Posts from — June 2009

I am terribly saddened by the loss of the King of Pop, and I am channeling my adoration of the artist into an MJ tribute ride. For all of his troubles, I always prayed that he would find the peace and inner strength to right his vessel. He was gifted beyond comprehension, and none of his psychological problems could compete with his immeasurable talent. God Bless You, Michael!

Here is the entire playlist on iTunes: Spinning Profile: Michael Jackson

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Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn

To see the right and not to do it is cowardice. – Confucius

The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was. – Walt West

Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable. – Franz Kafka

Do you see a pattern here?  Every job, no matter how big or small can be done the right way, or the wrong way.  Today, in support of my fellow blogger and Spinning Master Instructor Jennifer Sage, I am sharing with you the right way to teach an indoor cycling class. 

Before we have this discussion, you should hop over to Jennifer’s blog and take a look at her posts on Contraindicated moves (CI moves), especially her latest: Just don’t do it in your indoor cycling classes! In addition to being one of the most respected and knowledgeable Master Instrctors at Spin Fitness, she is an avid road cyclist who owns her own bicycle touring company. She literally wrote the book on Keeping it Real in indoor cycling, so when she speaks up about the goofy stuff going on in classes these days, listen up!

Now, I’m not here to pass judgement on anyone who teaches their students CI moves, nor am I completely innocent of having included them in my classes the past. But I believe as Jennifer does that CI moves are hurting our students and hurting our indoor cycling programs. Students are being taught, through the introduction of CI moves, that they don’t need to take responsibilty for themselves or their workouts. They are being taught that it isn’t the quality of the workout that makes a difference in their health and wellness, it’s how much the instructor can make them hurt. And that is a shame.

I recognize that group fitness as a whole is suffering, and gyms are doing everything they can to keep participants in their classes. But I urge you as an instructor, if you are heavily loading your class with CI moves, especially like what Jennifer describes, please reconsider what you are doing. Not only are you putting your students at risk for injuries, you are failing to provide them with the true benefits of cycling. My mantra is, “If you wouldn’t do it on a road bike, don’t do it in Spinning class” and to that I would add, “no matter what they are doing on YouTube.” My students have always been appreciative of my ability to “Keep it Real” in Spinning class, and I know they will appreciate it from you too. And when they realize that you have empowered them to be stronger, fitter and faster, they will love you all the more!

Keep it real, guys!

After nearly 9 months hiatus, I finally returned to teach my first Spinning class. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to — scheduling just never worked in my favor. I am also fortunate to work in one club where sub requests are snatched up instantly, but the flip side of that is that I have been too slow to pick up extra classes! Eventually (and it was bound to happen sooner or later), the fine gentleman who replaced me in my early morning spot decided to take a vacation, so I stepped in to teach the folks I had the pleasure of leading for almost two years once again. What a great group of folks! They welcomed me back and took away any of the nervousness I was feeling as I got my bike set up. We had a great ride, and, naturally, I want to share it with you!
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Apex is returning this fall! This truly is an unbelievable deal. AFAA is highly reputable and one of the best certs available for group fitness instructors. You can get your Primary Group Certification (valued at $299) for only $99! If you have been thinking about turning your enthusiasm for group fitness into extra cash and a free gym membership, now is the time. It’s also a great deal on CEUs. The dates are set for Sept 11, 12, 13 and they will be in the following cities:

San Diego, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Stamford, CT
Jacksonville, FL
St. Louis, MO
Charlotte, NC
Denver, NC
Long Island, NY
New York, NY
Columbus, OH
Philadelphia, PA
Memphis, TN
Houston, TX

If you are interested, check out the website to get registered: http://www.afaaapex.com

The Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast. This website presents the worlds best Indoor Cycling instructors, presenters and industry leaders. They discuss a broad range of topics from teaching and presentation skills to class ride profiles to promoting your class and so much more. I found them after learning that my pedal-on buddy SpinBob was featured for his discussion on Mentoring. They have lots of great advice, so if you teach Indoor Cycling, I encourage you to check them out!

http://www.indoorcycleinstructor.com

Here are the notes from last night’s step class. Please note that the choreography is meant for a vertical step, so turn those benches 90 degrees and let’s go!
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