Here are the step moves from the choreography I used in my intermediate step class on Monday. We had three beginners, so I took it a lot slower than usual, which turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected. Have fun with these!

Combo 1

5-count mambo x2 (10)
3-count mambo x2 (6)
Basic 360 or reverse turn(4)
3-count mambo x2 (6)
stomp (2)
kick the corner (4)

Combo 2

hangover V (4) – R lead
squat the corner (4) – R lead
3 squat repeater (8) – L lead
power play (4) – R lead
crossover x2 or Scissor over the bench x2(8) – R & L
turn step (4) – R lead

Combo 3

2-knee repeater travel to the front of the bench(8) – R lead
“Touchdown” x2 or Charleston x2 (4) – L lead
Over-the-Top x3 (12) – L-R-L
Jumping jacks x2 (4) L-lead (if low impact) or none

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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Here is are 2 fun combos from last night’s step class. These, plus a couple of recycled combos and a couple of drills made for a heart-pounding workout that had everyone smiling and feeling good! These combos are suitable for advanced-beginner to intermediate levels. Enjoy!
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This ride was inspired by one of several Add-it-On rides on Pedal-on. It’s pretty much all-terrain, but it doesn’t feel like it is all over the place. This ride has a simple structure that allow a variety of heart rates, so it’s fun, and helps the time go by quickly. Here is the gist: The whole ride is broken down into 1 minute segments. We start off with a full circuit of segments (minus one) and explore nearly all of the positions and movements in Spinning. Then, each time we repeat the circuit, we take off one of the movements until we finish. Then, we repeat the circuit, adding the movements back one at a time until we finish. Simple, fun, challenging — just what you want from Spinning! There are also many coachable moments within this style of ride, so help your students treat each new minute of movement as its own opportunity for growth and strength. Here come the goodies:
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