On April 10th I attended a “Cycle 360” certification workshop at Colorado Athletic Club Monaco in Denver, Colorado. Wellbridge, the parent company of Colorado Athletic Club, has seen the huge success of programs like Soul Cycle, Flywheel and Full Psycle and decided to create a “Rhythm” style class of their own in an attempt to create a boutique cycling studio experience inside a big box club. Cycle 360 is a total-body indoor cycling class that combines cardio and strength conditioning that is meticulously choreographed to the music. This type of class is way out of my comfort zone!
I'm a degreed and certified personal trainer with over 25 years of fitness experience and a Master Educator for Stages Indoor Cycling, I'm the “Power Guy”, the “Technical Instructor”, I choose music for “energy” not choreography. So, I decided to go into this training with an open mind and challenged myself to figure out how I could make this style of class work with my skill set and teaching approach.
When I arrived at CAC Monaco for this 3 hour workshop I was surprised to see it was “sold out”, 35 instructors had given up their Saturday afternoon to be part of this new program. I was also amazed by the “energy” and “buzz” throughout the room, these instructors were excited to be part of something new and cutting edge. I've been managing, training and teaching in large “big box” facilities for most of my fitness career and I am always frustrated with their inability to adapt or adopt new fitness trends in a timely manner. I'm so tired of hearing, “It's not in the budget for this year” or “Our members don't like change”! I got the feeling that the instructor staff at CAC appreciated the fact that the management saw there was a need to adapt their programming and moved on it quickly.
After some quick introductions we transitioned into a 45 minute Master Class which consisted of a Warmup, Cycle Section, Strength Section (Biceps, Shoulders and Triceps), a second Cycle Section followed by a second Strength Section (Push-ups and Core) and a Cool Down. The cycling sections were choreographed to the music and had a Johnny G feel to them, with some jumps, runs, and music mapping. The strength sections were done with light dumb bells and to my horror to the beat of the music. I'm an indoor cycling instructor, not a Step instructor, a 32 beat count means absolutely nothing to me. This 32 beat count stuff was going to take some getting used to, but it wasn't too bad. With all the talk about how dangerous weights on the bike are I was expecting CAC to have an ambulance waiting in the parking lot, but all 35 of us made it through the class without dislocating our shoulders, blowing out our backs or needing to schedule ACL surgery and we had a great time using the bike as our exercise tool.
After a short break we got back together and went over how to put together a Cycle 360 class profile. We went over the class design, suggested weight exercises and spent a lot of time on music theory. We were taught that every class should follow the same structure of ; Warmup, Cycle Section 1, Strength Section 1 (Biceps, Shoulders, Triceps), Cycle Section 2, Strength Section 2 (Push-ups and Core) and a Cool- Down. We then went over some strength exercises that can be done on the bike. I'm not a fan of weights on the bike, but I did appreciate that all the exercises taught were very simple and, I felt, safe to be done on the bike. This was followed by a music theory lesson. We discussed the structor of a song ; Introduction, Verse, Chorus and Bridge and how choreograph movements to each part. I found this very informative, most instructors already use music this way but don't understand the theory behind it.
We then broke up into small groups and each group designed a Cycle Section and Strength Section to be taught to the whole group. Every group did a great job taking what we learned in the last 2 hours and demonstrating it to everyone, it also gave us all some teaching ideas to take to our first class. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many exceptional instructors are working at Colorado Athletic Club. I also realized that there is a whole other world of instruction out there. I use metrics like heart rate, watts and revolutions per minute to motivate and get the most out of my class participants there are many other instructors that use the magic of the music and movement to motivate their classes. I would like to find a way to bridge that gap so participants can have the fun of a Rhythm class and the effectiveness of a power based class, I think we could call it a “Power Party!”
Every workshop I have ever attended has given me new ideas and made me reconsider the way I teach. I'm always looking for ways to improve and change, sometimes things don't work and I throw them out sometimes things “stick” and they become part of my new teaching style. Ever since the Cycle 360 workshop I have been listening to music in a whole new way, trying to pick out the Introduction, Verse, Chorus and Bridge of every song I hear and methodically putting together a playlist and choreography for my first Cycle 360 class. Then I heard DJ Scott Melker's, The Melker Project 3 and it all fell into place.
Scott is a world renowned DJ and was Music Director for Flywheel Sports between 2010 and 2014, he knows music AND indoor cycling. Scott has been working on a new project called ADHD Radio where he releases a new 45 minute set every 2 weeks. ADHD is the perfect way to describe Scott's DJ style, he is constantly mixing and overlaying every known music genre in a style that just works. I have found that Scott's mixing style works perfectly with the “Rhythm” style indoor cycling classes that are popular today. With a new song being mixed in ever 30-40 seconds it's easy for instructor and participant to hear and feel the music and energy change.
When I first heard The Melker Project 3 I immediately knew it would work for me. The only problem was there was ALOT of language that would not go over well in the clubs that I teach in. If you work in a club where anything goes then use the original, it's awesome! I, on the other hand had to use my very limited DJ skills to try to cut out the bad and mix together the good. I think I did an okay job, but you can definitely hear the difference between my mixing ability and Scott's. I hope Scott isn't offended that I had to chop up his work, I absolutely respect an artist's vision, this was a situation where I felt this mix was so good that I wanted to share any part of it that I could with my class.
[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']
As you can see I did not put together a profile for this mix because there is no need for one. My recommendation is to come up with 2 or 3 variables and cycle through them with every song change. One example of what I've used is to start seated with a RPM of 80-100, then transition to seated with a RPM of 60-80 then transition to standing with an RPM of 60-80 and repeat for as long as you want (the clean version of the song is 23 minutes long), I usually go for about 10 minutes. Another example would be to simply alternate between seated and standing riding with every song change for your chosen interval length. You could also have participants spin up with every song change; start at 80 rpm, increase to 90 rpm, then 110 rpm and start over for the length of the interval. I'm lucky enough to teach with power, I'll have my class set a wattage goal for each interval and have them keep their wattage in that range throughout the interval no matter what position or cadence.
The Melker Project 3 (Clean), to download Right Click > Save As / Save Target As to download. Open in iTunes and then you'll see this in your Spotify Local File folder.
The Melker Project 3 (Original), to download Right Click > Save As / Save Target As to download. Open in iTunes and then you'll see this in your Spotify Local File folder.
Recording of me teaching this ADHD set in a class on a Spinner Blade Ion, Right Click > Save As / Save Target As to download on PC or Download Linked File As on Mac. Open in iTunes and then you'll see this in your Spotify Local File folder.
I've been using this mix and ADHD teaching style for one of my class sets for the last 2 weeks and a very interesting thing has happened. First, people love it and secondly people are able to average a much higher wattage when they are changing positions every 30-40 seconds than when holding a position for 8-10 minutes. Something to think about.[/wlm_private]
Caffeine is a drug that can be used in appropriate ways, so it has definite value. This post covers a few uses of caffeine.[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']
Ergogenic Aid
Much has been written about the ergogenic benefits of caffeine, particularly for endurance athletes, so it’s unnecessary to go into detail here.
Bottom line, caffeine can help athletes work harder and generate more power, often without feeling the extra effort. They may not even realize they’re putting out more effort, although the power increase could be as much as 3%.
It’s a good idea to get accustomed to caffeine in training before using it during a performance event, whatever that may be. My advice has always been, “No surprises on race day.”
Know how caffeine affects you and how much you can safely consume without upsetting your stomach or causing anxiety, irritability, high heart rate, or insomnia.
Brain Chem and Caffeine
When we drink coffee or tea, caffeine occupies the brain receptors that are normally occupied by adenosine. Adenosine inhibits the release of dopamine and norepinephrine — two brain alertness chemicals — to prevent an over-release of them.
When caffeine ‘takes over’ the adenosine receptor, adenosine can’t inhibit dopamine and norepinephrine, so those two chemicals are disinhibited. We feel alert and may notice improvements in memory, mood, energy, reaction time and general cognitive function.
Protein can also make us feel alert.
Why Do We Need Protein When We Can Just Drink Coffee?
The two mechanisms of action are completely different. While caffeine uses (and eventually depletes) stored brain levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, protein provides the amino acids that the brain uses to make more. The amino acids are tyrosine and phenylalanine.
If you haven’t been eating much protein for a while, you might find yourself drinking more coffee. Or you might discover that you get less effect from any caffeine you have because brain stores are already depleted.
On the other hand, if you systematically and consistently eat more protein foods, you might find you don’t need or want as much coffee or tea because your brain keeps making — and releasing — dopamine and norepinephrine.
(Sleep restores dopamine, too, but that’s a separate topic.)
Health Benefits of Coffee and Tea
Recent research has shown beneficial effects of coffee consumption. Coffee contains antioxidants and has been found to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, endometrial cancer, skin melanoma, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease.
The benefits of green tea have long been known. It contains powerful antioxidants, can reduce anxiety, and can improve dental health. Like coffee, it may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and Parkinson’s.
Caffeine As a Pain Reliever
It’s less frequently mentioned, but relieving pain could be considered another benefit of caffeine. Norepinephrine and dopamine both trigger an analgesic effect. Plenty of potent pain-killing substances are available, but caffeine could be seen as a more natural pain reliever, especially in light of the health benefits listed above.
Unsweetened Is Better
Do I need to mention that sugar could reverse most of the beneficial effects covered in this post? Limit fancy coffees with exotic names. Sticking with the basics is a healthier choice.[/wlm_private]
Life Time Fitness is hiring! If you've always wanted to teach Indoor Cycling or Group Fitness, at one of their 100+ beautiful upper-end big box clubs, this is could be your big chance 🙂
They (LTF) are all about member experience. The equipment (awesome sound system/twin big-screens for video + FreeMotion S11.9 Indoor Cycles with power) and their studios are fantastic. Their pay is respectable and you aren't forced to use music that's provided for you like at LA Fitness.
What should you do?
First, so you know, I know LTF 🙂 I'm lucky to live smack dab in the middle of four Life Time locations – with regularly scheduled Indoor Cycling classes with them since 2008.
#1 Read through these articles. We've helped dozens of Instructors get hired by Life Time
Our Mission is to provide an Educational, Entertaining, Friendly and Inviting, Functional and Innovative experience of uncompromising quality that meets the health and fitness needs of the entire family.
Don't take knowing this mission statement lightly – it's not optional. YOU WILL BE ASKED TO RECITE IT AS PART OF ANY AUDITION.
#3 Go to your local club location and find the the sign that looks like the image at the top of this page. It will include information about the audition schedule, name of the Dept Head running the auditions, etc…
NOTE: Some locations might not have immediate openings, but I wouldn't let that stop you from attending and showing your stuff!
#4 I'm big on taking bold action, so I'd recommend finding a way to meet with the Group Fitness Dept Head, before the audition day, in person > if at all possible. You might ask the front desk if he/she is available right now.
If yes, then introduce yourself and expressing your enthusiasm for being part of her/his Instructor team. Ask an open ended question like; “what can I do to prepare for the audition?” and then listen. Now isn't the time to sell yourself… unless you are asked a specific question. Be respectful of their time and say so; “I know you're a very busy person, my objective to let you know who I am and that I'm very excited for the audition on ___________ and look forward to seeing you again then.
That's it, unless she/he appears to have more time for you. Be very careful not to ask anything beyond advice.
If no, ask when would be the best time to call and what number. They work crazy hours, so I'd call at different times until they answer – I wouldn't suggest leaving a message or emailing. Call until you get through. Tell them about your interest in teaching for them (again, NO SELLING) and then ask if you could meet them for two minutes to introduce yourself in person. Give two very specific days & times – DO NOT ASK; “what would be a good time to meet?” Busy people hate it when they're asked that… but they love when you give them a solid time that they can easily say yes/no to. Then follow the above.
No worries > they'll train you! Life Time realises that they need to develop/train people passionate about fitness, to become Instructors, through their Life Time Academy.
Group Fitness Instructor Training Overview
The Life Time Academy Professional Fitness Specialist program provides a unique educational experience of on-line, in classroom and hands-on learning, integrated with practical experiences that prepare graduates to succeed as a Professional Fitness Specialist in their respective area of emphasis.
The emphasis of the Group Fitness Instructor Program provides a quality educational experience that prepares graduates to succeed in the area of group fitness instruction, whether they are new to the industry or expanding their skills.
Topics covered in the Life Time Academy Group Fitness Instructor Training (GFIT) 50-hour program meet or exceed all the required standards set forth by the American Council on Exercise to achieve certification as well as the practical skills to lead a best-in-class group fitness experience.
With an 8-week curriculum, totaling 50 contact hours, the instructor-led coursework consists of approximately 30 hours of online study (reading, videos, activities, assignments and quizzes), 16 hours of in-club lab class time and 4 hours of practicum.
Curriculum includes:
Exercise Science Foundations
Essentials of Group Fitness
If you don't have a certification, I would ask the GFDH during your intro meeting for their advice for getting your training. LTF has multiple workshops throughout the year where you can receive the training you need.
Good luck and let me know when you're successfully on the schedule!
Was it just me, or did that last Instructor never make eye contact with you, either?
Amy and I were both participating at a teach-back assessment a few months ago, for Life Time's new Evolution Signature Indoor Cycling format. There was a handful of Instructors trying out and we all assumed the role as a “participant”, while we waited our turn on the Instructor bike.
It wasn't only you John, was Amy's response. That guy looked everywhere but directly at me… At first it was a little weird – his focus kept switching from the floor > ceiling and then at alternating walls on either side of the room. After a while I felt kind of dismissed,by how he seemed to purposefully avoid directly looking at me 🙁
Amy and I discussed our experiences with the guy, in the car on our way home. We both felt like he had all the right words = technically he sounded like he knew what he should be saying. But he had ZERO connection with his riders. Now I know this was probably an extreme example, but;
How effective are you at making eye contact with your riders?
If I came to your class, would you look at me?
Would I see you making eye contact with others in a meaningful way?
Take a moment and reflect back on your last class. How many people do you remember connecting with?[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']
Johnny G is a master at connecting with his audience of riders. Watch this short segment of him presenting. Pay particular attention to how he scans the faces in the room.
Make connections the objective of your class
I've featured presentation coach Alexa Fischer here in the past because she is a master communicator. She has a new blog post that expands on the video below, where she explains:
For me, winning over your audience has nothing to do with seeing everyone in their birthday suits. It has everything to do with making a genuine connection, in the exact same way you would when you meet a new friend in a cafe. In today’s video, I share my surefire strategies for keeping my audience engaged.
As the late, great Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
The same is true for when you are on stage.
Click here to see Alexa's other video > and by all means, join her email list. She's sending out good stuff every week that I find very helpful.
Look up here at Me… not the video!
If you frequently play video in your classes, you're probably creating a connection problem with your participants. They are focused on the big screens, not you. For some of your members that will be OK for you to be an unseen narrator, while they watch what's happening on the video.
But many riders won't. They need you to make them feel important, if only for an instant, where you connect and flash them a quick smile or some other acknowledgment.
Random thought: does it make sense to whiten your teeth? Would your smile be more impactful, especially to those riding way in the back, if it was whiter/brighter?
So how do you get people to pay attention, so you can connect with them, when you're playing a video?
Check your lighting.
Maybe it was because I was a little self conscience, but early in my teaching career I wouldn't turn on the stage spotlights. I normally kept the studio lights down low. But over time (and watching other Instructors teach in the same room) I learned that I retained people's attention longer, if they could see me clearly. Having two focal points in the room, #1 the screen(s) and #2 YOU, should help direct your riders attention.
Make a change
Did you see how Johnny G maintained the room's attention, by asking them to sit up? How about suggesting in your next class, “this is a good time for a water break / toweling off.” Then watch what happens. Catch people following your lead and reaffirm those who do with a nod or a tip of your water bottle.
Ask questions
It's very natural for people to turn toward the person asking a question. Why? I think we instinctively do this to try and gather more information. I feel open ended questions (can't be a Yes/No response) work best. If you really want to get eyes up on you, ask a question that references something that needs to been seen to be understood and then point/demonstrate without giving any additional cues until you have their eyes-forward. Maybe something like; is your pedal stroke smooth like this? Then demonstrate the action while scanning the faces of the room for recognition.
Bring up the room lights
If you have a really dark studio, bring up the room lights for the cool down. It's here when you can really try to connect with each rider – or – try and develop a surrogate; have everyone turn, face each other and congratulate their neighbor!
On Wednesday March 11th around 2:00pm I arrived in LAX to take part in my first IHRSA as a Master Educator for Stages Indoor Cycling. I was so excited that I went straight to the convention center to help the Stages team finish setting up our booth. I had been to the IHRSA convention before but never as an exhibitor. This time I got to see what happens “backstage” before all booths and exhibits are shipshape and the red carpet is laid.
As I walked into the Los Angeles Convention Center the place was buzzing with activity as all the exhibitors were putting the finishing touches on their booths, some of the Stages team had been setting up since Monday morning. Our booth is a reconditioned shipping container, that was bound for the landfill, and it’s floor and stage are built out of Colorado beetle-kill pine. Most of the heavy lifting had already been done but we still needed to lay down our floor, test the audio/visual system, check and recheck all our bikes and make sure everything was spotless for this so very important new product launch.
I also got to spend some time with my friend John Macgowan whom I credit with getting me noticed and hired by Stages Indoor Cycling. John is one of the most influential voices in indoor cycling and Stages was so confident that he would approve of their new indoor cycling bike that they sponsored his trip to IHRSA and gave him an exclusive first look. John and I talk weekly, but I was sworn to secrecy about this new bike so it was with great relief that I could finally share it with him. Here are the links to John's review of the new Stages SC Series Indoor Cycling Bike; Part 1, Part 2.
After the Stages team dinner we all made our way over to the IHRSA Opening Reception. For the past few years I have been very active on social media and “met” many smart and passionate people, some of them were here at IHRSA and I wanted to officially meet as many of them as possible. As I worked my way around the room catching up with some old friends and meeting new ones I saw John and Amy Macgowen chatting with the self proclaimed spokesperson for KEEPING IT FUN Indoor Cycling, Karen Casler. Karen may have been the most influential personality in indoor cycling this past year. She is the founder of CB CycleBarn in San Clemente California and has found a way to bridge the gap between Rhythm and Technical indoor cycling classes. The staff at CB Cycle Barn has taken the motto of “Give them what they want AND what they need” to a whole new level. Karen and I had been corresponding through e-mail and social media for some time now so it was great to finally meet her. When I learned I was going to be in California for IHRSA I contacted Karen to see if I could get a spot in one of her classes to experience the magic they were creating at The Barn. After a few conversations she invited me to not only take a class, but to teach one as well. Karen's energy and passion for fitness and indoor cycling are infectious, the rest of the evening was spent discussing how we can change lives on a bike that goes nowhere with John, Amy and Karen.
Early Thursday morning the Stages Education/Presenter team of Cameron Chinatti, Pam Benchley, Dunte Hector and I arrived at the Stages booth long before the rest of the team to discuss how we were going organize and present our early morning workouts. The Thursday morning workout was going to be for just the Stages team. The bike was so new that most of the team had never ridden it and we wanted to give them some saddle time as well as an opportunity to ride together as a team and burn off some of the pre-launch anxiety. This a very fit and competitive bunch so when you include the accountability of power and the ability to race with technology like Performance IQ you can expect to see some superhuman efforts. Some of our team ended up laid out on the floor recovering from max efforts, it was so much fun. After the ride we all gathered together for for short talk with our owner Jim Liggett. Jim spoke about the long process of building and bringing this bike to market. He also spoke about how hard it must have been for each of us to keep this amazing new product a secret for so long and that now it was our time to climb to the top of the cycling world, to show the world that we believe we have built the best indoor cycling bike in the industry. It felt like we were “popping the cork”, all that pent-up energy was about to finally be released. We all excitedly rushed back to our hotels to get cleaned up and ready for “The Show”.
The doors opened for the IHRSA attendees at 10:00am and the rest of the day went by like a blur. So many people, so much excitement, so much energy. We were't sure what to expect, but the positive feedback was so much more than expected. People loved the bike! The team at the Stages booth included the engineers who built the bike, the sales people who sell the bike, the education team who teach on the bike and the owner who paid for everything. There was not a question asked that could not be answered. Our marketing team also came up with a brilliant idea to keep the buzz around our booth throughout the day, The 60 Second Challenge! This challenge was very simple. The convention attendee, male and female, who could produce the highest 1 minute average wattage handicapped by weight (watts/kg or watts/lb) would win a Giant bike complete with a Sages Power Meter. Every few minutes we had attendees stepping up to the challenge and the entire Stages team, equipped with cowbells and clappers cheered them on, this made for a huge crowd around our booth for the entire day. By the end of the day we had all lost our voices, our feet were hurting, we were tired, dehydrated and hungry but we loved every minute of it and all agreed the day was a HUGE success. After a bite to eat and a few celebratory toasts it was time for bed. Tomorrow we had another early morning and the eduction team had two sold out early morning workouts to show the world just what could be done on these new bikes.
Cameron, Pam, Dunte and I were once again some of the first exhibitors to enter the convention hall. We knew this was a big day for all of us, this was our chance to show all the industry decision makers how this new bike was going to change the way people looked at indoor cycling and especially how to use power to create a fun and effective class experience. Our classes were a huge success, we did some basic sets and drills that showed everyone the special features of the bike, but we also included some relay races that got everyone really fired up and pushing it. Our two classes were sold out, but we also had at least 30-40 more people just observing the workouts, all in all we felt like the morning was another huge success. After a bunch of high fives and hugs we ran back to the hotel to shower and get ready for another day of proudly showing off the bike we believe will change the way we look at indoor cycling.
Friday was much like Thursday, lots of 60 Second Challenges and short demos, but it was a little slower and that gave me some time to explore the rest of the exhibits in the convention hall. I work for Stages Indoor Cycling but I teach indoor cycling at multiple locations and on many different bikes, though I would love it for all the facilities I instruct at to to purchase the new SC Series bikes I also know this is not a reality and this was my opportunity to check out the changes each manufacture was making to their bike. The changes I found were subtle but welcome like console improvements, handlebar shape, belt drives and pedals. The one technology that most every manufacturer was embracing is heads up displays like Performance IQ and Spivi. I believe this is the next “Big Thing” in indoor cycling and in a future post I'll write about my experience with Performance IQ at CB Cycle Barn.
As the show wound down we awarded Josh Crosby and Kat Haskins The 60 Second Challenge winners performed our last few demos for prospective buyers or other exhibitors who where only now getting a chance to check out our bike. It was now time to break down our booth. Many companies call in a group of laborers to do the grunt work for them, not the team at Stages, we all put on our work gloves and got busy. After about 3 hours the stage, booth, bikes and everything in it was packed up and ready to go to the next show and we were all ready for dinner and drinks.
My first experience at IHRSA as an educator/presenter was not all glamor and glitz, but I wouldn't change a thing about it. I'm so excited to part of the Stages team that is so passionate about cycling both indoors and out and to be working in an industry that has to the power to change lives every day.
When John asked me to document my trip to IHRSA 2015 I thought it would a quick and easy post about the trip and what I saw while I was there, but when I finally sat down to write this post I realized what a “long strange trip it has been” and it starts long before I boarded Southwest Airlines flight # 4812 from Denver to Los Angeles last Wednesday.
I started working in the fitness industry way back in 1992 at The Sports Training Institute in New York City. I had just graduated from State University of New York College at Cortland with a degree in Physical Education and a minor in Coaching. The problem was that there weren’t any new teaching jobs available, so I thought for the time being I could work as a trainer, make some money, enjoy the big city and wait for some PE positions to become available. The problem was that personal training is addicting, you are surrounded by like minded highly motivated fit people all day. Your fellow trainers become great friends and training partners and you clients, many who are very smart and successful people, become your mentors and this is something that is very hard to leave. So I didn’t I went “All In”. I completed an ACSM, American Council of Sports Medicine, 4 day workshop, passed the certification test to become an ACSM Health Fitness Instructor and went down the road of changing lives through fitness. I spent the next 3 years commuting from my family home in the upstate town of Highland Falls NY to the city, a 60 minute train ride, every day. It was exciting, our gym was one of the most respected training facilities in the city, we saw actors, politicians, professionals athletes and many more of the rich and famous everyday, not a bad gig for a 23 year old kid.
I was still living at home was because in my junior year of college my mother had passes away after a 2 year battle with lung cancer, so after graduation I decided to go back home and help my father take care of things at the house and help raise my 2 younger brothers. Now it had been almost 5 years since her death, my family had moved on from this tragic loss and I felt it was time for me to get on with my life and I had a big decision to make, I was either going to move into NYC or move away and start a new life in another state. For some reason Colorado had always intrigued me maybe it was the songs of John Denver or the fact that I had taken up triathlon and Boulder Colorado was and still is the Mecca for multi-sport athletes. I contacted some of my Pi Kappa Phi brothers, whom had moved to Colorado after graduation, asked if I could crash at their apartment until I found a job and my own place and set a moving date for the day after Christmas 1995.
I rolled into Denver around New Years Eve and was ready to make a go at a new life, I filled out employment applications at every gym and health club in the area. This was in the days before the internet so you couldn’t just perform an google search for the best health clubs in an area. I was lucky enough to be awarded a Personal Training position at what I later found to be and still believe is the best health club in the Denver area if not the country, Greenwood Athletic Club. This place was big and beautiful, everyone was so fit, healthy and happy. I felt like I had landed a dream job!
The next 6 months, at Greenwood, was probably the most important and impactful of my entire adult life. First, I met my wife, Blair. She had come to Greenwood after back surgery and needed some rehab and training exercises and as luck would have it I was given her contact information to set up her training sessions. After our first meeting I was hooked but not being “that” kind of trainer I simply didn’t feel it would be professional to ask her on a date, so what I did was give free session after free session until she finally got the hint and SHE asked me out. We were married in July of 1996 and now have twin 15 year old boys, Seth and Christian. During this time I also met a group of highly motivated and inspiring triathlon training partners. This was a group of people who made me believe that no goal is impossible. I had never dreamt that I could complete an Ironman distance triathlon, but with this group believing in and helping me I have now reached the finish line in 8 of these 140.6 mile events. Now I take great pride in helping other triathletes go farther than they ever imagined possible.
The final and most important event as it relates to this post, because obviously meeting my wife was the most important event of this 6 month period, was the introduction of Spinning®. I’ll never forget how excited our GM, Steve Krum, was when he returned from IHRSA the year Johnny G launched the Spinning® program. Steve wanted Greenwood Athletic Club to be the first club in Colorado to have this program and started recruiting instructors the minute he got back in the club. Being a competitive triathlete and personal trainer Steve thought I would be a good fit for this amazing new program. Before I could help launch the indoor cycling program at Greenwood I was offered a position as Fitness Director at the Sports and Fitness Center at the Jewish Community Center of Denver. I was excited to offered this management position and felt like this was the next step in my fitness career but I was really going to miss Greenwood and felt like I was missing out on the launch of fitness’s next “Big Thing”. It took me 2 years of prodding and negotiating with my General Manager and Executive Director to finally bring indoor cycling to the JCC. I got certified through Maddog Athletics, began teaching 3 classes a week and so began my indoor cycling journey.
From my very first class I was hooked. It just felt right, it was the perfect forum for me to share my love of fitness, riding, coaching and music. It also let me utilize the skills I had been taught while majoring in physical education. Class after class I worked to improve my presentation skills, refined my cueing, searched for the most motivating music and experimented on the perfect work to rest ratios for an indoor cycling class setting. As new technology emerged I embraced it; cd burners, mp3 players, iPods, laptops, video, clipless pedals, cadence meters, heart rate monitors and then finally power meters and heads up displays. My goal was to use every new technology to make my classes more motivating and engaging. I also went to every training I could find and afford. To me the Master Instructors were like Rock Stars, they had huge followings, cued perfectly, used all the new technology and were just great instructors. I always learned something new at every training. I thought it would be cool to be one of them, to also share this love of indoor cycling with other instructors, but I told myself I wasn’t articulate or charismatic enough to ever break into that top tier group of instructors. So, I took all this new knowledge, from every training, and used it to teach the best classes I could. Class after class and year after year I worked to become the best instructor I could be. After about 10 years of teaching, training and managing, I could sense that my time left at the JCC was short. The new Executive Director had a completely different vision for the the Fitness Center than mine and I figured it was time to move on.
Prior to leaving the JCC I had been in contact with some of my old friends that were still working and/or working out at Greenwood Athletic Club and they put me in contact with all the right people. They all gave me stellar recommendations and when I eventually left the JCC I was able to hit the ground running with positions as Personal Trainer, Masters Swim Team and Triathlon Coach and Indoor Cycling Instructor. I had always hoped to eventually make it back to Greenwood, I figured I would go do my time in the “minor leagues” and eventually get called up the “majors”, but life in “minors” was comfortable and easy, I had developed a great system of management had an exceptional staff working for me I also had a steady following of training clients and solid group of indoor cyclist that came to my classes. Life in the “majors” was a lot different, Greenwood is considered one of the best health clubs in the country, they have the best of everything; staff, trainers, group exercise instructors, equipment and a beautiful facility. If I was going to survive here I was going to need to really step it up! I was and still do wear a lot of hats at Greenwood but for the sake of this post I’m going to focus on indoor cycling.
Through the years I had developed my very own teaching style. I like my classes to “flow” from one interval to the next, one position to the next and one song to the next. I also like to build on what we do early in the workout throughout the class profile. I had been teaching this way for years and many of my riders at the JCC had been riding with me through this evolution so they just got it. The new riders at Greenwood had never experienced anyone who taught this way and my first few classes were a disaster. As anyone who has ever worked in the fitness industry knows, members don’t like change. I was told that my class was just too complicated, the members just want a killer workout. I was terrified I was going to lose my classes, I had worked so hard to be good enough to work at this club now I might get sent back to the “minors”. I was confident that my unique style would be successful but I realized that it might be too much too soon at this new club so I took a step back started with much simpler profiles and slowly started layering in my progressions. After a short time I began to develop a following and eventually was filling my classes like the other top instructors at Greenwood.
One day one of my riders approached me after class and told me about a long business trip he was going and how he wished there was a way I could record my classes so he could take them with him when he was on the road. This got me thinking and before long I had purchased a digital audio recorder and the necessary cables to hook up to the mixing board in the cycling studio. This was the birth of “Dennis Mellon’s InCycling Podcasts”. At first I just recorded my classes and would transfer them to a thumb drive for anyone who wanted them, then I built a website, www.dennismellon.com and made each class available to stream, but then I learned about podcasting and realized if I formatted each recording properly they could be available for download in the iTunes Store. Once my podcast was approved by Apple and available in the iTunes Store I needed to figure out a way to market it and get more followers to move up the charts, this is when I started looking into social media. I read a few articles on how to market with social media, created a Twitter and Facebook account and was a on my way.
One of the techniques used to create a large social media following, especially with Twitter, is to search for like minded people and “Follow” them. Proper Twitter etiquette is to “Follow Back” anyone that “Follows” you. In a very short time I had a few thousand “Followers”. Another technique used to increase your social media presence on Twitter is to “Re-Tweet” the posts of some of the “Power Users” on your “Follow” list. I had been listening to every episode of the Indoor Cycling Instructor Podcast hosted by John Macgowan and as an industry leader I figured he was someone that I should be “Re-Tweeting”. After a few weeks of re-tweeting all of John’s posts I received an e-mail from him that simply read “Why aren’t we working together?” I e-mailed him back and we set up a time to talk.
During this initial conversation John and I spoke about teaching experience, styles and just about everything indoor cycling. We agreed on much more than we disagreed on. John asked me if I would be interested in submitting a class profile and that next week we would record my class description of this profile and it would be available to the members of his website. I was so nervous, this was my opportunity to show the world the teaching style that I had been refining for over 15 years. The profile I presented was named “A Little Bit of Everything” (https://www.indoorcycleinstructor.com/icipro-instructor-training/music/icipro-podcast-287-little-bit-everything-audio-class-profile/). My playlist employed a new song selection technique called “Harmonic Mixing” which requires each song to be in a harmonically compatible key so songs sound like they flow together, which fit perfectly my flowing profiles. John loved it! He even recorded a podcast with me where we discusses this new music mixing technique. I felt like I finally hit the “Big Time”, I was contributing to the “Premier independent resource for Indoor Cycling Instructors around the world.”, hits to my website were going through the roof and I was getting e-mails from around the world from people telling me how much they enjoyed the class recordings that were available on my podcast “Dennis Mellon’s InCycing Podcasts”. Life was good! The recognition was rewarding, but what was most satisfying was hearing how I was helping other instructors improve their classes and receive that coveted compliment “That was the best class I have ever taken”.
John and I started working together more and more and one day he asked me if I had ever considered being a Master Educator/Instructor. I think I laughed at the question, I told him of course I’ve thought about it and would love to be that elite class of instructors who train other instructors, but there was no way I would ever get the opportunity and that I didn’t think I was good enough. John assured me that I had what it took and that many of his contributors had gone on to be Master Educators/Instructors, I told him it would be great if that happened but I wasn’t going to get my hopes up. Then one day I received an e-mail from Laurel Mylin, GM at Stages Indoor Cycling asking if we could set up a time to talk. Laurel and spoke for quite some time about education, experience, Stages Indoor Cycling, we also spoke for a while about the new Spinner Ion Blade that Greenwood had just purchased and the new Spin Power Program that I had just completed. As our conversation was winding down I thought about what John had said about so many of his contributors becoming Master Educators/Instructors and I figured I should let Laurel know I would be very interested if there was an opportunity. Laurel said that they had been watching me for while and that there may be an opportunity with Stages and that something “REALLY BIG” was going to be happening with the company in 2015. She told me she would pass my information along to Cameron Chinatti, Director of Education and I should be hearing from her soon.
After talking to Cameron on the phone, observing her present multiple times and Cameron watching me instruct, I was hired on with Stages Indoor Cycling as a Master Educator. This is a great honor and huge responsibility. I now have the opportunity to shape the direction of indoor cycling for years to come, an activity that has been part of my identity for so long. I know it’s just a bike that goes nowhere, but it has helped so many people reach fitness and weight loss goals they never dreamed were attainable or maybe the time spent in on this bike that goes nowhere is the best part of someone’s day, never dismiss the power of the ride.
So, last Wednesday, as I sat awaiting take off of Southwest Airlines flight # 4812 from Denver to Los Angeles I had a tear in my eye as I thought about all the people who helped me and all the hard work it has taken to get to this new chapter of my life and fitness career.
In Part 2 I’ll write about the actual IHRSA 2015 experience.
