True observation: I’ve had quite a few class participants who were unable to focus for more than 30 seconds at a time. No exaggeration. It was particularly noticeable in rowing (it’s easier to hide on a bike), and usually coincided with the fact that they were vegetarians.
Another rowing instructor told me that someone in his class “can’t focus longer than 30 seconds.” When I asked, it turned out the man in question was a vegetarian.
Yes, I realize not every vegetarian lacks focus. However, the rowers who couldn’t stick with the training for more than 30 seconds were invariably vegetarians.
The advice I gave to my students and to the other instructor was to increase protein. This has to mean “real” protein, so the tricky part is finding an acceptable form of protein that a vegetarian is willing to eat. When I explained to one participant the brain chemistry of protein and how it affects focus, he was willing to add fish and shrimp to his diet. Within a few days, things had turned around, and he had no difficulty focusing on the rowing workout.
Which brings me to that vegetarian beans-and-rice thing.
You’ve probably heard it. Beans and rice make up an often-touted vegetarian meal that is said to provide Complete Proteins. For those who are unfamiliar with the idea of complete proteins, it has to do with the fact that proteins are made of amino acids, the Building Blocks of Protein, as they told us in 7th grade biology.
When we eat animal proteins — fish, poultry, grass-fed beef, eggs, yogurt with 18 or more grams of protein per serving, for example — we get all the amino acids necessary for human metabolic function. When we eat vegetable sources of protein, some amino acids are missing from the foods. Other foods can provide the missing aminos and complete the spectrum.
But neither rice nor beans contain much protein; both foods are primarily carbohydrate (starch). So beans and rice together provide the complete list of amino acids but still give us only a small amount of protein overall. Lots of starch, though. The effect of starch on brain chemistry is completely different from that of protein.
As mentioned in a previous post, protein increases production of dopamine and norepinephrine by providing tyrosine and phenylalanine, the amino acid precursors. Dopamine and norepinephrine are alertness and focus chemicals. Carbs tend to raise serotonin levels, which make us relaxed, drowsy, and even “spacey”.
Vegetarians no longer suggest combining proteins at a given meal; that concept is long outdated. But ignoring it can make things even worse for someone who tends to space out without animal protein.
It’s not my place to tell vegetarians to stop being vegetarians. But I wish vegetarians would stop calling rice and beans protein foods.
If you have students who have trouble focusing — and I wonder if people who have the problem even know it — a good recommendation might be to add some form of animal protein to the diet.
If that’s out of the question (obviously, people are vegetarians for different reasons), at least add a serving of high-quality vegetable protein powder to every meal to provide the complete amino acid spectrum.
Incidentally, vegans often have screaming cravings for sugar, and again the answer starts with protein. Cravings are a brain chemical thing. For vegans with cravings, vegetable protein powder might be the only road to a solution.
Amy's swamped with work after her time at the MINDBODY BOLD convention – so I've stolen one of her favorite remixed tracks to use for this week's Free Music Friday.
Here's the original Imogen Heap — Hide And Seek which you could use as your cooldown/transition track at the end of class. The remix below is from White Panda:
The White Panda formed when two boyhood friends discovered they had independently embarked on mashup careers in college. Chicago-based Procrast (Tom Evans) first blended Rick Astley snippets with 2 Live Crew grooves as a way to avoid productive activity in 2008, while DJ Griffi (Dan Griffith) embarked on the same mission, for a similar purpose, in Los Angeles. Their combined effort, the White Panda, launched in 2009 with a single that topped internet radio charts days later. They’ve since had 30 singles reach #1 on Hype Machine.
Amy and I are in Santa Monica, CA this week for the MINDBODY Bold convention. I knew I would have a bunch of downtime and did a search for classes near our hotel. Imagine my delight at discovering a SoulCycle just a few blocks away 🙂
We attended a sold out class there Sunday morning at 9:00. The Instructor's name was Heather P and it was very easy to see why people (primarily women 20-40 years old) are in love with these classes.
I also attended a second class (about 85% full) on Tuesday 10/14 with a different Instructor. Please keep in mind that what follows is my first hand experiences, based on taking two classes at the Santa Monica location.
It's all about the details.
The whole experience (registration, welcome, pre-class, the class, post class) had me understanding why they are so successful. SoulCycle is a well-oiled machine designed and scripted to deliver their product very efficiently. Their attention to detail is remarkable and IMO a large reason for their success is based on how well they appear to have refined (and execute) even very small details.
I've got a lot to tell you – I may end up breaking this into a few posts – so lets get started.
Registration
First time participants get a discount ($20 vs $34) and free ($3) shoe rental – but you can't sign up online if you want the deal– you need to call the studio directly. A very pleasant young lady answered the phone, asking me my questions (mine was; “who's class should I take?), took my information and smoothly asked for my credit card info to confirm my appointment.
So why do you force me to call? I'm on your website. You could easily provide a “first timers click here” button, but SoulCycle wants me to call them. WHY? I've been thinking about this question since last week. Probably overthinking it. They say the simplest explanation is typically the right one: SoulCycle wants to make a personal connection with their customers right from the beginning – before they ever set foot in their studio.
A nice touch – would that make sense for your studio?
After getting the recommendation to take Heather P's class, I was asked where I wanted to ride. I asked for two bikes near the front – they reserve the front row for regulars I think. This is important as these experienced riders tend to lead the class as Heather was off the bike for at least half the class.
After the call I received a series of emails; a CC receipt and a Welcome to SoulCycle email that included the image above.
Welcome to SoulCycle
Amy and I had a short walk from our hotel and I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about the experience I was about have. There were three, friendly, young people behind the counter. We introduced ourselves and one of the attendants found our names on a printed class attendance list. Next to each of our names was a purple check mark, indicating we were first time riders. Another nice touch – this list was given to the Instructor so she would know who's new and she made a point of greeting us before class started.
What else can we provide for you two? I had purposely left my bike shoes at home, preferring to try out their rental shoes. I gave her my shoe size and she quickly handed me a pair of generic road shoes with LOOK cleats. LOOK cleats? Not SPD's? That didn't make sense to me and I wasn't able to get any information about why LOOK instead of SPD. Amy's idea was that LOOK cleats maybe easier to get in & out of?
Key Studio Room Details
Arrow pointing out Instructor monitor speaker
By all appearances, the studio is exactly the right size for the 60 cycles they have. There isn't room for anything else! Each bike is set very close to the others in the row. The rearward end of the seat slider in front of me sits right below the end of my bike's handlebars. The back 4 rows are raised theater style.
Some people might not like how cramped this studio is. My initial reaction was just that; too many people squeezed into a small space. But by this time I was seeing how SoulCycle doesn't appear to do anything without a purpose. As I watched the others ride, it became obvious that the closeness (we're all part of the same tribe) was another part of the charm that is this brand + with each bike potentially bringing in $2,000 a week, I'd pack them in as well plus have a few hanging from the ceiling if I could find a way for a person to ride it!
Rubber flooring – what a relief to have something other than slippery polished stone or bamboo flooring to walk on wearing cycling shoes 🙂
Instructor monitor speaker – even though this is a small space, having a monitor speaker (so the Instructor hears & can adjust her mic/music ratio) is crucial for keeping your vocal cues intelligible along with loud music.
Those candles are electric – which was a bit disappointing. Here I kept hearing about the candles – maybe they are real at some of the other studios.
Two exits – a small thing but I've been frustrated in other studios trying to get in or out.
Ventilation – minimal and yet it never felt stuffy… nor did the mirrors fog up like I certain LifeTime club I'm aware of.
The SoulCycle Indoor Cycle
Amy wasn't crazy about the saddle and I didn't notice either way. About 70% of this class was standing so it really didn't matter.
I don't think you can buy enough for a full studio, but you can purchase the Indoor Cycles used at SoulCycle studios for use at home. These cycles are of their very own design and my understanding is that they're manufactured in the same factories that make other brands.
Conventional weighted flywheel with friction resistance. These things are very heavy bikes = solid and stable. The ride is very smooth and I found the resistance very progressive. There's no computer/console of any type and the only thing out of the ordinary are the cages that hold your weights. Every bike uses reversible LOOK/SPD pedals. There is no shoe basket option for using fitness shoes – an important detail as I'll explain in a moment.
I quickly found a setting that had me comfortable in and out of the saddle. Amy said she got close, but didn't feel completely right and she wasn't a fan of that sculpted saddle. I should note that we didn't identify ourselves as Instructors, but I was wearing Pearl bibs which obviously identifies me as someone with some level of bicycle experience. Although we were told at check-in that someone would be there to help set us up, no one did. There were three assistants in the room, so my assumption is that if we had looked clueless (or asked) someone would have been there to help.
Key Bike Details
As you can guess, you move around on the bike a lot in these classes vs. more cycling specific formats. The rock solid stability of the SoulCycle bike instills a lot of confidence in the rider that it isn't going anywhere. After the class I tried lifting one end and those things must be made out of cast iron they're so heavy. Every bike was spotless and appear to be very well maintained despite 60+ classes offered there each week.
If you're going to move around safely, it's important that your feet stay connected to the pedals. The LOOK cleats on my bike and SPD's on Amy's bike were adjusted quite tightly, requiring more rotational force than typical to release. You don't want your release settings too high on a road bike, but to me, tight = safe indoors.
Before taking this class, I had looked at shoe rentals as a convenience you offer to riders. Now I recognise that having a policy where everyone is securely clipped in would be a real safety enhancement. Shoe baskets (AKA Toe clips) may be more accommodating for new people, but they're truly a pain and could actually have potential safety issues when compared to cleated shoes:
Cleated shoes offer a very secure, positive engagement vs. shoe baskets that may or may not be fastened securely – or stay fastened if the strap isn't routed correctly through the capture mechanism.
Cleated shoes have better foot alignment – how your foot is positioned on the pedals can have a big effect on your knees. Don't believe me? Next time on the bike rotate your heals in and watch where your knees end up. Knee over pedal needs to be in two planes; fore/aft and side to side.
Cleated shoes control the position of the ball of your foot over the pedal spindle – this can vary wildly with different size feet in shoe baskets.
Cleated shoes have solid bottoms = much more comfortable when standing regardless of how much out of the saddle riding you do.
If your studio offers unconventional classes similar to SoulCycle, I see a policy of only allowing cleated shoes as a Best Practice to ensure your riders safety + at $3.00 a rental (your first class rental is free) it could be a nice source of additional revenue.
On October 10th my sons, Christian and Seth, and I participated in an indoor cycling charity ride called The Roadless Ride which benefits a local charity named Brent's Place. This event consists of 12 one hour indoor cycling classes where participants donate $45 or more for each class they choose to participate in. There is also a group of “Century Riders” who ride all 12 hours. Christian, Seth and I joined 22 other endurance junkies for this challenge. It was an awesome day! Most of the classes sold out and all the Century Riders completed their 12 hour endurance journey. The event organizers are predicting we raised over $100,000!
I participated in 9 classes and led 3. For the final 2 hours I team taught with fellow instructor, Collin Catel. Colin and alternately taught 3 song sets. We have different teaching and music styles, but when we were organizing our playlist I fell in love with this set that Colin put together, so I thought I would share it with you.
I also included the video we used with this 3 song set. I hope you enjoy it!
3 song harmonically mixed track, 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.
I recognize that there are a lot of people in my classes who, while not actually want to be “beat”, do want music that will give that general feel 🙂
Track 1. wasn't familiar to me – but a quick listen on Spotify told me Dropkick Murphys — I'm Shipping Up To Boston would make an awesome closing track. I typically will have everyone replicate (or improve on) their earlier “Best Effort” threshold interval. The only trouble is that this track is too short at only 2:34. I'm looking for a three minute + finale to empty the tank.
This 72 RPM instrumental remix is HUGELY motivating and @ exactly 4:00 is the perfect length. The composition of this remix is such that your riders will have no idea what they have coming at them and a nice, abrupt ending that will signal the end of the interval. Nice.
Michael's second suggestion isn't bad either Laidback Luke — Turbulence has a perfect cue right at the 4-to-go point.
Me with Master Parkinson's Cycling Coach Kathy Helmuth
This is without a doubt the most worthwhile project I've ever had the privilege to be involved in.
Over one million people in the USA suffer from the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s Disease. As of today, there is no known cure for Parkinson’s Disease, however, regular exercise has shown to help with the reduction of the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s Disease in many of those afflicted.
We feel Indoor Cycling is the safest and most effective form of exercise available.
The National Parkinson Foundation’s most recent study identified that 61 percent of people with Parkinson’s suffer from depression, with symptoms that ranged from mild to severe.
Exercise has been proven as an effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), and now there is sufficient research to help doctors prescribe the proper dose of exercise for depressed patients… again, we feel Indoor Cycling is the best form of exercise.
But there are very few clubs or studios offering Indoor Cycling classes specifically for people with Parkinson’s Disease. And for good reason; there are only a handful of fitness professionals trained to properly conduct these classes — we plan to change that!
We're looking for committed fitness professionals to join our army of Parkinson’s Cycling Coaches, who will provide these hugely beneficial classes!
Earn 0.5 ACE CEC's
Meet Master Parkinson's Cycling Coach Kathy Helmuth and learn how you can train to become an ACE accredited Parkinson's Cycling Coach by listening to our announcement podcast below.
Interested in becoming a Parkinson's Cycling Coach?
Coaching a room full of Parkinson’s people is very different from teaching a traditional Indoor Cycling class… so different that we describe your future role as that of a coach, not an Instructor. Classes are coached off the bike, with you working the room, addressing individual needs and motivating your class.
To qualify for this training you'll need to possess a verifiable combination of the following prerequisites:
#1. Current Certification in CPR and AED
AND
#2 Current National Group Fitness Certification — ACE, AFAA, NETA or similar
OR
Current Personal Training Certification — ACSM, NASM, NETA or similar
OR
BS in Exercise Science or related Medical field
OR
Athletic / Endurance Coaching Certification — USA Cycling, ITCA, USAT or similar
2 or more years experience in conducting indoor cycling classes is helpful, but not mandatory for this program.
We feel these qualifications will provide a strong foundation to the training we provide, resulting in quality Parkinson’s Cycle Coaches.
This is an online training program that will take ~ 5 hours to complete. It's a combination of written articles, audio interviews and video demonstrations.
Join our army by clicking here to start your training as a Parkinson’s Cycling Coach.
Questions?
You can email Coach Kathy: kathy@parkinsonscyclingcoach.com or feel free to call her (941)-313-0004
Click here to learn more about the initial research that discovered how Indoor Cycling can help reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.
week's Free Music Friday.
