Last week a SoulCycle Instructor filed a class action suit alleging he and other Instructors were not paid for the extra hours spent in class prep, meetings, marketing, promotion, etc…
Does that sound like anyone you know?
What's proper or legal when it comes work requests, beyond actually teaching your classes, when you're asked by management?
I figured it would be helpful to get an understanding from someone who really understands the law as it applies to wages and pay. So I asked labor and employment Attorney Nick May, who I've worked with in the past, to be a guest on the show to help educate us all.
During the interview Nick raised this point, that I hadn't even considered;
Could the SoulCycle Class Action Lawsuit affect how you are paid in the future as an Indoor Cycling Instructor?
Listen to my interview with Attorney Nick May to learn more.
This May, the world's first cannabis-infused gym will open in San Francisco, where members will be encouraged to integrate the plant into their pre- and post-workout regimen
They'll say it will be about “Science”…
Power Plant Fitness will be a premier gym, McAlpine says, not just a hangout for potheads. Though, to be clear, there will be weed. He’s still hammering out the details, but McAlpine envisions offering cannabis performance assessments, in which trainers help determine how the plant can help an athlete work out before guiding them through weed-assisted fitness plans.
… and getting into the right training “Zone”…
“If you use it right,” he says, “cannabis takes the things you love and lets you love them more. With fitness that can help get you into the zone, into eye-of-the-tiger mode.”
… but really it's about selling stuff.
In addition, McAlpine hopes, members will be free to buy and consume cannabis on site, including Power Plant’s own line of edibles, which he says are “made for pre-workout focus and post-workout recovery.”
Is it a stretch to think this might be the start of a new genre of Indoor Cycling? It would give new meaning to; “Keeping it Fun” – don't you think?
Check out this video: The Benefits Of Smoking Weed Before Your Workout
Karen Nuccio, a fitness and spin instructor in New York City, told me a funny story:
While waiting in my car before teaching an evening spin class one night, I spotted one of my students. He tapped on my window and got in my car to chat. This was one of my all-star spin students – a ripped, shredded dude with tattoos and attitude. He would spin faster and harder than anyone. He gets in a car, we start talking about the playlist for the class and then he goes, ‘Do you mind?’ before pulling out a joint. Yep, my best spin student to date was high during every class. Moral of the story? Not every pot smoker sits on the couch and orders Domino’s. Some of them are dominating your spin class. We are all very specialized animals. Do I promote mixing drugs and fitness class? No. But I think we all need to find our way and for some people, the road to health is not a typical one. OK, so a fitness instructor I know well and respect confirmed marijuana can be extremely effective in athletic performance. Upon further digging, I found some long-distance runners use it before running races, and yogis use it to get a better stretch in. In more weed-friendly states, there are even yoga classes specifically designed to incorporate marijuana, like Ganja Yoga in San Francisco.
Now… who will be offering the first HIGHCYCLE Indoor Cycling Instructor certification?
And will they provide munchies?
Could be a cool franchise opportunity – let me know if you want to discuss.
This came in the mail yesterday and all I could think was, “this has to be for my dad. It can't be for me.” 🙁
No, I'm not going to apply…
I guess it just one more predictable thing that comes with reaching the half-way-point. (I'm 50 at the end of the month and I've taken to telling people that it will be me turning the corner for the other half of the race.)
The hardest thing for me about this age is now needing to wear reading glasses, after ~48.5 years without. Many of us are around this same age and I'm guessing you may have similar problems.
I have about 30 pairs of Dollar Store readers scattered around my house… and yet I'm constantly searching for a pair to wear. What a hassle. I can feel for those of you who wear glasses or contacts.
But what do you do while you are teaching, when you can't see the small numbers on your watch?
I'm one who prefers to ride at the same intensity as my class, but found my trusty Polar's display was no longer readable (by me) once the lights dimmed. Do I really need a heart rate monitor to know my intensity? Not really. 15 years of training has me knowing the feeling of both my T1 and T2 with a pretty high rate of accuracy. But I like to set a good example for everyone else… so I faked it.
Really I did. For about a year I would make a display of lifting my jersey and strapping on my chest belt. Then I would raise my monitor and ask; “how many of you are wearing your monitors?”
I don't have to fake it anymore. No, I don't bring my $1.00 readers into class. I'm using a Blink Heart Rate Monitor. 🙂
If you haven't (forgive the pun) seen this new Blink Heart Rate monitor yet, here's the link to their site. Very simple: it blinks BLUE below T1, YELLOW between T1 and T2, and then RED when you are above T2. T1 is your aerobic threshold and T2 is your anaerobic threshold / LT.
Chuck Cali manages ZONING, which is the educational program that sells the Blink. Chuck sent me one a few months ago to try and I'm in love with it. Now not only can I see what zone I'm in, but my class sees the little blinking light as well. 🙂 I have a new model that's a little different from what they show on their web site. The Blink I have has only one button, and it takes all of about a minute to program.
I love the simplicity of the Three Zone system and feel it will work well for the majority of the students in my class. It may also go a long way toward my desire for a standardized method of describing HR training zones. More about this in the future.
This Podcast is was originally published on July 4, 2009, I have updated it with our new Podcast host information and I am representing it now. I hope you enjoy it, Joey
Give up your Studio’s Spinning credentials because you want to use a different Indoor Cycling bike?
Blasphemy!
And yet Gene Nacey from Global Ride Studios has done exactly that. Gene is a firm believer in the value of Indoor Cycling 2.0 and wanted his studio to have bikes that include Gear Indication, Cadence and a Power (watts) meter. So he replaced all his Star Trac Spinners with new Keiser M3’s. His contract with Mad Dogg Athletics said to be a certified Spinning facility he needs to use only Star Trac bikes (which I feel is very restrictive and a bit silly). So he terminated his Spinning contract and is now a Indoor Cycling Studio.
Not satisfied with just changing out his bikes, Gene is working on some very interesting programing for teaching and training on the M3 or other Power bike that he will share on his blog.
Mark Dalrymple is a regular Global Ride student and also a professional photographer. He took this cool shot of the new M3 at the Global Ride studio.
Here is the link to the YouTube Video Listen to the Podcast below or subscribe for free using iTunes or Zune.
What I've described as the “SoulCycle Effect” appears to have caused a nice jump in the starting rate for IC Instructors. At many new boutique studios, the $50 – $75 per class rate advertised is the starting base pay rate. Consistently fill the room and the added $'s per-head incentives you'll receive could push your pay to $125.00 or more per class. Teach just six classes a week and you'll be making $15,000 to $37,500 a year… for a part-time job.
I don't know about you, but that's real money to me!
Big Box Clubs are feeling the labor pinch
Large health clubs are sensing competitive pressure from small/boutique fitness studios and it scares them. Not only are they losing customers, they're also watching their best Instructors walk out the door to join a startup down the street.
How do I know this? Because it was a common theme voiced by multiple club owners and equipment distributors I spoke with last month at IHRSA.
Which is a 180° flip from six or so years ago. That's when the small/boutique studio boom was ramping up. Then a fitness entrepreneur's primary strategy was differenciation. What can I do to be different from the local Big Box? Now it's the owner's and managers of these same large fitness clubs asking the same thing – LOL!
If it's been awhile, you're probably due a raise
If it's been a few years since your last review, now is probably as good a time as any to ask for an increase in your per-class rate.
Do a little research to learn what other studios near you are offering. It wouldn't hurt to graph out your class attendance and possibly list all of the times you agreed to sub other Instructors classes – so you can demonstrate your value to the business. Then be brave, schedule an appointment and politely ask for a raise. Unless you're a real flub, or there's no other option where you can teach, your current employer will want to retain your services = will want to keep you satisfied and offer you some additional $$$.
If that doesn't work – you can always check indoorcyclinginstructorjobs.com to find a studio who would love to have you on their team 🙂
Some of us aren't comfortable hearing our own voice.
Do you remember hearing the sound of your amplified or recorded voice for the first time? After recording 240 interviews I have learned that many (if not most) Instructors don't like to hear themselves speak. I'll include myself in that group. Over time we get used to it, but unconsciously you may have the tendency to try and minimize your level of exposure; i.e. you reduce the volume of your mic.
Think about it for a minute. Anytime you find yourself in a situation where you don't feel comfortable, where you feel exposed and may think; Oh my gosh, I'm completely naked, standing here for the whole world to see and be laughed at for my Love Handles… Your first reaction is to cover up. Right?
I re-read this post, Can you hear me OK? and thought; “I wonder if some Instructors unconsciously keep their mic volume down?”
I don't know the answer and I am interested in your thoughts.
Are you OK hearing yourself speak through an amplified system?
Have you at anytime felt a lack of comfort hearing yourself?
If so, have you become more comfortable hearing yourself over time?
This came in the mail yesterday and all I could think was, “this has to be for my dad. It can't be for me.” 🙁
