by Bill Pryor | Mar 1, 2011 | Engage Your Students, Instructor Training, Latest News
After more than 6 years operating a 46-bike cycling studio in the suburbs of Boston, I have seen a ton of instructors come and go. We’re not a big health club, we are a dedicated indoor cycling studio, so the survival of our business depends on our instructors abilities to fill up classes. Because we have no other source of income for the studio, our definition of a “good” instructor has to be quite pragmatic: If you fill up classes (and don’t do anything unsafe or stupid), you are by definition “good”.
This may sound mercenary, but in fact the instructors that are able to fill classes are the ones who are adept at a) engaging their students and b) providing expert guidance towards a fitness objective. They use a wide range of tools including music, imagery, language and cuing and
all the best ones have a natural ability to vary their workouts. Variety is indeed the spice of life (and of indoor cycling classes)
At our studio, the great instructors are not all alike. In fact many have vastly different styles, and while there is no sure formula for creating an experience that keeps indoor cyclists returning, I have noticed one thing all our best instructors do intuitively: they believe in variety: Variety within a class and variety from class to class.
Everyone knows the benefits of exercise, so what is the one reason we hear again and again why people won’t commit to regular workouts? “It’s boring”. What is the single biggest complaint we here about an instructor that is not drawing in our studio? “They’re boring”. A great instructor’s class is not boring, and one of the primary reasons is because they know intuitively to commit to variety.
Easier said than done of course, but here are some examples of variety from the top-drawing instructors at our studio:
- Vary playlists. Never, ever, use the same playlist twice in the same month. Not only because your regulars will notice, but also because your own energy is not as sharp. If you want to use the profile again, find substitute songs.
- Vary counting and intervals. If you are doing intervals, vary the length or at the least vary the way in which you count them up or down. (i.e. instead of counting down from 20 every time, try counting “one, two, one, three, one, four, etc. etc.” It’s a small thing but it keeps students mentally engaged.
- Vary genres of music. You may love techno or classic rock or pop….but I guarantee someone in your class does NOT. If you play only one genre, you are likely to annoy someone totally. Mixing genres is a great way to assure you find something powerful for virtually everyone and they will tolerate the stuff they’re not crazy about.
- Vary positions: most drills can be done, and most heart rates can be achieved…in or out of the saddle. Technically there is really no reason to ever come out of the saddle — other than the fact that the variety of moving in and out is appealing in an indoor cycling class. Students love it…..but they will get bored with too much work, in our out of the saddle.
Variety is simply more interesting, and more fun. It is an antidote to the worst enemies of working out: drudgery and boredom. What are some other examples of variety you use? I’m hungry for ideas!
by John | Aug 1, 2010 | Calendar of Events
(MMD Newswire) July 30, 2010 — Dedicated “Spinning®” students or those who attend any Indoor Cycling class, know what a difference a great instructor can make. Now local fans can prove just how great their favorite instructors are by urging them to enter the first contest of its kind: The World's Top Ten Indoor Cycling Instructors Contest. In an unprecedented move to identify the best of the best, Cycling Fusion has put together a contest to find top shelf talent for teaching what is arguably the most popular group exercise class in the fitness industry – Spinning® or Indoor Cycling.
“For three years now, we have been working on finding ways to share all the great things about this indoor activity with the entire cycling community – whether they ride indoors our out. This contest should help us find the people that are going to ultimately be the next driving force for change and expansion of the indoor ride.” Gene Nacey, Founder of Cycling Fusion.
Ten instructors will be judged from a group of 40 finalists by a panel of Spinning(R) and Indoor Cycling experts, as the World's 10 best at their craft. The panel will score each instructor on a number of categories, with the highest rated woman, and the highest rated man each earning the top prize of a Keiser m3 power bike for their home.
All 10 Winners will also have their registration to the Indoor Cycle Instructor PRO Conference reimbursed, and be offered an opportunity to teach at the conference in October. Most importantly though, all ten winners will receive a formal invitation to join Cycling Fusion's Instructor Faculty where instructors are paid for recorded classes that will be shown all over the world. Scoring will begin on June 1st with final submissions due by August 31st, 2010.
The contest is open only to participants eighteen (18) years of age and older, who are Spinning(R) or Indoor Cycling Instructors currently teaching in a commercial fitness facilities.
Spinning(R) is registered trademark of Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc. Mad Dogg Athletics is not involved with the contest.
by John | Aug 1, 2010 | Video PROfiles
In this Video Profile Tom Scotto takes us through a progression of drills for teaching Explosive Power Sprints. Because the total time on this would be > 30 minutes I have broken it into 3 parts.
Part 1 focuses on coaching proper and safe form in what Tom calls…Form Sprints. Listen very carefully to Tom's intro where he describes; “You are responsible and accountable as the Instructor to know this well, to teach it well and cue it well.”
Part 2 coming next week is building Form Sprints into Explosive Power Sprints
Part 3 brings both of these together into the big finish of a bike race; Criterium Sprints
NOTE: This series of four highly educational video profiles for ICI/PRO members only are filling in for the audio PROfiles for the end of July and mid-August. Your next audio PROfile will be towards the end of August.
[private_PRO-Monthly][private_PRO-Gratis][private_PRO-Platinum][private_PRO-Seasonal]
[/private_PRO-Monthly][/private_PRO-Gratis][/private_PRO-Platinum][/private_PRO-Seasonal]
by John | Jul 26, 2010 | Video PROfiles
Here's the second Video PROfile from Stage 5 Cycling's Tom Scotto, that I recorded during the Indoor Cycling Certification training we took earlier this month. You may want to review ICI/PRO Podcast #95 — RPMx Audio PROfile with Tom Scotto from Stage 5 Cycling
by Dr. Haley | Dec 15, 2009 | Mental Toughness
Athletes know all too well the benefits of using imagery before competition.
A tennis player will imagine his powerful topspin-slice first serve. A golfer will rely on imagery to review her plan of action for her next swing. A baseball player will use imagery to get motivated for when it’s his turn at bat.
With proper execution, imagery can also be used during your indoor cycle classes to correct and improve the technique and intensity of your participants. With your guidance, they can mentally perform specific skills and have those skills transfer to the body.
For example, you can introduce an exercise where your participants image a cheetah running through the wild. When your participants image a cheetah, they will stop bouncing up and down start powering through by focusing on moving forward.
To help your participants create a fluid pedal stroke, you can ask them to image the wheels of an old fashioned train where they can understand the meaning of a circular and fluid motion.
Imagery should also be used to help your participants correct their mistakes and improve. For best results, group fitness instructors should implement the following practice during class: (1) identify the mistake, (2) and providing feedback about how to correct it, and (3) suggest an image they can use to help them focus on the specific skill.
Call to Action: Take some time before your next class to identify the top three most common mistakes or improvements that your participants need to focus on. Then, identify an image that will help your participants understand your instruction. The next time you teach a fitness class, challenge yourself to introduce one image to your participants.
Believe and Achieve,
Haley Perlus, Ph.D.
Visit http://DrHaleyPerlus.com and register to receive Dr. Haley’s FREE Mental Toughness Articles for sport and fitness.
Visit http://TheUltimateAchievementJournal.com to learn how Dr. Haley makes it easier to achieve your fitness goals.
