Always in search of the perfect 90 bpm flat road song- I first saw this artist on a not memorable awards show I watched with the kids. Her voice is mesmerizing and she used to be a backup vocalist for a favorite British group of mine- Jamiroquai. This shy Australian vocalist is also a song writer and video producer that prefers not to show her face…(you can do that when you're a star)!
This song is great as a recovery flat or ‘reset' between harder work efforts. It's a great motivating flat that helps everyone petal at 90 rpm's- which the experts tell us is our body's optimal pedal speed.
Enjoy Sia and “Fire Meets Gasoline”
The Spotify link:
Here's the free Soundcloud download which is 96 bpm's:
As a nutritionist, I find that my food is under scrutiny all the time. Recently, I attended a weeklong seminar that had nothing to do with nutrition, but my food was still scrutinized.
Every morning started with a different fitness activity. Afterward, the instructor gave us breakfast guidelines, recommending that we eat just fruit “because it’s easy to digest.”
I know better than to start my day with a plate of sugar, so I went to the buffet and put together a meal that was appropriate for me.
Because this will be relevant in a moment, here was my breakfast:[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'] spinach, walnuts and a poached egg. The buffet didn’t have poached eggs alone; they were part of the eggs Benedict. But I simply eat around unwanted foods, so I ate the egg and left the English muffin and Canadian bacon on my plate. No sauce.
A woman in the seminar walked over to my table and said I wasn’t complying with the fitness instructor’s guidelines. She pointed her finger at each item on my plate, one at a time, and criticized it. This happened while I was still eating my meal.
If you’re thinking it was inappropriate for her to do that, I agree. Perhaps to my discredit, I objected to her behavior, and explained my objection to the fitness instructor’s guidelines to start the day with sugar.
What can we take from this? (Other than not to criticize other people’s food while they’re eating!)
– Know your nutrition needs. These may be different from your likes. Know what you need to thrive and feel good. Seek out those foods, no matter what.
– Don’t let other people’s guidelines steer you away from the foods you know are best for you. The myth that fruit is healthful persists. Many people still have no idea that fructose — the sugar in fruit — is arguably the most unhealthful sugar. Stay with what works for you, no matter what.
– Navigate a buffet carefully to find what you need, especially vegetables. I found the spinach for my breakfast at the omelet station. Diced tomatoes and mushrooms were also there. If there are no salads, a burrito station can provide lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and more. You get the idea. Find vegetables, no matter what.
– Know how to find what you need on a restaurant menu. Friends laugh at me because my meals “always look the same.” They do: protein, vegetables, complex starch, healthful fat. Do I care if my friends laugh? Absolutely not. I just want the meal I want — and have learned to create it, no matter what.
For example, I’ve ordered two salads for my main course when the menu offered nothing better. In the south, I’ve ordered fried chicken and scraped off the breading with my fork. Keep your needs in mind and forget the rest — including the House Specialty! It’s frequently a high-fat, sauce-laden extravaganza that might make you feel ill afterward.
– Pay attention to how you feel after a meal — both good and bad. If everyone else felt good after a meal but you didn’t, that food wasn’t for you. If you felt great, try to duplicate that meal as closely as possible at other times and places.
– Remember your protein needs above all. Keep it as lean as possible. The fitness instructor told us protein is overrated — but he knew nothing about foods and brain chemistry.
If you’re a sugar addict who’s trying to stay away from sugar, protein is key. It will help you survive and thrive as you give up sugar. If you need to carry envelopes of protein powder with you, do it. I’ve done that many times. Get your protein, no matter what.
– Don’t worry about the opinions of others. You deserve to eat right and feel good. No matter what![/wlm_private]
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]
I love a great track that can be tune-mapped with some very clear bursts of energy, that signal GO!!! The image above is the actual sound print of today's free track. I've added the √ at the start of each sprint and an X at the end. You'll notice the segment @ 1:53 – 2:23 not marked – that's a feigned (false) sprint which is common near the end of a race.
Here's how I will cue this:
0:00 – 0:42 time for our big finish. I need everyone to find a comfortable cadence and add load that's close to having you come out of the saddle. Prep for two short sprints and then a final extended push to the end.
0:42 – 1:00 Sprint #1. Stand and accelerate with everything you've got – it's only 18 seconds so stay up and hammer through till the end.
1:00 – 1:23 Easy here. Leave your gear on. Sit and relax as much as you can… listen as the music builds until >
1:24 – 1:41 Sprint #2. Stand and accelerate and then return to the saddle. Power through this… you need to hang on to this group.
1:42 – 1:53 Easy, but watch for a break away.
1:54 – 2:28 Feigned sprint. Stand and WAIT – they only faked their break. But notice how everyone's intensity has risen to just below threshold.
2:29 – 2:45 Catch your breath and be ready for the finish sprint. Get your head right – this finish is long and it's going to hurt before you get to the end.
2:46 – 3:22 GO!! We need quick feet here. Head up. Breath like your race depends on it… it does. Watch your watts or speed. Ignore the pain in your legs and don't let it drop.[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']
Spotify had a big announcement yesterday > sounds like they're going directly after iTunes with a confidence that really surprises me. After all, we're talking about Apple here – the company with the largest market value of any company on earth. Kind of like my four pound Yorkie Maxx attacking our neighbor's German Shepherd!
Good for them 🙂
Streaming music service Spotify has announced new features including adding podcasts and video; music that adapts to the listener’s running pace; and the promise of smarter abilities to serve the right playlists for the time of day, activity and habits of the user.
The company’s launch event in New York on Wednesday, helmed by its chief executive Daniel Ek, offered some deeper clues about how Spotify is evolving, and the key challenges it faces as it aims to grow beyond its current 60 million active users, of whom 15 million pay for the service.
Spotify is biting back at Apple Recent months have seen a wave of stories about Apple’s supposed backroom machinations with music labels, encouraging them to clamp down on Spotify’s free, unlimited streaming service — which in turn would boost the prospects for Apple’s upcoming relaunch of its Beats Music. Read the rest here.
https://youtu.be/N_tsgbQt42Q
How do I get the ICI/PRO podcast on Spotify?
With many of us spending more and more time on Spotify, and away from iTunes, being able to cue up one of our latest episodes on Spotify would be awesome. So while I await my update signal from Spotify's server, I thought I would look into how I submit the Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast to the new podcast offering from Spotify.
Here's what I found. With iTunes, Stitcher or any other Podcast service, publishers like ICI/PRO submit a link to the show RSS feed – here's mine http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndoorCycleFreePodcast – and this feed tells iTunes what episodes are available and when there's a new one, ready to be downloaded. It appears that Spotify is using the Panoply podcast network as the source for their on demand audio content.
So stay tuned. I'll make an announcement ASAP. Oh, for the last few of you who haven't yet, Spotify has an intro offer to upgrade to premium: $0.99 for three months.
Is it possible to create Performance Cycling Classes that are entertaining and compelling, for both endurance athletes and non-cyclists? David McQuillen, with The Sufferfest video series, says you can with entertaining video content – note the emphasis on entertaining 🙂
I've been aware of David's videos for years. Perfect for pounding away in the garage or your basement, but I didn't consider them suitable for group cycling classes. Turns out I may need to adjust my thinking about this… With more than 45 licensed facilities worldwide (they're called Sufferfest Embassies) it sounds like there is a group application for these extremely well produced HD videos.
Listen below as David and I discuss his ideas on expanding your studio's appeal to cyclists through the use of his Sufferfest training videos.
Studio/Club Owners and Managers interested in becoming a licensed Sufferest facility can request a free information package by emailing Kate Patterson Kate@TheSufferfest.com – you'll want to include your studio's name and location.
Please tell Kate you heard this interview on ICI/PRO and she'll send you a pair of these cool Sufferfest Socks, just for saying hello! Limited to responses through June 30th.
