by Jim Karanas | Aug 18, 2017 | Instructor Training, Master Instructor Blog, Teaching Intro Classes, Zone based Heart Rate Training
By Team ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
This protocol, developed by Team ICG®, outlines a “first HRM experience” to help the student connect HR with perceived exertion. The last post covered the warm-up and Level 1. From here, the progression builds to greater levels of effort.
Level 2
This is where the student’s sensitivity will grow the most. A novice is least able to feel the subtle changes that occur at this level. Level 2 is the point at which a training effect, i.e., improved functioning of the cardiovascular system after recovery, begins to take place. Level 1 is not intense enough to produce such a fitness effect.
Still maintaining 90 rpm, have the students raise the resistance slightly. At some point, the low muscle load will lead to a combination of rhythmic breathing and light sweating. The sensation of a training effect is quite noticeable to the experienced exerciser. There’s a feeling that continued training at Level 2 would make you stronger. Over time, the practical consequence of the training effect is a reduction in force necessary to apply power, and you can feel this begin to happen at level 2.
This sensation is hard to pin down for beginners. They may notice an amplification of their senses, a tingling throughout their body, or emotions. They may feel more relaxed and peaceful, even though their HR has gone up. They may smile.
In order to improve, musicians practice scales. There’s awareness that practicing scales will make them better musicians, so they don’t mind doing it. That’s the training effect. Level 2 feels like the beginning of practice that you know will bring improvement.
As an instructor, you must spend time at this intensity to recognize and appreciate the sensations fully so that you can accurately describe them to your students. Then relate them to HR. Maintain for 4 minutes.
Level 3
Continuing at 90 rpm, add resistance to raise HR again. There should be an immediate shift in the students’ feeling of effort. It now takes work to maintain 90 rpm. There may be an immediate sensation of difficulty, e.g., burning in the legs and/or breathlessness. This should last no more than one minute, although Level 3 continues past that.
Some students will start to breathe rhythmically and exhale forcibly to mitigate the difficulty. This natural mechanism dispels carbon dioxide and stabilizes blood pH. Demonstrate rhythmic breathing with forceful exhalations and explain that it will alleviate the feeling of difficulty, so they’ll feel better. Have them notice, or even induce, synchronization between their breathing and their cadence.
Have them settle into a new, higher target HR. This HR needs to be at a level that they could hold for about an hour, but with difficulty. “There are a lot of HRs you could hold for an hour, but we’re looking for the highest one you think you could maintain for that length of time.”
This level of effort feels like working out. It’s sustainable for an hour or so and isn’t painful, yet requires rhythmic breathing and focus to maintain comfortably. Maintain it for 4 minutes.
This is a good time to discuss what aerobic really means and how the increased workload has increased the demand for oxygen.
Before this segment is over, let them know what’s going to happen next: you’re going to raise their level of effort to threshold. (You may want to modify some students’ training, depending on fitness.) Threshold, in this case, is the level of effort at which the body’s ability to transport oxygen to the working muscles becomes compromised, resulting in an increase in anaerobic metabolism and a state of continuous discomfort.
My post “Why Do I Have to Hurt?” mentions that we’re not neurologically wired to accept pain willingly. Unless we’re completely conscious of what we’re doing, we’ll unconsciously find some way to offset the work and mitigate the pain. (Reducing cadence is the most typical example.) Let them know that they’re about to go into hurt, and that it’s part of training. If they’re not up for it, have them stay at their present HR.
Level 4
While maintaining the same resistance, have them increase their cadence to 100 rpm. You must use Beatmatch; otherwise, they won’t pedal hard enough. “This time, you’re at a level that you could hold — with difficulty — for about 30, maybe 40, minutes.”
Point out that this should change a number of things in the body: certainly breathing (they may find it difficult to get enough air), body temperature (pouring sweat), even thinking (conflict and doubt). An internal monologue may begin.
Encourage them to maintain focus. There are various names for this level of effort — anaerobic threshold, lactate threshold, ventilatory threshold — and each of them means something slightly different physiologically. For now, we’ll just call it threshold. It is not an exact number and refers to the heart rate below which you can keep exercising for a sustained time (with effort), and above which you tire very quickly. Thirty minutes seems like an eternity.
Have them pick their target HR and maintain it for 4 minutes. It’s easy to recognize this level of effort in a student. No one should seem distracted. Also, a look of true anxiety is difficult to fake.
It needs to hurt right away. The hurt is manageable, but they’re never comfortable. If you were to approach the student and ask how he/she is feeling, the reply would be, “Please get away from me.” (Perception of this level may vary with fitness.)
If they’re doing it right, it’s not a good time to discuss or teach anything. Remind them to stay at their target HR, maintain the increased pedaling speed, and breathe out forcibly in a rhythm. If they can’t maintain 100 rpm, have them adjust their resistance slightly but maintain their target HR.
Level 5
Tell them that it’s now time to peak their HR, to take it as high as they can that day. They need to go above threshold. Add resistance and maintain 100 rpm to raise HR for the final stage. Alternate a 30-second standing jog at ~90 rpm with 30 seconds seated at 100 rpm — but at full effort. The actual standing cadence is less important than the effort, but it must raise their HR. Many students, however, will drop their cadence because they’ve stopped caring about what they’re doing. It hurts too much. So the best cue is to make them jog as fast as they can. The effort is barely manageable and not sustainable for more than a few minutes.
Do this for only 3 minutes. Every time they stand and jog, they attempt to raise the HR higher. Since they’re holding this for 3 minutes, it will be uncomfortable and pretty much about survival. Cadence will keep slipping. They’ll experience failure. Keep them checking their HRMs so they remember their peak HR. Play razor-sharp, acerbic music with a rhythm to which they can Beatmatch when standing. Tell them to stay tough and not give up until you cue it, even if they hit failure.
Recovery
Have them regain composure quickly. After they’ve rolled for a few seconds, have them take off all resistance and bring the spin up to 100 rpm. It should feel easy.
Your students now have a numerical representation to match a perceived awareness of their exercise HR range. They’re likely to have come close to max HR, which can be used to help determine zones, depending on your method.
Training zones can now be related to a perception of effort. This will eliminate ambiguity when it comes to determining the correct level of effort for a designed training.
Have them ride with good form for 10 minutes as they spin their legs. If they start to get cold, have them add a little resistance. Review the various levels of effort (including resting and warm-up) and have them recall both the perception and the approximate HR for each feeling.
Originally posted 2012-10-01 07:56:16.
by John | Aug 13, 2017 | Big Box Instructor, Certification, Instructor Training
I get the “Where can I get certified as a “Spin®”,”Schwinn®” or simply an Indoor Cycling Instructor?” question a lot. While trying to be helpful, more often than not my response is “I'm sorry, but you are asking the wrong person.” “The person you want to ask is the manager at the club where you would like to teach.”
Many people skip that step – here's why you shouldn't…
Sometimes I feel like Dr. Alfred Lanning from the movie I Robot where Will Smith's character, Detective Del Spooner, is quizzing Dr. Lanning's holographic image. The Doctor looks at him and says “I'm sorry. My responses are limited. You must ask the right questions.”
The right question is; “what do I need to do to teach a regularly scheduled Indoor Cycling class at my local club?”
UPDATE: It can't hurt to check first to see which studios & clubs are hiring. This Instructor jobs board is a great place to start 🙂
“That's a question I can answer” 🙂
I'll put this in the context of a question our daughter Abby, a Junior in college, asked us last fall; “I'd really like to write for a car magazine… and get to drive a lot of cool cars!” “How do I get a job like that?”
“My responses are limited. You must ask the right questions.”
“OK, so what would you suggest I do to get into the car business?”
“That's a question I can answer.”
Our advice for our daughter Abby was to find a company (any company) in the car business and see if they have some type of entry level job where she can get her feet wet. Luckily for Abby, her mother (Amy) had a friend who's husband (Brandon) is an area manager for Enterprise Car Rental. Not “Car and Driver”, but for a 21 year college junior, quite possibly the perfect place to get her start in the “car business”. Long story short, Abby met with the manager and learned that they offer a select number of summer internships. During this initial meeting she asked a lot of questions about what Enterprise is looking for in the people they hire. Armed with this “insider information”, she was able to successfully navigate a long interview process (there are hundreds of applicants) and she starts Enterprise's summer Management Training program next month 🙂 It's hard to say where it will lead, but it's a very positive start for a sharp young women.
I feel the same thinking applies to securing your first teaching gig; there are a lot of people who would like to teach, but few who will do the exploratory ground work where they can “ask the right questions”. It's really just the tried and true sales process that's been followed for thousands of years. Here are the steps:
- Decide if you are willing to do whatever (within reason of course) it takes to secure a regularly scheduled class.
- Identify your prospect(s) (potential customer). You are after all selling something here; YOU! There maybe only one location, or there could be a dozens near you. Don't rule out anywhere that offers Indoor Cycling. Your objective is to get a scheduled class. I shouldn't matter where and it may not be in the most convenient location.
- Find the decision maker at the club/studio. This shouldn't be too hard; take a class there (everyone offers a free class) and ask the Instructor after class. It's important to be very direct with your intent; which is to learn who can say YES to you teaching there! Tell the Instructor that you are interested in learning about becoming an Instructor and you would appreciate knowing who makes the hiring decisions. That's all you want to learn from the Instructor – nothing more! Resist the temptation to ask if they are hiring – people tend to be protective of their “turf” and you want a friend, not someone who's fearful that you want to take their job. Be sure to get the Instructor's first and last name because you will need it later.
- Repeat at every location. Rejection is much easier to handle if you have multiple prospects 🙂 Do yourself a favor and don't get emotionally committed to only one studio if at all possible.
- Contact the decision maker (by phone or in person – never by email) with the objective of scheduling a short meeting where you can learn more about what the club looks for in an Instructor. That's it, nothing beyond the commitment to meet at a later date. You may say something like this; Hi Ms. Jones, my name is John and I took a class at your club last week. It was with (insert full name of the the Instructor here) and I wanted you to know that I really enjoyed her class and your club! Next you show him/her you're concerned about them; Am I catching you at a good time? I have a quick question I'd like to ask you. Wait for their response. If it's anything but I'm OK, offer to call them back when it's a better time. “What can I help you with?” I'm really interested in learning everything I can about becoming an Instructor. (Instructor's first name) told me you have a lot of experience in the fitness industry and I have a number questions. I realize you have a busy schedule but could we schedule a time for a short meeting this Thursday or Friday mid-morning? Always offer an either / or option, not a question that can be easily answered by NO. If the response is anything like “we aren't hiring any new Instructors” affirm this and again ask for the meeting; Sure, I understand that you aren't hiring now. I was just hoping to gain from your experience. It should only take 15 minutes or so… would Friday at 10:00am work for you? There's nothing wrong with being persistent! It must have taken Abby a month for her to get Brandon's commitment to the first meeting. We had to repeatedly encourage her to keep after him and in then end he told her that it was her persistence that caused him to finally agree to the meeting.
- For many, securing the appointment will be the second hardest part of this process. With a meeting in hand you know the drill; show up on time, look nice, smile, etc… Keep your commitment to asking questions. Here are a few suggestions:
- What certification do you require?
- What makes for a popular Instructor?
- Is there a certain type of Instructor your members appreciate more than others?
- Do you feel you are missing/lacking any specific type of class format that would appeal to people who aren't currently members?
- How do you decide on what types of classes you offer?
- Do you have specific times during the year when you make class scheduling changes?
This isn't the time to talk a lot about yourself 🙁 Even if the manager gives you an opening “why do you want to be an Instructor?” resist the temptation to say too much. Keep your answers brief and end them with another question. People love to be interviewed and talk about themselves, so keep asking them questions.
- How long have you been in the fitness industry?
- Why did you first get into the fitness industry?
- Do you participate in any events; triathlon, 5k, charity rides, etc.. ?
Then comes the hardest part (and only if you feel you've developed some rapport with him/her) where you ask a “If I could, would you?” question, as in; If I could get a (insert the certification they named) would you consider evaluating me as a potential Instructor? And then wait for the answer.
If it's positive then visit this site to find an Indoor Cycling Certification and also review this post about auditioning for an Indoor Cycling Instructor teaching position.
Many clubs and studios now accept an online certification. If they will you can get certified here.
If it's not positive, ask some more specific questions to learn exactly why and then thank them for their time and move on to your next meeting.
Please let me know if this was helpful to you by leaving a comment below – or visit indoorcyclinginstructorjobs.com to find your new class 🙂
// < 
OK [wlm_firstname], What's holding you back?
I had an ‘aha' moment after last week's Sunday morning ride with the group which is going to tackle the Cabot Trail. All of these people started their cycling in my indoor classes so I have had an opportunity to observe their strengths and limitations. I can work on the same issues indoors and then outdoors, and then take the outdoors experience indoors to help people bring greater refinement to their form and understanding of their bodies.
About a year ago a 50ish year old woman arrived in my class. My questions about other physical activity revealed that she did a lot of Pilates. That was clear from the moment she got on the bike – good core and balance. On the other hand, she didn't seem familiar with the sensations of cardiovascular exercise. Over the next few weeks I had an opportunity to teach her the value of a a heart rate monitor. I saw a gradual change in her willingness to work hard. Her greatest limitation became her seeming inability to raise her cadence, even a little bit, under any circumstances.
Fast forward to this year. Her cadence indoors has increased dramatically but as soon as she got on a bike outdoors she reverted. I knew that she was well-prepared in terms of fitness and strength so that wasn't the reason for the change. I spent a lot of time riding with her or leaving her to the sweep with specific instructions for coaching. She was consistently the slowest rider but never complained and didn't seem discouraged about her progress. This seemed odd. In her ‘real' life she is an accomplished and driven university administrator.
I struggled to identify what I could do to help her. Two weeks ago I rode with her and observed that when road conditions would allow her to speed up she didn't. Speed was not the problem – she is a confident and fast descender. I began to give her speed checks, encouraging her to find the sweet spot that would let her move a little faster with a high cadence while keeping her effort in check. Halfway through that day I left her with the sweep and rode on to work with other riders. When I checked the sweep's GPS the next day, I noticed that Michelle's average speed was painfully slow even though that part of the route was not challenging.
Last Sunday I saw that Michelle had purchased a bike computer. She reported that the speed checks I had given her were very instructive. At that point I asked her how fast she was going at the end of the previous week. Her response was a number that was more than twice the actual. She was genuinely shocked when I told her what I had seen on the GPS record. Michelle had a great ride that day, with an average speed about twice what it has been. She finished only five minutes behind the biggest part of the group.
Over lunch after the ride she told us a story. As a girl of ten, she had an asthma attack while playing outside and was hospitalized. Her asthma disappeared shortly after but the effect on her behavior did not. The process of training for the trail helped her to recognize that she has been holding back ever since that first attack. Once she allowed herself to let go of the fear, the skills and knowledge she has acquired both indoors and outdoors let her perform to her potential.
As a coach I had my own epiphany that day. I realized that everyone has a story like that. Mine dates back to a second grade teacher who told me I couldn't draw. I didn't put pencil to paper for four decades. Now I make a part of my living as an artist. Recognizing that we all have a similar ‘story' will encourage me to keep gently exploring around the edges, reinforcing progress when I see it and keeping my students aware of the mental aspects of their performance.
Originally posted 2012-08-02 06:42:01.
by John | Aug 10, 2017 | Best Practices, Engage Your Students, Instructor Training
As Instructors, our riders will often asked us questions about: insert topic here.
Where we can get into trouble is by launching into a short/long/epic dissertation on the subject, often without fully understanding the whole question.
My first sales job out of school was selling motorcycles. For someone like me, who at 22 couldn't be around them enough, it was the perfect job. Being the new guy, I asked a bunch of questions to the other salespeople (there wasn't any real training) and I was told to study up on all the different models. That year Honda had 52 different bikes – we had decks of playing cards with a different model on each card. I was very familiar with many of the models – I had put myself through school working as a motorcycle mechanic, so I felt like I could answer just about any question anyone would ask. I was ready to hit the sales floor and show everyone I was a born salesman.
Does this bike have a really powerful engine?
I've forgotten many of the details, but I'll never forget the gentleman's question or my response. He was looking over a new model Honda and after our introductions he asked; Does this bike have a really powerful engine? I couldn't believe my luck. I knew every conceivable specification and had nearly memorized the latest magazine test results.
Sir, you're looking at the most powerful motorcycle in its category. I told him proudly. Then (I'm sure I was trying to impress him with all my product knowledge) I launched into what had to be a 10 minute explanation of the 0-100 mph times, rev limits, performance tires, how it will smoke any other bike on a race track, etc… The man stood and listened politely until I came up for air. He then thanked me and walked out the door.
I saw the man later in the week. He was taking delivery of his new motorcycle – a much less powerful model than I had shown him. After he drove out I grabbed the other salesman and asked what had happened. I showed him a new Interceptor, what's he doing with that low powered bike? You idiot, you completely missed his question! Was his response. We're lucky he came back here at all… he bought that bike for his 17 year old son. He didn't want anything with too much power. Lesson learned.
Have you ever been in a situation like that? You're considering making a major purchase (or need personal advise) and were at first a bit nervous, anxious or guarded? So the question you asked was an abbreviated version, one that didn't exactly communicate your specific question?
What would you want to hear next?
Let me see if I understand your question…
Each of the The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People can be applied to our fitness profession. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood rings the loudest for me.
Use empathic listening to be genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to being influenced by you. This creates an atmosphere of caring, and positive problem solving.
It doesn't matter if you're selling motorcycles, toasters or advising members about fitness, people want to feel like they've been heard & understood before communicating openly. The simple act of reflecting a question back conveys empathy and will go a long way to build trust.
Imagine if I had reflected back the question in the opening example; Are you looking for a very powerful motorcycle? My potential customer would have instantly responded; NO! This is for my 17 year old son. Then we would have been communicating and I could have made the sale.
Who knows. Maybe some day you'll be asked a question where you resist the temptation to educating and instead reflect back to them in the form of a question. Can you see how you might gain their trust and gather a better understanding of what's being asked? Wouldn't you be surprised to hear the unguarded response; I'm really hoping this class will build up my skinny chicken legs 🙂
Let me know if this helps.
by Dennis Mellon | Aug 10, 2017 | Dennis Mellon, Video
Here's the video to go along with DJ Joe Talbert's 16 minute mix.
[wlm_private ‘PRO-Platinum|PRO-Monthly|PRO-Gratis|PRO-Seasonal|Platinum-trial|Monthly-trial|PRO-Military|30-Days-of-PRO|90 Day PRO|Stages-Instructor|Schwinn-Instructor|Instructor-Bonus|28 Day Challenge']
Right click and follow directions below to download this Video
Right Click on the blue underlined link
Select “Download Linked File As”
Select a download location
Once file is completely downloaded, find it in the location you selected
Drag the file into your iTunes or Spotify library OR
Right Click on the file and Select “Open With”
From the drop down menu select “iTunes” or “Spotify”
File should begin playing and is now part of your iTunes or Spotify library
To download the above media on a PC:
Right Click on the blue underlined link
Select “Save Link As”
Select a download location
Once file is completely downloaded, find it in the location you selected
Drag the file into your iTunes or Spotify library OR
Right Click on the file and Select “Open With”
From the drop down menu select “iTunes” or “Spotify”
File should begin playing and is now part of your iTunes or Spotify library
Click here to watch a video on how to download media files from ICI/Pro.
[/wlm_private]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Originally posted 2015-10-29 18:28:14.
