Over the past few weeks there have been some questions on the ICI/Pro website that gave me the idea for this week's post. One question was about music flow and another was asked which comes first, playlist or profile?
To show one way to make music flow I decided to put together a playlist of songs that are all in the same harmonic key, this is technique is called “Harmonic Mixing” and is used by many of the world's top DJ's. I use a software named “Mixed in Key” (http://www.mixedinkey.com) that automatically analyzes all my music files and determines the key and tempo of each song. Mixing harmonically enables you to create smooth transitions between songs and ensure that all songs sound great together. I put this playlist together without any consideration of the profile. I chose popular, high energy, songs and let the Harmonic Mixing create the flow. This is a playlist that can be used with, just about, any interval based profile where the profile, not the music, is the focus.
Next I put together a killer profile using a technique known as “anchoring time and effort”. This is a very simple tactic where riders should be able push higher intensities as interval length gets shorter. Less Time = More Work.
[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']
You can join my TrainerRoad Team at : http://www.trainerroad.com/teams/2484-dennis-mellon-s-indoor-cycling-team
60 minute harmonically mixed track, to download Right Click > Save As / Save Target As to download. Open in iTunes and then you'll see this in your Spotify Local File folder.
This is just one example of how I put together my classes. Other times I try to match the music and profile exactly and let the music dictate the terrain. I would recommend instructors get proficient at both methods. This way you don’t pigeonhole yourself and you keep your participants on their toes. It also keeps things fresh and exciting for you.[/wlm_private]
ICI/PRO contributor and future studio owner Callie Bowling Kelly responded with…
Hey John!
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.
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:
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 wasn't sure how to answer this question emailed to me from a new Instructor. So I blasted it out to a bunch of Smart & Talented Instructors I know for their responses.
John:
You and I have exchanged emails before. I am a relatively new instructor (at age 48!)…. Just got my first steady teaching gig (3 classes per week). 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. It is SUPER easy to get a certification…. I am Madd Dogg certified, and will be attending my first WSSC this May. 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….
I have a ton of respect for what you do and have been following your facebook page and blog for sometime. I am happy to buy an ICI/pro membership, I am just reluctant at this point to invest in any more resources that I underutilize. Wondering what advice you might have?
Thanks so much for your time!
Irene
Thanks for writing Irene! Here are a few ideas for you…
First from contributor Chris Hawthorne AKA Chrispins – that's a link to her excellent website. You can find all of Chris' informative ICI/PRO articles here)
Hi John,
Happy to help. Here's my answer:
The best way to know what drills or activities to do with your music is to find the BPM (beats per minute) of the songs you would like to use. I use this handy website to help me figure the BPM of new songs : http://www.all8.com/tools/bpm.htm There are also several free apps that will do the same thing.
Once I have the BPM I transfer them into RPM (usually that means dividing by 2). Then I can plug the songs into my profile. Hills are 60-80 RPM's and Flats are 80-110.
Another helpful tip is to keep song folders so that you can easily have the songs you want to ‘plug in' to your profiles. I use Spotify, but you can do this in iTunes as well. You can have folders of songs labeled by BPM, or you can label them with titles such as ‘Warmup', ‘Flats', ‘Hills', ‘Cool Down', etc.
And don't be afraid to use other people's profiles and/or music until you get the hang of it. There a a lot of great instructors sharing their profiles and playlists out there on Facebook, blogs, and sites like ICI/PRO and Pedal-On.
In response to her simple, yet complicated questions. Here is my answer:
The most basic way to address this is to think of your class in two parts.
1. The design of your class
2. The music you will play to fit the design
For me, the design comes first. I decide what I want to do in the class. The warm up is first, and the cool down is last. What goes in between? I teach the “newer vertical” of Indoor Cycling or rhythmic style classes. So for me, “everything in between” is usually a combination of drills that move side to side or front to back, climbs and sprints.
When it comes to listening to music, it should clear right from the first listen, “this is a sprint song” or “this is a climb”. If you have to spend a lot of time deciding what type of song it is, it probably isn't a good song for you to use. Within my iTunes, I create playlists dedicated to different sections of my classes. I have playlists called “Climbs”, “Sprints”, Weights, “Figure 8s”, “Warm Ups”, “Meditations” and “Cool Downs”, for example. When I find a song that fits a category, I add it to the proper playlist.
When building my class, I take the basic design and plug in the songs. This works well for the beginner instructor.
Still having a difficult time? Stop searching for “new” music, and use music that you know and love. Your energy will shine because it's a song that you feel comfortable playing vs. looking crazy because you are trying to make a song that you don't know “fit or work”.
Cassie
Cassie is also a Social Media expert – she offers her ideas on tracking the success of your social media campaigns in this episode of the podcast.
I teach either performance-oriented timed interval rides or visualization rides. In the first case, I pick music to accompany the intervals based on rhythm (appropriate cadence, level of aggression) and length. It is definitely simplest to have intervals of fixed length and layer songs on top which motivate riders.
But visualization rides require helping your participant engage with the course. I ride my bike outdoors year-round and I base my visualization rides on routes I've been on. I tend to turn to my own feelings during those rides. Over rolling hills on a beautiful day, I can get lost in a smooth electronic track with a steady beat. On sharp, punchy climbs with the wind in my face, I need the hook from an aggressive rap track or a wailing guitar from a punk rock song. From my outdoor experiences, knowing there are multiple climbs or anticipating a hard sprint in a group ride, it is okay for the music to run on a little long, to build up, to create some frantic energy.
To manage musical flow, you have to understand the physical demands of the ride. If it's going to be a long, hard ride with little rest, don't be afraid to keep things aggressive – but remember to lighten up at the end of an effort. Every climb eventually ends, every sprint has a finish line, and, at some point, you can always choose to turn out of the wind. Your music should do the same.
Dunte and I had a fun conversation here where you can hear why I instantly added him to the Smart & Talented list 🙂
I've got a bunch more responses that you'll find here. But before you go… how would you have responded?
We've all heard the causality dilemma, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”. Ancient philosophers have been debating this question since the beginning of recorded history. Indoor cycling instructors have been asking themselves a similar question,”What comes first, the playlist or the profile?”, ever since Jonny G showed the world how much fun it could be to ride a bike that goes nowhere.
As a more “seasoned” instructor and Master Educator for Stages Cycling I am often asked my advice on this dilemma. I tell them that an awesome playlist or a great profile can carry a class, but if you can create both you'll be a rock star.
[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']
In my “The Power of 3” posts I put together 3 harmonically mixed songs and a short profile that can be used with each mix. I'm always searching for the perfect blend of music and performance based interval sets. Sometimes, like I did for the “ICI/Pro DJ Scott Melker Music Playlist Contest” I let the timing and energy of the music determine my profile. In this post I'm presenting a profile that takes the lead and the music is of secondary importance.
Below I have provided a harmonically mixed 65 minute long music track. The music is not the focus of this profile, so if you want to use your own playlist go right ahead. I would recommend you find a playlist that is high energy and don't worry about the timing of each song and interval, just let the music play.
The two profiles I have provided are very similar, actually the timing of the intervals are exactly the same. The only change is the difference between the low intensity or “Floor” and the high intensity or “Ceiling” of each workout. Due to the high intensity or vaulted ceilings of the Above Threshold workout a low intensity or shallow floor is required to recovery after each interval. It's important to understand this principle, if you are asking your class participants to work above threshold for any length of time you are also going to need to give them time to recover, the higher the intensity, the lower the recovery. If you do not give appropriate recovery you should expect to see a drop in the work done for each interval. I purposely DID NOT give my class appropriate recovery between each interval of this workout. My goal was to have them work on their anaerobic endurance, lactate clearance and lactate buffering. I expected a drop in wattage or work from interval to interval but asked my riders to try to keep this drop as small as possible. Between each interval set riders were given a 2 minute recovery to filter out as much of these accumulated waste products as possible. The cue I kept repeating in the middle of each interval set was “Your legs should feel like you're taking a bath in a tub full of lactate.”
The timing of the @ Threshold workout was exactly the same as the Above Threshold workout, but the height difference between floor and ceiling went from a room with vaulted ceilings to something that resembled a crawl space. The higher intensity or ceiling should be only a few watts above threshold or just above maximum sustainable intensity and the low intensity should be just below threshold or to the point where riders can regain control of their breathing. I like to compare this workout to a Time Trial effort or I also call it a Criss Cross Threshold workout. It is as much mental toughness training as it is physical. Science has shown us that a rider can maintain a threshold effort for more than an hour, so riders are physically capable of successfully completing this workout, the question is are they mentally capable. We can train the brain the same way we can train the body, if any participants cannot continue, let them know it's okay to take a 2-3 minute recovery then rejoin the group when they are recovered both physically and mentally. Also let them know that the next time you teach a class like this they should expect to “keep the power the pedals” longer. The cue I used in the Above Threshold profile also holds true here, after about 10 minutes, “Your legs should feel like you're taking a bath in a tub full of lactate.”
Give these two profiles a try and let me know how it goes. Both profiles are very similar and very challenging, so challenging that a bet your participants will not be able to remember a single song you played for the entire class.
Before I was an ICI/Pro Contributor, or Master Educator, before I spent every weekend coaching whatever sport my kids were playing at the time, back in what feels like a different life I was and Ironman triathlete. I spent close to 10 years in pursuit of that coveted Hawaiian Ironman spot, only to see my competition get faster and that spot get farther and farther away. I may not have made it to the finish line in Kona, but the journey I took in pursuit of that dream has made me the person I am today.
People often ask me if I miss Ironman training and racing and I can honestly say I don’t. At that time in my life it was my identity, it was what I lived for. Today I have a wonderful wife and two great 15 year old boys. I would much rather be riding the lifts of Vail, with them, then base training for next year’s races. I may race again some day, but for the next few years I would rather focus on raising my boys, they are my identity, they are what I live for now.
The one thing I miss most about Ironman training are the long training workouts. I loved to train alone. There is no better place to find the answer to any of life’s questions than on a 4000m swim, 5 hour ride or 3 hour run. The rhythm and length of these workouts gave me a chance to quiet my mind and listen. I don’t know where the answers or ideas came from but they just came. Many people call this Flow or being In The Zone.
Flow is a mental state in which a person is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, wellbeing and enjoyment in the activity being performed. The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy while.
Many people find the flow accidentally, without thinking about it or trying, all the conditions of a workout magically come together and work feels effortless, time flies by and your body feels like it is working perfectly. This flow state is like a drug, once you have had it once you want more of it. Luckily, finding The Flow can be practiced and perfected.
[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']
The controlled environment of an indoor cycling studio is the perfect place to practice and perfect finding the flow state. I’ve been incorporating one flow state song per class for the past few months and my riders love it. When cueing a flow state song I ask my riders to focus on the beat of the music, or their cadence or the rhythm of their breathing. They need to focus on something rhythmic and hypnotic. The intensity needs to be below threshold, burning legs and lungs will pull them out of the flow. The most important and probably hardest thing for an instructor to do during a flow state song is to BE QUIET. Your riders need to focus on the rhythm of THIER bodies, the sound of your voice will pull them out of this flow state every time.
I have gotten more positive comments about this addition to my profiles then anything I have ever done. I would recommend you add it in during one of your recovery songs, this way the volume or intensity junkies in your class don’t feel like they are missing out on any of the “quality” of the workout.
If you listen to my recorded classes below, see if you can find any “Soul Cycle” influence, no I have not added weights.
3 song harmonically mixed track, , to download Right Click > Save As / Save Target As to download. Open in iTunes and then you'll see this in your Spotify Local File folder.
