your breathing, need to open your mouth, jaw dropped, lost interest in speaking, sound like a freight train, gasping for air! etc… to help our riders understand the intensity we're looking for in class.
Next, we try to correlate those breathing patterns to a Heart Rate number or HR Zone; when you feel that early change in your breathing you're crossing your Aerobic Threshold T1… That strong, rhythmic breathing (without feelings of distress) has you in the middle of Zone 3; etc…
So why do we try to tie breathing (direct indication of intensity) to a Heart Rate number? Because it's really (beyond watts) the only objective measurement we can easily (and repeatably) make and we do so by using a heart rate monitor. We then assign a range of HR BPMs to a “Zone”. These HR Zones* become the common language between you and your students. If everyone knows their HR at VT2 (AT/LT) I can simply cue; “I need everyone at threshold” and the class understands.
Is there something magical about a specific Heart Rate BPM? Not at all… your heart is just responding to requests for more or less O2 and energy from the muscles it serves. Those requests are based on intensity and IMO anything that could improve the connection between intensity and Heart Rate BPM will help us to more effectively communicate with all those smiling faces riding in front of us.
Improving that connection (without needing to wear one of those awful New Leaf masks) sounds like something we should be supporting. That's exactly what BreathAcoustics is trying to accomplish with their Indiegogo project.
*I'm continuing my crusade advocacy toward the fitness industry adopting a common HR Zone system and have a number of expert interviews planned for later the Fall.
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Originally posted 2013-09-14 09:02:35.
