One of the best ways to grow as an instructor is to attend other instructors’ classes. You can assess what you like and what you don’t like, you can look for similarities with your style, and you can seek out coaching styles that you would like to adopt. And if you suspect you may have a bad habit, you can ask yourself poignant questions like, “Is that what I sound like when I yell ‘Go!’ all the time?” Here are 30 things to evaluate when you take another class.Read more…

This is the continuation of our hints and tips that will help keep your “January newbies” in the saddle for the months and years to come. Here we cover introduction to bike operation, safety, and riding technique, and give you inspiration to use with your new riders. We finish with tips to make sure they not only will be happy with their first-time experience with you but will be much more likely to come back. Read more…

The first few months of every year bring in many new riders to your classes. This two-part series will provide ample tips that show you care and will help remove some reasons that your riders might abandon their first try at indoor riding, while increasing the chances that these newbies become your biggest fans. Read more…

All instructors are entitled to deference and respect, but in the absence of a ‘superhero cape,’ unfortunately respect is not as common as it should be. Instructors, do you get the respect you should? If not, consider weaving your own “don’t-mess-with-me” cape, and perhaps you can also wield the seven special “superhero” powers that Christine’s gives her. Read more…

We can find ourselves asking this question when we are lost, after we have achieved a goal, or when our limit has been reached. Regardless of how you arrive at the question, the situation is the same and there is a feeling of being stuck or stalled. This feeling is a common issue among indoor cycling instructors, but not for the reason one might think.Read more…

Unfortunately, many instructors and participants are intimidated by power at first because they think it’s too technical, too complicated, or only useful for “serious” cyclists. But once you understand the basics, it’s actually a very straightforward tool, and a great way to challenge and engage participants, regardless of whether they ride outside or not. Here are five ways teaching with power will be a game changer in your teaching.Read more…

Guest contributor and ICA member Izabela Ruprik has been collecting indoor cycling certifications over the past few years (about to take her 7th cert)! She attended a class the other day and came away frustrated so she wrote about her experience. She wanted to share this very important message with all instructors from every program: Always share what the purpose of your workout is with your riders!Read more…

New instructors are often unsure how much they should be talking or what they should be saying in their classes. One of the litmus tests to discover if you are talking too much is to simply ask yourself, “Why am I talking?” The answer may surprise you. Caesar provides tips on examining the purpose of your cues and making sure your riders aren’t confused by what you say. Read more…