by Amy Macgowan | Jan 16, 2014 | Instructor Training, PRO/STYLE
We just had a lovely long weekend in Phoenix, AZ for my niece's wedding.
I have a ‘thing' about paying to check luggage . So, I carried on everything I needed for 6 days-rehearsal dinner and wedding day attire, plus jackets (it gets cold there when the sun goes down), 4 pair of shoes, workout wear, etc. My back pack contained my HUGE outdated laptop, which is going to be replaced next week :).
All my liquids- key to my make up regimen, fit in a quart size bag to go through security. The key to light travel? Little jars and bottles. Here's how to do it:
-Keep any small jars you get from gift with purchases! They are perfect for re-filling and taking on trips.
-When you make purchases (especially at Nordstrom), ask if they have any travel size samples. If the samples are in a re-fillable container, keep it for future trips. Also, Nordstrom has their own store sample containers. Little jars and tiny spray bottles so we can make them for you if manufacturer samples are not available.
-DO purchase manufacturer travel size hairspray. I've tried numerous times to transfer from a big bottle into various little spray bottles and they clog every time!. I found over 30 options at Ulta.com, so choices abound!
-Keep everything in your quart sized bag. In other words, don't un-pack it. That way, everything's in one place for your next adventure. I even go so far as to leave it in my suitcase. I check the jars/bottles to see if they need to be re-filled and I'm ready to go.
-Pack a few extra quart sized bags in your luggage. You never know when someone may offer you a sandwich or piece of fruit for the road. We often stay at all-inclusive resorts and grab a little something for the flight. It beats the awful in-flight snacks available for purchase!
Even this hopeless make-up junkie can pack light and carry on! Please share your travel light tips and tricks.
You can reach me:amyjo@groupfitnessradio.com. I'd love to hear from you.
*I receive no compensation for writing PRO/STYLE. If I do at any time, I'll happily let you know!
by Joan Kent | Jan 13, 2014 | Big Box Instructor, Master Instructor Blog
By Joan Kent
Johnny G, legendary creator of Spinning and all indoor cycling, as well as Kranking, teaches three elements of training — rhythm, timing and breathing. From him, I borrowed the idea of opening each quarter of training with these concepts, one each day.
Day 1 is about rhythm. This is not following a beat; that’s actually a matter of timing. It’s about feeling our own rhythm within, our sense of aliveness. That sense is always there but can be obscured by internal noise — thinking, unfocused attention, and so on. If you can quiet your mind enough to feel it, you’ll always train with peace and a sense of joy.
Day 2 is about timing. You can explain cadence and work on drills involving cadence changes. I added my own “spin” on it by teaching the close connection between timing and technique. Most mistakes in technique are mistakes in timing.
Technique is important for safety, efficiency (we waste less energy), and the optimal application of power. The mechanics of the pedal or Krank stroke stay essentially the same at any cadence, despite the change in timing. That’s where cadence work becomes essential. Beatmatch is a terrific tool in cadence drills.
Another timing element is more apparent in movement sequences than in continuous circles — summation of forces. Force summation requires correct timing and sequencing of body segments and muscles throughout the motion. As you may know, combining correct timing and sequencing from large muscles to smaller ones results in maximum force. Before energy is lost from the first — and largest — muscle group, force from the next largest is added to it, continuing through the sequence and creating max force.
Some of you may have analyzed the pedal stroke in such a way that you can give a perfect breakdown of each segment of the pedal stroke in terms of force summation. I’d love to hear from you on that.
Day 3 is about breathing. Sustained power depends, of course, on oxygen delivery to muscle, and hard training is made possible by efficient breathing. A basic drill is to inhale and exhale with a consistent rhythm, so that the number of breaths matches up with a specific number of pedal strokes in any given time (say, 1 minute). Focus on basic abdominal breathing. Participants have called it “yoga breathing” because inhaling and exhaling both start in the abdomen.
Then run a cadence ladder and note how the match-up of breathing and pedal stroke changes with the increase in power and heart rate.
Another “spin” on breathing comes from my martial arts background. Power is created when we exhale. In karate, the kiai is performed not to shout and make noise, but to generate a moment of great focus of power. In tennis matches, we hear the forceful sound of the players exhaling. Pedaling is continuous, so there’s no specific moment where we focus power. Instead, we can create one. It can be any part of the pedal stroke that feels like an application of power, but it should be at that same point on each exhalation.
The final breathing drill was another Johnny G technique: uneven breathing. The even rhythm the rider has established between pedal stroke and breathing now changes to make the exhale one pedal stroke shorter (and sharper) than the inhale. (Inhale for, say, 4 down-strokes. Exhale for 3.) This takes practice but is a fantastic way to focus. (I did it for 40 minutes one morning, and my very experienced core knew it had done some serious work.)
At any rate, it’s a new year. It seems that one great way to start January — even in a class that’s been running continuously since last year — could be to go back to the beginning of indoor cycling, back to the basics, back to the underlying factors behind the basics, and back to our IC roots.
Then take off from a solid foundation for a great year of training. Happy New Year.
by John | Jan 10, 2014 | Deezer, iTunes & Spotify Training, Music, Spotify
Spotify is awesome for delivering your class music – at least for those of us teaching in a country where it's available. Seeing so many visitors here from Canada – where Spotify doesn't work, we decided it would be helpful to build a simple, free tool that will quickly convert a Spotify playlist into something a Deezer user can open and play!
The tool is located on it's own page that you can find here:
https://www.indoorcycleinstructor.com/free-spotify-deezer-music-track-playlist-conversion-tool/
Please note that you need a free or premium Deezer user's account before you'll see the actual tool. Click this link to login into to your Deezer account and convert away!
by Amy Macgowan | Jan 10, 2014 | Instructor Training, Music
I put this flat road into John's and my profile for New Year's Day and caught him by surprise! 🙂 In a good way- I think 🙂
These guys were one of the most influential ‘hair metal' bands of the 80's. (I wonder if they still have hair today?)
It was fun using this tune because everyone knew it and heads popped up from the power consoles with smiles. We worked near (but not at) T2- jammin' on a flat road at rpm's of 90 for 4:44.
Here's Motley Crew and ‘Kickstart My Heart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4aob4zlhIk
Your Spotify Link:
Mötley Crüe — Kickstart My Heart
And a pretty darn decent free download from Soundcloud:
Have you seen our new Spotify > Deezer playlist conversion tool? You can use it to quickly convert any Spotify playlist over to Deezer. Check it out 🙂
by Amy Macgowan | Jan 9, 2014 | Instructor Training, PRO/STYLE
Just a short little post today to tell you about a great product I found for $1.00!!!!
If you're like me, every once in awhile you get an unsightly pimple….zit….shaving bump (for our men) – whatever we want to call it.
ELF (Eyes, Lips, Face) has a great Essentials Zit Zapper for $1.00. Zit Zapper is a roller ball that contains witch hazel, tea tree oil, salicylic acid and camphor to reduce pore size and swelling. I clear the rack every time I'm at Target…one for my gym bag, one for the car, one for upstairs, downstairs, a couple for the kids, etc.
The Zit Zapper is brilliant and a great deal. Honestly, Clarins makes something like this called Truly Matte Blemish Control (2 X .17 fl. oz. for $24). Contrast that with $1 for 2 fl. oz. and IT WORKS GREAT!
Need I say more? Nope 🙂
Have a product you love? Let us know! Questions/comments? You can reach me: amyjo@groupfitnessradio.com. I'd love to hear from you.
*I receive no compensation for writing PRO/STYLE. If I do at some time, I'll happily let you know!
by Christine Hawthorne | Jan 8, 2014 | Deezer, ICI/PRO Team Member Articles, Instructor Training, Music, Spotify
When it comes to choosing music for my classes, I like to include several different genres in my playlists. Many that I create include a mix of classic rock, electronic, pop, and occasional country song and sometimes even classical. I always include at least a few current songs in each playlist, so it’s important for me to keep up with the latest songs as they come out each week.
Recently, I created a ride that included many favorite songs that came out in 2013, and since my riders had heard many of them through the year in my classes and of course on the radio, they really enjoyed the ride. You can check my post and playlist here.
Before I created the playlist for that particular class, I put together a separate Spotify playlist featuring all of my favorite cycling songs that dropped in 2013. I came up with forty-three of them, as well as a list of ‘honorable mention’ songs (songs that I used a few times, but wasn’t really crazy about-but some that you might find work just fine for you).
So without further adieu, I give you my top 10 Cycling Songs of 2013:
- Counting Stars by One Republic: This song is so upbeat and catchy, that I could use it in every class. It has a great beat and can be used seated or standing, or in combination. Some other great songs from this album that made my top list: What You Wanted and I Lived. This is by far my favorite album that came out this year.
- My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up) by Fallout Boy: This one is hands down my favorite of the whole bunch. Perfect for accelerations on the chorus, (or sprints/surges-whatever name you give them). This song’s energy and lyrics are unlike anything else I’ve heard on the radio this year and it will definitely keep your feet pedaling. Also check out The Phoenix and Young Volcanoes from the same album.
- Wake Me Up by Avicii: This song is a great mix of electronic, country-fusion. I remember the first time I listened to it thinking that it was different from anything I’d ever heard. Even after hearing it over and over, I’m still hooked. Some other great songs for cycling on this album: Heart Upon My Sleeve, You Make Me and Hey Brother.
- Timeless by The Airborne Toxic Event: I’m always searching for songs to use for heavy climbs. The lyrics and the vocals on this song are breathtaking, and as the title suggests, this one is timeless. A close runner up for climbing song of the year goes to Rebel Beat by the Goo Goo Dolls.
- Best I Ever Had by Gavin DeGraw: Another one of my favorites for accelerations on the chorus. I really like Gavin DeGraw’s music, and while this is a different sound for him, it works. It’s quirky, catchy and upbeat, and it’s sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.
- San Fransisco by The Mowgli’s: .This is one of those songs that sets the tone for your entire class when used as a warm up. It also works well as a fast flat road. Do you feel the love? I feel the love.
- Best Day of My Life by American Authors: This song, which you may have heard in a Lowe’s commercial or in the trailer for the movie ‘Delivery Man’, makes a great seated, standing or alternating hill climb. I also love Believer from the same album.
- #thatPOWER by will.i.am, Justin Bieber: While this is not a song I would typically listen to in my leisure time, I love a good strong beat that you can just get lost in while you’re pedaling. This one delivers just that.
- Jubel by Klingade: This is a recent find and one that I can see using again and again. It’s fresh and unique. I love the sound of the saxophone and the pretty vocals. I alternated between seat work and a standing climb on the beat, but I can see many different ways to ride to this one.
- Zorba’s Dance by David Garrett: This may seem like an odd choice to make my top ten, but every time I used this song, my classes LOVED it! It only clocks in at 2:34, but you’ll be tired and sweaty after this one. As the tempo builds, so does your cadence, ending with a 20 second all out sprint to the finish. Trust me. You and your class with love it!
Here’s the playlist that includes these top songs as well as the 33 others that made my list this year:
Honorable Mention: As I stated earlier, these are songs that didn't make my Top List this year. That’s not to say that you wont find the perfect spot for them in your next playlist:
-Clarity by Zedd
-Can’t Stop by Miley Cyrus
-Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus
-Safe and Sound by Capital Cities
-Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke
-Cups by Anna Kendrick
-Get Lucky by Daft Punk
-Applause by Lady Gaga
-Suit and Tie by Justin Timberlake
Care to take a listen?
Did I miss any? What were your favorites from 2013?
So whether you use strictly mainstream music for your classes, or you like to mix it up, try adding some of these top songs to your playlists in the coming months. You might just find some keepers in this bunch.
Here’s to a great new year filled with more amazing new music! Happy 2014!
