Talking after class with members, is an infinite source of feedback for me. Today was a great example.
My friend Georgia Green and her friend Mark were in class this morning. You met Georgia and learned about her and Mark's plans to ride 10,000 miles this summer in Podcast 342.
After class Georgia commented; “how do you (meaning me) ride with such a stable upper body?” I don't see many Instructors, or participants who can do that. My response was that after 20 years riding and racing bicycles, my legs tend to work pretty well together 🙂 Explaining more, I offered that excessive upper body movement is often the result of some muscular imbalance while pedaling = each leg's force is balanced by an equal, but opposite force from the other, throughout the pedal stroke.
While I appreciated her comment, on my way home it got me thinking:
Am I too solid/stable when I'm riding?
Should I move more? Perhaps even extenuate my movements, to communicate my effort using my body?
[wlm_private ‘PRO-Platinum|PRO-Monthly|PRO-Gratis|PRO-Seasonal|Platinum-trial|Monthly-trial|PRO-Military|30-Days-of-PRO|90 Day PRO|Stages-Instructor|Schwinn-Instructor|Instructor-Bonus|28 Day Challenge']Road cyclists have very little upper body movement while seated, even when they're producing crazy wattages. This video does a nice job demonstrating how stable these Pro's are when they ride. In the run up to the sprint finish they're probably going way over 30 MPH = a continuous 350 watts or more.
Switch now to this short video and you'll see where “if you don't do it outside, you don't do it inside” really doesn't apply.
Watch how Spinning® MI Mike Michaels moves side to side – a lot. I'll bet he doesn't do that on the road – it wastes too much energy. Here's another showing something similar, this time from Josh Taylor:
All that movement is show, right? Josh, as an experienced bicycle racer, wouldn't move like that in a race > the people he's riding with would think there's something wrong with him. I don't know about you, but watching Josh's movement has me wanting to move along with him. Which I guess is the point of this article; Just sitting there and pedaling smoothly may have you looking like a Pro out on the road, but you're riding inside.
How can you tell if you're moving?
Mike and Josh have an advantage over you and me > they have been filmed presenting multiple times. So they get to watch themselves and, seeing what they look like riding, they can visualise changes they can make to ride with additional… I think the word is flourish.
Have you ever filmed yourself? This could be another reason to rig up a simple stand for a cell phone and then watch how you move. Even if you don't go the video route, you might try adding or accentuating your upper body movement. Adding a little extra flourish just might give your class a reason to follow you.[/wlm_private]
I'm going to attempt to do this in my future classes. Are you willing to give it a try?
John Macgowan has so graciously invited me to contribute to the vast wealth of knowledge that is the ICI/PRO community-- woohoo!! Lucky me. 🙂 To those of you that I had the great pleasure of meeting at the 2011 ICI/PRO conference, hello again! To those of you that I have yet to meet, I look forward to many opportunities to open a dialog, discuss new concepts and create amazing ideas.
Speaking of ideas, I love good ones! I know it's been a good day if I've had at least --what I consider-- one good idea. Generally speaking, my best ideas come from thought-provoking conversations with others. With all the wonderful discussions I'm reading on the posts and forums, I'm bound to have a lot of good days moving forward.
So pull up a chair (if you dare!) and enter the head-space of Cam... I wish you the best of luck!
Here's what I've been thinking about today...[wlm_private 'PRO-Platinum|PRO-Monthly|PRO-Gratis|PRO-Seasonal|Platinum-trial|Monthly-trial|PRO-Military|30-Days-of-PRO|90 Day PRO|Stages-Instructor|Schwinn-Instructor|Instructor-Bonus|28 Day Challenge']
Do you ever find yourself spending a disproportionate amount of your mental and perhaps physical energy trying to please or quell the “squeaky wheels”? Typically the squeaky wheels are your most loyal attendees. They sit in the front row, they have "their" special bike, they enjoy filling out lengthy complaint cards, and they dislike any of your substitute instructors. These are the squeaky wheels, always generating a low-level disturbance. More on these folks in a moment!
Intrigued, I decided to check it out. The author of the post, Marjorie Clayman, is an expert in the field of enhancing the use of Social Media as it applies to the marketing world. Her frustration, as she puts it, "...is the selfishness that exists in the online world when it comes to covering topics that relate to beginners." As you'll see in her article there is a perfect parallel to the challenges that we all face as teachers of indoor cycling.
Now, back to those squeaky wheels!
We tend to teach specifically to please these individuals because we become acutely aware of their verbal tendencies. This makes it very challenging to recognize the needs of the 29 other individuals in the room. More importantly, we fail to see the hundreds if not thousands of potential participants that have never set foot in our classes.
As Marjorie puts it, "If you approach content on occasion from the perspective of someone who is brand spanking new to this space, you will get to meet people and help people whom you may not have met in any other way. What can be more valuable than that?"
So, are your squeaky wheels unconsciously (hopefully not consciously!) creating a "secret society" that makes the newcomer feel uninvited? How do we please them both? In the words of the great Bob Marley, "You can't please all the people all the time." Quite the conundrum, I know.
When you feel the pressures of oiling the squeaky wheels or as my friend and Schwinn Master Trainer Shannon Fable calls it, "teaching to the front-row frowners," take a personal inventory moment. Are you trying to please them to keep an angry person off your back or are you considering the needs of all?
In my time as a Co-Director of a group exercise schedule consisting of 120 classes per week, I fielded many squeaky wheel complaints.
Here are my Top 5 takeaways from my time spent with the dreaded comment cards box:
1. Never throw your team under the bus! It may be tempting to tell the class to fill out a comment card and cast a vote for you to have more classes on the schedule, but a) that's a bit self-serving and b) there are so many reasons why the schedule is created the way it is. Cost per head per instructor, school schedules, child care schedules, maintenance, special programming, weekly class balance, etc. Likewise, if you have a personal gripe about something at your facility, telling your participants to fill out a comment card in order to achieve your goal accomplishes one thing: The squeaky wheels learn that if they are loud enough, they'll get their way, even if it is not in the best interest of the program. This leads to my 2nd mantra...
2. Think big picture. Contrary to popular belief, the individuals that attend your classes are not actually your members. They belong to the facility and you belong to the program or programs that the facility offers. You represent a piece of a puzzle. The more you think of yourself and your fellow instructors in this manner, the more the participants will view you all as a cohesive unit. Amazingly, participant complaints become positive shout-outs when the instructors have a sense of solidarity amongst the team.
3. Stick to your guns. You and your fellow instructors are the resident experts at your facility and you are there to guide your entire class in a safe and effective workout. The squeaky wheels may think that it's cool when Jane Doe instructor takes their saddles away, but you as the professional have to step up sometimes and say what needs to be said. Of course, you must keep in mind that your position is really that of a customer service specialist. So, how can you easily stick to your guns and provide a top-notch customer-first experience? Enter the Bad News Sandwich.
4. Bad News Sandwich. Here's an example of a bad news sandwich.
"Hey Sally, I totally understand where you're coming from and I hear you. You're right. Riding an entire class without the seat is very challenging and it does make you "feel the burn." However, there are actually more effective ways to achieve the same end result and in an environment that is safe for everyone. Can you imagine how terrible it would be if someone were to fall on the seat post during our class?! I'm sure I would lose my job and I would feel awful. After all, my job is to help people achieve optimal health, not promote injury. I know you understand the predicament I'm in; I have to look after everyone's well being -- including yours. Let's discuss a plan that will work around your fitness goals. I'm sure we can come up with something that will challenge you even more."
Okay, so that was a bit on the cheesy role-play side of things, but I'm sure you've had similar conversations before. Just remember: Bad News Sandwich = Recognition of issue or compliment (Good News) + Addressing the issue (Bad News) + Recognition of issue (Good News). You can't go wrong with the Bad News Sandwich. Or ending emails with a smiley. 🙂
5. Equal attention for all. Some people may disagree with me on this one, but no one at your facility should be valued higher than anyone else. This goes for members and instructors! Even if a member has been paying dues for 20 years, the new person that just joined or just attended class for the first time should get the same kind of attention and treatment. Likewise, an instructor that packs the room and has been teaching for years is as much a part of the team as the newer instructor that supports a different set of participants (and thus increasing the number of unique users). The minute a hierarchy starts to form, problems arise. Suffice it to say, everyone plays an equally important role in developing a top-notch indoor cycling program.
Think about your classes this week whether indoor cycling, group strength, step, etc. Ask yourself: Am I teaching to the person that looks miserable or am I teaching to everyone? Am I dividing my attention equally amongst my attendees? Don't overdo it when it comes to greasing that squeaky wheel-- you never know when the chain might fall off.[/wlm_private]
Please share with the ICI/Pro community: How have you been addressing the "squeaky wheel" situations? Any good stories or ideas to share?
Indoor cycling has had a reputation of being a good cardiovascular workout. And that is absolutely true. However, when an aspect of any activity is touted vigorously, the reputation that is created can become definition. Even a recent indoor cycling certification workshop I attended spoke of the aerobic benefits while going as far as to say other training approaches on the indoor bike are not recommended because they lack the aerobic focus. There is nothing farthest from the truth. Although cycling does not contain the weight-bearing qualities needed for holistic fitness, it requires the strength and conditioning of the entire body.
Building Strength
Building strength on an indoor bike requires a specific focus. Just this morning I trained a dozen cyclists on their road bikes and indoor trainers on muscular strength. This is one of the rare cases where our power meters can work against us. To develop strength, the muscles need to be stressed with great force. Due to the amount of resistance needed to apply this force, legs speeds are considerably lower (50 to 70 RPM). Anyone who has experimented with power quickly figures out that faster leg speeds are best for producing higher levels of power output (more watts). This knowledge and the presence of a power meter can be a hindrance to developing muscular strength. Why? Because riders will look at their power meters during a strength interval and see that they are generating less power, which often causes them to panic. To fix what they believe is a problem, they will reduce the resistance (force) and then increase their leg speed to increase their power output. This in effect will reduce the needed stress on the muscles and greatly decrease the effectiveness of the effort.
Power Per RPM
To set riders up for success, have them focus on how much force they can apply or power they can produce at a given leg speed or RPM. Let them know up front that this may be considerably less then they would produce during a steady-state threshold effort or high-tempo climb, but the “purpose” is to build muscular strength which will in turn allow them to produce more power when it counts.
Have your riders perform an interval (30 seconds to 2 minutes) and see how much force they can apply to their legs at 60 RPM, then 65 RPM and then 70 RPM. Use the cadence on your bike or the speed of the music to set the tempo. If your bikes have power meters, what is the maximum or average power sustained at the specific speed for the determined duration?
Strength intervals are usually done in sets with 1 to 1 recovery. So if you are performing 30-second intervals, riders should receive 30 seconds of recovery between each effort (and 3+ minutes of recovery between sets). The number of intervals you perform per set can also vary depending on who is in your class and if they are accustomed to strength training (WITHOUT weights) on the bike. As you and your riders become more conditioned, advanced combinations of repetitions, duration and recovery can be used.
Start incorporating some on-the-bike strength training and help your riders develop the muscular fitness they need. Indoor Cycling is not just for Cardio anymore.
The computer industry has an acronym: G.I.G.O which stands for:
GARBAGE IN = GARBAGE OUT
It refers to the idea that if your input data/information is inaccurate (GARBAGE IN), then any computations, using that inaccurate data/information can't be anything other than GARBAGE OUT.
Over the years I've come to believe that you should carefully consider G.I.G.O as it could apply to the Heart Rate & Power training you offer in your classes.
Spinning® Master Instructor Danielle Foster alerted me to this article: Three Reasons To Rethink Heart-Rate Training from running.competitor.com. While they don't identify G.I.G.O by name as the cause of their concerns, a quick read through their list shows, and I'm confident you'll agree, that's the case…
1. Fluctuations Do Not Correspond To Effort Levels
Perhaps the biggest limitation to heart-rate training is that many changes in your heart rate do not correlate to your fitness level. Sleep, stress, and dehydration can all raise or lower heart rate on any given day. As normal people with jobs, families, and otherwise busy lives, these outside influencers are common and can have a drastic affect on your heart rate readings.
“Sleep, stress, and dehydration can all raise or lower heart rate on any given day.” I don't know about you, but if I don't get enough sleep I can feel like >>> GARBAGE. So anything my HR Monitor or Power Meter shows me will be potentially inaccurate. Same goes for; stress, hydration levels, illness, training frequency / amount and also if you're in the doghouse… because you forgot your wedding anniversary.
2. Lack Of Concrete Data Needed To Establish Training Zones
Another inherent drawback to heart-rate training is how difficult it is to establish your max heart rate and the accurate training zones that result from that figure. While a quick Google search reveals a myriad of formulas to help you find your max heart rate, the problem with formulas is that they are based on an average. What if you’re not average? Not only that, but is maximum heart rate really the best predictor of training zones?
Sally Edwards says using shoe size would be as accurate a predictor of maximum heart rate as any age predicted formulas. So what should you use to determine your training zones? If you're really serious, I'd take a graded exercise metabolic assessment. Yes they're expensive and you might have to travel a ways to find a provider.
What about a the 20 minute threshold field tests other's promote? They may work for the true endurance athletes in your classes. It's only after hours and hours of training that most have the fitness, and have learned to tolerate (and enjoy) the pain, that is working at threshold continuously for 20 minutes. Without either, your riders are probably not really finding their actual threshold HR or watts = G.I.G.O. Any zones they build from GARBAGE will be… GARBAGE.
Were always adding new members, so in case you missed (or haven't found) my series of posts from 2011. They describe why I don't feel long threshold field tests get the results we intend.
Barbara Hoots suggested that I share this article from Fluff Magazine about fitness entrepreneur Fatima Batook. She and her partner have opened Studio 55 – a women's only fitness studio in Saudi Arabia 🙂
Meet Saudi Arabia's Female Fitness Pioneer
Fatima Batook is the leading authority figure in Saudi Arabia's burgeoning Spinning® industry. Not only is she a pioneering female in the space, she's cultivating a community of happy, inspired ladies and proudly watching them blossom through a new love for fitness. Fatima worked with a passionate team from the United States for over a year via email and Skype to recently open Studio55, Saudi's first women-only Spinning® studio. In addition to overseeing the studio Fatima also runs award-winning clothing line, Tima Love Life. We spoke exclusively with Fatima to celebrate the opening of Studio55 and her trailblazing health and fitness platform pushing for the empowerment of Saudi Arabian women.
When and how did your love for fitness (and Spinning® in particular) grow?
“I was 18 when I was personally facing health and weight issues. I was morbidly obese for my height and age; doctors told me I was prone to diabetes and heart problems. Their advice was to go to the gym. I saw a great big poster on the gym’s billboard saying Spinning® burned 800 calories per hour and I thought this was my solution! I went into this intimidating room of bikes, sat on a bike for 10 minutes, then decided to never ever come back! Next day I pushed myself and attended 15 more minutes, till one day I finished a whole class. And that was my ‘turning point,’ that’s when everything made sense to me. Health and weight management was hard work that depended on progressive and consistent efforts like Spinning®. In 2007 I became a certified instructor to share my new passion with everyone.”
You tried opening a small indoor cycling studio several years ago but were forced to close it. What kept your dream for a new location alive?
“I actually never tried to open one on my own, I was teaching part-time at the only Spinning® affiliate center in my city, Al-Khobar. I never even thought I would want to open my own place. The thought came to me only when the place I was teaching at closed down for legislative reasons, because in Saudi Arabia at that time we didn’t have the legal license to operate a women’s health club. It was closed down in November 2013 with little effort from their management to re-open; I was on a mission to get the license not only for Studio55 but also for all health clubs for women across the country. Being a member of Young Saudi Business Women of Eastern Province, we had raised this matter with all the supporting documents of why we needed this and presented to the minister who issued licenses for men’s health clubs, and that’s when we had our triumph and received approval that all women can have a license to open a fitness/health club.”
How did you get your new project, Studio 55, off the ground?
“Studio55 was born out of three things: 1) Legal circumstances that forced the only health club I could teach Spinning® at to be shut down. For two years till Studio55 was open, I was training women from private properties (homes and recreational centers) till we were able to get the studio up and running, but it didn’t stop women from training and didn’t stop me from pursuing the dream of opening up soon to all women. 2) Fate! God put me at the right time at the right place. I was presented with a business opportunity from a male entrepreneur who witnessed the idea of cycling studios being a success in the US and wanted to bring the model to his home country, and today he’s my business partner at Studio55. Both of us have a marketing and branding background and we had the right vision for Studio55 to make it a reference for women all over Saudi Arabia for Spinning® and fitness. With that vision in mind we started from zero building a brand, a concept, interior and systems that go along with it. I have to say that Barbara Hoots (owner of Atlanta-based company, Indoor Cycle Design) played a huge role in directing us the right way and giving us the knowledge and know-how. 3) Passion drives every single move I do and bringing that passion throughout the studio was my goal. Instructors are the heart of the studio; with recruiting and training being scarce in Saudi Arabia they were our top priority. We had all the instructors fly to the World Spinning® & Sport Conditioning conference in Miami to meet, engage and train with the masters. After a month from soft opening I can say our passion spills over to the members and the whole environment in the studio. It’s a never-ending chain of positive reactions.”
I noticed a class you have called “Bokwa.” What is that exactly?
“Women always love to have fun everywhere, but especially here in Saudi! Women are always finding an excuse to party and Bokwa is a great and healthy way to do so. Bokwa is an intense cardio workout combing elements of African dance, kickboxing, light boxing and step. It’s a unique dance fitness workout using letters and numbers as placement combined with the use of hand signals and American Sign Language. It’s refreshing and builds strength and endurance driven by the pulsating rhythmic beats of African, Latin, popular dance and house music. Bokwa is an innovative dance workout that’s an abundance of fun and does not feel like a workout!”
Can you recall a heartwarming story (or stories) that stand out to you from the women you’ve instructed over the years?
“I have so many touching stories. One of the stories I always share is one I had encountered with an older female who was very traditional and religious. Just to give you a background, Saudi fitness instructors were not very popular 10 years ago and may be seen as a degrading job but today we’ve been gaining a lot of respect and many, many Saudi women are getting the training to become instructors. So I was faced with some negativity at times but it was with one lady who was against me from day one assuming I came from a background of “liberating” women in the incorrect way, “stepping” out of the cultural norms and traditions, so she wouldn’t attend any of my classes. She always put in a complaint to management that I was inappropriately dressed for a Saudi instructor while other instructors were fine because they weren’t Saudi! This was till one day when she didn’t have an option but to attend my class, which was a Spinning® ride dedicated to overcoming climbs as challenges in life. I shared a lot of my own personal challenges throughout the ride and that was her moment. That was the moment where everything changed to her, all the stereotypes she had in her mind, all the walls she had built, and all her guards dropped and faded away! After the class she came to me for the first time ever and thanked me, then opened up her heart to me with her personal challenges in life and apologized for judging me the way she did. That was a successful turning point because we came from different backgrounds but had so much similarity. As much as she was judging me I was too, due to her appearance and different cultural background. She actually inspired me to be more open to every type of woman because at the end of the day, we are one. Today she’s one of the most active women supporting Studio55 and myself.”
Why is your vision for female fitness health clubs so needed in Saudi Arabia at this time?
“It is needed, indeed! For many reasons, one of them being that obesity is higher in women than men and lifestyle-related diseases are increasing causing early deaths amongst women in Saudi Arabia. Women in Saudi need an outlet to vent and let go because they are super women–they are full-time mothers, full-time daughter, full-time sisters and full-time wives, plus they have jobs and many other cultural and social commitments. We have a huge responsibility as women in the family and we don’t live independently, therefore we are always in need by someone at some point of time. Female fitness clubs are a place where they can dedicate well-earned time to themselves and free themselves from all the worries and stress of their daily lives, reenergize themselves and become stronger to take on the rest of their days.”
In the Western world we’re all too familiar with the daily restrictions placed on the lives of Saudi women. What we don’t hear about enough is the sisterhood you share. Can you talk about how you empower each other?
“Women around the world have the same needs, dreams, ambitions and aspirations. One thing we’re blessed with in this part of the world is that even with our busy lives we have strong bonds, we stand for each other, support each other and connect with each other on many different levels. I’m blessed to see this first hand at the studio; the bond women have between each other is so strong and built purely on unconditional relationships. If anyone needs anything, there will be 20 women standing right by her side.”
What are your long-term plans for Studio 55?
“The plan is simple: open twenty studios by 2020 and inspire women to come together and have their own space to evolve and be more.”
Amy and I went to a Halloween party last weekend dressed as PeeWee Herman and Miss Yvonne. Yes my costume included a “shoe mirror” 😉 During the party someone asked me “what's the secret word for today PeeWee?” and I thought why not add a similar feature to ICI.com.
Note: yes I am aware that Groucho Marx first popularized “what's the secret word” on his TV show.
Eustress – It's not a secret word and you may have never heard it before. I first heard Author Tim Ferriss use it in the 4 hour work week. Eustress is simply defined as Good Stress. More here. Tim describes eustress as stress that has a defined end where you can recover. Any form of physical effort is eustress except for when an athlete is over trained – and you know the result of over training, don't you?
If you are familiar with the “wear sunscreen” song, which is a musical version of a commencement address, you may remember the line: “do something everyday that scares you”. Placing yourself is scary situations, then experiencing relief, is a form of eustress. Some examples would be: public speaking (teaching your first class), skydiving, asking someone out on a date, asking for a raise or competing in a race.
When I use eustress in class, I explain that the eu prefix is the same as in the word euphoria.
Amy and I went to a Halloween party last weekend dressed as PeeWee Herman and Miss Yvonne. Yes my costume included a “shoe mirror” 😉 During the party someone asked me “what's the secret word for today PeeWee?” and I thought why not add a similar feature to ICI.com.