Master Instructor Cameron Chinatti joins me on this episode of the Podcast to discuss their new iPhone App. Looks very cool as it uses Ant+ to connect to the FreeMotion Power console, displaying your ride info on your iPhone. More on this once I have the chance to use it myself š
You'll need this Ant+ dongle from Wahoo Fitness to connect to your iPhone.
The It's not easy staying green -Video PROfile from Cameron we discuss in this interview will post later today.
For our 200th episode I wanted someone very special! Meet my friend Dr. Shannon Subramaniam who is someone you can't wait to see again. I asked Dr. Shannon to be my guest to discuss what Amy and I saw as the four traits that made us so excited to see her over and over again.
The four keys to; be the Instructor your students can't wait to see again:
You only get one chance to make a first impression!
While I've taught a lot of classes on Indoor Cycles that display Power/Watts, this morning was the very first Power based class I've ever taught. Ā So what's the difference?
65 new FreeMotion Indoor Cycles with Power meters that replaced conventional Spinner NXTs and very willing participants interested in the value training with power will bring to their fitness.
Sunday mornings are my 90 minute endurance class. I have a very devoted following of endurance athletes in attendance. They are all focused onĀ maintaining and/or building their aerobic endurance inĀ preparationĀ for Spring – in other words, the perfect group to introduce power to. In other classes I've taught where we had Power meters, there is too much variation between students… who we have described inĀ earlierĀ posts as Susan and Bob.
OK, now I have the perfect class to begin teaching with Power, new bikes with Power meters, but no idea what I should do for my first class š
So I called the best person I could think of and begged asked her to tell me what I should do for my very first Power based class.
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What follows is Cameron Chinatti's suggestion for your intro class as an Audio PROfile.
Objective: Orientation & Observation
Our ride will consist of two primary objectives: the 1st– to orient ourselves to the console and learn itĆ¢ā¬ā¢s basic functions. Then weĆ¢ā¬ā¢ll observe the cause-and-effect relationship that your actions have on the information you see in front of you. Once we make it through 10 min. of orientation and warm-up, weĆ¢ā¬ā¢ll begin to dive into todayĆ¢ā¬ā¢s goal the two components that drive Power:Ā Force and Velocity!
Goal: Beginning in STAGE 2, you are going to get 3 opportunities to best yourself against four-minute efforts.Ā Can you cover more distance with each repetition? This might seem easy on paper, but putting it into practice is very challenging!
After discussing this with Cameron, we decided that we would make the Audio PROfile recording available to everyone. PRO members can click here for the PDF to print out and Cameron's suggested playlist.
Here's the FastFit Guide Cameron uses for bike setup.
With the announcement that ICI/PRO Team Member Doug Rusho had joined Stages Indoor Cycling, I thought it would be interesting to learn the selection process that Cameron Chinatti used to pick Doug as their newest educator.
In this episode of the Podcast, Cameron, Doug and I discuss what Cameron was looking for in a potential Master Instructor and how Doug's willingness to “put himself out there” demonstrated who Doug is and his commitment to our industry.
Meet Emmy Ragali, the owner of Go Cycle Studio in Chicago IL. Emmy is the first BetaĀ instillation site for the Top Power Display System from Performance IQ.
I wanted to learn first hand what Emmy's experiences were using the Top Power display to show the wattage and RPM of each Keiser M3 her participants are riding.
You may have concerns about bringingĀ competition into your class and so do I. During the interview I asked Emmy some specific questions aboutĀ how her class accepted theĀ competitive atmosphere that develops by having everyone's data displayed on a big screen.
While I was reviewing the Go Cycle website I noticed this link to an evaluation form where participants can give feed back on the quality of the Instructor and their class – I see this as an excellent idea and Emmy explained to me that it has been very helpful to her and her Instructors.
Listen to the Podcast below to hear all about Top Power.
I thought it would be informative to get another perspective about how to teach a virtual Indoor Cycling class using video. I contacted Allen Jones from EpicPlanet.tv asking if he knew of an Instructor who was passionate about using video and he referred me to Mark Peterson.
Mark is a retired Naval Pilot turned bicycle racer & Instructor who teaches at four clubs outside of Charlotte NC. Mark and I had a fun conversation about his procedure for preparing to teach a virtual ride in this addition of the Podcast.
Here's Mark's bio and additional info that didn't get into the interview:
Studios where mark teaches:
Lake Norman YMCA Cornelius, NC (www.ymcacharlotte.org)
The Peninsula Club, Cornelius, NC (thepeninsulaclub.com)
CoolBreeze Cyclery, Mooresville, NC (trekbikescharlotte.com)
Trek Bike Store Charlotte, NC (trekbikescharlotte.com)
Background: Have raced for more than 30 years USCF, Road Race, Crits, Time Trials, and Triathlon events. I got involved with indoor cycling in the early 80Ć¢ā¬ā¢s as a means to continue training during the winter months in the upper Mid West. I became a cycle instructor about 3 years ago and now teach classes in several different studios on the Keiser, Schwinn AC PRO and CompuTrainer.
Certification: Current certification was with Schwinn.
AV Setup: I have assembled an AV kit that is portable between studios. I use an Epson projector, Mac Laptop, and a Photo Screen/Sheet (12X12). The Digital Downloads work very well on the laptop and I can change the playlist on the fly.
Use: I try to do 3 or 4 videos a month. There is an art to producing Cycling Videos and for my classes Allen and his Epic crew do the best job in producing these videos. I advertise my classes as a trip, we are going somewhere and to bring your legs. If I am going to take my class to Maine and ride Acadia Park or Napa Valley to roll through Wine Country, I want them to actually feel like they are there on the ride. Epic has a nice balance of first position, third position and an expanded views which are so important for the class to actually know/see where they are riding. There are many videos out there shot from a car/first position only and it is hard to tell if you are climbing or descending. There is no profile or structure to the ride and they become boring. There are other videos where you spend the whole time with your nose in the backside of a cyclist or group of cyclists. The only thing exciting about these videos is the title. You could actually be riding anywhere and wouldnĆ¢ā¬ā¢t know the difference. The Epic Team creates a profile on top of the video, providing structure to the ride along with a very scenic background. The camera work is very good in giving you the feeling of being on a bike and you can tell when you are climbing and descending. The great part as instructor is I can do these rides over and over, change the playlist, cadence, intensity and make it a completely different ride. My classes love these rides and it is hard to get a bike!
After listening to this Allen Jones emailed me to offer a 10% discount to listeners and free shipping on any Epic Planet DVD between now and the 1st of 2012. Use coupon codeĀ VIRTUAL Ā ICI/PRO members your normal 30% discount can be found here.
