If you're one of the 10,000 Instructors who teach at one of the 300 clubs or studios currently using GroupExPRO to manage class subs and Instructor communications, you can skip listening to this Podcast.
If you're not, please read on…
For Instructors who are tired of; sub requests for class formats you don't teach, the endless string of needless Reply to All mass emails that fill your inbox, the difficulty you have simply finding a sub or worst of all (at least for me) not being notified when there's a class you can teach.
Or maybe you manage your club's Instructor team and are completely overwhelmed by Instructors who can't (or won't) find subs for their own classes and expect you to pull a rabbit out of your hat at the last minute to cover their class – or end up teaching the class yourself.
Either way you'll want to take a few moments to listen to this interview with Schwinn Master Trainer Shannon Fable. Shannon is a long time group fitness department manager who, together with her husband, created GroupExPRO to solve the problem of managing the continuous need for fitness class subs.
If you can relate to the frustration I express during this interview Shannon has a simple way for you to forward information about GroupExPRO to the proper person in your organization. Click > indoorcycleinstructor.com/subhelp to be taken to her referral page. Add your info and your manager's – then please add a short note about how you see this improving your club or studio.
As her way to thank you for your efforts, Shannon will be sending you a $50.00 gift card if your recommendation leads to GroupExPRO being implemented in your facility.
Sometimes, with the best intentions (and a lot of effort), new fitness businesses don't work out as planned. Which leads to sending out a sad email like this one:
John, sadly I have to close down 2 of my studios and consolidate to one due to landlord doubling the rent. Is there anywhere I can
post that I have 30 slightly used RealRyder Spin bikes available so I do not have to put them into storage?
Bob
My initial response was; I'm sorry Bob, I really don't have anyway to help you 🙁
But then I remembered seeing an email from a company who offers a service that I could add to our Pedal-On.com forum. It creates the marketplace that would help Bob (or you for that matter) advertise and sell used Indoor Cycling bikes and/or other equipment.
UPDATED 9/2014 these are sold.
Are you looking for help with your new or existing studio?
We've helped dozens of new studio owners and we can help you too.
All you need to do is ask – click here for our contact form.
After watching the presidential debate last night, I remembered this post that addresses the importance of being prepared. Originally posted on Oct 9th 2014.
Many of us have been guilty of showing up for class and then just “winging it”. But are we putting forth the best YOU when you're making stuff up as you go along?
I've featured Alexa Fischer's short videos in the past and feel you just might re-think your class preparation after watching this video… and then the video that follows below.
If you appreciate Alexa's wisdom like I do, I highly recomend subscribing to her email list. Go here and fill in form in the righthand sidebar.
Winging It
Here's the video Alexa refers to where Billy Joel agrees to let an unknown student play piano for him. If you need a “day brightener” this will be it 🙂
Tom Scotto from Cycling Fusion presents the second in his series of Audio PROfiles designed as the companion to Global Ride virtual cycling DVDs.
Paceline Cycling in France – DVD #2
PROFILE DESCRIPTION
A five minute warm-up and cool-down provide bookends to the perfect ride at the base of the French Alps. Two steady 20-minute efforts separated by a 5-minute recovery will provide many training scenarios and objectives with this DVD. OBJECTIVE AND INTENSITY
Since the structure of this DVD is based around two 20-minute steady-state efforts, one could easily approach this as a tempo ride (Zone 3) with intermediate recovery or a 2×20 threshold field test pushing the limits of Zone 4.
Below, Premium Members can view and download a printable Class Profile that can be used in class, read a detailed description of the Power Based Training Zones and download a printable Power Postcard.
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My last blog post was ended with this statement: “This blog represents the first in a series that will be exploring power and how we can make it more accessible, more understandable, more reliable, and more straight forward to teach with.”
To live up to those lofty goals, as an outdoor coach, an indoor instructor, and in general a man dedicated to getting the science right, the only place I can start from is one of credibility and truth. In other words, however I am going to try and lead someone to apply power and ultimately teach with it, it must be done with reliable and repeatable techniques. This is my only hope of also producing reliable and repeatable results in both indoor cycling instructors as well as our students.
The variability of how the same power levels feel on different bikes (specifically the Keiser m3 that we have used predominantly for the last 5 years) is something that has actually prevented us from doing lots of more engaging and/or fun training in groups. I don’t want to push someone to work hard only to have the fact that they chose a “hard bike” today instead of the easy one be what determines their ultimate success in any competitive or group activity.
I knew that until there was a way to objectively verify what power I was pushing on the m3 I could not know what the truth was, and so I waited for an way to implement this objective measurement. It finally was made possible when the Garmin Vector power pedals were released. This video is the initial launch of this research study.
Video Agenda
After an initial introduction as to why I took on this huge research project, I show the details as to how the Vector Power Pedals were fit on each bike and the nitty gritty steps on calibrating these pedals before I could begin testing the bike. This calibration method had to be done for each bike, and repeated each time I repeated the test.
This video also is the first in a series of video blogs that will allow you to take this journey with me as I discover what is possible and what is not in the pursuit of establishing real power levels of the Keiser m3.
