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Bring Some Extra Dimensions to Your Next Class

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The Six Dimensions of Wellness

For years I have taught classes that were physically challenging to participants but when I started to bring more than the Physical Dimension of Wellness to my classes, MAGIC HAPPENED.

Dr. Bill Hettler, the co-founder of the National Wellness Institute (NWI), created a model named, The Six Dimensions of Wellness, in 1976. His idea of Wellness was not merely just the absence of disease, but living a life in which you become more aware and make decisions towards a more successful existence.

The dimensions from Dr. Hettler’s model are;

  1. Physical
  2. Social
  3. Intellectual
  4. Spiritual
  5. Emotional
  6. Occupational.

These 6 Dimensions when fully obtained can be thought of as a wheel, the more full your wheel is the better life may be, the less full the wheel is the harder life may be. Knowing this as a Fitness Professional, I made it a point to bring more than just the Physical Dimension to each of my classes and saw an improved mood and performance from members.

Below are a few ways to implement some of the Dimensions of Wellness into your classes and getting your participants to living more successful lives!

Social Wellness: I start each of my classes by having participants near one another introduce themselves and share their goals with each other, during the Warm-up. This really creates a sense of community and connection that might not be there unless you initiate it to happen.

The first time I tried this in class there was a silent pause and a look of hesitation of those in the room. I quickly followed up my request by sharing a stat that I read in Forbes Magazine, stating that those who share their goals with others, are 75% more likely to accomplish those goals than those who do not. This lit the fire and soon my classes were celebrating each other’s successes and helping hold each other accountable.

Physical Wellness: During the class it’s crucial you create a sense of connection with the body, whether it is Heart Rate, Perceived Exertion, or simple stating where and what they should be feeling. This help will get your participants engaged and understanding what’s happening PHYSICALLY rather than just going through the motions.

Whenever you get a chance during your classes, tell your participants exactly what they should be feeling so they know they are accomplishing the goals you have set.
For example, when I am teaching a Standing Attack Drill, I will prep the class by saying, “think of the word ATTACK, it’s strong, it’s powerful, and it’s aggressive! If you attack with those words in mind, your legs will start to warm, your breathing will become heavy, your heart rate will rise and when you finish this attack, you will be breathless and that much harder to beat! Let’s Roll!”

Your riders will now be able to connect with physical signs and feedback from their own bodies, which will be a great way to keep them engaged and working hard no matter if they are a beginner or a well-seasoned athlete.

Emotional Wellness: Towards the end of classes, I usually have a track where I give full control to the riders. I have a set directive for the drill and try to evoke an emotional attachment to their work effort and goals. I will ask again and again, “Is this the best you can do? Is this as hard as you can work, if so KEEP GOING, IF NOT MAKE THE CHANGE! BE BETTER!” I try to create a sense of pride and worthiness to their work and show them not just how PHYSICALLY strong they are but EMOTIONALLY.

This is all about song selection and coaching. The best example I can give that I use in my classes is the song, Breakn’ a Sweat by Skrillex & The Doors (Zedd Remix). The drill is simple; it’s a seated climb up the hill that scares you, the one you can BARLEY make it to the top of, the hill that when you get to the top, you feel victorious. The gear choices are up to you but the RPM’s must never go below 65. Ever rider will have a different idea of what this hill looks and feels like. It then becomes the instructor’s job to coach their team of riders up this hill and make them believe every second of the way that they can do it.

Spiritual Wellness: Finally at the end of class, during the Cool-Down, I always have participants turn to their neighbors and give them a good-job or some words of praise for their work. The Cool-Down to me has 2 parts to it, first to bring recovery and relief to the body through a controlled ride and stretches, and second to feel a strong sense of pride for the effort and work they did during class.

As soon as the last beat drops and the work part of the class is over, I always tell my class to turn to their neighbors and commend them for their effort during class. I also always make sure that the song or songs that I use for Cool-Down provide motivation or inspiration, like the song, I Lived, by One Republic. The lyrics talk about taking chances and, my personal favorite, OWNING EVERY SECOND! As the leader of your class, assure your team of riders that the effort they put in is one they should be proud of and feel good about.

Since the implementation of these techniques I have seen a steady retention and full classes. When you start to introduce these Dimensions into your classes, be authentic and go in wholeheartedly, and you too will see MAGIC HAPPEN!

Originally posted 2018-09-27 11:19:55.

Are You Sabotaging Your Training?

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Below is a summary of an outstanding article that I read on Training Peaks. The original article published on March 28, 2019 · By Maria Simone can be found HERE.

Many slogans that you find about doing work can inspire and motivate! However, it’s only through doing the right work that you will make our big dreams a reality. We can think about doing the right work in three ways: consistency; discipline with intensity and volume; and recovery.

Consistency

Consistency is the most important element of any training plan. In order to build your fitness and prepare your body for the demands of race day, or a really hard class, you need to be able to train daily.

To train consistently, we need to plan ahead in order to balance training with other life priorities. Of course, in some cases, it may not be possible to fit the scheduled training on a particular day. If you are self-coached, review the rhythm of the plan. Consider whether it’s possible to swap days, shorten or modify a workout, or skip the session when unexpected conflicts arise. When all else fails, remember one day here and there won’t ruin your overall consistency. Try not to regularly miss key workouts or rethink the flow of the plan and/or your life schedule to set yourself up for success.

Discipline with Volume and Intensity

A second area where athletes unknowingly sabotage themselves is in their discipline sticking to intensity and volume targets. It’s important to stick to the targets for how hard or easy a workout should be (intensity) as well as how long or short a workout should be (volume). All too often athletes like pushing their endurance-based workouts into a tempo or Zone 3 effort because they feel like they aren’t working hard enough. Unfortunately, by raising the intensity, the athlete no longer reaps the endurance benefits, and they are not working hard enough to reap the benefits of a high-intensity session. We often see this in our classes. This is where we are doing work, but not the right work.

Recovery

Recovery is central to your body’s ability to adapt to the training sessions. Training breaks you down – recovery lets your body put itself back together.

How can we enhance recovery? The most important recovery tool is sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep deprivation or “sleep debt” increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol while decreasing the production of glycogen. This combination means you won’t wake up feeling ready to tackle the day’s training session.

Beyond sleep, you can enhance recovery with daily nutrition, as well as properly fueling and hydrating before, during, and after workouts. If you aren’t putting the right gas in your tank, your car won’t work the way you want it to. If you aren’t incorporating a consistent recovery protocol into your training plan, then your body won’t adapt to the training stimulus.

Proper training isn’t just about doing the work. It is about doing the right work, which includes a focus on consistency, discipline with your intensity and volume, and recovery. Get the mix right, and you will continue to see your body and mind working properly towards your next big dream.

How Proper Sleep Affects Athletic Performance

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If I could tell you that I had access an incredibly effective performance enhancer that couldn’t be picked up on any drug test and is completely and utterly free, I’m fairly sure you accuse me of lying.

What about if I then said that you had unlimited access to it too? You’d probably just shake your head and walk away. Well it’s all true. What is this wonder drug? Sleep. That’s what.

Sleep has been called the most potent natural performance enhancer known to humankind. With very good reason. Below we take a brief look at exactly how sleep and athletic performance are linked…

Sleep and training

Getting sufficient rest is vitally important for all of us, athlete or not. It plays a role in just about every single thing we do, The Sleep Advisor team discuss this in great detail. But it’s importance takes on new levels when you start putting your body under unusual amounts of physical strain — like training for a race for instance.

No amount of hours spent on the track or gym will make you into a top athlete if you are not sleeping well. Those hours pumping iron or pedaling furiously are actually doing your body harm, you are tearing muscle fiber down. it's only with sufficient down time that the body is able to repair and reinforce.

Any training regime that clocks up the hours spent in the gym or on the track, without making account for sufficient time to allow the body to repair itself, is doomed to end in failure.

So if you are looking for things to cut out of your schedule to make space for more training don’t you dare thing about cutting your sleep shorter. Dump the girlfriend, quit the day job or cancel your Netflix subscription. But don’t cut out on sleep. If anything you should be sleeping more.

Sleep and motor skill acquisition

When it comes to learning new skilled actions and behaviors such as those needed for athletic success, it has long been thought that practice is the only thing required for improvement. Studies now suggest this view to be too simplistic.

Research now suggests that the brain continues to learn even when the day’s practice session is over. In fact it’s during sleep that night that the brain consolidates any new techniques learnt during the day. Say for instance you’re working on a new tennis swing, it’s during your sleep than the brain replays the action over and over again.

So remember, it's no longer just ‘practice that makes perfect’ when it comes to mastering a new technique. It’s ‘practice, sleep, practice again, makes perfect’. Not quite as catchy I will give you that, but more accurate.

Sleep and performance

The gap between medal winners and also rans (or also-cycled), often involves little more than hundredths of seconds. Sleep has a huge impact on cognitive performance. The difference between winning a race and finishing dead last could be as little as an hour more (or less) in bed.

Don’t believe me? Ok. Just as a thought exercise, try and recall the last time you had a bad night’s sleep. Statistics suggest you won’t have to think too hard on this. Now consider for a moment what your reaction times were like. I bet it took you a good five minutes to even decide what breakfast cereal to have. Now imagine you’re on the starting line waiting for the gun to go off. Yikes!

The impact poor sleep has on reaction times has been compared to the impact alcohol has. And no athlete looking to perform at the highest level would dare turn up to race after a couple of pints. In terms of performance that’s exactly what they’re doing if they turn up after a bad night’s rest.

Sleep and injury

Excelling at your chosen sport is a lot to do with consistency, are you able to get out there week after week and perform at a high level? If the answer is no, it might not be because of a lack of talent but because your body simple can't cope.

Study after study has shown that one of the most reliable predictors of injury in athletes is how well they sleep. It’s quite simple, athletes who got eight or more hours a night have been shown to get injured far less than athletes who sleep less than eight hours.

There seems to be two main reasons for this. The first relates to what we discussed above, our body needs time to repair and prepare, sleep is this time. If we don’t get enough sleep or our sleep is broken then those repairs and preparations aren’t properly carried out. The result is injury.

Training without sufficient sleep is kind of like driving the car out of the garage before the mechanic has put the engine back together and bolted the wheels back on. You might get a little way down the road but it ain’t gonna be pretty!

The second reason for the upturn in injury amongst sleep-deprived athletes relates to cognitive performance. When we’re tired we’re low on energy and our reaction times are significantly impaired. To make up for these shortfalls we overcompensate. We stretch further than we should. Tackle harder than we need to. This overexertion leads to poor technique. Both of which can lead to injury.

If you’re an athlete and you’re trying to work out why you keep getting injured or why your times simply aren't improving as you’d hoped — maybe it’s not your training or your diet that needs altering — but your bedtime. Sweet dreams!

I didn’t know I sounded like that!

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I'll let you in on my little secret.edit button

I edit many of my interviews. When my guest misspeaks, has a few too many ums/ahs/likes/you knows or they run off topic. They tend to say “stop” and then ask “please edit that out”.

Although I've been asked multiple times, I never agree to let a guest listen and then approve the final recording. I also never agree to edit or delete anything just because a guest says; “I sound awful!” I've learned that people are just too critical of themselves > especially when they're not used to hearing a recording of themselves in conversation

But more frequently I'm editing myself out of the recording. That's right. Even after recording over 300 interviews I still; talk way too fast and my tongue get's all tied up, signal my agreement with the same, tired; “that's awesome” or “OK, so…” and it drives me crazy!!!!

So I edit it much of it out and you never hear it 🙂

Unfortunately none of us has an edit button we can hit during a live conversation or class presentation.

Like you, I love learning and improving. I've recently been going through an online training course to improve my speaking and presenting skills. The course is called How to Create a 1000 Watt Presence Learn business communication skills for personal and career success by actress and communication coach Alexa Fischer. I really enjoyed this particular video (one of over 40 in the course) and Alexa has given me permission to offer it to you.   

What grabbed me during the intro of this video is when Alexa says; “But unless you're a professional performer….” Aren't we all are Professional Performers? The PRO in ICI/PRO is short for Professional…. as in Indoor Cycle Instructor Professional.

I feel I am a Professional. Do you?

Here is the PDF she refers to that you can use to (as she says) compassionately critique your recording and then begin the process of improving your communication skills through changing how you speak. NOTE: the correct link to the Fricken Fillers video is here > it's broken in the PDF.

Here is a past Podcast that explains an easy way you can record your own class, using your iPhone or Android phone.

You can check out Alexa's complete training program here at Udemy.

 

 

Using Music – An Instructional Series

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This is post one in a multi-post series that will explain how to use and select music to compliment your class. As the series progresses, I will be sure to include the links to the previous posts so that the entire series can be found in the latest post.

As an instructor, music can become the most challenging part of any indoor class; however it can be one of the most important parts of the class. I have heard it said that we are not DJs on a bike, we are cycling coaches. While I may agree with the sentiment, we can not underestimate the importance of music in the delivery of a class. You could structure the most ideal training program with the very best designed drills, but if your music is off and does not match the work, chances are very good that the class will disappoint your riders. While we believe that the class focus and design should be well thought out before the music is added, the addition of music to your drills will truly make or brake your class.

What is it that makes the selection of music so crucial; music is a one of the most powerful mediums. It can facilitate communication that goes beyond words, enables meanings to be shared, and promotes the development and maintenance of individual, group, cultural and national identities. Music can alter movements, moods and emotions. Few other items that you come in contact with can effect such a wide range of human functions and feelings.

So, how do we begin with the so important task of selecting the right music for your class? It all begins with belief. You must believe in your music and your playlist or your class will not believe in it either. While there are seemingly endless types and styles of music and everyone in your class can have a different preference, it is your ability to believe and sell the ride that will matter. To make it a little easier, if you incorporate some basic principles, you will succeed more times than not:

Know Your Demographic
The demographics of an indoor cycling class can be affected by many factors including your club’s location (city vs. suburbs), day of the week and time of day that your class is offered, and if your class is designed around a specific focus or theme. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this principle is to take the time to learn what your riders like by simply asking them. You will never be able to please everyone all of the time, but people appreciate being listened to and will respect you if they believe your are doing your best to give everyone something they enjoy. Please, remember to remind your people that not all great music is great indoor cycling music and that it may take a few weeks to get their requests into one of your rides.

For Foundational classes (beginner), remember the overall focus is to provide a fun environment for people to gain some initial cycling fitness or possibly just fitness in general. With the exception of the warm-up (and possibly the cool-down/stretch), working songs should be music your riders will recognize, and maybe even sing along to. While the beat matching of the ride is still critical, you should take extra time with this group to be sure the music is fun and will keep them coming back for more.

For intermediate and advanced classes, it is critical that the music be beat-matched and of similar intensity to the work that you are asking of the riders. When we ask more of the riders, this also demands more of us as instructors. We need to put in the extra time to find “just the right music” that will not only support our drills, but it will also enhance them. Ideally, the riders should be able to close their eyes, or look away from the cycle display, and still hold the proper cadence by focusing on the beat and feel of the music. Aside from the beat, the intensity is also important: an epic climb demands an epic musical work to help us reach the summit.

One of our foundations at Cycling Fusion is that songs used for the first warm-up segment should NOT have vocals. The warm-up is where you spend a good portion of the time introducing yourself, the purpose of the class and give various instructions such as safety guidelines, proper position and how to gauge the level of effort. It is important that your voice be the only one heard in the cycling studio during the warm-up so riders have a clear understanding of expectations and how to approach the class.

In the next post, we will talk about Pulse, BPM and RPM and how using them will enhance your ride and heighten the student’s experience.

 

Is Polar moving to a three heart rate zone system?

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Polar Three Heart Rate Zone System

I'm noticing that Polar is now promoting a three heart rate zone system.

Welcome to the party Polar!

I subbed this morning and saw the sign on the right displayed. At first I didn't give it any notice, but then I did a double take; they're showing the five zones grouped into three… very interesting.

When I got back to my office I did an image search to see what else I could find. I haven't paid much attention to Polar, so some of this could have been occurring and I'm only seeing it now.

At Polar's website they have a specific area titled: Improve Fitness and then a sub-page: The Three Exercise Zones

Exercise zones are ranges between the lower and upper heart rate limits expressed as beats per minute (bpm) or as percentages of your maximum heart rate (HRmax). HRmax is the highest number of heartbeats per minute during maximum physical exertion.

Heart Rate Target Zones

Exercise can be divided into three different: intensity zones. Each of these intensity levels corresponds to various health and fitness improving mechanisms in your body.

Here's what I found.

Personal Training Polar Heart Rate training zones

ACE promotes a Two Threshold & Three Zone System. Polar's personal training area clearly reflects this in the chart above.

 

Polar Heart Rate Training Zones for kids and young adults

Ignoring the fact that all of this is based on the antiquated Max Heart Rate – instead of a being based on aerobic or anaerobic thresholds – I see this as very good news for any of us trying to cut through the confusion and complexity caused by branded 5 or more zone systems. Instead we promote the simple and effective 3 Heart Rate Zone system anchored by both aerobic or anaerobic thresholds.

It's great to have Polar aboard – except they have a long way to go… please forgive my rant here 🙁

It defies explanation, how a company as large as Polar, can be so utterly clueless. Make sure you've completely swallowed whatever you're drinking before reading their page about; Determining Maximum Heart Rate.

Your heart rate has an upper limit, or maximum rate, called HRmax. HRmax is not a good predictor of fitness level or performance (it's mostly genetic), but it is used to quantify levels of intensity (as a % of HRmax). If HRmax isn't good for anything, why are you using it? It's like saying; this scale is wildly inaccurate… so go ahead and weigh yourself with it and we'll base your weight loss program on it.

You can determine maximum heart rate a number of ways:

1. Have your HRmax measured in a laboratory during a stress test. In a laboratory? OK sure, I have one down the street.

2. Do a maximal effort and record the highest heart rate (not recommended for untrained individuals). This will give you a fairly accurate maximum heart rate, but is difficult to do properly. Remember that HRmax depends on the activity, so establish HRmax in the sports you do most often. Huh? What's your definition of the word “fairly”?  So if I'm “untrained” what do you suggest I do? 

3. HR max-p score predicts your individual maximum heart rate. This feature is included in several Polar computer models. I get it – marketing types wrote this nonsense. 

4. Estimate your maximum heart rate based on the formula 220 – age. This will give you a rough estimate, but is not nearly as accurate as the other methods described above. That's it? Those are your only choices?

For most individuals, maximum heart rate declines with age and values are usually between 170-200 bpm. This has been disproven years ago – why do they continue to say it?

We've been proponents of the Two Thresholds /Three Heart Rate Zone system for years here at ICI/PRO. We're not alone. ACE ( the American Council for Exercise) recommends this system as the most appropriate for the typical participant we see in class.

Here are links to past articles and Podcasts.

I've discussed the need for standardised heart rate zones to cut through all the marketing B.S.

https://www.indoorcycleinstructor.com/icipro-instructor-training/zone-based-heart-rate-training/ici-podcast-177-problem-solved-two-threshold-three-zone-heart-rate-training-in-a-blink/

This is the first in a three part series that includes a video produced by ACE that demonstrates an aerobic threshold assessment

https://www.indoorcycleinstructor.com/icipro-instructor-training/zone-based-heart-rate-training/is-a-20-minute-threshold-field-test-realistic-for-your-class/

Originally posted 2013-05-21 14:52:43.

Six More Secrets to Burning Major Calories In Indoor Cycling Class

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Glamour Magazine recently published an article The 6 Secrets to Burning Major Calories in Spin[sic] Class written by Faith Cummings.  Four of the points raised are solid. One is iffy and another is IMO boarding on BS.

Their suggestions; Don't stop moving, Make sure you have enough resistance, Push yourself and Prep your body before class (that last one is my favorite and I'll expand on the idea below) are all solid and sound advice.

These other two, not so much:

Turn up the heat.
We're going to sweat while we workout anyway, so why not turn the temperature up a bit and really get it going? “Riding in a heated room torches calories,” says The Sweat Shoppe co-owner Mimi Benz. “You can burn up to 1,000 calories in 55 minutes.”

While technically accurate (yes your body expends additional calories staying cool… actually more than staying warm) what's missing is how our body's ability to create work decreases, as our core temperature increases. So if you can't work as hard because you're overheating, I find it hard to believe that a hot room has a positive effect on calories burned. I'll respond to the 1000 calories in 55 minutes BS below.

Remove the bounce.
“Bouncing stresses our joints and actually takes away from the calorie burn,” says Flywheel cofounder and creative director Ruth Zukerman. “When riding out of the saddle, hovering closer to the saddle relies on the use of your muscles more, resulting in more calories burned.”

I've love to see an actual study showing this – it's actually the first time I've ever heard it. My perception is bouncing out of the saddle is the result of improper pedaling technique – so technically she could be right > better technique could result in more muscle recruitment = more work accomplished / calories burned… or it could go the other way > better technique = more efficient, which could result in less work/calories expended. Either way I have a hard time believing that hovering will contribute to you being swimsuit ready anytime sooner.

My six secrets to Burning Major Calories in Indoor Cycling class.

1000

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I'll often tell new riders:

The most important class you'll ever take… will be the next one.

Then I'll ask:

Will you be there? 

Hey Team > How Would You Answer This Question? Part 3

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ask-a-question

I received more responses to the frustration originally expressed by new Instructor Irene in this post; Hey Team > How Would You Answer This Question? 

What I find to be the single biggest challenge as a new instructor is music- music flow, and knowing what drills or activities to do to what music.  
 
I feel at such a loss though when it comes to setting up a class…. And feel as though I let hours of time evaporate listening to music but not knowing how to incorporate it effectively into what I am doing….

Instructor and ICI/PRO contributor Krista Leopold – AKA GroupFitPower over at Pedal-On.com – offers this:

Hey John!
I don't know if it is too late, but I thought I'd throw in my couple of cents on this one.
Starting out, the music was overwhelming for me too.  I thought I had a great library of music and so many ideas, but when I finally switched from being the rider to the instructor, suddenly I felt like I didn't know what I was doing!  That's when I started tagging my music.  I use a program called MediaMonkey, but there are a million ways this can be done – playlists, excel spreadsheets, notebooks.  Start jotting down the songs you hear that when you hear them you think, “that would be a great song for…”  I have lists of warm ups, cool downs, heavy climbs, fast flats, different emotions, song tempos and everything in between.  Then, when I know what I want to do in class, I have a go-to list of songs to pick from. However, know that having a nice long list takes a while to come together, so you'll need to be patient as you develop your ear and the songs start trickling in.  In the meantime, I encourage you to play other people's music and teach other people's profiles.  You might be surprised how a song you don't think you like is actually amazing for what the creator chose to use it for in the profile.  You can find great profiles here on ICI/PRO, or over at pedal-on.  You can find lists like the one I described over at Spotify. The links are posted in a Pedal-On thread here:  http://www.pedal-on.com/showthread.php?12446-Pedal-On-Collaborative-Spotify-Playlists.  Don't be afraid to play songs chosen by other people. This is the single best way to find more music.  It will open up genres to you, expose you to new artists and truly give you more music and ideas than you can possibly use!  Good luck!
Hope all is well with you, John!
Krista

Endurance Coach and Stages Indoor Cycling Master Instructor Dennis Mellon adds:

John, let me know if this is what you are looking for.Dennis Mellon 250
Class Flow:
I believe the best way to insure class flow is with good class preparation.  I also feel that class profile should come before music.  A great profile can carry mediocre music but a great music cannot carry a mediocre profile.  I would suggest putting together a class profile that supports your club’s training or class schedule program with a proper warm up, drills, sets with appropriate work to rest ratios, cool down and stretch, then add music that you feel works best with each segment.  I think most instructors put too much emphasis on finding the perfect song for each and every segment of class.  I only focus on the actual music for 2-3 songs per class then I use it to control the energy and/or motivate during the tougher segments of class.  
I have posted a number of “The Power of 3” song sets on the ICI/PRO website that include music, set profiles, video and recordings of me teaching these sets during an actual class, these may help you “find the flow” you are looking for.

These are great suggestions Krista and Dennis > I'd like to add…

Irene, there was a time when most, if not all, of us have had difficulty with (to use your words) music- music flow, and knowing what drills or activities to do to what music. After 17+ years, and thousands of classes, this has become second nature. I'm thinking I should add your question to the list of things I struggled with as a new Instructor and have now forgotten, it was so long ago.

Wow… I just found the world's first 5% flat road.

Indoor Cycling has IMO too many “rules” that I feel constrain new Instructors and create frustrations similar to what you've expressed. Take for example the “rule” that; “X” cadence = “Y” terrain – i.e. 60RPM is a Climb, 90RPM is a Flat, etc… Rubbish. Yesterday I was riding outdoors. Looking down at my Garmin bike computer on a long, seated, threshold intensity climb, I saw that my cadence was hovering around 90RPM. Wait, that's completely wrong… isn't it? I am climbing a hill with a 5% grade, shouldn't I be peddling slower? 

My point is that there are songs that, independent of their BPM, communicate something you can follow. By “follow” I mean responding in a way that feels natural to you – what could also be described as improvising. Hearing those “cues” contained in a particular piece of music, and then acting on them, is something you might need to learn. And for most people that requires, 1] practice and 2] developing the confidence to go whatever the music leads you.

Yesterday I shared a 40 minute mashup as the Free Friday music. Twenty three different tracks, of all different BPM's and intensities, professionally joined together that I feel would make a great practice session for you to practice your improvisational skills.

 

Hey Team > How Would You Answer This Question? Part 2

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Kids raising hands

Here's more responses to Irene's question about music in part one of Hey Team > How Would You Answer This Question?

ICI/PRO contributor and future studio owner Callie Bowling Kelly responded with…

Hey John!10428100_10152800927253869_1563779448547048002_n

Here's my reply:

This is a fantastic question! If I may pull from my background in Psychology to get to the root of what may be occurring… this sounds like a case of Blockage to me. Blockage from trusting your unique genius to come through and guide you. You know what made you fall in love with indoor cycling, if you didn't you never would have gotten certified to teach in the first place, right!? Get back in touch with what it was that you loved most about cycle classes, and then re-create that passion in your own class.

There is no right or wrong way to set up a class… honestly! The industry is evolving so much that all sorts of studios and instructors are coming up with their own way and re-inventing the wheel so fast my head is spinning  (pun intended). I give you complete permission to do whatever it is that feels fun and challenging to YOU and then implement that in your classroom, as long as it's safe of course!

I know all too well the pressure of being up in the front of the room, positioning yourself as a leader, and feeling like you have to perform. It is human nature to want acceptance. We crave it. But, wanting acceptance too badly can literally shut you down artistically, because you second guess every decision you make. We think: how is this going to be received, are they going to like my music, is my class hard enough, what if they think I don't know what I'm doing? All of those thoughts are counterproductive to getting up there and having a great time and inviting your class participants to do the same.

Here's a tip of mine on music and choreography for the ride: I pick EPIC music that has a beat and makes me want to move! For the choreography… I like to work intervals, so in my classes we go hard during the chorus and bridge and recover during the verses. It makes the workout follow the energy of the music which creates pure exercise magic in the class!

Hope that helps John!

Callie

You'll find Callie's fun and informative articles and interviews here.

Lena Hershey is a Spinning® Instructor & Fitness Blogger @ leanlena.com. She offer these practical tips that I feel are perfect for a new Instructor.

Hi John.IMG_4045-800x800

Thank you for including me into this.
Here's what works for me:

1. Profile first – think “terrain”. Where are your wheels taking you after warm up? Hills? Fast flats? Off the road and through the mud? Lay it out on paper – draw! That really helps me visualize and make the class profile realistic and my cues to class “spot on” not just pure technical.

2. Put your profile onto music. Beware of the lyrics – just as it can be incredibly inspiring, it can ruin a perfectly wonderful intent. Listen carefully to the lyrics of the songs and make sure not just the musical but verbal message matches the purpose you're putting this piece in your class for. Too overwhelming? Go instrumental! Sometimes a non-verbal message of the music can be more powerful than verbal.

3. Ride it. There is nothing wrong in practicing your rides before teaching them – especially when you're new to teaching. It is not a sign of weakness and seasoned instructors do it, too. Get in that room, turn up the music and teach yourself that class you created. Make sure the music flows nicely piece to piece, and practice cueing your ride.

4. If you can't ride it, listen to your class playlist with your drawing in front of you and think of or say what you're going to say in class.

I know how daunting it can be to start putting your class profiles together. Some of them will be worse than others. You will fail before you succeed. Just remember that you're the only one who will notice the “failure” as you're the only one who knows what the plan is. If something doesn't go according to your plan in class, just move on. Your class will follow your lead, so smile and believe in yourself and your profile. Your pack will follow you!

Best regards,
Lena Hershey.

Lena and I partnered on the 28 Day Instructor Challenge > what turned out to be a very fun exercise in self development for Instructors, over the course of a month. You can look back the challenge in this series of posts.

The Senior Group Fitness Instructor here Amy, dashed off these thoughts will sitting at the airport.

My quick and dirty response would be:Amy Macgowan Cyclist

Categorize music with a beats per minute app on your computer. Climbs = 60 to 80 bpm, Flats = 80 to 100. This helps you ‘hear' the music and what it works best for. Start a playlist called ‘Climbs' and ‘Flats' and add to that playlist as you listen through music….just collect a bunch in each category. This gives you a couple master lists to work from to create classes.

Download ‘Shazam' on your phone. When you're out and about and hear a tune you like, you can ‘Shazam' it and determine the bpm later.

I would highly recommend a Spotify Premium account (approx. $10 a month). That way, you're not paying for individual tunes, but have a huge library and can maintain your lists there.

I label my profiles/playlists primarily by date. I have a small spiral notebook where I write (by hand) the playlist title, each tune, the bpm and time length. I keep this notebook in my gym bag and use it for every class. That way, there's no surprises.

I hope this helps!

Amy

As a long time ICI/PRO contributor, Amy has shared her 20+ years of fitness experience, knowledge of music and fitness related beauty tips for female Instructors.

So, what did we miss?

What’s the minimum age or height for a Spinning® or Indoor Cycling class?

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Minimum height for a Spin class

Theme Parks solved this problem 100 years ago.

When I get the same question, from two ICI/PRO members, a week apart, it means I should probably write a post about the subject.

First the questions:
Hi John –
I hope you are doing well and have the prospect of defrosting in the near future! A question came up at one of the places where I teach about minimum age for spinning. Back when I was certified, I understood that 16 was the earliest age based on growth plates, etc. Has there been any change in thinking? Can you point me to the most current research? The owner has been hounded by a member who wants his 12 year old to spin with him. I encouraged the owner to send an email to all the members spelling out the club's policy regarding kids and spinning (a tactic employed by the lovely studio owner from California who you interviewed on a recent podcast!). Having the research will give him the ammunition he needs.

Thanks, John. I appreciate any leads you can give me!

—————————————————————————–

Hello,

The YMCA I teach at wants to let children join the spin class. Is there an age limit or height recommendations that you can suggest? I have been on line before when some children came to spin with their parent. I found one source that said 4'10 but I need something to show my supervisor.

Thank you so much.

Here's how I initially responded

Hi Alice – I actually talked to Dennis Keiser about your question this morning during the early AM workouts here at IHRSA in San Diego. He doesn't have any specific research he could point to, but the engineer in him made these points – which I'm paraphrasing as I didn't record our conversation.
  • Most children are not just small adults. Although manufactures build Indoor Cycles to accommodate a wide range of adult heights, you can't compare a 5′ 12 year old with a 5′ 30 year old.
  • The crank arm length (typically 170mm) maybe too long for many young children. This forces the rider's knees to move through too large a range of motion.
  • The flywheels on IC bikes (and especially friction resistance cycles) have too much mass for children's underdeveloped leg muscles to control at low or no load pedaling.    
That said, there are always exceptions to every rule – so making a blanket: no one under 16 rule is bound to have someone complaining when their 6′ 180lb 15 year old son is told they can't ride.
Not sure if this helps but it's what I have.
John

I'm thinking I may want to amend this a bit – truth is I was really squeezed for time when I responded to Alice.

Effective communication is a tricky thing and I totally failed to follow my own advice here. I know better than to give into the temptation to quickly educate – it's almost always the wrong initial response.

Instead I should have responded with questions, to better understand the issue.

I could (and should) have asked in response…

  • What's your goal or intent here?
  • Are you trying to protect kids from injury?
  • Do you dislike having kids in your class?
  • Are you trying to identify the nominal age where kids are mature enough to participate in a class?
  • Is this to create an easily understood standard for participation? You must be this tall to ride.
  • Are you trying to encourage more kids to get involved in our sport?

My view is that any response to these questions is legitimate. For example; one of the clubs where I teach is an Adults Only Life Time Fitness. The minimum age is 16 – period.

Your club may allow younger kids on the fitness floor, but wish to set a height/age limit for group classes. The reasons why can vary. You may be concerned about safety or a lack of maturity – it makes perfect sense not wanting a pack of 13 year old boys disrupting your class.

On the flip side, don't we want kids active and enjoying fitness? If a member wants to bring their 12 year old son or daughter to a class, shouldn't we try to find a way to accommodate them? Despite two fitness Instructor parents, neither of my daughters are very active. Abby and Carly work & play hard at their jobs and school, but they have almost zero interest in a structured fitness activity. I'd love to find a way to get them involved at our club.

If I had asked a few of those questions, I might have responded differently. My guess is that these Instructors don't want to have to be the “Bad Guy” = be the one who has to say “no, I'm sorry but little Billy can't ride with you.” There's an easy solution for this.

Appeal to a higher authority

We're in a service industry and it's hard to have to tell a customer; “no sir, your 10 year old daughter can't take this class with you.” As an Instructor it puts you in a very uncomfortable place, and often has you debating with the parent to no good end. There's a simple solution that theme parks figured out years ago. Create a very clear GO/NO-GO line and display it prominently. The MUST BE THIS TALL TO RIDE sign becomes the authority you can point to. I know it can make you seem like an un-thinking robot, but having something solid to point at can really reduce conflicts.

So how high do I set the bar?

The Spinning.com website has some good information you could follow.

Each Official Spinning Facility has its own policy on age requirements. Also, consider the following information in your decision —

Size: Proper bike fit is very important for injury prevention. Participants need to be big enough to get their proper seat height and fore/aft adjustments. Spinner® bikes usually fit people who are at least 4′ 11″. However, this is not an exact minimum height. Leg and torso length determine if the fit is appropriate.

Age/Maturity: Children need to be mature and responsible enough to follow the safety rules. It can sometimes be tempting for kids to pedal as fast as they can, and that can be unsafe. Because the Spinner® bike is a fixed gear bike, the weight of the flywheel can turn the pedals at a very high speed with a lot of momentum if there's not enough resistance.

They also offer a PDF you can download.

I really like the sign pictured at the top of the post, with it's three zones 🙂 Would it make sense to create something similar you could post at your club? Maybe with these three zones?

Can I ride?

  1. Red: Sorry, you need to be 4'11” or an adult to ride.
  2. Yellow: Under 13 (you decide) needs to ride with a parent in the front row – so you can keep an eye on them.
  3. Green: Let's Ride!

 

ICI/PRO Podcast # 257 Use Subbing to Market Yourself

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Great ideas here for our new Instructors! Leverage opportunities to fill in by sharing and showcasing brand “you.”

Certified fitness professional and fitness writer Stephanie Vlach and I discusses how Instructors can leverage subbing opportunities to market themselves – from her recent article in the March 2013 IDEA Fitness Journal – IDEA subscription required.

Leverage opportunities to fill in by sharing and showcasing brand “you.”

Almost every role and function within the fitness industry involves marketing. It doesn't matter if you're a fitness director promoting a group exercise program, a manager preparing for a membership drive or a personal trainer attracting new clientele – baseline knowledge of marketing is vital.

You can hear Stephanie's ideas below or you will find this episode in your Super Secret iTunes Podcast feed.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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