_of the class follows a standard indoor cycle format, which also varies within itself.  We begin with a warm-up: maybe a brief stretch and some short drills to get the heart rate up a bit and warm up the muscles.  The middle portion of the cycle section tends to be quite intense, though I always remind participants to take it to their own level.  Indoor cycle group exercise classes are one of the greatest for self paced intensity.  Participants are in complete control of resistance and speed and can challenge themselves more or take breaks when they need to.  After a cool down on the bike we move into another room for the second half to last third of the class (25-37 min) for yoga and stretching.  I tend to hold a basic format for the yoga component, but like cycle, always introduce new poses.  Props may be used.  Even though the focus of the yoga component is to lengthen the muscles used on the bike, I might throw in strength building practices that focus on core and lower body.  I always try to fit in a short relaxation practice at the very end.    

Who are your participants? What do they enjoy about the class?

Participants generally tend to be U of A students and staff.   Campus Recreation also allows non-students/staff to participate in programs, which I also have attend my classes.  Based on verbal feedback from participants they like that the high intensity cycle followed by yoga offers a great compliment to each other, they like the music I use (I tend to use up-beat pop/dance/electronic music but also throw in different genres for variety), they like that you don’t have to be an experienced cyclist or yogi to attend – it’s an all levels class which offers options and modifications, they like that they feel very challenged during the cycle portion (and might hate me at that time), but experience a sense of calm and release by the end of yoga (they love me then)!  My goal is to always create an experience for participants during class that leaves them at the end thinking, “yeah, that was awesome!”  

What is your advice to other indoor cycling instructors who want to try leading some form of a fusion class?

I think it’s important to know your formats.  Be well practiced, trained and certified in what you teach by completing recognized training programs and courses.  Idea shop! Go to other instructor’s classes to get ideas to add variety to your instruction.  Think about purpose and goals.  Why do you do the drills and practices that you do?  How can drills on the bike later be complimented by stretching or strength practices later on or maybe during.  Be creative.  Try new things.  Ask for participant feedback on what you do or what they would like to see.  Ask yourself if you would want to participate in your own class!  Remember that you can’t please everyone, but you can always please someone.  Sometimes it is knowing that you’ve made a difference or positive impact in one person’s world that makes it truly worthwhile as an instructor! 

Chelsea’s passion for both disciplines and experience definitely shine through in her candid responses. It has got me thinking about what other forms of group exercise classes could be merged together. A common one I’ve seen is “Spin and Strength” whereby resistance exercises that target cycling anatomy are incorporated. A more recent version I’ve heard of is indoor cycling classes for mom and baby. Believe it or not, babies sit comfortably in their car seat beside mom’s bike while mom pedals away! Shall we call it “The Mother Ride” or maybe “Babes and Bikes”? You might just see me teaching this class soon!

Chill Ride, Chelsea’s indoor cycling-yoga fusion class, starts again in January at the U of A. It runs January 17-April 3 (11 Tuesdays) from 12:05 – 1:25 pm and drop-in passes are accepted. Click here for more information.

How can you include your passion(s) with an indoor cycling class? What fusion can you suggest to your program coordinator or class participants? I challenge you to find something new for 2012!

_ As comical as this above joke is, it really makes me think about spider webs as safety nets. What are the safety nets your facility uses or alternatively, what sort of safety nets do you put in place for yourself?

One of the many roles I have is an AFLCA Trainer of Leaders and I get to observe new AFLCA cycle designation candidates. Recently while observing a new instructor, she demonstrated great care and diligence. She had all participants complete an informed consent and a short medical history to inform her about any health concerns. Smart or what!

What waiver does your facility use? Or do you have participants sign a waiver or what about informed consent? And then there are the physical activity readiness questionnaires, where do they fit in?

Let’s review what each type of form will provide.

Waiver: provide coverage for the facility and associated staff in case of an incident

Informed Consent: form outlining the potential risks and benefits to participating in an exercise program

PAR-Q: simple screening tool used for participants 15 to 69 years to determine if it is appropriate to start an exercise program

PAR-MEDX: medical clearance form that must be provided to participants who answer questions positively on the PAR-Q. This form is completed by the participant’s physician.

PAR-MEDX for pregnancy: medical clearance form that must be completed by all pregnant women by their physician before participating in exercise program

These forms are all examples of safety nets. Ideally, having one or more of the forms completed by participants will demonstrate that you value your participants’ health and safety. As well, in some cases it may also protect you in an event of an incident.

What other communications tools can you use to keep your participants safe? Do you ever ask who is a new participant at the beginning of class or inquire with participants about anyone have any medical conditions you should be aware of? These types of questions can provide some valuable verbal information about who is participating in your class and better enabling you to provide an appropriate class (i.e., suitable intensity, drill types, etc.). It is just another way to avoid having any incidents during your class.

In the past couple years, “safety nets” have become more common such that U of A Campus Recreation program has now implemented waivers for all participants who partake in group fitness classes. Take a look at their form for an example.

What are the ways you protect your participants and yourself in your indoor cycling classes? What is your “spider web”?

 

R.I.P. Power

I found these really wicked Halloween glass tags with six themes – Trick, Treat, Bats, Witch, Haunted House, and Jack o'lantern (see above). I laminated them, place them on each bike and use them to perfectly divide participants into six groups.

Power work has been a focus this term and thus, R.I.P. Power is the perfect way to put cycle participants into the grave! Split the group into 2 groups (Group 1: Trick, Treat, and Bats; Group 2: Witch, Haunted House, and Jack o'lantern). Group 1 start with seated power for 15 seconds while Group 2 rests. After the 15 seconds, the groups switch where it is Group 2’s turn to go. Continue to switch groups while increasing the duration of the seated power (i.e., 30, 45, 60, 90 seconds). If time permits, start again and steadily increase in duration with standing power.

Need more inspiration? Check out October 2010’s post for another drill idea for sprints!

Happy Halloween!

I like to think of the aerobic energy system (sometimes called aerobic respiration) as the endurance system. Definitely something that is important for us within an indoor cycling class. Our bodies tend to tap into the aerobic energy system after three minutes of exercise (the systems used in the first few minutes will be more the subject of my next posts) and use it as the primary means of energy over the long haul.

The aerobic energy system is able to generate large amounts of ATP but is also relatively sluggish compared to other energy systems. It takes a while to kick in. This is because it involves many steps and continuously requires oxygen and other nutrients. As long as oxygen is available, a muscle cell will continue to use the aerobic energy system as much as possible to contract and relax muscle fibers. Thus, prolonged exercise where the demand on your body does not exceed the ability of this system to provide energy will use the aerobic energy system almost exclusively. In fact, in well-conditioned individuals (like yourself!), the aerobic energy system alone will provide the energy to continue for many hours at a low to moderate intensity!

So how do we apply our knowledge of the aerobic energy system to our drills? Well, let’s look at the appropriate work to rest ratio, which is the time it takes our bodies to recovery from aerobic work. For aerobic work, we must design sessions with the ratios 1:1 (equal parts work and rest) to 1:0.5 (work double the amount of the time we rest).

With fall now here and new classes starting, try this icebreaker drill to incorporate aerobic intervals. Split the group into three groups but also ask cycle participants to partner up within those groups and get to know their fellow cycle mate. Group sizes will depend on the number of participants. For example, in the studio I teach in, there are six rows of six bikes. The first group would be rows #1 and #2, the second group would be rows #3 and #4, and finally, the third group would be rows #5 and #6.

WORK: 3 minutes of riding steady state pace (RPE = 3/10). Partners learn each other’s name. Then one partner asks questions to learn more about their partner like: how many indoor cycling classes they've done before and why they are taking the class, etc.

REST: 90 second light spin out (RPE = 1-2/10). Have the first group introduce their partner by name to the class.

WORK: 3 minutes of riding steady state pace (RPE = 3/10). With the same partners, switch which partner is asking questions and learning about their new classmate.

REST: 90 second light spin (RPE = 1-2/10) second group introduce their partner by name.

WORK: Up the ante! 4 minute ride just over steady state (increase resistance) by a gear (one or two notches) or increase tension knob until there is a noticeable increase (RPE = 4/10). Have partners find out about one unusual/unique thing about their partner.

REST: 90 second light spin (RPE = 1-2/10) third group introduce their partner by name. After this, all participants should have been introduced.

Since aerobic work can be slightly dull and boring (no high energy sprints here!) figure out ways to engage cycle participants while they do their steady state work. Be creative. Try “name that tune” over a 3-6 minute time period and allocate points to those who are the first to answer right. Use the recovery/rest period to tally the points. Or, pick up a deck of Trivial Pursuit cards and complete six intervals to cover the six topic areas. Again use the rest period to tally points. Fun and creativity keeps your cycle participants engaged during long aerobic work.

The ultimate goal is to demonstrate that this type of work using the aerobic energy system allows them to talk and interact without difficulty! It is an intensity that is moderate to somewhat hard.  So try the aerobic energy system drills early on as they will soon be progressing to hard drills (aka the anaerobic work!) with less opportunity for this kind of fun interaction!

Stay tuned - there is more to come on the other two main energy systems –  the anaerobic lactic energy system and the anaerobic alactic energy system.

Those of you who’ve ever participated in a spin cycle class will likely agree that a good spin instructor is a master of visualization.

They can take you to foreign lands, favourite childhood haunts, or on imaginary scenarios while coaching you to push yourself up a hill or sprint to that someplace, or someone, you’ve envisioned at the end of your workout.

Add a great mix of music to the scenario and any discomfort you might feel in your quads or on your backside is washed away by an otherwise exhilarating experience.

I recently participated in a course for prospective spin instructors and was fortunate enough to have an amazing leader. And as I listened to her verbal promptings, and painted my own journey scenario during our workouts, I thought about how closely this method of teaching reflects a healthy way of working through many of life’s challenges.
 
Whether it’s preparing for exams, putting the finishing touches on a work project, or getting ourselves in top physical condition, envisioning the end result and its many rewards helps take at least some of the stress and strain off the process.
 
The idea of using visualization to reach a goal took me back 29 years, to the later stages of my first pregnancy, when I employed a similar method to propel me through my modified walking program during those last few weeks before my first child was born.
 
Every weekday morning I’d don my heavy winter coat at around 11:30 and waddle my way toward the hospital where my husband worked. We’d enjoy our lunch together, and then I’d waddle back home. Between the two walks I clocked about 60 minutes of gentle exercise.
 
Now anyone who has ever lived in Winnipeg likely won’t need to read this next bit, but let’s just say frosty, frigid, freezing, and furious are just a few of the adjectives one could use to describe winter weather conditions in that corner of our country.

To get myself through those walks, especially on the most inclement days, I’d envision the stages of my pregnancy. I’d mentally divide the distance between home and the hospital into sections, with each section representing a different stage of my pregnancy.
 
Sometimes those sections would represent trimesters, and as I passed each section I recognized I was moving closer to my due date—those were usually days when I didn’t need as much of a distraction from the weather or how my body felt under the heavy strain of pregnancy.
 
Sometimes I’d get quite detailed, reviewing the major milestones that have already occurred with the growing baby inside me, and what was still to come. Those added details demanded more mental energy and distracted me from the weather on particularly cold days.
 
Of course, reaching the hospital on my way to lunch, and reaching my home afterward, always signified the birth of my firstborn.
 
Some might think this is a silly game, but it kept me moving and exercising during a time in my life when I would have much rather been resting—or eating chocolate ice cream. And like the techniques employed by a good spin instructor, they propelled me toward my goal of keeping at least moderately active during my pregnancy.
 
What story could you tell yourself to propel you through your morning workout? What kind of journey could you take yourself on that would thrust you through a challenging boot camp session, or that dog walk you’ve been putting off all week?
 
It’s great to stay focused on the task at hand, but we all need a little encouragement every now and again. If taking your mind off your squats by thinking nice thoughts keeps you on your exercise program, then dream away.
 
And before you know it, you’ll be reaching that goal and plowing on to the next one!
 
Happy dreaming!

And with that, I wish you a happy summer! I`ve already slowed my pace (and blog posts) and will be taking a break over the summer. But will be working on my promised series on using the energy systems effectively with cycle drills and skills. Check back in September for more posts about one of my favorite things to do...ride my bike!

It may not be part of your formal job description but having some idea about how indoor cycling bikes work is always good to have in your back pocket!