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RECOVERY, ADDICTION, & INDOOR CYCLING

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JANUARY 10, 2017
I received the following text message from a customer…
Your new employee Boomer Rose. He has a history of drug use.  On supervised probation.  Everyone deserves a second chance. We all make mistakes but just want you to be aware.

MEET BOOMER
Boomer works at TheBarn.
************************************
I used to be 300 pounds.  I used to be an alcoholic.  I used to be addicted to heroin.  I used to be homeless.  I have spent time in jails and rehabs.  I have spent half my life unable to look in the mirror hating the person I was.  Those days have passed, however, they remain fresh in my mind.  Now I am a grateful recovering addict.  A proud member of a 12-Step Fellowship.  A proud member of TheBarn.

I’ve spent a good portion of my morning reading articles debating what Indoor Cycling should and shouldn’t be.  In one of the articles, Karen Casler of CB CycleBarn® discusses her childhood, constantly searching for a place to fit in and trying to find acceptance.  As an adult, she yearned for a place where others like her could find a safe environment and where they could be themselves.  A place that no matter what or who they were … they BELONGED.   It is under that principle, that CB CycleBarn® … aka … TheBarn was born.  I too have spent most of my life trying to find somewhere that I felt accepted.  The moment that I walked into TheBarn I found that place.  A place that is more than just an Indoor Cycling and Fitness studio.   A place that I take pride in being a member of. I walk in everyday proud to be apart of the primary purpose: Bettering ourselves “one pedal stroke at a time”.

NOW … LET’S BACKTRACK
I had never met Karen Casler before February of 2016.
I had known that we have a sister for most of my life and that she had been given up for adoption at birth. I almost came to tears on the Jail phone in a pod full of 50 strangers when I heard the news that our sister had used DNA to piece together her past and to find us. 3 Days later, on February 5th, I was released from Jail. It was my first stint in Jail and it was Her birthday.  When the offer was made for me to move from Virginia to California in November of 2017 I didn’t even have to think it over. I instantly agreed.

Looking back, the decision was somewhat crazy considering Karen and I had just recently met each other and collectively spent less than 24 hours around each other our ENTIRE LIVES.  The opportunity to get to know my sister and her family was one that I simply could not pass up.   I packed my whole life in a suitcase (36 pounds in total) and left my 4-year-old son and everything I have ever known behind. I awoke on January 8th and looked out on the Pacific Ocean for the first time in the daylight I felt as though I was dreaming.  “I don’t deserve to be here” I thought to myself.

That morning Karen and I loaded into the car and headed off for my first trip to TheBarn.  In the car on the way there we talked and she mentioned “I bet you would be a great cycling instructor.”  I agreed with her.  Coming from a theater and athletic background, it might be a possibility but I didn’t take it seriously.  At TheBarn, I took my first cycling class.  I clipped in and within the first 5 minutes I realized this was It.  This was the CHEESE I had been looking for.  A dark room, filled with loud music, full of people silently moving together.  Working together.  For the same common purpose.  To better ourselves.  That first class I was able to check out of my life and all my wrong doings for 45 minutes and everything that was weighing on me disappeared.  It was just me and the bike.  Nothing else mattered.

FAST FORWARD … 7 WEEKS
Today is February 26th.
I have been in California almost 2 months.
Four weeks ago, I celebrated my 1st year in recovery.  Today, I am 399 days clean.   I work at TheBarn.  It is a place that is more than a job to me.  I spend my time working, going to meetings, being active in my new church and getting to know Karen and my new family.  The experience has been the greatest blessing I have ever received.  Being apart of TheBarn Family brings me a feeling of pride I have never felt.  After much thinking the past few weeks I have decided to embark on the journey of becoming a cycling instructor.   The thought I brushed aside has now become a reality.   I’m driven to help others who are like me, to find a healthy outlet for their addictive personalities in their recovery.  My goal: to offer fun, safe and donation based rides to those suffering from the same disease as me.  To give others a healthy way to release the same emotions and endorphins that we found with drugs and alcohol.  The ability to safely work on our Mind, Bodies and Spirits. I have found in recovery it is important to focus on all three.  The first thing you should do when you get clean, is change everything.  I am excited for this adventure, humbled at the opportunity and grateful to be apart of TheBarn family.  So here I am, outing myself to the masses as an addict.  Hoping that those that are struggling know that they have someone safe to reach out too, and somewhere safe to work on themselves.  It’s about progress not perfection.

I sit here watching the waves of the Pacific Ocean crash against the shores of Calafia and reminisce on the events in my life that have brought me here, to THIS place, paradise.  My story isn’t over yet.  This is just the beginning.

Never Alone. Never Again. Never The Same.

I found TheBarn.  

By Boomer Rose

Originally posted 2018-02-28 12:52:23.

How many watts should I be making at threshold?

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If you're teaching with power, there's a good chance you'll have a participant ask you this simple question; how many watts should I be making when I'm working at my threshold? Same goes for any new studio or one that is upgrading to indoor Cycles with power/watts. You will be asked for a number from many of your riders. The reason is pretty simple, many people naturally want to know how they compare.

 There are two schools of thought on if, or how, you should answer this question:

  1. There's the “Don't give them a number – ever” school that believes whatever you tell them could be wrong and potentially upsetting. You don't want to demoralize riders, or hurt their feelings, especially with a new rider with no/limited fitness, by suggesting anything. The recommendation is to respond with a question; how many watts did you see today? Then respond positively to any response.
  2. Then the “give them something to work with” approach. My preference is to start with the suggestion of one watt per pound or a little bit over 2 watts per Kg.

They're adults = tell them the truth… they can handle it.

Have you ever had someone lie to or mislead you, under the pretense that they didn't want to hurt your feelings? Did it make you feel valued and respected? If you have experienced a situation where you weren't told the truth, did you feel you would have acted differently, if you had been given accurate information?

Imagine for a moment you're a personal trainer and your client asks you this question; what percentage of body fat should I have? A common question I'm sure. Is the correct response; “what is your body fat percentage now?” And then to positively affirm what ever answer they give? I don't think so… do you? There are established ranges for body fat %, published by credible fitness authorities like ACE. Here's their chart.

Let's see where you fall on this chart...

Let's see where you fall on this chart…

If your female client told you their body fat is 34% – would you smile and say; “that's great!” ? Of course not. You would probably suggest a diet and exercise program directed toward reducing their fat percentage down, with a goal to get into the average range. The person standing in front of you may not like hearing that they're obese, but don't they need to learn the truth so they can decide to do the work needed to change their body composition?

What about running a 5k? Or bowling for that matter? They both have metrics that define a reasonably achievable level of proficiency for an able-bodied person. Would it be wrong to suggest a goal time of 36 minutes (12 minute mile) for a 5K or 120 pin score in a bowling game?

Teaching with power for two years has me in the “give them something to work” with camp. And that something is a goal of one watt per pound of body weight*. I've asked multiple dozens of riders; “are you close to your body weight in watts?” Are they all there? No, but it's been very few. I'll bet if you were to privately poll your regulars, at the end of a 3-4 minute sustainable threshold effort, you would hear wattage #s around body weight.

At the end of the PST (Personal Spinning Threshold) assessment I did at WSSC, MI Janet Toussaint allowed me to ask the class this exact question. The majority agreed that their PST was at or above their body weight. Now a room full of fit Instructors may not be a representative sample, but it reaffirmed my experiences.

If you'd like to learn more about this concept – listen to this podcast where I first learned about it.

*I've heard other Instructors suggest using lean / goal body weight, which would reduce the number slightly. This calculator provided by ACE might be helpful.

Originally posted 2014-06-05 09:35:39.

ICI Podcast 152 Stages Indoor Cycling and FreeMotion to Co-Sponsor our Conference

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Stages Indoor Cycling Bikes with power

They say good things come to those who wait! I'm very excite to announce that Stages Indoor Cycling has agreed to co-sponsor the conference this year and they will provide a room full of their new FreeMotion Indoor Cycles with POWER. Update: July 2011 – I am now teaching on the FreeMotion s11.9 and have a page dedicated to my review of this indoor cycle.

I need to publicly thank both Cameron Chinatti, the Education Director for Stages Indoor Cycling along with Marketing Director at Foundation Fitness & Stages Indoor Cycling, Laurel Mylin for believing in ICI/PRO and co-sponsoring our conference this year.

The 2011 ICI/PRO conference will showcase

The POWER of Indoor Cycling 2.0!

Cameron will be conducting the Stages Essentials Instructor Certification as a Pre-Con on Friday 9/30 and will also be presenting four sessions during the conference.

Of course this turns our conference planning on it's head. I plan to have the final registration details completed by Monday 5/9 night for ICI/PRO members to make their selections.

I have opened early registration for those of you wanting to get a jump on everyone else. This year we are offering you the chance to make multiple payments, rather than one lump sum. Here is the link to register.

Last year the hotel sold out. Even if you are thinking about sharing a room I would suggest that you reserve a room here’s the phone number to the hotel 978-750-7987 and tell them you are in the Indoor Cycling group. We will be helping connect those looking for room-mates. NOTE: Our block of reserved rooms extends from September 28th to October 4th for those of you wanting to come early or stay a day or two longer.

Listen to the Podcast below for more information about Stages Indoor Cycling and their participation in the conference.

 

 

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Originally posted 2011-05-08 16:43:31.

Star Trac Spinner® Blade Ion Review

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Spinner Blade Ion Review

Spinning joins the Training With Power Wars

Star Trac had the new Spinner® Blade Ion on display at IHRSA. I rode one during Josh Taylor's 6:30 am demonstration ride this past Thursday. After the class I discussed the Ion's new features with Josh. I then got an overview of Spinning's new Spinpower™ education from Program Director Angie Sturtevant, which I'll share as a separate article.

Basics

The “Ion” differentiates this bike with Power from the conventional Spinner Blade. It uses the same chain drive and friction resistance system, found on all Spinner® Indoor Cycles.

Console / Monitor

Very simple… and I'm a huge fan of simple, so right away I appreciated how easy it was to use the Ion's console. I was told they are making a few minor changes so the final version may look different. Working down from the top, the display shows:

  1. Heart Rate
  2. Cadence
  3. Power
  4. Elapsed Time

Just three buttons

  1. Left button turns the back-light on/off. It doesn't time out because it doesn't need to preserve battery life. It will stay on until you want it dark or you stop pedaling. I might not have this completely right – but you get the point – the light will shine all class 🙂
  2. Center button scrolls through screens displaying; real time and averages + calories 
  3. Hold down the Right button for 2 seconds resets the Elapsed Time – Josh explained that this button will also add a “digital marker” to any Ant+ enabled devise, identifying the beginning or end of an interval, similar to the “Stage” button found on other consoles.

Josh made the point during his demo ride that their console will show ZERO watts when there's no resistance, regardless of the cadence = this will show all of our “spinners” that they aren't doing any real work until they've added some load.

Free Registration Required to read the rest — Click Here. Opens in a new tab.

Originally posted 2013-03-24 11:20:19.

I Ride Outside. So what’s The Big Deal About Power?

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Best Indoor Cycling Bikes with Power Meters

What's Your Experiences With Power?

In a previous post we talked specifically about the reasons why “non-outdoor riders” would want to train with power.  There needs to be incentive for all populations, and thus our focus on those that don’t ride outside was appropriate as a starting point.  However, we can’t forget about how powerful (pun intended) this training is for those of us who do ride outside.

Whether it is mountain biking, road cycling, or even touring, power can be the gateway to a new experience on two wheels.  You’ll be able to “hang with the faster group”, climb the hills you used to walk, or climb with speed where you used to get dropped, or just feel fresh throughout a touring ride while your companions are “suffering”.

Let’s define power just a little more precisely.  It is not simply the amount of “work” you are doing.  That is a different measurement.  Sure many people say “I worked hard today in class”.  You are also admonished by instructors to “Work it!”.  In fact, the entire industry uses the term “work out” to refer to exercise.  However, when it comes to Power, in terms of work, it is the RATE of performing that work; how fast you do it.

The easiest example is walking up a set of steps.  If you walk up the steps, or run up the steps, it’s the same amount of work.  However, running will require a different amount of power.  To perform the same work faster, requires more Power.  Hence, to make a bike go faster, you need more power.  The same concept applies to climbing.  The same hill will require the same “work” for a given individual, but if they climb it faster, it will require more power.

 

Continue Reading…

ADDICTION, RECOVERY, & INDOOR CYCLING

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Today … January 23, 2019 … Boomer Rose celebrates

 

Boomer Rose is a BeatBoss & Schwinn® trained indoor cycling instructor with an AMAZING story.  From the moment he first clipped in, Boomer knew his life changed.  The ambience, atmosphere, and camaraderie of indoor cycling introduced the fact that a healthy high does exist.  If you were to ask Boomer, he'll tell you it's hard to believe or even imagine the life from which he came.  Here's WHY…

Boomer used to weigh over 300 pounds.  He had a history of drug/alcohol abuse, homelessness, had been to jail twice, and had never held a real job.  But … that was then and this is now … today, Boomer is a full time Crunch Fitness employee and teaches 3-8 cycle classes a week.  He is adulting on the daily, has formed healthy relationships, and is an inspiration to anyone who struggles with anything.  Most importantly, Boomer is happy, healthy, and strong!!!   Indoor Cycling literally changed his life.  Watch and listen as Boomer tells a little bit of his story here ……. 

Tonight, Boomer teaches a special and sold out indoor cycling class celebrating his 2 year milestone and it's going to be LIT!!! RockOn, Boomer Rose … ROCK ON!!! 

 

Watt Is Power?

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Watt is power? www.indoorcycleinstructor.comWatt Is Power? Or rather what is power?

With a title like that, we could be here for days.  Perhaps a better title would have been: What Is Power As It Relates To Cycling or even more to the point would be: Training on Indoor Cycling or Spinning® Bikes With Power.  But as you see, that would have been quite a long and clunky title.  So I spared you.  Naturally, we will be confining our discussion to how the dynamics and science of Power has been applied to the sport of cycling.  More specifically how it relates to the world of Indoor Cycling or Spinning® and the equipment used for this in most fitness facilities; stationary bikes.  While most of our work was done on the Keiser M3 indoor bike, we are currently in the process of acquiring other power bikes for continued independent research.

Definition

Power is the product of strength and speed or put in terms of indoor cycling, the resistance applied to the fly wheel, and the RPM or cadence of pedaling.  That seems pretty easy to understand right.  The equation that comes to mind is:

Power = Resistance X Cadence

Oh if it were only this simple.  Well, for the purposes of Indoor Cycling or Spinning®, this is all we need to know, and thuse, we have made it that simple.  However, if you ride outside, you need to know that there are quite a few factors that also impact power as it relates to cycling.  While we enjoy the perfection of a controlled environment for training, riding outside is anything but a perfect and consistent.  Consequently, there are lots of factors that can affect one’s power.  A bunch of very smart people from Penn State put together a nifty Power Calculator for those of you who are even bigger data geeks than myself.  You can find it at: http://www.me.psu.edu/lamancusa/ProdDiss/Bicycle/bikecalc1.htm

Here is a sneak peak at all the factors that go into calculating power when we move outside:

Bicycle Power Calculator at https://www.indoorcycleinstructor.com

As you can see form the screen shot above, at least 65 thousand other people have a similar curiosity about power.  You can also find a kazillion references to power as it relates to cycling on the internet, but our discussions will be squarely focused on how power is measured and used for Indoor Cycling or Spinning®.

This does not mean that the power generated indoors is not the same as the power generated outdoors.  Essentially they are the same.  It simply means there are different methods used to measure that power due to differences in equipment, environment and cost.  Yes, there will be differences in the Watts you generate indoors, and what your power meter measures outdoors.  Even cyclists who use the exact same bike, with the exact same power meters indoors and out will experience differences.  Shocking as it may seem, the most expensive equipment available will still produce variations due to the enormous influence environment has on the rider and the equipment.

Nevertheless, this does not take away the value of training with power.  Power meters still represents one of the best tools for improving your general fitness and/or performance on a bike that has hit the Indoor Cycling or Spinning® market in a very long time.  The differences between indoors and out will not negate these positive effects.  At the end of the day, it’s the results we are looking for, and training with power will surely deliver!

Read more of Gino's Training with Power Articles – Here

ICI/PRO Podcast 299 – Power and your Playlist… don’t make it too hard

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Corbin Chinatti Ruff with Mom and Dad

Corbin Chinatti Ruff with Mom and Dad – Sorry Dunte, this picture was so cute I couldn't pass up using it for this post 🙂

Stages Indoor Cycling's Dunte Hector joins me to discuss his ideas about integrating power, while using your existing music playlists. Brilliant in its simplicity and so easy to implement… I wish I had thought of it myself. Learn Dunte's trick below.

We actually recorded this PRO Podcast back several years ago and we mention that Cameron Chinatti was due to give birth at any moment. Well on Feb 13 (after we recorded) Corbin Chinatti Ruff became the newest member of the Stages family.

Listen below or find it in your PRO Members feed.

 

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ICI Podcast 252 Meet Studio Owner Leslie Grosshauser from S and L Tri Cycle Fit Studio

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Studio Owner Leslie Grosshauser

Studio Owner Leslie Grosshauser

My guest for this episode of the Podcast is Studio Owner Leslie Grosshauser.

Leslie launched S & L Tri-Cycle Fit Studio on the first of the year. I was excited to learn from her about a number of decisions she made, to differentiate her offering from other fitness competitors.

Key among them were the purchase of Schwinn AC Performance cycles and the Performance IQ on-screen display system of each rider's Power and Heart Rate metrics.

Here's more about Leslie Grosshauser

Leslie has been teaching and training in the fitness Industry for over 25 years. Inspiring the world to workout and have fun are the key ingredients in all of Leslie’s program. Leslie has a wide variety of experience ranging from Managing and Directing Group Exercise and Personal Training in Hospital based centers, National Fitness Chains and small Boutique studios.

Leslie loves the world of competition and that is why she is so passionate about S&L Tri-CycleFit studio. Leslie has always had a vision to create a place where people can get a great workout, have fun and fulfill their competitive edge. Leslie has been teaching indoor cycling for over 15 years, loving every minute of the ride, she has created several creative formats to keep people smiling and coming back for more!
Leslie is currently a Master trainer for Polar Electro, The Cardio GX Program, she is also a Master Trainer and Presenter for the Hollywood workout “Piloxing”, Leslie is also a Fitness Educator/Presenter for SCW Fitness Education where she presents several of her own programs and educational seminars around the United States. Leslie has presented at several of the major Fitness industry Tradeshows such as IHRSA, Club Industry, Athletic Business Conferences and several others. Leslie has presented Internationally for FreeMotion Fitness where she launched the Group Free Motion program that she created.
Leslie was the 1999 National Aerobic Champion and also competed in the world of Body Building. Leslie loves the connection that the group classes create and that is why she has dedicated her life to designing fun group exercise programming.

 

Listen to my interview with Leslie below or subscribe to our free Podcast in iTunes.

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Originally posted 2013-02-24 13:59:23.

ICI/PRO Podcast #203 Cycle Strong Audio PROfile

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Big legs from indoor cycling

Results not typical

Cycling Fusion Master Instructor Tom Scotto is back! Tom conducts a Cycle Strong Instructor workshop and here is an abbreviated version for you to enjoy and learn from.

As this is an actual workshop I asked Tom to provide a PDF of Cycle Strong that includes the Power Point slides that you can reference while you listen.

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Originally posted 2012-03-17 09:18:08.

The Power of 3 – Keep it Simple and Progress – Profile (July 2015 Week 3)

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styleandstarbucks.tumblr

 

Below you'll find Week 3 of July's Keep it Simple and Progress indoor cycling profile.

Workout Basics:

  • 5 minute warmup
  • 3 x 4 minute intervals with 30 seconds recovery after each
  • 1 minute recovery after the third 4 minute interval
  • 3 x 3 minute intervals with 30 seconds recovery after each
  • 1 minute recovery after the third 3 minute interval
  • 3 x 2 minute intervals with 30 seconds recovery after each
  • 1 minute recovery after the third 2 minute interval
  • 4,3,2 minute intervals with 30 seconds recovery after each
  • 1 minute recovery after the 2 minute interval
  • 4 x 30 second intervals with 1 minute recovery after each
  • 5 minute cool down

3 x 4 minute interval goals and specifics:

  • 1st 4 minute intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at Threshold wattage, HR or RPE
    • 30 second recovery or reset
  • 2nd 4 minute interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage, HR or RPE as the 1st.
    • 30 second recovery or reset
  • 3rd 4 minute interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage, HR or RPE as 2nd.
    • 1 minute recovery or reset

3 x 3 minute interval goals and specifics:

  • 1st 3 minute intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm a wattage, HR or RPE that is higher than the last 4 minute interval
    • 30 second recovery or reset
  • 2nd 3 minute interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage, HR or RPE as the 1st 3 minute interval
    • 30 second recovery or reset
  • 3rd 3 minute interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage, HR or RPE as 2nd 3 minute interval
    • 1 minute  recovery or reset

3 x 2 minute interval goals and specifics:

  • 1st 2 minute intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm a wattage, HR or RPE that is higher than the last 3 minute interval
    • 30 second recovery or reset
  • 2nd 2 minute interval should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at the same wattage, HR or RPE as the 1st 2 minute interval
    • 30 second recovery or reset
  • 3rd 2 minute interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at the same wattage, HR or RPE as 2nd 2 minute interval
    • 1 minute recovery or reset

4,3,2 minute interval goals and specifics:

  • 4 minute intervals should be ridden seated at 80-110 rpm at Threshold wattage, HR or RPE
    • 30 second recovery or reset
  • 3 minute intervals should be ridden seated at 60-80 rpm at a wattage, HR or RPE that is higher than the last 4 minute interval
    • 30 second recovery or reset
  • 2 minute interval should ridden standing at 60-70 rpm at a wattage, HR or RPE that is higher than the last 3 minute interval
    • 1 minute recovery or reset

3 x 30 second interval goals and specifics:

  • The 4 x  30 second intervals should be ridden at the riders choice RPM or position and should be ridden at maximum effort followed by a 1 minute recovery.

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