So much of western fitness revolves around adrenalin-driven, kinetic (or should we say “hyperkinetic”?) energy. Yet there is power that comes from quiet — and that was the concept of a recent training I ran in my indoor cycling classes last week.
Keeping the energy mellow does not require making the training easy. Instead, it”™s training that comes from energy that”™s centered, rather than frenetic. When I taught these classes, I asked the participants to focus on internal motivation — their own desire to train and work hard — more than on any external motivation that might come from, say, the energy of my coaching with loud cues to push themselves (or whatever), or loud music with a driving beat.
This unconventional approach worked well, and got the participants to work hard while staying focused and internally driven. Here”™s how the class was structured.
I used eight songs, as follows:
- Going to California (music only) — Tribute Band Karaoke
- Porcelain — Miami DJ Collective Two-song warm-up to start.
- Good For Me — Above & Beyond 8:00 hill climb at 70 rpm, increasing resistance every 2 minutes: three levels seated, last one standing, all to music that is solid but not driving.
- Hearts Have Turned to Stone — Elton John and Leon Russell 4:00 limited recovery at 100 rpm, using quiet music with an easy feel, letting the heart rate drop only 15-20 bpm.
- In the Dark — Tiesto Second hill climb, as described in #3.
- Dark Hollow (live) — Grateful Dead Limited recovery, as described in #4.
- Burned With Desire (Rising Star Dub) — Armin Van Buuren Third hill climb, as above.
- White Flag — Dido Full recovery and cool-down. You'll want to add your personal favorites to lengthen this to suit your class.
Here is the complete playlist in Spotify and Deezer.
Our true ability is accessed through stillness, far more than through external sources, such as pounding music or sharp commands. A successful performance that comes from someone who is not really sure what happened is a memorable, and even spiritual, experience. Getting someone to experience an enhanced sense of himself/ herself, of aliveness and vitality while cycling, can anchor that person to training in a way that the external, “adrenalized” push can never do.
Obviously, there are reasons to coach and teach differently on different days. To ask participants to go inward on occasion and find personal reasons to drive their training (and themselves) is a shift of focus and consciousness that can be, at the very least, a stimulating change of pace. It can also be far more than that if properly coached.
In addition, it might turn the next high-energy class, by contrast, into an even more exciting and distinct experience.
- Spinning Our Wheels:Can’t We Go Faster? - February 24, 2024
- Still More on Motivation - January 1, 2024
- Differentiation:ICG® Academy Opens in San Francisco - December 23, 2023
We’re trying a new concept here with the idea of saving you time, while still giving you something new to bring to your class. We’re not replacing Audio PROfiles – actually Jim and I are recording his first one tomorrow – but rather we are recognizing that many ICI/PRO members have years of experience to work off of. “Just give me the Cliff Notes version of the profile + a great playlist and I good to go” is something I hear regularly. Let me know if you think this is of value.
I do appreciate the effort but liked having the full audio profiles (both mp3 and pdf) which I could read and then summarise and modify based on what works best for me and my clients. Also found the language of the detailed profiles helpful in improving my coaching skills and enriching my classes. Thanks much!
Bravo to the concept of quiet. I actually have a section in my binder called “Silence is Golden” and introduce rides as coming from that place. The music is mellower – mostly instrumental and if there are lyrics they don’t intrude on the riders’ minds. At the outset of the hour I may give some coaching about what will happen and I provide some general info and reinforcers along the way but I am mostly silent.
I view these classes the same way I do virtual rides. They are an opportunity for people to put into practice what we have been talking/doing over the last little while. They learn to rely on themselves instead of on me – no ‘crutches’ allowed. The silence helps them process the experience and become more aware of the mental and physical aspects of their performance. I think that’s vital for everyone but especially so for those people who intend to ride outside.
BTW, once a group has successfully mastered the mellower (but silent) rides I challenge them with more powerful music and ask them to stay in charge of their bodies and minds. Learning how to resist the pressure of extrinsic factors is an invaluable life skill.
Thanks Jim
This is a great concept and one that is well over do. It seems as this is a climb profile. Do you find this approach works better for climbing or is it a winner across the board.?
Hey Chuck. Thanks or the post. It works with all profiles. I used climbs in the instance because I felt my students tend to manage their efforts better with slower tempos. The slower cadence enabled them to more effectively increase intensity yet maintain stillness. In my experience, there’s something about climbing in general that permits the kind of cues that helps a student to control their adrenalin.