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Image of Dr. Suzuki and her team from suzukilab.com/
Here's a creative exercise for you to try.
Imagine that tomorrow you begin marketing your Indoor Cycling classes differently… Instead of focussing on physical benefits of increased strength, endurance or weight management/loss, what would happen if your marketing was directed at cerebral benefits instead?
Do you feel you could possibly attract a new/unique group of participants? Maybe those people who aren't necessarily interested in physical improvements. Computer types (geeks) come to mind. They are rarely seen in your studio, unless they're there to fix your computer of course 🙂
But what if you were able to show the Geek Squad technician that your special classes could actually improve their troubleshooting, problem solving or coding skills… things he/she might really be interested in improving?
Or how about that advertising firm officing across the street? Do you think they would be interested in a brainstorming class where their entire team could spark some additional creativity?
There's a lot of scientific research that is proving the link between exercise and improvements in the brain in the form of enhanced memory and creativity. I posted a fascinating Ted Talk video presentation last month on the subject and the presenter is my guest for this episode – neuroscientist/group fitness instructor Dr. Wendy Suzuki.
Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. She received her undergraduate degree in Physiology and Human Anatomy at the University of California, Berkeley in 1987, studying with Prof. Marion C. Diamond, a leader in the field of brain plasticity. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from U.C. San Diego in 1993 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health before accepting her faculty position at New York University in 1998.
Listen to this episode below.
Near the end of the interview, Dr. Suzuki describes a clinical trial she running on the effects Indoor Cycling has on cognitive abilities. Participants are riding three time a week at Swerve Fitness in NYC and she says that their study results should be completed by the end of the year.
Something amazing happened to me after class this week. Somebody came up and said “thank you for the motivational story you told during class. I came in here down in the dumps, but I'm leaving in a much better mood and feeling grateful for what I have instead of what I don't. Thank you.” I have no doubt that every instructor reading this right now has experienced this at least once, but probably hundreds of times. And when I think back on the 20 years I've been doing this, I can say that it happened more than a couple and I've always appreciated. But there was something about it this time that made a bigger impact on me. It actually stuck with me all day. Let me see if I can better understand why myself by writing to you. Sometimes that's the best way for me to figure out things is to write it down =)
I have said this before, but I feel so lucky to teach in what I believe is one of the best clubs in the country. Having traveled to every state in the US when I worked for Corporate America (yuck), I can say that I've seen hundreds of gyms without any exaggeration. Where I teach now, we have a slogan………although slogan is probably the wrong word. The point is, our “slogan” is (Insert Club name) “the best part of your day.” (As I don't know the rules of the site, I won't say the name) Call it a slogan, call it a motto, call it a cliche, or call it a tag line, it doesn't really matter because the question is, do we mean it ? And I don't mean in the sense of “we have a very cool slogan” but I mean are we really trying to make an impact on these peoples lives each and every day. Because when I look back on my last 20 years, I can honestly say there have been people who have made me feel like the simple act of telling them a story in the middle of our workout has affected them deeply. I have had people tell me they “cried” in my class and although I acknowledged it then, now as i sit here I am floored that I didn't give this person a huge hug and REALLY thank them for taking the time to tell me that. There have been people who have taken my class, moved away, and returned for a weekend and made sure to come take my class. Everyone of us has had this happen I'm sure, but for some reason in my life right now, it seems so much more significant. I would be interested to know how many of you have stopped to think about what a gift this is that we have, being able to impact somebodies health, mindset, vitality, mood, and so on and so on and so on. Because right now I can't think of a better reward for giving one hour of my day.
But back to digging deeper into “why now,” I ask myself why the type of comment that I've heard several times over 20 years, seems to mean so much more to me now than in the past ? Is it that I just turned 45 and getting soft ? Is it that it just took longer to sink in ? Is it that being newly divorced I am grasping for any recognition that I have done something right ? I venture to say all the above. For me the best part about being married was that I had a purpose every single day and that was to do my best to make her life better. Granted, I was not perfect, but I will put my stats up against 90% of the husbands out there and stand tall that I did a pretty damn good job. And as a father, my role is the same. Putting their needs in front of my own every day. I enjoy having that responsibility and probably do it to the extreme with my kids. A parent would understand what I mean. When you have a child, there doesn't ever have to be any thought or consideration on whether you would step in front of a train to save them, it's instinctual!! And as an instructor (sorry for the dramatic metaphor about the train LOL) although I am working out when I teach, it has NEVER been about my workout, it's always about theirs. And I think after 20 years I am finally learning that I love knowing I am able to impact someone's day. That something I do or say CAN make a difference.
When I started writing for the site I said that I'm not the guy to come to for the technical aspects of cycling. It's not now, nor has it ever been my strength or focus. I'm a story teller who enjoys using stories and metaphors to motivate my class. And this week I think it finally hit me that I may actually be hitting the mark with a few people. We all need a mission or strength as an instructor so that the people who resonate with US will gravitate to our class. It's not about one instructor being better than another, it's about realizing our strength and being consistent to that strength until the numbers find us. And if my foo foo style is too spiritual or earthy for the more traditional cyclist spin instructor than I am okwith that. BUT don't ever forget that even the members in your class, even though they may not say it, ARE being effected in a positive way by you in more ways than you/we think. You can't always gauge how you changed someone'sday/week/year or life by how much weight they lost or how now they can maintain a lower heart rate on a sprint. Sometimes it's deeper than that. Sometimes you made the type of difference that spreads like wild fire through their entire circle. And if that isn't a gift than I don't know what is. I don't miss my ex wife at all, but I miss TERRIBLY being a husband. I miss the responsibilities that came with being the person who could make her day better. And maybe this is why now hearing that I played a part in a members day is hitting so close to home for me. It doesn't really matter why, and you certainly don't need the same reasons I have, but let me just say this and let it sit. You are often “the best part of their day” and that my friends is worth more than any paycheck you make or whatever brand bike you're riding. So if you're taking those compliments for granted than stop, acknowledge it, hear it, and give yourself a big hug because you earned it.
I hope I am resonating with some of you and that my style is uncovering aspects of your teaching that you may not have been using enough of. Enjoy your gifts !!
Here’s some information about sugar and appetite that most people don’t know. Of course, those of you on ICI/PRO may know it if you’ve read my posts.
Anyway, here’s the info.
Endorphins
Sugar triggers beta-endorphin, usually called endorphins. Endorphins inhibit the part of the brain that causes satiety — the feeling that we’ve had enough food and don’t need to eat more. That part of the brain is the VMH.
When we eat sugar, the VMH is blocked by the endorphins that sugar triggers. So we want more food at a given meal. Or we may want to eat again sooner than we normally would.
Endorphins can also change which foods we want, as mentioned in a previous post. They’ll probably make you want more endorphin-triggering foods — those would be sugars or fats.
Either way, sugar is likely to change your food landscape.
Priming
Endorphins from sugar trigger another brain chemical, dopamine — just enough to make us want to eat more sugar. This is probably the best reason not to follow the common advice to eat a little bit of sugar when you crave it. (Terrible advice!)
Some people are more susceptible to this ‘priming’ effect than others. If it affects you, you may find yourself wanting more sugar after you’ve eaten just a little bit.
Withdrawal
People joke about being chocoholics or sugar addicts, but people who are affected by it know it isn’t a joke. If you eat sugar often, you may find that you crave sugar when it’s not around — or when some time has passed since you’ve had any. That could be a sign of withdrawal.
If you’re also feeling a little (or a lot) cranky, it most likely is withdrawal. If so, you’ll probably crave sugar and eat more of it.
Bottom Line
Sugar can impact appetite dramatically. As covered in a previous post, it can also increase fat in our diets. Think of all the sugary foods — such as ice cream or chocolate cake — that contain a lot of fat, along with sugar. Those fats are typically not healthful ones, making a bad nutrition slam even worse.
By the way, alcohol can affect appetite in similar ways, and sometimes with even more impact than sugar. But that’s a different post.
On October 9th I will once again be participating in The Roadless Ride to benefit Brent's Place. Brent's Place is a living facility for families with children who are receiving treatments for cancer, bone marrow or organ transplants in the Denver area. Brent's Place provides a pristine living environment for children who's immune systems are severely compromised due to these treatments or surgeries. The Roadless Ride is a fundraiser held annually at Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club that consists of 12 one hour Indoor Cycling classes where participants make a donation to ride in each class.
I have been involved with this ride since it’s inception, at Greenwood. I was also the first rider to ever complete all 12 classes, what we call the Roadless Century. Since my first solo Century ride the group of fundraisers attempting this 12 hour cycling journey has grown to and is now limited to 30. We like to “Pedal Hard for a Great Cause” and the camaraderie that is felt by this group throughout the day, knowing we are doing something special for kids and their families with cancer, is something words cannot describe. Over the last 4 years my sons, Seth and Christian have joined me for this experience and when I think about what we are riding for I realized how blessed I am to have two healthy children that are capable and willing to join me for this event.
If you happen to be in the Denver area on October 9th, please join me and some of the most generous people in the area for this ride. We often raise over $100,000 for the families of Brent’s Place. Not only will I be riding all 12 classes I will also be leading the 8:00am class and team teaching with Colin Catel at 5:00pm and 6:00pm. If you cannot make my class you can ride with one of the other awesome instructors who prepare for this day for months and often present their best class of the year on this special day. If you cannot join us in Denver you can support our 12 hour ride by following this link : Click here to be taken to Seth, Christian and my Fundraising Page. Seth, Christian and I have set a fund raising goal of $2,604 which is how much it costs to house a Brent's Place family for one month.
Here are some of the videos I've put together, for the Roadless Ride, over the years.
5 minute benchmark ride to find “Maximum Sustainable Wattage”
45 second recovery
3 minute interval
45 second recovery
2 minute interval
45 second recovery
1 minute interval
45 second recovery
1 minute interval
45 second recovery
Tabata Interval 8×20 seconds with 10 seconds recovery after each
3 minute recovery
Repeat the above 3,2,1,1 minute intervals 2 more times
5 minute cool down
5 minute “Maximum Sustainable Wattage” Test
Settle in to a 5 minute interval at 80-110 rpm.
This interval should be ridden at a maximum sustainable intensity.
if riders know their threshold they can spend this 5 minutes riding at it.
At the end of the interval take note of average wattage or HR or be aware of the RPE.
3 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 3 minutes Seated at 80-110 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the 5 minute “Maximum Sustainable Wattage” Test
45 second recovery or reset
2 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 2 minutes Seated at 80-110 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the previous 3 minute average.
45 second recovery or reset
1 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 1 minute seated at 80-110 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the previous 2 minute average.
45 second recovery or reset
1 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 1 minute seated at 80-110 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the previous 2 minute average.
45 second recovery or reset
Tabata goals and specifics:
8 x 20 seconds “ON” w/ 10 second rest
Ride the 20 second intervals in a seated position at 80-110 rpm. Rest in a standing position
3 minute recovery or reset
3 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 3 minutes standing at 60-80 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the 5 minute “Maximum Sustainable Wattage” Test
45 second recovery or reset
2 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 2 minutes standing at 60-80 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the previous 3 minute average.
45 second recovery or reset
1 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 1 minute standing at 60-80 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the previous 2 minute average.
45 second recovery or reset
1 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 1 minute seated at 80-110 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the previous 2 minute average.
45 second recovery or reset
Tabata goals and specifics:
8 x 20 seconds “ON” w/ 10 second rest
Ride the 20 second intervals in a standing position at 60-80 rpm. Rest in a standing position
3 minute recovery or reset
3 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 3 minutes Seated at 60-80 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the 5 minute “Maximum Sustainable Wattage” Test
45 second recovery or reset
2 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 2 minutes Seated at 60-80 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the previous 3 minute average.
45 second recovery or reset
1 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 1 minute seated at 60-80 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the previous 2 minute average.
45 second recovery or reset
1 minute interval goals and specifics:
Ride for 1 minute seated at 80-110 rpm.
Complete the interval with an average HR or Wattage that is greater than the previous 2 minute average.
45 second recovery or reset
Tabata goals and specifics:
8 x 20 seconds “ON” w/ 10 second rest
Ride the 20 second intervals in a seated position at 60-80 rpm. Rest in a standing position
Cool Down
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