KEEPING IT FUN | Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast

Who will open the first HIGHCYCLE Indoor Cycling Studio?

by John | Nov 3, 2020 | Instructor Training, KEEPING IT FUN

I saw this and couldn't help but share 🙂

A Bay Area Gym Wants You to Get Sweaty and Stoned

This May, the world's first cannabis-infused gym will open in San Francisco, where members will be encouraged to integrate the plant into their pre- and post-workout regimen

They'll say it will be about “Science”…

Power Plant Fitness will be a premier gym, McAlpine says, not just a hangout for potheads. Though, to be clear, there will be weed. Heâ€™s still hammering out the details, but McAlpine envisions offering cannabis performance assessments, in which trainers help determine how the plant can help an athlete work out before guiding them through weed-assisted fitness plans.

… and getting into the right training “Zone”…

“If you use it right,” he says, “cannabis takes the things you love and lets you love them more. With fitness that can help get you into the zone, into eye-of-the-tiger mode.”

… but really it's about selling stuff.

In addition, McAlpine hopes, members will be free to buy and consume cannabis on site, including Power Plantâ€™s own line of edibles, which he says are “made for pre-workout focus and post-workout recovery.”

Is it a stretch to think this might be the start of a new genre of Indoor Cycling? It would give new meaning to; “Keeping it Fun” – don't you think?

Check out this video: The Benefits Of Smoking Weed Before Your Workout

I found this story @ http://elitedaily.com/wellness/weed-workout-benefits/1379629/

Karen Nuccio, a fitness and spin instructor in New York City, told me a funny story:

While waiting in my car before teaching an evening spin class one night, I spotted one of my students. He tapped on my window and got in my car to chat. This was one of my all-star spin students – a ripped, shredded dude with tattoos and attitude. He would spin faster and harder than anyone. He gets in a car, we start talking about the playlist for the class and then he goes, ‘Do you mind?â€™ before pulling out a joint. Yep, my best spin student to date was high during every class. Moral of the story? Not every pot smoker sits on the couch and orders Dominoâ€™s. Some of them are dominating your spin class. We are all very specialized animals. Do I promote mixing drugs and fitness class? No. But I think we all need to find our way and for some people, the road to health is not a typical one. OK, so a fitness instructor I know well and respect confirmed marijuana can be extremely effective in athletic performance. Upon further digging, I found some long-distance runners use it before running races, and yogis use it to get a better stretch in. In more weed-friendly states, there are even yoga classes specifically designed to incorporate marijuana, like Ganja Yoga in San Francisco.

Now… who will be offering the first HIGHCYCLE Indoor Cycling Instructor certification?

And will they provide munchies?

Could be a cool franchise opportunity – let me know if you want to discuss.

Originally posted 2017-02-26 15:30:58.

Do you deserve a raise?

by John | Oct 31, 2020 | Best Practices, Big Box Instructor, Boutique Instructor, Instructor Training, KEEPING IT FUN

What I've described as the “SoulCycle Effect” appears to have caused a nice jump in the starting rate for IC Instructors. At many new boutique studios, the $50 – $75 per class rate advertised is the starting base pay rate. Consistently fill the room and the added $'s per-head incentives you'll receive could push your pay to $125.00 or more per class. Teach just six classes a week and you'll be making $15,000 to $37,500 a year… for a part-time job.

I don't know about you, but that's real money to me!

Big Box Clubs are feeling the labor pinch

Large health clubs are sensing competitive pressure from small/boutique fitness studios and it scares them. Not only are they losing customers, they're also watching their best Instructors walk out the door to join a startup down the street.

How do I know this? Because it was a common theme voiced by multiple club owners and equipment distributors I spoke with last month at IHRSA.

Which is a 180° flip from six or so years ago. That's when the small/boutique studio boom was ramping up. Then a fitness entrepreneur's primary strategy was differenciation. What can I do to be different from the local Big Box? Now it's the owner's and managers of these same large fitness clubs asking the same thing – LOL!

If it's been awhile, you're probably due a raise

If it's been a few years since your last review, now is probably as good a time as any to ask for an increase in your per-class rate.

Do a little research to learn what other studios near you are offering. It wouldn't hurt to graph out your class attendance and possibly list all of the times you agreed to sub other Instructors classes – so you can demonstrate your value to the business. Then be brave, schedule an appointment and politely ask for a raise. Unless you're a real flub, or there's no other option where you can teach, your current employer will want to retain your services = will want to keep you satisfied and offer you some additional $$$.

If that doesn't work – you can always check indoorcyclinginstructorjobs.com to find a studio who would love to have you on their team 🙂

Originally posted 2016-04-12 13:52:10.

Performance Cycle – FTP Assessment or 2 + 1 = a straight line

by John | Oct 1, 2020 | Big Box Instructor, Class Work-Sets, Instructor Training, KEEPING IT FUN, Master Instructor Blog, Training With Power

Better late than never they say. It certainly applies to this season's Performance Cycle classes – now we're in full swing after some initial confusion that came from a sudden change on GFDH's.

We kicked off this past Sunday with an assessment to find the wattage numbers we will be using going forward. I like to use very simple terminology that minimises any mathematical computations.

The week before I described how we experimented with pinning down two numbers;

… Instead I base my Life Time Performance Cycle classes on two numbers; PTP (Personal Threshold Power) and JRAP (Just Riding Along Power — AKA > Base Watts > VT1 / First Ventilatory Threshold Power). From these two rider identified threshold wattages, we can construct three meaningful power Zones;

Recover zone — watts below JRAP
Perform zone — watts between JRAP and PTP
Improve zone — watts above PTP

Today we added one more wattage number – their 20 minute FTP watts. As you can guess, riders should have a lower 20 min average than a 3-4 minute PTP / Best Effort and be above JRAP / Base Watts.

Wait John, you just said you only use the two thresholds in class.

What's the point of adding a third number?

Adding the third point of reference helps you draw a straighter line. At least that's what my high school drafting teacher taught me. It's much easier to draw between two distant points, if you add one in the middle = it helps you understand if you're on the right path between the two known points!

The process of sustaining a 20 minute effort is helpful to many riders – it validates and reinforces the two threshold numbers and confirms that people are understanding my cuing.

Before/during and after these twenty minute efforts I tell everyone; this effort should fall between the two thresholds. Which you would think I shouldn't even have to mention… until you hear the confusion I heard after the effort was completed:

I really surprised myself – my 20 min watts was the same as my 3 minute level!
There must be something wrong with me – I couldn't sustain my base watts for the whole ride 🙁

Teachable moments here

In the first example; my 20 min watts was the same as my 3 minute level! I was able to ask him; “what does that say about your 3 minute effort?” He understood before I completed my sentence; “I'm not working hard enough!”

The women who told me I couldn't sustain my base watts for the whole ride also had a revelation and asked me; “Do you think I'm working too hard at my base level?” I didn't even need to answer her.

Do you now see the value of adding that third number?

A continuous state of observation

I asked my class on Sunday; how many of you are on a specific training plan? None. Not a single hand went up. This is very typical for my very diverse group of middle age men and women. Yes most ride outside – but their objectives aren't structured beyond not rolling over and hitting the snooze button. They come to my Performance Cycle class to get a nice combination of intensity and endurance work, in a fun group.

My object in this class is that everyone learn from observing their performance, make adjustments and observe again. Over time they learn exactly where they need be. When it's time to work hard – they WORK HARD and when they should work easy – it really is easy.

Make sense?

Here's my playlist –

I'll get the rest of the profile up later in the week if you want to try this in your class.

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Originally posted 2018-01-13 09:00:43.

The Weekly Ride – 04/30/18 Get Springy

by Joey Stabile | Sep 25, 2020 | Best Practices, Class Work-Sets, Creativity Indoor Classes, Instructor Training, KEEPING IT FUN, Master Instructor Blog, Training With Power

Welcome to the The Weekly Ride by Cycling Fusion

No more hunting for new music or counting out cues to develop your ride profile. Here is your ready to ride profile for a fully choreographed ride, that can be displayed from your phone, or printed out onto cue cards for your class. This ride is timed out, down to the second, to make your life as easy as possible!

(more…)

Originally posted 2018-05-09 08:10:21.

Performance Cycle – FTP Assessment or 2 + 1 = a straight line

Multiple benefits to Indoor Cycling for Seniors

by John | Sep 22, 2020 | Engage Your Students, Instructor Training, KEEPING IT FUN, Your Fitness Business

Guest post by Instructor & Studio Owner Pauline Geraci

According the Administration for Community Living (ACL), people 65-plus represented 12.4 percent of the population in the year 2000 but are expected to grow to be 19 percent of the population by 2030.

Let’s face it, we are not getting any younger. As we age, the more important it is for us to stay active. But the older we get, the harder it is activity becomes.

We start developing muscle and joint pains and other issues which we sometimes use as an excuse to become less physically active which in turn makes us more prone to injury and the aging process. What to do?

Indoor cycling meets many of our aging population’s needs. For starters, it is a great cardiovascular workout. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that healthy adults ages 18-65 years old should participate in aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes, five days per week or vigorous intensity, aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes, three days per week.

An indoor cycling class will keep your heart rate up long enough to provide health benefits. A physical activity that includes continuous cardiovascular activity can help lower your risk of coronary artery disease, can help lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, and can help lower your overall resting heart rate.

As we age, we start to develop balance issues because of inactivity or inner ear problems. Maybe we have fallen once and now are afraid to do activities without relying on a walker or cane. You certainly don’t feel comfortable riding a bike outdoors. Indoor cycling eliminates your concerns with balance issues. Indoor cycling removes the element of risk and the fear of falling so you can experience its health benefits. A good cycling class allows you to go at your own pace and push yourself, yet feel safe and comfortable.

Another worry for seniors is finding a cardiovascular workout that is low to no impact. Indoor cycling offers a high intensity low impact workout. Many people who recently have recovered from orthopedic injuries turn to indoor cycling to help them get back on track.

Remember, as with all physical activity you are about to embark on, make sure you get clearance from your doctor. Indoor cycling, when done correctly, provides minimal impact on the hip, knee and ankle joints.

Because of the circular motion of riding a bike, your knees properly flex and extend, while avoiding the high impact pounding of other activities such as running or certain aerobic type classes.

Another issue of aging is age-related sarcopenia. People who are physically inactive can lose as much as 3-5 percent of their muscle mass per decade after age 30. Even if you are active, you still will experience some muscle loss.

A benefit of indoor cycling is increased muscular endurance. This refers to the ability of a muscle to continually and repeatedly exert force over an extended period of time. In an indoor cycling class, you pedal against resistance which increase the endurance of the leg muscles: legs, quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus and even the calf muscles.

Working out these muscles also will help to strengthen the surrounding bones, tendons and ligaments which also help you with balance issues.

In turn, this increased strength means you’ll be able to perform your daily activities with greater ease.

Riding outdoors is great but there are safety and weather issues to contend with. You can’t make excuses about not working out because of the weather when you ride indoors. Indoor cycling also allows you to be free from concerns such as negligent motorists, narrow road shoulders, going downhill too fast and bike malfunctions (flat tires, loose chains, etc.).

It’s good to get outdoors and exercise whenever possible, but it’s also important to keep from putting yourself at unnecessary risk, especially at an age when each fall is a little harder to get up from than the last.

The ability to choose your own resistance also makes indoor cycling an ideal fitness class for seniors. On an outdoor ride, your resistance level is dependent on your surrounding terrain. On any given route in Sequim you will find inclines that you are not prepared to handle. You also may not feel challenged during an outdoor ride.

Indoor cycling will definitely challenge you! Indoor bikes come with resistance knobs. This allows you to raise or lower the intensity of the workout to meet your physical restraints and/or fitness goals.

Many people, not just seniors, would like to lose some weight. If your fitness goals include weight and/or fat loss, you’ve come to the right place.

According to spinning.com, you can burn anywhere between 400-600 calories per average 45-minute class.

Since it takes 3,500 calories to burn one pound of fat, just 5-8 indoor cycling classes, combined with a healthy diet can help you meet your New Year goals!

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to stop the aging process. But don’t let that excuse you from engaging in your favorite activities. Come and enjoy a safe and exhilarating workout experience at indoor cycling classes nearest to you!

Pauline Geraci is owner of Fit4Life Studio, 1245 W. Washington St., Sequim. See www.fit4lifesequim.com.

This article first appeared at www.sequimgazette.com

Originally posted 2015-03-04 16:19:10.