Wise Words of Indoor Cycling Wisdom - Fit Rendezvous 2012

I wait every two years for the AFLCA's Fit Rendezvous in Edmonton. Nothing beats the energy of over 500 fitness leaders and trainers getting together to share their love and passion for group fitness. My conference started on the Friday night with the AFLCA trainers’ session on leadership. A future blog post will focus on some of its content but for this post I'd like to reflect on the indoor cycling sessions I attended. To save my legs and let's be honest, my backside, I didn't attend all the indoor cycling sessions, but I'd like to share with you what wisdom I took from the best of the best in indoor cycling instruction!

Effective Pedaling - Suzette O'Byrne
The Competitive Team Ride: Indoor Team Training - Krista Popowych
Ride One, Get One Free - Helen Vanderburg
The Cyclist’s Toolbox: Tools and Techniques to Enhance the Indoor Ride - Suzette O'Byrne

Effective Pedaling - Suzette O'Byrne

Effective pedaling is commonly the first thing we discuss with a new class but often not mentioned again during the remainder of classes. Suzette's session was a perfect reminder of what pointers should be addressed with participants likely more often than you currently are doing! Suzette's energy and enthusiasm is contagious and her knowledge of indoor cycle is impeccable.  Here is some of the stand out points from her presentation:

· Encourage and coach participants to focus on the pedal zones (identify working muscle groups and when there is a “dead part” of the pedal stroke)

· Efficiency is King! Research indicates that the pedal stroke is optimal and most efficient when participants are drawing circles with their feet

· My personal ride changed with an increased awareness of driving the foot forward (makes sense, you want your bike to move forward) and engaging more with my hip extensors (power from the hips!)

The Competitive Team Ride: Indoor Team Training - Krista Popowych

What are we trying to accomplish as indoor cycling leaders? Well, there are many things you might say, but one thing that always stands out for me and how I try to teach is bringing the outdoors inside. Krista perfectly outlined the details of the cycling world in a concise and informative way. Her session teased out more than just the basics (which is very difficult to get into the 8 hour AFLCA cycle designation course!) and fleshed out how to present outdoor cycling skills in class. Krista's infectious smile and enthusiasm allowed the group to push through many difficult drills! Here is some of the stand out points from her presentation:

· I loved Krista’s cueing! At the end of a drill, instead of using a countdown (like in other group fitness modes), use the word “Time” to let participants know the drill is over. It is more reflective of a competitive ride. On down hills, she used the words “glide or ride”. This helps participants determine the appropriate resistance if they want to coast or really ride down the hill

· Krista suggested identifying different types of competitive riders (e.g., sprinter, climber, time trialer, etc.) and focusing drills on these specific roles. Or even split your group into different roles and focus on each during a long ride

· In the final minutes of our session, Krista included a counter pose for the hip flexors and extensors, which was an excellent and well-suited stretch for the working muscles. Start with a squat (stretch out the hip extensors) and extend the body to standing with a slight back extension (stretch out the hip flexors) – perfect for both key areas of the body

Ride One, Get One Free - Helen Vanderburg

I love a good deal and this is what we got! Helen seamlessly led us through one workout and proceeded to provide an outline for another class workout! Talk about generous! Not only was Helen generous with her detailed workout lesson plans, but she shared the whole Schwinn® philosophy of indoor cycling (something you only get when attending a Schwinn® certification course). Her overview of their "pyramid" was enlightening and refreshing.  Here is some of the stand out points from her presentation:

· To simulate the true outdoors, ensure participants are maintaining cadence while adjusting resistance. Cyclists are most efficient at 60-90 RPM

· Helen demonstrated an innovated way to use the talk test during a recovery phase. Playing the song, “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO, participants are directed to sing along to this popular song. Initially, participants will have difficulty singing “I’m sexy and I know it” but as the recovery persists; participants can hoot and holler the words which shows when participants are recovered. Cool idea, eh!

Note: I also attended a session specifically on the talk test. Watch my blog for a post outlining another novel way to use the talk test in your classes

· As with Krista, Helen too has such great cueing. My favourite was “connect to your bike”. What a wonderful way to guide participants back to their bike and link the mind to the body. I found it helped refocus me during the ride and ensure that I wasn’t getting sloppy with my technique

The Cyclist’s Toolbox: Tools and Techniques to Enhance the Indoor Ride - Suzette O'Byrne

Wow!  What a fantastic session with Suzette! In my humble opinion EVERY indoor cycling leader should be taking this workshop! Bike set-up, as pedal technique, can and is lost after the first couple sessions. Suzette brought the research on the best (read: most efficient) way to set up an indoor bike. She even gave us parting (party!) gifts of a plumb line and goniometer! Here is some of the stand out points from her presentation:

· For optimal performance and avoiding injury, many assessments of bike set-up are required from the beginners to the advanced cyclists (read: not only one set-up but many over the course of time). Suzette recommends a monthly check

· Using a forward hip and spinal flexion test (i.e., hamstring flexibility, touching the toes), to determine handle bar height. If participants can touch their toes, handle bar height can align with the saddle. If participants cannot touch their toes, ensure handle bar height is higher than the saddle

· Measurement is crucial for success! For setting the fore and aft position, use a plumb line from the middle of the patella (yes – this is different from the typical placement on the lateral patella) and line the plumb line up with the crank arm (yes – this is different from the typical axel of the pedal). I moved my seat forward to meet the requirement and found my pedal stroke more efficient

· For setting seat height, use a goniometer to measure the knee angle which is far superior to just guessing the right height. Now, this is too detailed to describe here but I encourage you to explore how-to (and attend this session in the future!)

So you might be wondering - how can I attend one of these conference sessions and get more details? Good news is that these presenters can be seen at other national or international events. I was very fortunate to have attended these conference sessions in my home town but check out each presenter’s website for details. Hint: all four presenters are presenting at the IDEA World Fitness conference in July. Now attending the sessions listed above would be a good reason to attend the conference!

My head is spinning, literally with everything I took from my Fit Rendezvous weekend. This was only four of the sessions I attended! Mark your calendars now - Fit Rendezvous 2013 is May 31 and June 1&2 in Calgary, Alberta.

And if you attended the conference this past weekend I'd love to hear your favourite points. Share a comment below!