Finally, a nose ring that actually does something… but would you wear it while teaching?
I connect with the ‘gear heads' in my classes by reminding them how our bodies convert a carbon based fuel source (food) into the energy that powers a bicycle. Which is very similar to how the engine in your car creates the power that propels you down the highway, using another carbon based fuel source > gasoline or diesel.
No matter what source of fuel you're using, converting it into useful energy requires Oxygen (O2) and lots of it. Your car needs to ingest 15 pounds of O2 for every one pound of fuel burned. Not surprisingly, you need to breath in & out about the same amount of O2 to burn a pound of your last meal.
What limits the performance of both you and your car, is its ability to efficiently move air in and out.
There's a huge aftermarket industry that sells various components to improve how your car breathes. Now there's Turbine – a new sports breathing device from an Australian company that they say will improve how you breath, potentially increasing your performance.
HOW DOES THE TURBINE ENHANCE MY BREATHING?
Turbine increases airflow through the nose by an average of 38%, helping to reduce the feeling of breathlessness. Simply put, by dilating your nose (even slightly) you can increase the amount of air going in and also, importantly, increase the amount of exhaust air (CO2) you can expel. And, as you know, when you’re going hard, every little bit helps.
Using Turbine allows you to breathe more efficiently with every breath, enabling the body to focus energy on the muscles that need it, when they need it.
When exercising, oxygen is extracted from the air in your lungs, absorbed into the blood stream and circulated to enable muscular contraction. Supplying your exercising muscles with the air they need, has a high energy cost; Turbine may help reduce this. Try it today and find out for yourself.
I tried out a Turbine during the show last week. I was amazed by the instant improvement in my ability to breath comfortably in and out through my nose. I brought home a few samples and will be trying them shortly to see if they can help me ride faster/stronger.
They make a companion product for eliminating snoring, that Amy was excited for me to try. They call it mu:te.
John and I have been enjoying ourselves and appreciate the opportunity to be here and experience the new Stages SC3 bike. I love it!
Has it seemed like there have been a lot of Friday the 13th's this year? You're right!
In celebration of the second of three Friday the 13th's in 2015, I bring you a flat road with an rpm of 84. Perfect for a ‘reset' as we're now calling them in the ‘Edge' format at Life Time Fitness. A ‘reset' is coming back to a comfortable challenge after a hard work effort. It's a time to chill out a bit (but not too much) before the next effort / challenge.[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']
Not normally one for music from ‘young ‘uns', I found myself Shazaming this tune, and liking it even better the second time around. Those of you with pre-teens/ teenagers might already know this song. Our kids are now 21 and 24, so I don't hear this set as much anymore!
Here is Selena Gomez and “The Heart Wants What It Wants:
I'm here with Amy at IHRSA 2015 and need to thank Stages Cycling for sponsoring our attendance this year 🙂
We'll be riding these brand new SC3 Indoor Cycles later today (they're still packed in a semi) and will be communicating my initial reactions tomorrow.
For immediate release, March 11, 2015, Boulder, CO– Stages Cycling® extends its brand with the launch of Stages Indoor Cycling and the new SC Series–a line of commercial and high-end retail indoor cycling bikes, which bring an array of breakthrough features to redefine the category of indoor cycling.
The SC Series launches with two models: the flagship, SC3, with many innovations, including the Stages Power® meter–the same power measurement system that reshaped the outdoor cycling power meter category. A second model, the SC2, is the same in all respects but does not include the Stages Power meter.
The SC Series bikes share two never before seen concepts, which have patents pending: SprintShiftâ„¢ and FitLocâ„¢. SprintShift is a dual-action resistance adjustment, which pairs a traditional micro-adjust dial with a three-position macro-adjust lever. The SprintShift lever allows large, consistent jumps in resistance for intervals and rest. FitLoc replaces the standard twist-to-lock pop-pin height adjustments with a new cam operated pop-pin, making fit adjustments for height lightning fast.
These new innovations are paired with the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of the pro-peloton-proven Stages Power meter on the SC3 model, which sports Stages new rider-powered EcoSCRNâ„¢ console. EcoSCRN uses a hub dynamometer, rather than batteries, to make it the ultimate bike for a data driven studio or cyclist. The Stages Power measurement system provides unprecedented accuracy in power measurement, enabling studios the ability to now train their clients ‘indoors and outdoors’ with the same technology.
“The SC Series has the potential to be a benchmark,” said Pat Warner, the product director for Stages Cycling, who spent 20 years working on indoor cycling bikes in the Fitness industry prior to Stages. “We’ve addressed every major issue we’ve ever seen with an indoor bike. SC3 is certainly worthy of our ‘flagship’ status, with features like Stages Power, SprintShift, FitLoc, and our RoadBarâ„¢. But we’ve also nailed the basics on these bikes, and we’re confident that the ride feel, lack of maintenance, and reliability of the bike will be the features that actually set the benchmark for both the facility owner and the instructor.”
Both of Stages Cycling’s flagship SC3 and SC2 bikes utilize the new CarbonGlydeâ„¢ drive system. CarbonGlyde builds on the unparalleled reliability and lack of maintenance offered by Gates® Carbon Driveâ„¢ carbon fiber belt, with a 5:1 gear ratio and high-inertia flywheel to provide for one of the smoothest, most realistic rides available indoors.
“Stages Indoor Cycling is a new company and new brand,” said Jim Liggett, the general manager of Stages Cycling. “We will be attractive to club and studio customers who are seeking to expand their base business within their Indoor Cycling group exercise offering. Our success with Stages Power has passed the test of professional cycling and we offer this, tested, Stages Power meter to indoor athletes. We feel the combination of a completely new bike with uniquely new features, and our Stages Power meter, allows facilities to offer their members the next category breakthrough. Stages Cycling is a company rooted in cycling. Our goal is to help create indoor cycling athletes who can achieve their dreams in fitness or in cycling.”
“We also realize that–while we know and do power better than anyone in the Fitness industry–some cycling studios have a different focus. So we’re bringing the SC series to market with two flagship bikes, one with the Stages Power meter, and one without, so that we’re prepared to meet every indoor rider, and every indoor facility on their own preferred terms.”
Stages Cycling will show the SC Series bike line for the first time publicly in Los Angeles, at the Los Angeles Convention center on March 12 and 13 at Booth 2735 in IHRSA 2015 International Convention and Trade show.
The Stages SC Series bikes will be available both commercially and at retail for home use. For sales information contact:
For North America / Canada Sales inquiries, please contact: Les Wiehe 435-659-9114 lwiehe@stagescycling.com
For International Sales inquiries, please contact: Paddy Murray 781-206-4376 pmurray@stagescycling.com
For Stages Cycling University / Instructor Training, please contact: Cameron Chinatti 615-499-6029 cchinatti@stagescycling.com
For further press and product information, please contact: Laurel Mylin 503-866-8157 lmylin@stagescycling.com
–end–
Stages Cycling® LLC, based in Boulder, CO, with staff having well over 100 years of combined experience in the Commercial Fitness and cycling industries, launched the Stages Power® meter at Interbike in September 2012. The Stages Power meter immediately made waves in the power measurement category. Stages Indoor Cycling delivers the metric that works for every rider, every instructor, every athletic club and every cycling program.
Several months ago, an author known for being a strong proponent of healthful eating wrote an article about a new line of “good” candy bars. You know: organic ingredients, no preservatives, that sort of thing.
The author took an if-you-can’t-beat-em-join-em approach. Candy isn’t going to go away, so let’s make better candy.
Who makes these healthy candy bars? A company aptly named UnReal. Their idea was to duplicate the top-selling candy bars, using different — better — ingredients.
What’s supposedly good about the candy?
[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']
Good taste, better ingredients, and improved nutritional value. That translates to being made without chemicals, artificial colors, artificial flavors, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, or GMOs.
[Let me stop here to ask a dumb question: How would you get GMOs in a candy bar, anyway? Aren’t those typically found in agricultural products? So are we just talking about non-GMO peanuts?]
What else is supposedly good about these candy bars?
They apparently contain less sugar, more protein, more fiber, and — I’m as confused as I can get about this one — real food ingredients. Does it seem contradictory to anyone else to talk about “real food ingredients” and candy in the same sentence?
Please don’t say agave.
As a final benefit, the candy bars are sold in the same places and for the same prices as the standard junk versions. Because that was my primary concern: convenience.
Could you enumerate the health benefits of that list? They escape me, but maybe I missed something.
Readers weigh in
Several people commented on the article, including me. Here’s my comment, and please keep in mind that I was being polite:
“I saw a display of UnReal candy bars at Staples a couple of days ago. Curiosity made me read the label of one bar, and I couldn’t help laughing at the number of sugars in it. As a recovered sugar addict, I certainly didn’t have the guts to try one…. I honestly can’t see how these products could teach children, or anyone else, about the value of fresh, whole foods or steer them in that direction.”
If you’ve read my articles, that comment won’t surprise you, even a little. It’s just me doing my anti-sugar thing again.
The truly surprising thing was the enthusiasm a number of respondents had for the product: “Go, UnReal!” “Bravo!” “Great idea!” “Kudos to UnReal.” Others described their plans to give out the healthy candy bars on Halloween.
And many of the folks who commented positively seem to have kids.
Fortunately, others indicated disapproval of the candy bars and disappointment with the author (“Have you sold your soul to the devil?”).
That made me laugh. A seminar attendee once summed up my attitude as, “Sugar is the devil.”
Well, sugar can, and absolutely does, outweigh whatever benefits a so-called “healthy” candy bar can claim to have — even one with non-GMO peanuts.
My recommendation?
Stop looking for a sugar loophole. If there were one, I would have found it. No one looked harder than I did 🙂
This Where's the Drama app for Spotify gives you a visual representation of the changes in loudness of any track in Spotify's library = changes that many of us will use as cues.
NOTE: for an unknown reason there's no sound for the first 14 secs.
It's super easy to use and there's nothing to download or install.
[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']
Type in the name of your track > it helps to add additional words (artist) to narrow down the results.
Scroll down to find the correct song & click it
Your track is shown as a graphic > The highlighted area signifies the most dramatic point in the song 🙂
I've been playing with this today, trying to find ways that it could save me time. The first place I've found is to quickly find the GO! point in the songs opening. Here's an example for Rudimental — Right Here – feat. Foxes which I use for a Threshold interval @ 83RPM.
(#1) shows the start point @ 0:24 – between (#2) and (#3) is a 0:43 soft part. Notice how you can quickly see that the song dies with 20 seconds to go? (#4) Where's the Drama looks like a nice tool to ensure your intervals are as long as you intended.[/wlm_private]
Let me know if you find other uses for it + if this would display a complete playlist, in real time, would that help you cue and teach more effectively?
I love to cue 100 RPM's! One hundred is such a fun number > it rolls off your tongue with ease + there's a certain power the word. You can repeat it > ONE HUNDRED, over and over during an interval, without it ever sounding repetitive or getting stale. Everyone in your class understands exactly what you're asking for.
Of course it helps to have a console that displays RPM (and still there's always those who just don't get it) and a powerful track at exactly 100 RPM sure helps to reinforce your desired cadence.
Todays free track is from our favorite DJ/Instructor Peter G. It's his remix of one of the Aerosmith track Sweet Emotion. @ 4:28 in length, this makes for an awesome 4 min Best Effort song. Start with the crash at the 0:10 mark and you're off!
