Tips and Tricks
An easy decision to make…
Well actually it was a non-decision 🙂 I received this notice today via email - Dear Carbonite Customer, Your Carbonite Online backup subscription for your computer JOHN-PC is scheduled to automatically renew in 7 days. When you signed up for Carbonite you selected automatic renewal billing which provides uninterrupted backup protection. You do not need to do anything! Carbonite will automatically charge the regular subscription price of $54.95, to your credit card, ending in 6941, in 7 days. Once the payment has been processed, we will send you a separate confirmation email/receipt. I can't tell you, after two hard drive failures, how comforting it is to know everything on my PC is backed up. Not just once a month, but every night. And I do nothing but sleep while it happens. You can...
ICI Podcast 280 – Use your studio as a marketing platform and get free publicity!
ICI/PRO member & Cycle Quest Studio owner Joe Ducosin hosted Olympic Gold Medalist Dara Torres at his studio last week - and the results were a bunch of free local media that promoted his studio. Dara was in town to promote the new women's specific FitClips...
ICI Podcast 0006 – Amy's Race Day Ride
FREE ICI/PRO PODCAST: What an exciting day, this is our third ride recording. ICI/PRO member Amy Smith, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride, delivers a ride. "This is a race week. On this course I have less hills so we have to...
Stop the Talkers – Step Three… Let's Fix This Today!
In part two we identified how the talkers act the way they do because of; cluelessness, a lack of respect for you and your class or they're challenging your position as the leader. Much of this could also apply to the texters/bring their own music/do their own thing...
How Squinching Will Make You Look Good in Photos – And To Your Class
If you hate how you look in pictures, or wonder if you appear confident on the bike, I suggest watching the video below. If you–or the people you take photographs of–always look bad in images, then help is at hand. Professional portrait photographer Peter...
ElliptiGO – could this be the next Big Indoor Cycling Thing?
Gary Hawkins from Ride Fit contacted me last week about a new virtual cycling training video he had produced. Except this video doesn't feature typical cyclists - it's designed for people who train indoors on an ElliptiGO. If you've never heard of an ElliptiGO you can...
Making Connections with Your Audience: AKA your Riders
Was it just me, or did that last Instructor never make eye contact with you, either? Amy and I were both participating at a teach-back assessment a few months ago, for Life Time's new Evolution Signature Indoor Cycling format. There was a handful of Instructors trying...
Please come back to my class!
OK, so mid August may be a little bit early to start asking people to come back to your class. But I don't feel that there's any harm in giving some thought (and maybe some preparation) in how you plan to encourage past students to return to class this Fall. Here is...
When over 60% of your members are women…
I see a big part of growth (both personal and professional) is being willing to take risks in your life. When I first started the Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast there were probably a hundred reasons why it was a bad idea... but I chose to ignore them. A little over...
Did an overemphasis on “contraindications” > give rise to SoulCycle?
What caused the SoulCycle phenomenon? Why are their riders so passionate, loyal and willing to spend $34 dollars a class, when clubs and studios had been offering Indoor Cycling classes for 10 or more years - long before SoulCycle's launch in 2007? The research done...
Should you be deemphasizing outdoor cycling?
Can an argument be made for deemphasizing "Outdoor Cycling" in your Indoor Cycling class? Or asked differently; would it ever make sense to remove many (if not all) of the references, imagery and cuing related to riding outdoors? Life Time Fitness thinks we should...
People lie to you…
It's true. People lie to you. Now I'm not talking about lying to you in a malicious/manipulative way, I have this awesome bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you really cheap - or - she's a real peach, only driven to church and back by the gentlest 80 year old grandmother...
ICI Podcast 82 Meet Ben Greenfield our newest ICI/PRO Team Member
Ben Greenfield is our newest ICI/PRO Team Contributor. Through his new RockStar Triathlete Academy, Ben has promised to help me with my training for the three Multi-Sport events I have committed to this summer. Besides all of his education and experience as a...
Don't be too quick to “educate” members
If you haven't yet, I would encourage you to listen to our latest Podcast that features 26 year old Cycling Studio owner Jessica Bashelor. If you're short on time, you really only need to hear the lead in where she describes her vision for her studio. I knew that I...
Are you handing out a Spotify card?
She was close to yelling when I walked into the studio. "I'm so excited you came back John!" "I haven't been able to find you on Facebook or Spotify, so I wasn't able to find the playlist you used the last time you were here..." I subbed last night at the Life Time...
Tech Tuesday – Spotify Legal Issues?
I love answering questions from Instructors 🙂 Hi John, Since you are a Spotify guru, I thought you might know the answer to this question: Spotify says their music is for non-commercial use and that you can't use it to play at even a school. I haven't found anything...
Have You Pleased Most?
This week I have the extraordinary privilege to be working from my balcony in Punta Cana. I have never been to an all inclusive resort before, and it is quite the experience. The grounds are beautiful, you can go to any of the many restaurants or bars on the property,...
ICI Podcast 0003a – Nassau Ride
ICI/PRO member Joey, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride on ICI/PRO, delivers a ride. What an exciting day, this is our first ride recording. We will certainly get better at the audio, but you should still find this enjoyable....
Staying Connected To Your Students
As a long time educator, I’ve learned some lessons that have been very valuable to me as I added ‘Cycling Instructor’ to my resume. One of the things that I’ve learned over my years in education is how much my students and parents appreciate being connected to what’s...
Making your classes about more than just exercise
"Because that's where the money is..." was famous American bank robber Willie Sutton's reported answer to the question; "Willie why do you rob banks?" I can imagine a similar conversation with an upscale restaurant owner; "so why do you cater to business people?"...
ICI Podcast 334 – How do you track the effectiveness of your social media campaigns?
Social Media has grown to become the primary method of marketing for Indoor Cycling Studios. Which makes sense. Many of your prospective customers are active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - and you can't beat the cost. All it takes is posting a few pretty...
Adding some friendly competition to your class
Updated: 11/23 Flywheel Sports is a chain of Indoor Cycling studios who started in New York city. They have had tremendous results and growth, now with 12 locations in three states; New York, Florida and Illinois. A big part of their success has come from a...
Do you Bike to your Cycling class?
When the weather is nice, do you ride your bike to the club and then teach your Indoor Cycling class? Just curious...
Great resource for brand new Indoor Cycling Instructors
There's an old saying that goes; "I've been at this so long... I've forgotten much of what I didn't know, when I first started." I've taught Indoor Cycling classes since 1998ish. A long time ago for sure. Even back then I had an advantage over most new Instructors....
Indoor Cycling Shoes, What's your recommendation?
When a student asks what they should purchase for Indoor Cycling Shoes, what do you recommend? Do you have a place to send them? Does your club sell Indoor Cycling Shoes? If you're only using them for Indoor Cycling classes, then a shoe with a recessed SPD cleat is...
Something Good
The posts with more than a couple of comments always catch my attention. It shows a hit on a subject that interests people enough to share their thoughts. I have always considered this forum's primary objective to do just that. Light a fire so-to-speak. That said, the...
10 Myths of Indoor Cycle Rider Setup / Bike Fit
NOTE: I'll be publishing what I believe are the 10 Myths of Indoor Cycle Rider Setup / Bike Fit on Wednesdays each week, starting today with: Myth #1 - It's proper, for you the instructor, to cue people to draw in their knees. I cringe whenever I hear; "OK...
Rowing: Great Cross-Training For Cyclists
What do you do when you want to train but need a break from cycling? Indoor rowing is an excellent alternative. If you”™re into power training, this is for you. Most of my teaching of indoor cycling was done in Performance Max, a program that included both...
ICI Podcast 0005b – Zack's Popcycle Ride
ICI/PRO member Zack, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride on ICI/PRO, delivers a ride. THIS IS THE COMBINED FILE THAT INCLUDES THE MUSIC AND THE VOICE. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON ITUNES. “I am very excited to be releasing an audio...
Spinning ® Indoor Cycling Instructor Class Profile Time Length Calculator
Whenever I solve a problem for myself I stop and think, "I wonder of other Indoor Cycling Instructors have this same problem". So I make a video to show you what I've done. Let me know in the comments if this was helpful to you. Here is the link to the free online...
Promote Your Personal Classes With FourSquare
I love having a full class of students. But first they need to know my class exists. I'm continuously frustrated with how poorly my own club promotes the Indoor Cycling classes we offer. Based on comments offering similar frustrations, I'm guessing that I'm not the...
Sneaky Little Tricks to Blow Up the Size of Your Class
by Barbara Hoots Do you dream of teaching a kick-ass class in a packed studio with unstoppable energy? Follow my FIVE BEST TRICKS ON THE PLANET and I guarantee your dream will become a reality. 1. Volunteer to Be a Guest Speaker. Last week I spoke to a local civic...
New Organizing Music in iTunes Video
Your certification didn't teach you this so I will. If you like to use music to encourage specific pedal cadences, check out this new video on how to use a tap-to-the-beat counter. Here is the link to get it for Windows Users. You can find the other 5 free videos over...
How You Look – What do you see in the mirror?
In Tom's previous post he talks about watching yourself on film to identify non-verbal movements / behaviors that if changed, could improve your class. But what if the whole camera setup and production is too much of a hurdle for you right now... how about this baby...
The Power Of The Right Click
Question from a PRO member: is there any way you can listen to a podcast and cruise the ICI website at the same time? Often I am tempted to hit a link while listening and then I am thrown off the podcast. Frustrating. I hate it when PRO members are frustrated, I can...
What can you learn from Chef Gordon Ramsay?
If you are interested in improving your class numbers or making your studio more profitable, I feel Chef Ramsay could help a lot... let me explain. On the remote chance you have never seen his TV show (he must have over a dozen to date) Chef Gordon Ramsay is a very...
Not Again@#$%^&**&#$%^&*
It's dark at 5:30 am and I'm one not to have many lights on in the morning. Yesterday I wished I had as I knocked my Dell laptop off the kitchen counter and it hit the hardwood floor with a loud CRASH. I stood there in the dark and began to hear a Click - Click -...
4 weeks to an awesome new you!
Back-to-School signals the end of summer for many of us. *Our participants will begin thinking about Fall and the transition to riding indoors. I'm thinking that you will want to be ready for them. 🙂 All of us here at ICI/PRO believe September is the perfect month to...
ICI Podcast 0001 – Joey and Zack Intro
ICI/PRO members Zack and Joey record their first podcast as part of the ICI/PRO team. Both Joey and Zack are master indoor cycling instructors, and they both currently race and actively ride outdoors. Take some time and listen to Joey and Zack as they lay out their...
ICI Podcast 0003b – Nassau Ride
ICI/PRO member Joey, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride on ICI/PRO, delivers a ride. THIS IS THE COMBINED FILE THAT INCLUDES THE MUSIC AND THE VOICE. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON ITUNES. What an exciting day, this is our first ride...
ICI Podcast 310 – Indoor Cycling at the University of Florida
Meet Dave Goss - Graduate student and Indoor Cycling Instructor at the University of Florida! While working on his music education graduate degree at U-Florida, Dave enrolled in the college's group fitness instructor development program. There he earned his AFAA...
ICI Podcast 0002 – Amy Smith Interview
ICI/PRO members Zack and Joey interview Amy Smith, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride on ICI/PRO. What an amazing lady Amy is: she has raced, she is a master instructor and an insanely great outdoor rider. Take a few moments...
You're a Celebrity… act like it!
If you promise me that you won't get a big head, I'd like you to go look in the mirror and repeat after me; "I'm a celebrity and it's about time that I started acting like one." Now I'm not suggesting that you should start arriving for your next class in a chauffeur...
Would adding a few Recumbent Indoor Cycles = a more inclusive class?
Would you agree that Indoor Cycles are a poor method/modality of exercise - for some populations? There's a long list of people who would never consider participating in our classes, or even riding an indoor cycle alone at home. There's a bunch of reasons: Physical...
How You Sound – Are you cueing on time?
This week we are exploring How You Sound and in the spirit of learning about ourselves and our individual “sound”, I want you to do something….it will be easier for those of us that teach in a club setting, but hopefully those of us in a studio setting will be able to...
Understanding and Communicating % of Grade
How steep is a 4% grade? 8%? Over 10%? How do I effectively explain % of grade to my class? What are the feelings I would experience climbing different % grades on a bicycle? And finally, how do I effectively communicate that feeling to my class? Every July we hear...
How Safe or Unsafe are Indoor Cycling Classes?
Updated: 10/27/14 I continue to be confused by people's insistence that Indoor Cycling is in someway unsafe - so I thought I should republish this post. Updated: 7/11 My mic failed this morning. We were about 10 min. into our hour class when any small movement of my...
Are numb hands a problem?
How to Keep Your Hands From Going Numb on the Bike By Michael Nystrom Adapted from: Active.com You know the sensation: A bit into class you start feeling some tingling in your hands and up into your fingers. You shake them out, hoping to relieve the dull ache, but it...
ICI Podcast 64 Master Instructor Janet Toussaint on how to sell endurance training to your class
This Podcast is was last published on Oct 14, 2009, I have updated it with our new Podcast host information and I am representing it now. I hope you enjoy it, Joey One of the things that most excites me about the potential here at ICI and the technology we are tapping...
How do I add a Soundcloud track into Spotify or Deezer?
I'm still getting asked (and see questions on Facebook) about integrating music MP3's from multiple sources (Soundcloud's the most popular) into a Spotify or Deezer playlist. We'll use Spotify for this tutorial as Deezer is nearly identical and Spotify is more popular...
Should Endurance Athletes Do Yoga? from TrainingPeaks
Yoga can be a great addition to any endurance athlete”™s training plan and overall health. It can improve your strength and balance, as well as give you a heightened sense of how your body moves. But like all aspects of fitness, it”™s not without risks. The Benefits...
Prescriptive Exercise – Your Doctor writing a prescription for YOU to attend indoor cycling classes
A national policy of Prescriptive Exercise would be the holy grail* for small studio owners. Imagine; A new client walks in with her doctor specified exercise regimen for you to "fill", just like at a pharmacy. As an approved provider, you and your studio would...
ICI Podcast 323 – Meet Fitness Blogger and New Spinning® Instructor Lena Hershey
I love discovering smart, talented people who are passionate about Indoor Cycling and Lena Hershey is someone I feel you should get to know. Lena is a brand new (she started in May) Spinning® Instructor at the Carlisle Family YMCA in Carlisle, PA. Lena's journey to...
ICI Podcast 0007b – Joey's Endurance Ride
ICI/PRO member Joey, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride on ICI/PRO, delivers a ride. THIS IS THE COMBINED FILE THAT INCLUDES THE MUSIC AND THE VOICE. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON ITUNES. This ride is from Joey!! - “This ride is...
What not to wear?
This was awkward. Have you ever had a dream where you're naked in some public space? Well yesterday I wasn't dreaming, I was dressed, but inappropriately it turned out. The feeling I had was very similar. That's because yesterday I had the privilege of taking a class...
ICI Podcast 0006b – Amy's Race Day Ride
ICI/PRO member Amy, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride on ICI/PRO, delivers a ride. THIS IS THE COMBINED FILE THAT INCLUDES THE MUSIC AND THE VOICE. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON ITUNES. Amy Smith and her Race Week Ride: "This is a...
ICI Podcast 0005 – Zack's Popcycle Ride
FREE ICI/PRO PODCAST: What an exciting day, this is our second ride recording. ICI/PRO member Zack, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride, delivers a ride. “I am very excited to be releasing an audio version with my ride this...
ICI Podcast 0004 – Robin Robertson and Cycle Moles
ICI/PRO Podcast host Joey has an amazing conversation with Robin Robertson and her innovative program Cycle Moles. Find the file here: We have edited the following information from Robin's site. You can reach the site at:...
BYOB (Bring your Own Bike) in an Indoor Cycling Class?
I coach a four month long winter training camp that offers 14 indoor cycles and 6 bicycle trainers. This allows participants to bring their own bikes, mount them on the trainers and ride alongside the stationary bikes. Everyone gets a fantastic experience with this...
Time Management in the Cycle Studio
When I take off my instructor hat and walk into a class as a participant, I have two expectations beyond the obvious (getting a good workout): 1. The class will start on time. 2. The class will end on time. I understand there are exceptions to every rule and...
Please Join Our New Facebook Group – Celebrate Indoor Cycling
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Waking up to -3° F this morning reminded me again how thankful I am for Indoor Cycling 🙂 I felt today would be the perfect time to announce our new Facebook group - Celebrate Indoor Cycling Celebrate Indoor Cycling is dedicated to...
ICI Podcast 340 – Are you part of the SilverSneakers FLEX program?
Here's a great opportunity for Indoor Cycling Instructors and Studio Owners to attract and serve a new demographic of riders - active seniors! With over 12 MILLION members and 13,000 locations, SilverSneakers is a kind of quiet giant in the fitness industry....
A Matter of Perception
My article about teaching a Cycle Sculpt class, that included using weights on the cycle, brought out a lot of strong comments on my Facebook. Understandably many of the commentators expressed concerns about safety: I think the rub for me John is safety. Weights on a...
Options for finding the BPM (beats per minute) for any song
This is cool I saw this online tool, after following a link posted by Kor180 studio owner Maja Kermath on Facebook. After trying a few tracks that came to mind, it worked so well that I felt I should share it with you. https://songbpm.com The songbpm.com tool searches...
ICI Podcast 349 – Learn to use the power of exercise to promote creativity from Dr. Wendy Suzuki Ph.D
Here's a creative exercise for you to try. Imagine that tomorrow you begin marketing your Indoor Cycling classes differently... Instead of focussing on physical benefits of increased strength, endurance or weight management/loss, what would happen if your marketing...
Does ClassBuilder and Schwinn's Class Tamer iPhone Apps work with Apple Music?
Do ClassBuilder and Schwinn's Class Tamer iPhone Apps work with Apple Music? This person on Facebook said they both do... which would be very cool. So I renewed my efforts, fought through the confusion and she's right! I was able to open an Apple Music playlist that...
Hollywood Cycle Reality TV Trailer
I'm seeing that E! Entertainment Television has released a couple of trailers for their upcoming show about Indoor cycling Instructors > Hollywood Cycle. Looks like your garden variety fitness studio drama. Nothing different than what we experience every week at...
Right Foot Out? Left Foot Out? Make any difference which one you unclip?
We were waiting for a long traffic light to change yesterday, when one of our group asked me a question; why do you unclip your left foot? I always unclip my right... personal preference, or is one way better/more correct? The women who asked this question is a...
Do you realize talking, is preventing fat from escaping your body?
I'm constantly on the hunt for clever ways to encourage my class to focus (a polite way of saying SHUT UP) and work hard. Over the years my best success has come from equating the work we're doing to weight loss. After all, interest in burning calories is universal -...
Sampling New Music Tuesdays – from Spotify
This has become an almost regular habit for me. I'll cue up the New Music Tuesday playlist published by Spotify and then drag promising tracks into my Future To Use folder. Some weeks are near complete washouts. This week has what could be a complete class of songs......
Professional Indoor Cycling Instructor's Tools Of The Trade
I got an email question this morning that had me frustrated in my lack of organization here. Hi John, Am I remembering right that you use a wireless transmitter for your music? With my classes smaller I thought it would be fun to ride along with my riders and would...
Six More Secrets to Burning Major Calories In Indoor Cycling Class
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...
The Power of Harmony – 60 minutes of Harmonically Mixed Music
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...
How Sugar Changed My Elevator Pitch
Do you have an elevator pitch? Mine has changed several times — all necessary. But this post is actually about the emotions that sugar generates. I began with a standard 30-second elevator pitch. Remember that version? It was the original length years ago, but now...
Hey Team > How Would You Answer This Question? Part 2
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! Here's my reply: This is a fantastic question! If I may...
Hey Team > How Would You Answer This Question?
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!)…....
Life Time Fitness is hiring Fitness Instructors
Life Time Fitness is hiring! If you've always wanted to teach Indoor Cycling or Group Fitness, at one of their 100+ beautiful upper-end big box clubs, this is could be your big chance 🙂 They (LTF) are all about member experience. The equipment (awesome sound...
Is this the ultimate in wearable fitness technology?
The Wahoo Fitness PLUGGR is the first ever Bluetooth 4.0 enabled suppository motion sensor. It can measure and track your heart rate, motion, body temperature, and digestive regularity. Features include: Health metrics sent directly to your smart phone via Bluetooth...
I say stick with your teammates
I got this email last week - but I can't divulge who it's from for reasons you'll understand. Here's one for you, John: We've got a new instructor here who has been teaching for decades elsewhere, but is now only at our club. I get complaint after complaint about her...
Product advertising to women through Indoor Cycling
Totally random observation... You know we've gone mainstream when a large advertiser like Gillette, begins connecting their products to Indoor Cycling. I ran across this article today in the online version of Shape Magazine. Seems like a typical bit of content...
Free Music Friday – More Rhythmic Confusion
I've been getting much of musical inspiration from Movie soundtracks as of late. I'm still digging Zack Hemsey — Vengeance that I first heard used in the movie The Equalizer. The beauty of the Internet (at leased for now) is how easy it is to find best soundtracks,...
How would your riders respond to this saddle?
I was perusing a cycling website when I came across an article about this innovative ESSAX Shark bicycle saddle: Essax is a brand of bicycle saddles located in the province of Alicante (Spain). Our company has over 25 years experience in the manufacturing of technical...
ICI/PRO 28 Day Challenge Starts 9/21
During my interview with Instructor Lena Hershey, she explained to us how she made her personal transformation... I have started this journey on an ordinary day in February 2013. I was in the car with my husband and two step-kids, driving home from somewhere when I...
Ride with a road-type handlebar?
Paul Swift from BikeFit sent out another infographic showing proper wrist alignment, this time for road bikes. We published his previous email that highlighted proper wrist alignment on a mountain bike. Notice in the image above how the curve of the handlebar drops...
Staying Healthy With Pigments and Antioxidants
Plenty of things about nutrition are important but, to me, kinda boring. This is one of those things. But the topic is health-related, so it seems like a viable one. What”™s great is many foods are said to be powerful disease fighters, and this post will cover several...
______________ Bashers, Can You Be More Constructive?
I wish I had taken notes or recorded Barbara Hoots' presentation from WSSC last weekend. Barbara's session was entitled, " Studio Design: Creating Emporiums to Increase Profits." The room was filled with eager fitness entrepreneurs looking to open a new studio or...
ICI Podcast 307 – Social Media help for Instructors, Studio Owners and Podcast Hosts
Marketers have specific names for people, based on how quickly they purchase new products or embrace new technologies. The people who lined up, days in advance, to buy the first iPhones are described as innovators. Those of us who waited a few weeks for our new phone...
Prepping for a cold Spring riding season 🙁
My buddy Randy is convinced that we'll be riding outdoors by March 15th. As it was -9° F this morning, I'm thinking he's a bit optimistic. But can you blame him for wishing winter will be over soon? We've had cold/winter here since Halloween. That followed a summer...
No – A BCC email list doesn't cut it for Athlete communications
"Sure John - I'll email everyone on my list about your up-coming classes." My buddy Randy Erwin is a "Connector". One of those awesome people who makes the effort to plan events (like outdoor rides) and get-togethers. Randy is the team captain of our Subaru MS 150...
So what's on the menu?
The Senior Group Fitness Instructor and I spent a weekend in Door County WI last month. Lots of quaint little towns to explore along the shores of Lake Michigan. We did what most tourists do as we walked along all the shops and restaurants... we stopped to check out...
Free Music Friday – We're doing it wrong 5/17
Who was it that decided climbing songs should be slow? If I tried to stay with the group I ride with on a long climb, grinding along at 60 RPM, I'd be off the back (and on my own) in no time flat. Sure a climb should make you struggle to turn the pedals - but to...
Making New Friends With Spotify
After some poking around and exploring, I think I have discovered the best way to find and follow other people on Spotify. Finding, following and adding people to your ‘favorites”™ will in turn give you more music to explore and ultimately use in your cycling...
I Love Smart Women 🙂
So this morning I'm poking around on the internet and checked on what Chris Hawthorne had going on over at her Chrispins Blog. Chris is part of our ICI/PRO team of contributors and has a unique talent for creating excellent Indoor Cycling Class music playlists. She's...
Media Alert
Amy makes her TV Debut this afternoon on ShopNBC! She starts her new role as the product spokesperson for Bay Area facial cosmetic surgeon, Stanley Jacobs M.D. And get this... Dr. Jacobs offered her the position after first meeting Amy and taking her Indoor Cycling...
Net Promoter Score (NPS) – What is it and why should you care?
They describe Net Promoter Score (NPS) as The Ultimate Question: How likely is it that you would recommend this Club/Studio/Class/Instructor to a friend or colleague? As a Life Time Fitness Instructor/employee I hear about our NPS scores frequently... and if you don't...
Who's in our classes anyway?
Have you have ever faced this dichotomy in your class? Two riders, call them Bob and Susan (not their real names) are sitting front, center, smiling at you. You know them both and what you know about them causes you to almost freeze with indecision about how you will...
I'm seeing a lot of these… so be careful what you open
With over 8,000 instructors receiving our weekly newsletter, my email address ends up in 8,000 contact lists. On occasion, I would receive random SPAM emails (see below) from people who's email account had been compromised in some way. Typically one, maybe two a...
Communicating Problems to Management
In my class this morning I noticed that the saddle on one of the Star Trac NXTs was way out of adjustment. Ouch! That can't feel good to ride on no matter male or female. When I got closer I noticed that there was a white strap sticking out from the slider adjustment...
And so it begins
GOOD MORNING! Today is the un-official start of the Indoor Cycling Season and I couldn't be more excited! Are you ready? If you're a new instructor you will soon learn what many of us old dogs figured out a long time ago; the change off of Day-Light-Savings is the...
Teaching Spinning® In Jamaica!
I know it's a little early to think about a warm vacation but I just had to post this. Instructor Brenda Moeske learned about Working Fitness Vacations on a Podcast. After talking to Amy last year at the conference Brenda scheduled her vacation to teach for the week...
How You Look – Your setup maybe wrong – if you didn't have help.
One of my objectives is to model proper form to my students. [wlm_firstname] I'm guessing you will agree that proper form is a component of How You Look and it begins with having the proper setup for your bike. Unfortunately, as an instructor, we face a unique...