If you have questions about the changes in Music Licensing Fees I may have found someone with some answers. I'm interviewing Alexandra Williams – MA tomorrow at 10:00 Central time and would love your suggestions. Alexandra has written an extensive article in the latest IDEA magazine (sorry no link) about some of the changes going on in the Music Industry in different parts of the world.
Alexandra and her twin sister Kymberly, are fitness authors and together run FitandFun.org
Please post your questions below and I will try to include it in the interview.
As an indoor cycling instructor, you’re going to find a large percentage of your students dabble in triathlon, or engage in it as a serious sport. Either way, you don’t want to be embarrassed by using the wrong triathlon-related words or terms in your class when talking to them about triathlon (including the ever-popular pronunciation of triathlon as “triath-a-lon”).
So to help you look better and converse intelligently and confidently with your indoor cycling students who are triathletes, this is Part 2 of a five part series called “Tri-Lingo 101” that will teach you how to use the correct triathlon terms. In this article, you’ll learn common triathlon bike terms. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Aerobars – Because it is more comfortable and more aerodynamic for triathlon racing, most triathlon bikes are equipped with these type of bars, which attach to the handlebars or stem of a bicycle and allow you to ride in the aero position. These can also be placed on a road bike.
Aero Bottle – Many triathletes attach a water bottle to the aerobars rather than to the down tube or seat tube, which makes drinking in the aero position an easier task.
Aero Position – Also known as the time trial position, the aero position involves riding in a “hunched over” position with the elbows resting on the aerobar pads. This saves your running muscles and helps keep you aerodynamic, especially on the relatively flat bike courses that most triathlons have.
Bonk – Because you cover long distances while cycling, it's easy to get stuck during a ride or race without food or fuel. When this happens, your blood sugar can drop so low that your brain goes into a fog and your muscles quit firing. This is called a bonk. The fix? Eat fast and eat lots. I hate it when that happens… John
Brick – A “Bike-Run” workout, in which you run immediately after finishing the bike leg of a triathlon or a bike workout.
Cadence – The speed of pedaling while bicycling, also known as RPM, or Revolutions per Minute.
Disc – A solid wheel that is very aerodynamic and often used as a rear wheel in triathlons.
Down Tube – The tube of the bike that runs from the handlebars and diagonally slopes down towards your back wheel.
Drafting – Riding close enough behind the cyclist(s) in front of you that you pedaling becomes less difficult due to that rider stopping some of the wind resistance. This is illegal in most triathlons, and you must typical maintain 3-4 bike lengths behind the person in front of you.
Dropped – When you're riding with a group of cyclists who are drafting, and you eventually get too far behind to be in the draft, you'll find that the gap increases between you and the group, pedaling becomes harder, and you can't catch up. You've been dropped.
Hammer – To pedal very hard, typically for an extended period of time (i.e. “That ride was a Hammer-fest!”).
Seat Post – The tube on the bike that attaches to your saddle, and is typically adjustable up and down. On some triathlon bikes, it can be cut.
Spin – To ride easy, in recovery mode, or pedal with very low resistance. The opposite of hammer.
Time Trial – Typically a 20-180K ride at the maximum sustainable pace, usually performed in the aero position. The bike leg of most triathlons is defined as a time trial.
Top Tube – The tube that extends from the handlebars, between your legs, and horizontally back towards the back wheel.
Ben Greenfield is a fitness business coach, triathlon author, and sports nutritionist. If you want more videos, aricles and audios about swimming and other triathlon related topics, visit Ben’s free blog and podcast at http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com . Also be sure to check out Ben’s endurance sports website Endurance Planet, at http://www.enduranceplanet.com and his Rock Star Triathlete Academy, at http://www.rockstartriathlete.com . Finally, if you want to learn how to grow your fitness business and make more money, visit Ben’s fitness business advice website at http://www.trainfortopdollar.com .
My good friend John Macgowan of www.indoorcycleinstructor.com effectively outlined the three components of a group fitness class: 1) foundation, 2) media (i.e. music) and 3) presentation. It is my opinion that neither one, alone, will make your class great, but one, alone, can ruin it.
I participated in an indoor cycle class this morning and I am confident I will never attend this instructor’s class again. The foundation was great. The instructor chose to lead us through a moderately challenging endurance ride. We performed a combination of high and medium cadence sections both off and on our seats.
The music selection was good. Most of the music was easily recognizable and appropriate for the ride.
The presentation, on the other hand, was extremely poor. There was zero excitement and enthusiasm in the instructor’s tone and facial expressions (if there were any facial expressions at all). Eye contact with the fitness participants was minimal. Lastly, there was too much talking and explaining during the 60-minute class.
Unfortunately, the instructor’s poor presentation skills trumped the foundation and media components of the class, making the experience a negative one. I didn’t exert every ounce of energy I had to give. I can say the same for the other participants because they were busy chatting amongst each other during the entire class.
I have always taught athletes, coaches and fitness professionals to highlight their strengths and improve their weaknesses. I do not believe you have to be excellent at everything, but you must be adequate in all of the components involved in your craft.
I would bet this instructor spends numerous hours planning the foundation and the media components of the class while dedicating little time to the presentation and delivery. Although the foundation and media components were good, if not great, the poor presentation ruined the class. When I looked around I saw people talking and doing their own thing. A few participants left before the class was over, most likely to never return.
Call to Action:
We can all learn from this instructor. Identify your weaker links and spend the time and effort to improve them. If you don’t improve, your participants’ focus will be on your weaknesses rather than your strengths. However, if you do improve, it will be easier for the fitness enthusiasts to gloss over the weaker components of your class and focus on the components you excel at.
ICI/PRO Member Bill Roach joins me to discuss his “Four Reasons Why You Should Consider a Newsletter for Your Spinning® Indoor Cycling Students.
Bill Roach is a Star 3 Certified Spinning Instructor and NASM certified Personal Trainer in Des Moines, Iowa. He served thirty years as a communications expert in the Iowa Attorney General’s Office before he took early retirement this year to devote more time to his fitness career. He has also been a long distance competitive cyclist competing in 24-hour and cross-state races.
Do you ever feel that you just can’t say everything you want during the course of teaching your indoor cycling class? Would you like an additional opportunity to teach, communicate, and bond with your students to keep them coming back? You might consider a newsletter for your students as a “value added” benefit. It’s easier than you may think. This is the first of two Podcasts covering the basics of writing a newsletter. In this episode, you'll learn the benefits of providing a newsletter for your students. – Retention. The most tangible benefit of a newsletter is that it builds student
loyalty and retention. If you are paid on the basis of class attendance, retention is
your lifeblood. Even if you aren’t, retention is one measure of your success as an
instructor for your management. And bigger classes are just more fun to teach. – Authority. The use of a newsletter distinguishes you as an instructor that will go
the extra mile. It also establishes you as someone who is knowledgeable about
health and fitness. This credibility makes your students more confident in your
knowledge and your teaching. – Teaching. A newsletter offers the opportunity to explain training concepts in
detail, a conversation not possible while riding during class time. You can
address periodization, threshold training, and contraindications while your
students can give these important concepts their full attention. And you can
coordinate the newsletters to your class plans to further encourage learning. – Bonding. Most important for me, a newsletter is a way to further the remarkable
bond between indoor cycling students and their instructor. A newsletter should be
personal in style – but not too much about the author. It should make readers and
students feel a part of an important “club” – which is exactly true! By promoting
the value and identity of that club, classes take on a more cohesive feel making
them more fun to teach!
Does a newsletter sound like something you might like to try? Bill walks us through the process of what you might say in your newsletter and how to deliver it, in an upcoming ICI/PRO Member Podcast.
Listen to the Podcast below or subscribe for free using
When ICI/PRO member Kerri Fleisher showed me this video of her Kids Cycle class it was hard not to think “she may be on to something here…” I'm sure some will question the safety of small people on big bikes and I asked her about it. Kerri responded with …
Safety is number one with me!! (Fun is number two!). I have my own kid in there! I would NEVER put a child on a bike unless I was 100% sure they were safe, and if I sense they are getting tired and losing form, I make them take a break. I teach 100% off the bike so I can give my undivided attention to the kids!
Amy and I would have jumped at the chance to have our two girls participate in this class, when they were that age. It's sad that we have blocked kids from enjoying this form of exercise.
So what would happen if there were Kid Sized Indoor Cycles? That fit them properly … With some fun music, like Kerri uses … And fun programing?
Watch the video and post a comment about how you could make this happen in your club or studio if you had the proper equipment.
