In my post yesterday about auditioning as a Life Time Fitness Instructor, if I only had three minutes to show my stuff… what music would I use? I suggested that you should use a track that you enjoy teaching to. Now I'm re-thinking it…
I actually auditioned at two Life Time clubs and both times I taught a whole class – and yes, both times I was hired 🙂 My audition wasn't part of an open Instructor call, rather both department heads had recruited me (they both initiated the auditions) to teach as a result of some Guerilla Marketing I had done, once I had decided I wanted to teach for Life Time.
I don't remember exactly what music I used, but I do remember that it was completely wrong for the second audition. It was a 9:30 AM class filled with middle aged women (what I affectionately refer to as a “House Wives Class”) and here I go cranking up Stranglehold by Ten Nugent. Stranglehold, all 8:33 of 74rpm of driving, climbing Nirvana, was not appreciated by this group who were used to their normal Instructor's dance/pop/club music. The old Bowie I'm prone to use probably didn't help either.
If I had it to do over again, and only had three minutes, what music would I use?
I'd use someone else's music. Here's why:
The objective of any audition or interview is to get the job. Period. It's your chance to give the interviewer (or the class) what they're looking for, it's not your time to give them what you want to give them. That comes after your have nailed the audition and secured a class on the schedule. Does that make sense [wlm_firstname]?
So the music I would use would be from a resource that has an understanding (or reputation) for good music to use in an Indoor Cycling class, designed to appeal to a broad audience and is typically the result of a collaboration between multiple Instructors. I few suggestions would be to find a track you like from one of the Spinning CDs, a track from one of hundreds of CDs from any of the fitness music sites or if you are an RPM Instructor you would of course use a track from their catalog.
My point here is that I don't feel many of us, especially new Instructors, can remove enough of our own personal bias in our choice of music. So for something as critical as your 3 minute audition, I'd suggest yielding to the expertise of other's.
If you are using Spotify Mad Dogg Athletics has a bunch of playlists you could choose from. I like this track Various Artists — African Move which has a lot of energy + an International / African sound which I feel would be enjoyed by many. I would cue it up at the :30 mark and run with it 🙂 I can't find a legal free remix but you can get it at Amazon.
For your free track might I suggest using a remix from another popular artist; Robert Miles, who ends up on many playlists. The track Children is very recognizable.
Ask my family, of the three components of fitness (Training – Nutrition – Rest) which is most important to me and without hesitation they will say Rest! Or in my case Sleep! I'm habitual in my sleep habits because a good night's sleep is paramount to my effectiveness the following day.
So when I heard that today is Sleep Apnea Day here in the USA, I though I should do my part to help inform you so that you can in turn inform your students.
Sleep apnea’s most frequent form is obstructive sleep apnea when the sleeper’s tongue and soft palate fall back against the back of the throat closing off the airway so firmly that the sleeper doesn’t fully inhale in repeated episodes that last 10 seconds or longer. In severe sleep apnea patients, the episodes can recur hundreds of time during the night, giving rise to serious impairment due to repeated oxygen deficiency.
My brother Dan has Sleep Apnea and for a long time he slept wearing the CPAP device shown in the video. Clumsy but a life saver for him and his wife 🙂
This tip maybe of value to some of your students, or maybe you…
I've never heard myself snore, but Amy, the Senior Group Fitness Instructor in our family has. I don't have Sleep Apnea but my snoring has had me evicted from my bed. We didn't realize it at the time, but my snoring was much worse in the winter = very dry air. Amy and I were on one of our working fitness vacations in Jamaica, when she commented that I don't snore there in the moist warm air. So we bought an inexpensive humidifier that now sits next to my side of the bed. As long as I remember to refill it with water, Amy has a quiet, restful night!
Last week’s post covered variations in intervals and ladders. This week’s covers variations in pyramids and steady-state workouts.
PYRAMIDS
A pyramid is a training technique that is essentially two ladders back to back, one ascending, one descending. The pyramid begins as an ascending ladder, but the top of the ladder becomes the midpoint, rather than the end. From the top of the pyramid, the progression of the training variable reverses and decreases in increments that are similar to the way in which it built.
Here is an example of a cadence pyramid that focuses on controlling leg speed: 80 RPM, 100 RPM, 120 RPM, 100 RPM, 80 RPM.
I should clarify that pyramids (and ladders) are not always about increasing and decreasing intensity. A cadence ladder or a cadence pyramid might adjust the resistance so as to keep the intensity consistent throughout.
Like ladders, pyramids can be done in either an interval or a continuous format. There are endless ways to approach them. A fairly standard intensity pyramid using intervals might be:
3 — 5 minutes of warm-up
30 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
45 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
60 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
90 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
60 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
45 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
30 seconds high intensity
3 — 5 minutes of cool down
Here are a few ways you can vary pyramids:
Ladder up and down, using identical variables for each step in both the up and down ladder. The cadence pyramid above is an example of this.
Ladder up and down, keeping one variable consistent while varying another. Use the cadence pyramid above and increase the intensity on the way up the pyramid. Then maintain the intensity on the downside.
Invert the pyramid. Use the cadence pyramid above but begin at 120 RPM and build to a peak of intensity as the cadence slows. Then reduce the effort as the cadence increases.
My favorite pyramid is 11 minutes, as 3-2-1-2-3. This structure provides endless possibilities for class design.
STEADY STATE
In recent years, the concept of interval training has been popularized. Maybe over-popularized. Along with that, a rather major backlash against traditional forms of aerobic training (i.e., “fat burning”) has occurred. It’s common lately to read that low-intensity aerobic work is useless for fat loss, that everyone should always do intervals, that “regular” aerobic work causes muscle loss, and more. I’ve even read claims that aerobic exercise makes you fatter and stresses the adrenals.
In broad terms, steady state training is repetitive, rhythmic work that maintains a given level of intensity. The intensity is usually moderate and aerobic because the term refers specifically to exercise that’s maintained while workload, heart rate, oxygen consumption, and blood lactate remain constant. During steady state, the removal of lactate keeps pace with its production, preventing accumulation. As a result, the work can be maintained over a long time.
So this might be along the lines of 20 to 60 minutes at a steady heart rate. Steady state is a critical aspect of indoor cycling.
What are the benefits of steady-state training? Depending on the intensity, steady state may burn more calories during the exercise period than interval training. It’s also more appropriate for beginners. It can be done more frequently — daily or even more often. This last point depends on the duration, frequency and intensity, as well as the set-up of the rest of the training program.
Also, some research suggests that regular exercise encourages people to stick to a diet better. Considering that interval training shouldn’t be performed daily, steady-state activity might help people stay on their diets.
For indoor-cycling instructors, steady-state training is a chance for us to communicate, rather than just cue the next change. (Please see “The Art of Cueing” from several weeks ago for topic suggestions.)
Finally, high-intensity interval advocates tend not to take into account that you can go hard and long. Steady state doesn’t have to be limited to a recovery class. It might be a time-trial at 95-100 rpm at threshold heart rates, depending on duration.
These four elements of variation — intervals, ladders, pyramids, and steady state — are tools that enable you to create endless variations on similar class themes. This method uses both sides of your mind. Your creative thinking allows you to vary your approach and create concepts. Your ability to organize and structure what you’re doing creates a class that makes sense and is easy for the student to follow.
Our 21 year old, Abby, was home from college last weekend, and was cranking the tunes out of her computer, as usual. This normally causes endless eye rolling and much sighing from the rest of us, but not this time! John looked at me and said, “This needs to be the Friday Favorite”, so thanks to Abby, here is a soulful R&B 58 bpm climb by Canadian recording artist Melanie Fiona. “Give It To Me Right” from her debut album “The Bridge” has an undercurrent “Time of the Season” by the Zombies that everyone will recognize. She has a brand new album out “The MF Life” that I cannot wait to get my hands on.
Every month, as an Instructor at Life Time Fitness, I receive a copy of their Experience Life Magazine. In the April issue an article about Building a Better Body Image caught my attention. John and I both wanted to learn more so we invited Health and Fitness writer Gina DeMillo Wagner onto the Podcast to discuss her article in more detail.
We've got this fabulous Public Radio station here in Minneapolis; The Current. Best described as Eclectic, you never really know what's coming next… but you'll probably like it 🙂 With Amy still in Mexico I was listening to the Current this morning when they played this awesome track that had me thinking “I could use this!” DELTA SPIRIT: CALIFORNIA has a solid 80 RPM beat that I can see as part of a long climb series. [wlm_firstname] how would you use this song?
