Cycle Starter's Update

Good News...Cycle Starter's will be succeeded by Cycle Starter's II on Wednesday, November 9th!  If you were bemoaning the fact that Cycle Starters was coming to an end, we will now be able to continue the learning with Cycle Starter's II, starting with the November 9th class.

There is no advance sign-up; just come in and learn about and experience indoor cycling at a starter level.  Questions are always welcome.

Speaking of questions, I've been asked a couple of questions about form and technique on the indoor cycle.  I figure there's no better way to answer your questions than by tapping into the pros.  To provide you with today's answers I went to an ACE Certified Newsletter from June/July 2009 and copied the section on Indoor Cycling.  To view the full newsletter, please go to: http://www.acefitness.org/cp/pdfs/CertifiedNews/JunJul09Cert.pdf

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GFI SERIES

CREATE SAFE, EFFECTIVE

BY KAREN ASP

Indoor Cycling Classes

I’m taking an indoor cycling class when the instructor does something that is not only unusual, but also potentially dangerous: she asks participants to take one foot out of the clip or cage, place it on the center of the bike, and pedal with one leg. participants remain here for several minutes, increasing

resistance per the instructor’s urgings (they are supposed to feel an incredible burn in their quads), before resuming two-legged cycling. they then switch legs.

I’m convinced the instructor doesn’t realize how ill- advised this move is, as she does it in every class. Yet one-legged cycling isn’t the only mistake instructors are making. Other mistakes—everything from push- ups on handlebars and isolations to jumps and out-of- control pedaling—are regularly being made in indoor cycling classes.

Unfortunately, some of these moves are neither safe nor effective and could lead to injuries among participants. That’s why we’ve tapped leading experts from various indoor cycling programs to shed light on some of these contraindicated moves. They’ll also reveal what it takes to create a good cycling class—and why coaching is more important than instructing—so you’ll never have to rely on these moves again.

Five Common Mistakes

One of indoor cycling’s biggest advantages is its simplicity. “You sit or stand, change resistance and pedal,” says Julz Arney, lead master trainer for

Schwinn Cycling and a fitness educator in Costa Mesa, Calif. “It doesn’t get much more difficult than that.” Yet in recent years, instructors have made cycling

more difficult, and several reasons may be to blame. For starters, many cycling instructors come from aerobic fitness backgrounds, and transitioning from the aerobic arena into indoor cycling can be challeng- ing. “Group fitness instructors are often [accustomed] to such complex choreography that when they face the simple design of cycling classes, they’re lost,”

says Luciana Marcial-Vincion, M.A., Spinning Master Instructor and Master Instructor Team Manager for Mad Dogg Athletics.

Another problem? “Instructors have this perception that participants are getting bored riding bikes,” Marcial- Vincion says. As a result, instructors employ creativity and make up moves that aren’t real to the road.

While these moves might seem like fun to partici- pants, they aren’t always good for them. “Some of these moves are contraindicated, which jeopardizes participants’ health,” Marcial-Vincion says, adding that she’s seen many insane things in cycling classes, including a national TV show that removed the saddle so participants couldn’t sit.

Continued on page 4

Karen asp, a health and fitness writer and ACE-certified fitness professional, writes regularly for numerous publications, including Self, Shape, Women’s Health, Fitness, Prevention, Real Simple, Men’s Fitness, Woman’s Day and Natural Health. She’s also a contributing writer for AOL and Oxygen.

Ace certIfIeD neWs | june/july 2009 3

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june/july 2009

| Ace certIfIeD neWs

So what are some of these contraindicated moves? Take a look at five of the top offenders:

Out-of-control cadences: If you’ve never cycled out- side, it’s easy to ride indoors with cadences that are too fast. Yet if you were to ride that quickly on the road, you wouldn’t get anywhere. Plus, super-fast pedaling doesn’t provide much of a challenge for your body. “You might have the perception that you’re working hard, but you’re only as productive as the power you’re producing,” Marcial-Vincion says. If you use lower resistance and higher cadences, you have lower power output, which means you’re not challenging the cardiovascu- lar and muscular systems as much and will have a harder time reaching your goals. Super-fast cadences also pose dangers to the hips, knees and ankles.

To keep participants in control, do cadence checks where you ask participants to count pedal strokes. For instance, do a 10-second count and then have them multiply by six to determine their revolutions per minute (RPM). Schwinn, for instance, recommends that cadences not exceed 110 RPM. If you or your participants are going faster than that, add resis- tance to slow the legs.

You might also do what Arney’s done and replace the word “sprint” with “surge” or “power surge.” “To most students, the word ‘sprint’ means pedal as fast as you can, which is a recipe for disaster,” she says. Instead, to do this right, make sure participants have enough resistance on their bikes. Then ask them to add more leg power to that already- challenging resistance, and you’ll successfully execute a surge.

Conversely, pedaling too slowly (under 50 RPM per Schwinn), can cause the legs to fatigue before achieving much of a cardiovascular benefit. Arney suggests that if you keep cadences between 60 and 90 RPMs in class, “you’ll always be able to find the workout intensities that make indoor cycling such a great workout.”

One-legged cycling: Professional cyclists will do one- legged cycling on machines that measure force output pro- duced by each leg. Yet in an indoor cycling class, explains

Arney, power output typically is not measured so the value of one-legged cycling is questionable. Besides, cycling is a two- legged sport, and reducing it to one leg makes no sense.

More importantly, though, removing one foot from the cage or clip increases the likelihood of getting hit in the calf by the pedal and causing serious injury, says Marcial-Vincion. The risk increases in dimly lit studios where participants can’t see their bodies clearly. Regardless of light level, however, instructors should never ask participants to remove their feet from the pedals while they’re riding.

Push-ups on the handlebars: Have you ever seen a cyclist do this on the road? Then why do it in class? Besides, doing push-ups on a bike doesn’t provide enough challenge to build strength, and they make participants move unnatu- rally on the bike, which could put them in compromising positions. “Save push-ups for when you’re on the floor and grounded to the earth,” Marcial-Vincion says.

Jumps: “Jumps are a poor choice and should be replaced with simple riding techniques and great coaching,” Arney argues, citing three reasons. First, even if you’ve mastered jumps with resistance, the majority of your participants have not. So, to keep up with you, they often decrease resistance and sacrifice fitness benefits in exchange for a maneuver that’s neither functional nor effective. Secondly, “one of the most stressful moments for the knee joint in cycling occurs when

a rider gets up out of the saddle, so any perceived benefit of jumping is outweighed by the potential overuse damage that can result from getting in and out of the saddle,” Arney explains, adding that this is especially true with super-fast jumps. Besides, if you want to keep recruiting new participants into indoor cycling classes—which, according to Arney, has been losing ground in recent years—you should eliminate intimidating moves like jumps that may scare people away.

Isolations: You might love telling students to freeze their upper body while in a standing position so they feel a burn in their quads. Yet the long-term ramifications could be tremendous. “You’re placing undue stress on the hips, knees and ankles,” says Mancial-Vincion, “which could cause serious injury.” Instead, find ways to challenge the quadriceps more safely. One suggestion: Move into a standing position, but increase the resistance and cadence slightly so it feels like a difficult road. You’ll then feel that same burn without the dangers. ( Retrieved from ACE Fitness on Wednesday, October 26, 2011:  http://www.acefitness.org/cp/pdfs/CertifiedNews/JunJul09Cert.pdf)

Lesson 1

YMCA Cycle Starters

Lesson I - Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Introductions:

Tell us who you are; what you do and why you’re here?

The Set up:

Setting up the bike...the basics:

• 40# flywheel
• Seat position/height
• Tension knob
• Handlebar height
• Foot cages
• Difference between clipless shoes and regular sneakers
• Clipless shoes should be SPD compatible clips
• Regular sneakers should be low cut for unrestricted ankle motion with a stiff midsole for arch and heel support
• All footwear should be comfortable
• Clothing and discomfort
• Q&A

Spinning Basics:

Cadence/RPM - pedal and count the number of times your right knee comes up for thirty seconds and multiply it by two; this is the Rate per Minute. Strive for 80 to 100 rpm with 90 rpm as optimal.

Pedal in perfect circles - you want to feel like you’re scraping mud off your feet. Tension should not be too tight or too loose. Incorrect tension hurts the knees - if you’re freewheeling, riding with too low tension, you will be bouncing in the seat and hurting our knees; if your tension is too high, you may harm your knees if you are not using the calf muscles.

Loosen Up - Here’s a trick: Grasp a book with both hands as tight as you can; clench your teeth, drop your head and exert as much pressure as you can. Tired? Imagine how your body feels if you’re riding while clenching the handlebars. Pay attention to your body and what you’re doing. If you’re clenching, loosen up.

Keep your head up and watch where you’re going - you deprive yourself of needed Oxygen when your head is down, so please concentrate on keeping your head up and breathe.

Personal Research - National Institutes of Health Body Weight Simulator: http://bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov

Lesson 4 - Wednesday, October 19, 2011

CYCLE STARTERS:  If you've been waiting for the class where we do an actual ride, this class will not let you down.  So please, arrive about 10-15 minutes before class to set your bikes up and chat with your classmates and be ready to start riding at 4:30 p.m.

We'll ride for a full 30 minutes, starting with a 5 minute warmup and cadence check and build on the intensity.  Half way through class we'll hit our peak and then begin a slow descent.  Finally, we'll work into a less intense number with a cool down to stretch those muscles.

Plan to set your cadence level to 60 rpm, and try to stick with it for the full 30 minutes.  We can build to a higher cadence level next week, but for now, please keep it at 60 rpm.

At the end of class I'm hoping that you feel exhilarted.  So please allow yourselves an extra 5 to 10 minutes after class to discuss your experience with your classmates.

Lesson 3 - Wednesday, October 12, 2011

CYCLE STARTERS:
Last week we did a 15 min. ride, while trying to maintain a cadence of 50-60 r.p.m.  This week we'll add to the level we achieved last week, but we'll also break it up a little by doing a series of Intervals.  Some information and links about Intervals are listed at the end of this post.

Following is some additional information about hand positioning and ride positioning that may be helpful, too.  We'll go over each of these positions before starting our Intervals.

Finally, here are a couple of links that discuss the issues brought up during our last class - something women cyclists experience.  I was pleasantly suprised to see the number of articles written about this issue, and urge you to please continue with the classes:  http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/Women-Only_Cycling-Issues-Explained.htm
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=17436

Looking forward to seeing you again on Wednesday, October 12th :)
Karen

Indoor Cycling

Descriptions and Definitions by Chris Kostman (http://www.adventurecorps.com/indoorcycle/descdef.html)

Hand Positions
The hand positions utilized in an indoor cycling class are absolutely central to the whole experience. They have been carefully selected very specifically for the following four reasons:

1. For safety and proper posture
2. For visual communication to the students
3. To provide the best full-body workout
4. To replicate road cycling experiences

First Position/Center: The hands rest lightly on the center of bars, just touching one another. Spine is straight, shoulders are relaxed, elbows are bent towards the earth. This is used on a seated flat road with light resistance, as during the warm up, cool down, and recovery portions of the ride.
Second Position/Wide: The hands rest lightly on, or grip, the straight part of bars, as on a mountain bike. Spine is straight, shoulders are relaxed, elbows are bent deeper towards the earth when seated. This is used for seated climbing, standing tall, seated and standing accelerations, and jumps. Wrists are always relaxed and supple with little flexion. As always, there is no weight on the hands.
Third Position/Extended: The hands rest lightly on, or grip, the far ends of bars. This is used for climbing out of the saddle with heavy resistance only. Spine is straight, shoulders are relaxed, elbows are dropped towards the earth, and the entire upper body is parallel to the ground. Again, there is no weight on the hands. Never ride in this position while seated in the saddle; doing so forces the rider to overextend the back and precludes the cultivation of the back and abs while riding. Note: Do not use "Hand Position #2 1/2" (hands just forward of the forward bend in the handlebars.) Hands only go forward of this bend when on the ends of the handlebars for climbing out of the saddle.
Do not use "under-handed" hand positions in any of the three hand positions. Palms should never be face-up or face-out while on the handlebars. Never instruct riders to lean on, or press against, the handlebars.

Core Movements and Positions

Seated Flat Road: Light resistance - Hands in first position
This is the warm up, cool down, and recovery position. Weight is on the saddle and feet, with the hands resting lightly on the handlebars. Spine is straight, shoulders are relaxed, elbows are bent towards the earth. There is no tension anywhere in the body. All classes begin and end with several minutes in this position. Beginners and others are encouraged to return to this position if they "can't keep up" with the class. There is no shame in riding a flat road.
Seated Climbing: Moderate to heavy resistance - Hands in second position
This is probably the most powerful, physiologically challenging, and deeply rewarding position in which to ride indoors. Weight is on the saddle and feet, with the hands gripping and pulling on the handlebars. Butt is slid a bit further back on the saddle in order to further cultivate the use of glute and hamstring muscles. Spine is exceptionally straight, pelvis rotated forward, elbows bent more deeply with forearms parallel to the earth. Lower abs are tucked in so as to push the butt down and back into the saddle. Arms, back, and shoulders are utilized to pull on the handlebars to assist the lower body in keeping the pedals constantly rotating in a smooth, regular cadence. Do not allow the legs to bog down and degenerate into a push-push style of "leg press" riding. Cadence is in time with the music, usually on the half count (about 70 rpm). If riders are getting out of saddle to apply body weight to the pedals during a long seated climb, then they are using too much resistance and probably have a rounded back, relaxed abs, and a bogged down cadence. They should be encouraged to stay with the seated position and keep their momentum up by using somewhat less resistance.
Climbing Out Of The Saddle: Moderate to heavy resistance - Hands in third position
This is mistakenly believed to be the most beneficial and challenging riding position. Weight is entirely on the saddle and feet, with no weight whatsoever on the handlebars. As resistance increases, the handlebars can be pulled against in order to create leverage for the lower body and to aid in timing and rhythm. Spine is exceptionally straight, pelvis rotated forward, elbows bent moderately, with the upper body parallel to the earth. Shoulders and neck are relaxed entirely, with the shoulder blades dropped comfortably toward the earth. Importantly, the lower abs are tucked in to support the lower back. Arms, back, and shoulders are utilized to pull on the handlebars to assist the lower body in keeping the pedals constantly rotating in a smooth, regular cadence. Do not allow the legs to bog down and degenerate into a push-push style of "leg press" riding. Cadence is in time with the music, usually on the half count (about 70 rpm). If a rider comes out of this position while climbing and switches to a standing tall position, this is probably because that rider has developed a sore back from riding with a rounded back and relaxed abs. Instruct them on proper technique and posture and they will find comfort and power in this forward-flexed position.
Standing Tall: Moderate resistance - Hands in second position
This is one of the most misunderstood positions in indoor cycling. However, riding with awareness and intensity in the standing tall position provides a rich front-of-the-leg complement to climbing out of the saddle with its back-of-the-leg focus. As well, standing tall directly transfers strength, skill, coordination, and agility to outdoor, bipedal activities such as running, hiking, skating, skiing, and snowshoeing. Finally, done with fast legspeed and a super upright and balanced posture, standing tall provides one of the most profound and physiologically and energetically rewarding experiences in indoor cycling. Weight is entirely on the feet, with the body lifted off the saddle and hands used only for balance and safety. Many riders find that they need to raise their handlebars a few settings for this riding style. (Be certain that they don't pull the handlebars completely out of the bike in so doing.) Ride as tall as absolutely possible, really straightening the spine, tucking in the pelvis and abs, and loading all weight onto the quads. Ride most of the time with the upper body relaxed and moving slightly in tandem with the lower body, while occasionally isolating the upper body and riding with the focus and movement exclusively in the lower body for an intense challenge. Cadence is usually tied into the beat of the music: riding on the beat, half count, double time, etc., allowing cadences such as about 70, 140, and others. Remember: no weight on the hands, no leaning forward, and no tension in the upper body.
Jumps: Moderate resistance - Hands in second position
In outdoor cycling, riders lift out of the saddle for brief periods of time when negotiating steep hairpin turns on alpine roads or to accelerate up to a faster speed. By using gravity and body weight, more pressure can be applied to the pedals in order to provide a burst of speed under constant tension or in order to keep up constant speed when tension increases. This is called jumping. Indoors, we do a similar movement for shorter durations of time, perhaps for two, four, eight, or sixteen beats of the music. The purpose is an intensified cardiovascular challenge mixed with a unique kinesthetic and physiologic demand. The many benefits include heightened coordination, explosive strength, and postural awareness. Hands stay in second position and the upper body remains relaxed as the body weight is lifted up from the saddle into a standing tall position, then returned to the saddle. Weight is entirely on the feet when standing, then primarily relocated to the saddle while in the seated phase of the movement. Do not just bounce up and down and do not do the movement so quickly that proper technique and posture are impaired. Hands remain lightly on the handlebars for balance and safety, but the handlebars are not pulled against during the movement. Remember: only perfect practice makes perfect.
Seated Accelerations: Light, moderate, or heavy resistance - Hands in second position
Accelerating the pedals is a challenging addition to many of the core movements in indoor cycling. Cardiovascular fortitude, anaerobic threshold, and explosive strength are all furthered during short duration acceleration. Care must be taken to keep the upper body, especially the neck and shoulders, relaxed while accelerating. As always, the spine must remain flat. As well, lower abs must be held in snugly to push the butt into the saddle and keep the pedaling form smooth and free from bounciness. All accelerations and decelerations must be smooth and fluid, not jerky and abrupt, in order to not have a negative or deleterious effect on the connective tissues around the knees and ankles. Smooth, circular pedaling form, with the knees kept straight in line over the toes, is crucial. Control at all times is absolutely paramount, as are quick reflexes, should anything go wrong with the bike. This is an advanced move for seasoned riders. Do not allow new riders to participate in this movement; instead they can push the same speed with more resistance. Most importantly, there is NO accelerating with no resistance; without resistance, riders can lose control of the flywheel, which is an incredibly dangerous circumstance.
Accelerations Out Of The Saddle: Moderate or heavy resistance - Hands in second or third position, depending on resistance
This advanced move can be performed while standing tall or while climbing out of the saddle. Use the same form and posture as in those movements, but with extra attention to safety and control. This is normally performed in synch with the beat and tempo of the music, for eight, sixteen, or thirty-two counts, for example. With the hands in third position, resistance must remain constant and heavy; this is accelerating on a mountain and it must be done with no weight on the hands. With the hands in second position while standing tall, resistance must be at least moderate and the weight must stay entirely on the pedals. There is no leaning on the handlebars or otherwise allowing the weight to fall forward. Never remove all of the resistance while accelerating. Remember: there is no coasting on these bikes, so riders must only accelerate to the degree that they can stay in control.


INTERVAL LINKS:
Interval Training, Can It Boost Your Calorie Burning Power?  From the Mayo Clinic:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/interval-training/SM00110

Interval Training for All Ages, from NPR:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112069354

Fitness is personal:
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lesson 2

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Now that we've covered the basics of bike set up, we can begin to experience what a ride feels like.

Before Class:
Wipe your bike down; set the seat height and seat fore/aft positions and position the handlebars to your settings; get up on the bike and have a seat; put your feet in the cages; set your tension knob to a nice flat road level and start 'spinning' with your hands comfortably placed on the handlebars in position two.  If you feel a slight bounce, while you're spinning, just increase the tension (clockwise turn), until you stop bouncing.

Here's what we're going to cover in this lesson:

• Cadence -  Let's try to maintain a 50-60 rpm (rate per minute) for 15 minutes (remember, our goal is to get to 80 rpm for 45 min.);
• Position - Looking straight ahead, have your hands comfortably placed on the handlebars with your hips hinged slightly forward and your feet in the cages;
• Pedaling - The pedals are an extension of your foot.  Focus on full circle pedal stroke/ create the feeling of scraping mud off the bottom of your feet.

Here's what you should be feeling:
When you first start spinning, you'll feel like you have lots of energy, but please know that you will get bogged down and find your endurance waning rather quickly if you ride at a pace you can't maintain.  For this lesson we will get to know our own bodies a little better so that we can pace ourselves.  The old saying, 'you can't run until you learn to walk', applies here.  By finding our endurance level, we can start to stretch ourselves and start riding outside of our comfort zones...getting more physically fit with each successive ride.

• We're building endurance
• We're building muscle memory
• We're gaining confidence
• We're achieving our goals

Please think about your goals and let me know how things may have changed for you during the past week so that I can help you.

Remember:  This is your ride; take it where you want to go.

For more about beginning indoor cycling, please check out the Livestrong Web site page:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/158488-a-spinning-class-for-beginners/