by John | Sep 16, 2021 | Barbara Hoots, KEEPING IT FUN, Mental Toughness, Your Fitness Business
Barbara Hoots suggested that I share this article from Fluff Magazine about fitness entrepreneur Fatima Batook. She and her partner have opened Studio 55 – a women's only fitness studio in Saudi Arabia 🙂
Meet Saudi Arabia's Female Fitness Pioneer
Fatima Batook is the leading authority figure in Saudi Arabia's burgeoning Spinning® industry. Not only is she a pioneering female in the space, she's cultivating a community of happy, inspired ladies and proudly watching them blossom through a new love for fitness. Fatima worked with a passionate team from the United States for over a year via email and Skype to recently open Studio55, Saudi's first women-only Spinning® studio. In addition to overseeing the studio Fatima also runs award-winning clothing line, Tima Love Life. We spoke exclusively with Fatima to celebrate the opening of Studio55 and her trailblazing health and fitness platform pushing for the empowerment of Saudi Arabian women.
When and how did your love for fitness (and Spinning® in particular) grow?
“I was 18 when I was personally facing health and weight issues. I was morbidly obese for my height and age; doctors told me I was prone to diabetes and heart problems. Their advice was to go to the gym. I saw a great big poster on the gym’s billboard saying Spinning® burned 800 calories per hour and I thought this was my solution! I went into this intimidating room of bikes, sat on a bike for 10 minutes, then decided to never ever come back! Next day I pushed myself and attended 15 more minutes, till one day I finished a whole class. And that was my ‘turning point,’ that’s when everything made sense to me. Health and weight management was hard work that depended on progressive and consistent efforts like Spinning®. In 2007 I became a certified instructor to share my new passion with everyone.”
You tried opening a small indoor cycling studio several years ago but were forced to close it. What kept your dream for a new location alive?
“I actually never tried to open one on my own, I was teaching part-time at the only Spinning® affiliate center in my city, Al-Khobar. I never even thought I would want to open my own place. The thought came to me only when the place I was teaching at closed down for legislative reasons, because in Saudi Arabia at that time we didn’t have the legal license to operate a women’s health club. It was closed down in November 2013 with little effort from their management to re-open; I was on a mission to get the license not only for Studio55 but also for all health clubs for women across the country. Being a member of Young Saudi Business Women of Eastern Province, we had raised this matter with all the supporting documents of why we needed this and presented to the minister who issued licenses for men’s health clubs, and that’s when we had our triumph and received approval that all women can have a license to open a fitness/health club.”
How did you get your new project, Studio 55, off the ground?
“Studio55 was born out of three things: 1) Legal circumstances that forced the only health club I could teach Spinning® at to be shut down. For two years till Studio55 was open, I was training women from private properties (homes and recreational centers) till we were able to get the studio up and running, but it didn’t stop women from training and didn’t stop me from pursuing the dream of opening up soon to all women. 2) Fate! God put me at the right time at the right place. I was presented with a business opportunity from a male entrepreneur who witnessed the idea of cycling studios being a success in the US and wanted to bring the model to his home country, and today he’s my business partner at Studio55. Both of us have a marketing and branding background and we had the right vision for Studio55 to make it a reference for women all over Saudi Arabia for Spinning® and fitness. With that vision in mind we started from zero building a brand, a concept, interior and systems that go along with it. I have to say that Barbara Hoots (owner of Atlanta-based company, Indoor Cycle Design) played a huge role in directing us the right way and giving us the knowledge and know-how. 3) Passion drives every single move I do and bringing that passion throughout the studio was my goal. Instructors are the heart of the studio; with recruiting and training being scarce in Saudi Arabia they were our top priority. We had all the instructors fly to the World Spinning® & Sport Conditioning conference in Miami to meet, engage and train with the masters. After a month from soft opening I can say our passion spills over to the members and the whole environment in the studio. It’s a never-ending chain of positive reactions.”
I noticed a class you have called “Bokwa.” What is that exactly?
“Women always love to have fun everywhere, but especially here in Saudi! Women are always finding an excuse to party and Bokwa is a great and healthy way to do so. Bokwa is an intense cardio workout combing elements of African dance, kickboxing, light boxing and step. It’s a unique dance fitness workout using letters and numbers as placement combined with the use of hand signals and American Sign Language. It’s refreshing and builds strength and endurance driven by the pulsating rhythmic beats of African, Latin, popular dance and house music. Bokwa is an innovative dance workout that’s an abundance of fun and does not feel like a workout!”
Can you recall a heartwarming story (or stories) that stand out to you from the women you’ve instructed over the years?
“I have so many touching stories. One of the stories I always share is one I had encountered with an older female who was very traditional and religious. Just to give you a background, Saudi fitness instructors were not very popular 10 years ago and may be seen as a degrading job but today we’ve been gaining a lot of respect and many, many Saudi women are getting the training to become instructors. So I was faced with some negativity at times but it was with one lady who was against me from day one assuming I came from a background of “liberating” women in the incorrect way, “stepping” out of the cultural norms and traditions, so she wouldn’t attend any of my classes. She always put in a complaint to management that I was inappropriately dressed for a Saudi instructor while other instructors were fine because they weren’t Saudi! This was till one day when she didn’t have an option but to attend my class, which was a Spinning® ride dedicated to overcoming climbs as challenges in life. I shared a lot of my own personal challenges throughout the ride and that was her moment. That was the moment where everything changed to her, all the stereotypes she had in her mind, all the walls she had built, and all her guards dropped and faded away! After the class she came to me for the first time ever and thanked me, then opened up her heart to me with her personal challenges in life and apologized for judging me the way she did. That was a successful turning point because we came from different backgrounds but had so much similarity. As much as she was judging me I was too, due to her appearance and different cultural background. She actually inspired me to be more open to every type of woman because at the end of the day, we are one. Today she’s one of the most active women supporting Studio55 and myself.”
Why is your vision for female fitness health clubs so needed in Saudi Arabia at this time?
“It is needed, indeed! For many reasons, one of them being that obesity is higher in women than men and lifestyle-related diseases are increasing causing early deaths amongst women in Saudi Arabia. Women in Saudi need an outlet to vent and let go because they are super women–they are full-time mothers, full-time daughter, full-time sisters and full-time wives, plus they have jobs and many other cultural and social commitments. We have a huge responsibility as women in the family and we don’t live independently, therefore we are always in need by someone at some point of time. Female fitness clubs are a place where they can dedicate well-earned time to themselves and free themselves from all the worries and stress of their daily lives, reenergize themselves and become stronger to take on the rest of their days.”
In the Western world we’re all too familiar with the daily restrictions placed on the lives of Saudi women. What we don’t hear about enough is the sisterhood you share. Can you talk about how you empower each other?
“Women around the world have the same needs, dreams, ambitions and aspirations. One thing we’re blessed with in this part of the world is that even with our busy lives we have strong bonds, we stand for each other, support each other and connect with each other on many different levels. I’m blessed to see this first hand at the studio; the bond women have between each other is so strong and built purely on unconditional relationships. If anyone needs anything, there will be 20 women standing right by her side.”
What are your long-term plans for Studio 55?
“The plan is simple: open twenty studios by 2020 and inspire women to come together and have their own space to evolve and be more.”
This article first appeared in Fluff Magazine
Originally posted 2015-07-16 09:59:41.
by John | May 4, 2021 | Best Practices, Engage Your Students, Instructor Training, KEEPING IT FUN, Learn Leadership Skills, Mental Toughness
I love sharing anything created by public speaking expert Alexa Fischer. She has just published part one of a free video series. I just finished watching this 13 min video and felt you may enjoy learning how to move past the negative thoughts that could be holding you back from effortlessly connecting with your riders.
When opportunities happen, it's up to you to be ready.
Whether it's chatting your boss up in the elevator, introducing yourself to a major influencer, sharing your new idea at the company retreat or effortlessly welcoming new neighbors, when you speak with confidence and calm – in any situation – it matters.
It matters to you, but it also matters to them.
Drum roll, please… I cordially invite you to watch VIDEO ONE of the 1000 Watt Presence: Free Training Series. No need to sign up, just click on the video and you'll be directed to the classroom. This week I'm sharing a few exercises to help you identify and release the habitual negative thoughts that have been holding you back. And the truth is, we all have them.
Positive thoughts are your fuel for happiness, success and clarity. Your inner scripts are the reason you have stopped yourself from speaking up, taking risks and seizing opportunities. But habits can be changed. Starting now.
The world needs your light. Let it shine,
Alexa
Click here to see the video.
Originally posted 2018-01-09 09:00:18.
by Jennifer Lintz | Sep 22, 2020 | Engage Your Students, ICI/PRO Team Member Articles, Mental Toughness
By Jennifer Lintz, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and ICI/PRO Contributor
Have you ever not done something because you weren’t sure you could?
As instructors, I have a feeling many of us talk quite a bit about comfort zones (specifically, getting out of them) in our classes, but I often wonder … do we take our own advice?
I have seen Eleanor Roosevelt’s quotes on this topic numerous times, but I will admit, I never fully appreciated her words until I actually took them out for a test drive.
Two years ago, a dietetic intern of mine, Amanda, who is now a very close friend, asked me to do something with her called RAGNAR®. Ever heard of it? She told me a little bit about it, but all I processed was:
“You have to run a lot over two days. You will be in a van with 11 other people when you aren’t running. You probably will not sleep.”
I immediately thought “Why would anyone choose to do this?”
I told her I would pass, and thought “Whew. I’m off the hook.”
That was, of course, until she asked me to join her team again the next year.
She assured me it would be “life changing” and “the most fun I’ll ever have.” While I was not convinced it would be either of those things, I begrudgingly agreed to do it.
Our team of 12 – all women – was formed by the early part of 2014, and because many of us live in southeast Minnesota, we chose to do RAGNAR® Great River which starts in Winona, MN, and ends in Minneapolis, MN. Over August 13th and 14th, we would run just over 200 miles as a team. Each runner was assigned 3 legs of the route that ranged anywhere from 3 to 10 miles. Some of us ran during the day, others overnight. I was runner #2, which meant my first leg was 6.2 miles, the second 5.1, and the third 5.6.
Knowing we would be running in the dog days of August, I made sure to get plenty of training under my belt in the months leading up to RAGNAR®, sometimes running a few miles in the morning and later a few more at night. I did everything from steady state runs, to hill-repeats, speed work, tempo runs, cross training, and weight lifting to prepare.
As the event neared, I was feeling fairly confident about my ability to do the running part. My apprehension, I realized, stemmed mainly from knowing I would get virtually no sleep and have very little time to myself. I have long considered myself an introvert who requires plenty of rest, so both of these aspects of RAGNAR® made me nervous. I fully expected to be tired and grumpy when it was over.
Without sharing all of the details, I will tell you that I couldn't have been more wrong. Doing RAGNAR® was an incredible experience and just plain fun … and it wasn't because of the running. Sure, it was exciting to get a couple PRs, but the real value of RAGNAR®, for me, came down to the people and the camaraderie. Needless to say, we are already preparing for next year.
So, how does this tie into teaching indoor cycling? For starters, my self-talk during the training process and the weekend itself gave me fresh ideas for coaching in cycling classes. But, perhaps most importantly, it helped me truly understand what it means to get uncomfortable and why stretching our personal limits can be a beautiful thing. As someone who regularly encourages students to challenge themselves, I found it very valuable to practice what I preach off the bike.
For me, RAGNAR® was just the tip of the iceberg. I now have the beginnings of what I'm calling a “To Try” list; first up is Zumba (let's just say dancing is not one of my strengths). In all seriousness, it reminded me how important it is to be the student and get a taste of what it feels like to be a little nervous.
What would you do if you weren't apprehensive about it? Please feel free to share your experience.
A big THANK YOU to John and ICI/PRO who sponsored our team. Below are a few pictures from the weekend.
The start line at 6:00 a.m. Friday morning.
Community nap time at one of the big exchanges on Saturday afternoon.
I was just finishing my last leg of the race. Felt good!
The full “Ragdolls” team!
Originally posted 2014-11-22 04:33:43.
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 | Apr 25, 2020 | Master Instructor Blog, Mental Toughness
Image from http://www.bristol-cycling.com/
I suppose I should start this by answering your question; “what exactly is their Golden Hour, John?”
It's my description of the 60 minutes, that follows the first 30 minutes, of aerobic activity.
For you, me and many (if not most) of the students in your class, we all have a period of time where we are the strongest on the bike. Depending on your level of fitness, that period could be anywhere between 30 minutes to 3+ hours. It “begins” for most of us after about the first 20-30 minutes of activity.
Now you may be sitting there nodding your head thinking; “yea, that makes sense… I do feel much stronger and capable of higher/longer levels of work, during the second half of class.
Competitive cyclists understand the Golden Hour. If you've watched the Time Trial stages of the Tour De France you've no doubt seen the rows of cyclists on trainers, pedaling through a very specific intensity profile. The picture at the top is of the British Women's Track Cycling Team going through their warm up protocol at last year's Olympics.
I found this at wattbike.com that shows Team Sky's preparation for last year's opening stage Time Trial for the Paris-Nice stage race. The completion of each rider's warm up is timed to coincide with their individual start time of the race.
Paris-Nice
Stage 1 Time Trial
Standard Time Trial Warm-Up
- 5 min light
- 8 min progressive to Zone 5
- 2 min easy
- 2 min to include – 3 x 6s accelerations to activate
- 3 mins easy
Notes:
-
Progressive means building to the power zone over the 8 minutes. Only in the last 1 min do you get to Z5
-
6 second accelerations are sprints & for a whole 6 seconds!
“Why is it an hour?” My perception is that most of our regulars could manage a 90 minute class – if we locked the doors and brought out the whips 🙂 So 30 mins + the Golden Hour = 90 minutes of achievable effort before fatigue sets in.
“But my class is only 45/60 minutes… how would this help?”
I use the Golden Hour to cultivate an abundance mentality mindset in my class. Simply stated; you have a lot… so you can freely spend a lot. A common training technique, for time limited triathletes, is to limit your rides to just double your event distance. So on race day, when you're faced with a 20 mile bike leg, you're thinking; “I'm trained to ride 40 miles – so twenty's no big deal.” “I'll have a bunch left for the run.”
Contrast this with the scarcity mentality that many of our student's come to class with. They walk in thinking; “I need to pace myself, or I'll never be able to finish this class.” Which is the same as saying; I only have a little… so I need to be very careful when and how I spend it. You've no doubt experienced participants who appear to coast through most of class, only to give one big effort at the finish. They were “saving” some of their limited resources, so as not to “run out” before the end.
Here's a few ideas on how you can incorporate the Golden Hour into your classes.
Seek agreement
I talk frequently about the Golden Hour effect at the beginning of my classes, asking for my classes' agreement that they too feel stronger during the second half of class. Then at the 25 minute mark; ” do you feel it?” “Do you sense how you body is beginning to fire on all cylinders?” “Do you feel those early feelings of stiffness or limitations/distress in your breathing leaving you?” “Do you have new feelings of strength and confidence?” “Are you ready to take advantage of your Golden Hour?”
Make it a goal to reach the Golden Hour ASAP
It drives me crazy watching people come early to class, mount up and then spend ten or more minutes sitting there slowly turning the pedals. What are they waiting for? I make a point to commend all those making the most productive use of their time in class – and encourage the others who aren't to “get your money's worth” by independently beginning their warm up as soon as possible.
Your participants/students/riders come to your class with different objectives; burn fat, maintain/increase fitness, endorphin rush, etc… Success in any of these requires a commitment to do the work you intended for them. Coaching everyone to work at their potential is part of your role as an Instructor. Helping everyone understand that their capacity for work exceeds the length of available class time, can go a long way toward helping everyone reach their unique fitness goals.
Originally posted 2018-06-27 08:51:08.
by John | Sep 23, 2019 | Mental Toughness
In this article, Dr. Haley Perlus discusses how to use KISS (kiss-keep-it-simple-and-specific) principles in your class communication. Here is a great example of KISS in practice. I took this picture at a class taught by our very own Master Instructor Jennifer Sage 🙂
No questions about what we are doing today!
Originally posted 2009-10-23 12:03:50.
