by John | Feb 14, 2021 | Best Practices, Big Box Instructor, Learn Leadership Skills
It seems I made a few enemies on Wednesday. I subbed a “Housewives” 9:30 am class that had a bunch of talkers in it. I'm not too tolerant of people disrupting my class. So I told asked them to please save their conversations until after class. As it turns out, a regular of mine overheard a conversation the following day, between the scheduled Instructor and a few of the participants. Though you might enjoy seeing his email to Amy describing the exchange…
John Macgowan is on the unofficial Eden Prairie Housewives “hit list”. You may want to let him know to keep a low profile and wear a disguise if going out and about in EP.
Thursday morning during his spin class he mentioned that he subbed for XXXX at 9:30 Wednesday. I had scheduled interviews with some candidates for a job and used the restaurant at LTF (Life Time Fitness where I teach) this morning.
Had a two hour break so was able to go to XXXX's 9:30 and those housewives were giving XXXX hell because “the sub instructor” (John) worked them too hard and (here is the best part) seemed annoyed because they wanted to carry on conversations during the class.
I personally have complained to XXXX multiple times about the nonstop talking in her class and went so far as to call XXXX (Dept Head) about it. I held my tongue for as long as I could this morning, then I let those housewives have it.
You (Amy), Adam and John run organized classes, XXXX's tends to be a yard sale, but she is a really strong instructor. This morning I proceeded to say something along the lines of if you want social hour go upstairs and have it there and don't criticize the instructor for properly managing a class.
I also referred to the loudest and most annoying lady in the class as a manatee who should be more focused on the workout and less on annoying the entire class. Needless to say, I probably need a disguise now as well.
Kind of made my day to hear John overwhelmed them. Hope you all are well. Happy Friday!! See you tomorrow.
Originally posted 2015-01-10 04:23:56.
by Dennis Mellon | Feb 11, 2021 | Dennis Mellon, Thoughts from the Instructor Bike
I love group display systems. I mean I really really really love group display systems. Systems like Performance IQ and My Zone make classes so much more interactive and they magically make participants work so much harder AND smarter.
I teach at multiple locations in the Denver area and two of them use group display systems. One, just recently, launched Stages IQ which is Stages Indoor Cycling's version of Performance IQ and the other has been using My Zone for about 6 months. Stages IQ uses the power meter that is on every bike in the cycling studio. My Zone picks up the heart rate that is transmitted from the proprietary My Zone chest strap. When I teach a class with Stages IQ EVERYONE in the class can be part of the group display system. When I teach a My Zone class ONLY those who have purchased the MY Zone chest strap can enjoy the group display system.
The energy felt in the studio using Stages IQ is infectious as EVERYONE is working for a common goal and can see if they are successfully achieving that goal. The energy in the My Zone studio is not the same because, on a good day, only 25% of the participants may have the necessary MY Zone chest strap to see their heart rate on the group display system.
I have been working in the fitness industry for 25 years and heart rate based group exercise classes have NEVER been successful because the only way to ensure everyone's compliance is to “loan out” heart rate monitors and this becomes a very time consuming and expensive proposition, this also goes without saying that there are far better ways to determine intensity like power and pace.
If you are looking into a group display system and you want 100% compliance with the system you need to provide members with EVERYTHING to use the system. If they are required to purchase their own hardware or do more than simply sign up for the class they will not do it and your investment will have been wasted.
Originally posted 2016-01-31 07:54:47.
by Ben Sharp | Feb 11, 2021 | Instructor Training
Here is Benjamin Sharp explaining the relationship between power and weight.
Ben is the resident Power Education Specialist for Stages Cycling.
Learn more about Stages and how to train with power at the Stages Website
Originally posted 2018-04-30 09:00:27.
by Joan Kent | Feb 7, 2021 | Master Instructor Blog
By Team ICG® Master Trainer Joan Kent
It’s possible, even likely, that you have cycling class members with hypertension. It’s possible that they’ve been told by their doctors to cut back on salt in their diets. If not, it’s still possible that they’re cutting back on salt because that’s the prevailing wisdom for controlling blood pressure.
As we all know, sodium is loss in sweat. The more we sweat, the more we lose. Long and/or intense trainings or hot environments result in greater sweat production and greater sodium loss. Symptoms of low sodium can include disorientation, nausea, fatigue, even seizures or collapse. Even in a controlled indoor environment, warm outdoor temperatures can increase sweating.
As important as sodium levels are, it’s obviously not a good idea for our students to cut back on salt intake without letting the prescribing M.D. know that they take cycling classes and often sweat profusely in them. In warmer weather, this becomes even more important.
But this post isn’t just about salt. High-carb diets may raise blood pressure because of the increased insulin they trigger. There are several mechanisms by which high levels of insulin can raise blood pressure.
High insulin levels increase sympathetic nervous system activity, leading to vasoconstriction. That increases both heart rate and blood pressure.
Insulin also stimulates the proliferation/multiplication of the smooth muscle cells lining the arteries. That may narrow the size of the arterial opening (lumen) and increase blood pressure, sort of in the same way that a narrower hose can increase water pressure.
Insulin promotes the production of serotonin, a brain chemical that’s also a vasoconstrictor. Vasoconstriction can raise blood pressure. The relationship between insulin levels and serotonin production is pretty much linear, so the more insulin secreted — say, in response to a high-carb diet — the more serotonin is produced. The more serotonin, the more vasoconstriction, and so on.
As mentioned in a previous post, high insulin levels can increase production of series 2 prostaglandins, which are hormones that control cellular functions. Among their numerous negative health consequences, Series 2 prostaglandins cause inflammation and increase blood pressure.
So what should we recommend for our cycling students?
First, it’s always a good idea to stay away from simple (or as I like to call them, junky) carbs and limit alcohol. That can help to keep insulin levels from skyrocketing.
Second, avoiding all-carb meals/snacks is another good idea. Meals and snacks that include protein and healthful, unsaturated fats have less impact on insulin levels.
Third, avoid processed (also junky) foods that are loaded with sodium that we consumers can’t control.
Fourth, modify — but don’t eliminate — salt. We need it to replace what we lose in a cycling class. The upper limit is 2300 mg, or 1500 mg for older or hypertension-prone individuals. But for someone who sweats profusely, it might be possible to exceed those limits safely to a degree. It’s also possible to go too low, and one way of gauging that is by urine production. If you feel you can’t hold 50% of your water intake, that’s a sign that you could need more salt.
As some of you may be aware, there’s a long-standing table salt/sea salt debate raging. Some sources maintain that the natural minerals in sea salt reduce the overall sodium content. Or that the larger size of sea salt crystals reduces the amount of salt in a teaspoon. Or that the more intense flavor of some sea salts encourages reduced consumption. These factors are said to make sea salt more healthful, but arguments appear to be inconclusive. One suggestion for sea salt users might be to take a kelp tablet daily to compensate for the absence of iodine that’s typically added to table salt. Or to buy sea salt with added iodine. Iodine’s necessary to prevent goiter.
Rather than join the Great Salt Debate, my point in this post is to encourage moderate consumption of salt among our cycling participants concerned with sodium and hypertension, primarily to avoid the negative consequences of low sodium.
Even more importantly, I’d encourage smart consumption of the best carbs to avoid the various mechanisms — related to insulin secretion — that can and DO cause hypertension, even with a low-sodium diet.
Originally posted 2013-07-01 08:22:47.
by Tom Scotto | Feb 4, 2021 | Master Instructor Blog
We talk a lot about becoming more than just instructors in our indoor cycling classes. We want to be coaches. We are coaches! I’ve spent the last 20 years coaching riders and teams on the road and half that indoors. Anyone who has taken one of my classes knows that “coaching” is my approach to indoor cycling. I introduce each of my classes as “coached training sessions” so riders know what to expect, plus it gives me the self-proclaimed freedom to get into character (like they really have a choice). Since many of you share this passion with me, over the next few months I going to post a series of articles on various suggestions and tips to bring that coaching character in you to the forefront.
My Black Book
Because of my coaching background, when I first started teaching indoor cycling I felt the deep desire to help people beyond the walls of the studio. Almost without exception, everyone in my class had some kind of goal or reason for being there. It could be as simple as increasing their fitness level, loosing weight, preparing for an upcoming charity ride, cycling vacation or competitive event. I thought “if I knew what their specific goals were, I could do a better job connecting with them and helping them”. Thus, I created the Black Book.
It was just a thin 3-ring binder (black of course) that contained forms — one for each rider. You can download a sample of this form from Cycling Fusion at www.cyclingfusion.com/downloads/CyclingFusion-BlackBook.pdf. I would make an announcement at the end of each class letting riders know that they could fill out a page in the Black Book if they wanted further help from me in obtaining their training and riding goals. I got a couple of takers at first and then it snowballed.
Individual Attention
Before each class I would review the goals of those in my class. I asked each person in the Black Book to show up 15-minutes early to class which is when I would give them specific guidance on how to approach the class that day. For example: “Mary, tomorrow you are planning on riding outdoors with your club so go a little easier on that last hill today. We want the legs fresh in the morning”. It was just some simple guidance to each rider about how to approach the day’s class.
The Benefits
Besides allowing me to satisfy my goal of helping riders outside of the studio, I started to connect with them more which increased the popularity and energy of my class. Other riders saw the attention my Black Book riders were getting and wanted in on the action. If you are trying to make a living as a cycling coach, I believe a Black Book is a must. Riders will always want more, and since you have already been so helpful, taking the next step into a formal coaching relationship ($$$) is easy. A side benefit for me was it helped me better remember riders names. I’ll take all the help I can get.
Originally posted 2011-08-12 14:57:47.
by John | Feb 4, 2021 | Best Practices, Correcting Form, Instructor Training
Note: We've added a new category “Correcting Form” to help you identify and correct common form related problems you see or discomfort/pain your students are experiencing.
The problem diagnosing form, discomfort or pain issues while riding, is that they aren't always obvious when you're student is rested and fresh. Here's a good example:
Question from one of my regular students: “John, do you know I can keep my hands from getting numb – going to sleep?” “It happens here in class, but more so when I'm riding outside… any ideas?”
I've experienced this situation myself, as has the senior group fitness instructor Amy – but only while riding “The Bus” our tandem bicycle on long rides.
First I asked a simple question; “do you wear gloves when you're riding outside?”
“Sometimes I do, but never here in class. Because it happens both indoors and out, I don't think that's the problem.”
She went on to explain; “I've researched it online and I think I've eliminated all the potential causes that I found.” “It's frustrating for me because 30-40 min. into a ride, my hands start tingling and then fall asleep.”
“If it's happening both indoors and out and with or without gloves, it's probably not a nerve compression in your hand problem. My guess it's probably your actual hand position on the bars… hop on this bike and let me take a look.”
I had her jump on an Indoor Cycle in class and told her to get comfortable. Once she was in place, her hands were positioned like what's shown in this picture.
Proper hand position has straight wrists
“That would make sense. That wasn't discussed on any of the articles I found.” “But I never ride like that so that couldn't be the problem either.”
“Are you sure certain you never drop your elbows, which causes your wrists to collapse, when you have fatigued?”
I then went on to explain to her how subtle the change is and that when I had her drop her wrists, it didn't require changing her grip on the bars, only her dropping her elbows.
When we're fresh, we all sit up straight and tall. Everything about our form looks perfect. Yet as we fatigue, it's natural to experience small, often negative, changes in position. From my perch upon the instructor bike what I typically see is first shoulders tend to fall forward. This causes a little additional weight on your arms which result in your elbows collapsing in and downwards slightly. Because everything is connected, the lower position of your elbows, with no change in the position of your hands, naturally results in a greater angle of extension in your wrist.
Here are three suggestions you may use in class or on the road:
- Identify the problem. Describe the need to maintain a straight wrist and how it will add to everyone's comfort on the bike. Talk about hand numbness and tingling and ask if anyone has experienced it.
- Cue frequent hand position changes. If you're Spinning® instructor you're probably doing this already. I would add to your cuing the need to visually check that each new position results in a straight wrist. If you're not or if asking for hand position changes is something that you normally not do, this is a great time to start 🙂
- Watch for the signs of fatigue. You may see your student's form degrading, but they may not be able to sense it. Asking them to look down at their wrists, late in class. Asking them to correct it may have the effect of bringing everything else back in line… As I said before; “everything is connected.”
Was this helpful to you [wlm_firstname]?
Originally posted 2012-05-30 13:21:10.
