Credit to Indoor Cycling Association for publishing the article

“I sure hope my cycling class today is EFFECTIVE!”

…said no participant, ever.

Let’s face it. Why do most people come to your indoor cycling classes? Usually it’s because of the fact that the time of class fits their schedule, they love your music, and of course, you make it fun.

But how effective are your classes?

I recently had the opportunity to sub a couple of morning cycle classes at my club. The first time I walked in, I heard: “Oh no—you are subbing? It’s going to be so HARD!”

That got me thinking. I realized, it’s not that my classes are too intense, it’s the fact that they are effective. Goal based. Smart. And yes, I would like to think that is what makes them fun.

After that first subbed class I wanted to get that message out to my potential riders for the next one, so I posted this on my Facebook page:

As a master educator for Stages Indoor Cycling, I am fortunate enough to be able to utilize Stages Flight in my classes. In a nutshell, Stages Flight allows us to quickly assess a participant’s FTP, or functional threshold power, in as little as 3 minutes. This personalizes their wattage for that class so that they can hit the desired targets in the profile.

Why not just use RPE [rate of perceived exertion]? Well, can we agree that some days everything FEELS easy? Other days, everything seems hard [we call those Mondays, yes?]. Now, RPE is a fine tool, and yes, I still use it. But keep in mind, it is subjective and only as good as you describe it. We have the ability to take the guesswork out of, well, work.

So, let’s utilize those tools in our toolbox.

When I set goal-based targets in my profiles, participants are encouraged to actually hit those targets, and they are able to see if they are effectively doing so. Not only that, they begin to understand that although they may be able to hit what we call a Z7 or neuromuscular power, they can’t maintain that intensity for very long due to physiological limitations. Our understanding of exercise science backs up the reasons why this very high effort cannot be sustained.

The proof is in the power. Period.

Exercise becomes effective when we start utilizing the optimal dose of work-to-recovery intervals. Yes, recovery—it’s where the magic happens.

In other words, stop making classes harder just for the sake of being hard. We need to stop the glorification of workouts that almost kill people.

Good coaches know to rely on metrics such as wattage (think: work) and heart rate (think: response to work) to determine if goals are being met. If an athlete can hit 10 repeats that day at the desired goal, that is the workout. Not 11. The workout is finished when goals are no longer being met, not because the clock dictates it or because the instructor wants to be known as the hardest in the land.

Implementing goal-based workouts does not have to be complicated. Start by choosing a metric. As an example, let’s say distance. Determine a time and intensity, as in 2, 3, or 5 minutes at X intensity. Go hard for that number of minutes. How far did you go according to the console? There is your baseline. Notice I did not “dictate” a given distance—it’s completely relative to the individual.

Another example is to have them go for 2, 3, or 4 minutes as hard as they can and see what their average power is for that duration. Again, you aren’t dictating it, you are asking them to set their own benchmark.

Give them a couple minutes of recovery, and boom! Lather, rinse, repeat. Try and match or beat that distance or that average power with a desired number of intervals. Include variety such as different cadence ranges. Add some fun, zippy music tracks and you have a class that is goal-based, effective, and pretty darn fun too [for those who use the adjective “fun” for hard work]!

Almost any indoor cycling instructor can get you hot and sweaty.

Think about becoming a better COACH.

Let’s work on making both our classes and our participants better.

Pam Benchley has been a Stages Master Educator since 2011, as well as a national and international presenter. She is also a recreational triathlete, having recently completed her second IronMan in 2017.

World’s premier group exercise programming company teams up with leading indoor cycling company

Auckland, NZ, June 5, 2018 — Today, Les Mills announced a global partnership with Stages® Indoor Cycling, whose bikes have been chosen as the preferred bikes for Les Mills cycle classes. Les Mills SprintTM, RPMTM, and world-first immersive fitness class THE TRIPTM are hosted in thousands of clubs around the world.

“We are very excited to announce our partnership with Stages Indoor Cycling”, says Phillip Mills, CEO of Les Mills International. “Stages is more than just a great cycle brand, they are a company with a passion for fitness at their core. They create fantastic high quality products that let people reach their fitness goals faster, with technologically advanced bikes that enhance our classes, and can withstand the group fitness environment.”

Les Mills International is the creator of 16 global group fitness and team training programs and every week helps millions of people to get fit in more than 19,000 clubs across 105 countries with the help of 135,000 passionate instructors. The Stages and Les Mills partnership is driven by the proven performance and reliability of Stages Cycling products, globally renowned for their ease of use, accuracy, and reliability. As true cycling experts, both indoors and outside, Stages has unrivaled global reach and expertise, with complete control from manufacturing to distribution to service, allowing customers to focus on providing exceptional experiences to their members.

“Stages Cycling has a history of working with the best in the business, whether that’s Team Sky in the professional cycling ranks or the best instructors at the world’s top clubs,” says Jim Liggett, CEO of Stages Cycling. “Our partnership with Les Mills brings together the global leader in indoor cycling and the global leader in group exercise. We feel this dynamic combination will allow studios to enhance their member experience in all global markets.”

For more information about Les Mills, visit www.lesmills.com ; www.facebook.com/lesmills or https://twitter.com/LesMills.

For more information about

Stages Indoor Cycling, visit www.stagesindoorcycling.com

Jamie Crane owns Dotmar Fitness. Based out of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Dotmar is Canada’s longest standing commercial fitness equipment distributor.

Jamie and the team have been the exclusive distributor partner for Stages Indoor Cycling in Canada since 2016 and have witnessed almost ten new product developments in that time.

“Clubs are diving in to indoor cycling provision at an increasing rate in Canada. In Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary there’s almost a studio cycling option on every corner, and Montreal is following fast. In the last twelve months, cycling studios have been popping up in rural communities for the first time. The sense of member community for group cycling is getting huge—it’s impressive that way,” says Jamie. It’s not surprising outdoor cyclists used to battling the brutal Canadian weather are getting in on the action too. “Outdoor cyclists are getting more involved and not just in studio classes. A number of our club partners have involved outdoor cyclists in their studio decision making processes as these guys are really excited about what Stages Cycling could offer them as outdoor cyclists, and they loved that they could keep track of data.”

We stopped Jamie during this year’s show season to ask him what else is different this year.

“I was seriously impressed with the new Stages Solo bike. To bring a realistic cycling option to the gym floor—it’s a great idea. We have a waiting list of clubs wanting to demo the Solo bike as soon as it becomes available and it’s so exciting to see how bringing Solo to the gym floor will increase the growth of group cycling occupancy for our customers and introduce more riders to new programming possibilities with Stages Flight. The feedback from our customers already running Stages Flight in their facilities has been incredible.

“To get members excited to come in to group cycling for the first time or for those that can’t make specific classes on the schedule, Stages Solo is awesome. Out here in Canada we’ve some real rural areas with tough terrain and bad weather areas, so our network in these spots can take real advantage of bringing Stages cycling programming to the gym floor.

“For indoor cycling, Stages Flight and the bike itself are paramount to me. We’ve just launched three new Stages Flight facilities in Toronto and one each in Montreal and Vancouver. Generally there’s more excitement around Stages Flight for us this year as a result of the increased adoption of group display technology and the demand on data from club customers. When I tried Stages Flight for the first time last year, as a competitive person and former athlete I was blown away by it and loved it. Group pursuits and races really opened my eyes to the potential experiences we can create for our own partners.

“The SC2 and SC3 bikes are still our hottest sellers; they’re pretty hard to keep up with. The most common comment we hear about SC3 is that our partners love the way it feels and rides and the updated SC2 has allowed our rhythmn-based partners to make further advances in their class experiences. The new black, white, grey colour scheme has also made custom branding much easier for these guys. Custom will continue to be huge for sure.

Les Wiehe, Director of North American sales for Stages Indoor Cycling, has worked closely with Jamie and the team since the beginning and witnessed the development of the market first hand: “Indoor cycling is not a cookie cutter business. The market - and its customers - have gotten more advanced in the last three to five years. Jamie’s fitness expertise and the team's keen knowledge of the health club, JCC, YMCA and boutique market allows them to make solid recommendations on specific business needs and the experiences our customers are looking to create in the studio and on the gym floor."

Catch Jamie and the Team at Canfit Pro in Toronto, August 8-12, in their live sessions or on booth #1105 in conjunction with Stages Indoor Cycling or to set up a one-to-one with Jamie email info@dotmarfitness.com

YOU HAVE MEMBERS WHO ARE OUTDOOR CYCLIST WHO HAVEN'T TRIED INDOOR CYCLING... YET.

Do you know how many of your current members are cyclists or ride with local cycling clubs? Try to understand what percentage of your membership base are recreational cyclists, or may be getting ready for a race. Don’t forget, the general outdoor cyclist does not look like Chris Froome so don’t expect to spot a cyclist easily every time. Every facility is different so gauging an idea of what proportion of members are already out on bikes might need to be done in different ways depending on what back-end system you have. Still struggling? Drive an activity shouting out for those who want to come forward and identify themselves as a cyclist/competitor/part of a local club and use that to identify your group.

Once you have a number, try to establish roughly how many are already attending indoor cycling classes with you regularly and/or elsewhere (including at home on a Kickr or Computrainer). It’s not uncommon for outdoor cyclists to visit a gym for general gym use, the pool and the odd yoga class, but not always for its [1] indoor cycling offering. Which is odd, right? They’re cyclists. Now you can showcase your ability to deliver an effective, structured, indoor cycling session direct to your new group.

KEEP YOUR EYES WIDE OPEN

Once you've taken a look at who is part of your existing community try to find out who else is around you in your local community. Who is a member of a cycling club, but not yet part or your community at all right now? And since us cyclists stick together, who else do those people know? You can check out British Cycling’s online Club finder and find out the nearest clubs to you for free to get started.

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

Frequently timetables can be a little one-size-fits-all. Normally, that puts cyclists off, as they typically have specific targets or search out cycling credibility. Not everyone is super focused like that of course - that’s not the majority. So if we’re looking to cater for all types of riders, this can present a bit of a challenge. We also know that most outdoor cyclists are going to want miles on their legs, and less rhythm in their ride too. Might some be turned off by a 45-minute class..? Not necessarily; it depends on the class. If you're doing heavy intervals, 45 minutes is more than enough. It’s only when you're trying to build on endurance that you'll need to do longer rides.

If you’re open to the idea of it, you can mix up your schedule to account for all of this and make your indoor cycling studio work for outdoor cyclists too and it need not affect your existing popular class times at all. Chances are, you will be able to get the outdoor group to come and ride at alternate times as well. Traditionally, outdoor riders are super committed, so you won't have to schedule a class for them at bang on 6.00pm. If you're offering the right equipment and coaches - who doesn't have to be a British Cycling triathlete to make this work - and deliver the right program in an inspiring / confident way, they’ll be there after 7pm or up with the birds.

If you can design a class with a goal, that takes your riders somewhere and explain that doing this today, will mean something specific later, these riders will be interested in your studio because it’s credible.

NO FEAR

True or false?: “The problem is, they’re going to want specific coaching and my instructor team isn't ready/can’t answer all the questions they're going to face.” False. Do not fear. If you're offering good equipment, the programming makes sense and your coaches are motivating, then the coaches don’t have to be mega cycling geeks too.

And in any case, we all know to use: “I don’t know the answer to that question, but I can find out for you.” Same rules apply. Dayum, most often, these riders know where to find these answers out for themselves.

Got a question you can’t answer? Ask TEAM STAGES.

THEY CAN TRY BEFORE THEY BUY

Here's a great opener for you: “Have you started training with power yet? Do you want to test it out with us?”

Many cyclists have heard about power meters but not all have gotten on the wagon yet. Historically for outdoor riders, training with power was not always this affordable - a power meter was a fairly big financial commitment. Despite being much less expensive now and with research and comparison sites readily available, there’s still a risk-reward factor when it comes to sticking one in the shopping basket online.

Be the solution. Invite these riders to try training with power first with you, as part of their research - there’s much less commitment in that.

Promote an FTP test: “Come and find out how power works. Next Tuesday’s training session, we’re going to coach with power and we're going to do an FTP test.” Outdoor riders will pay to take part because: 1. They may not own the technology themselves and this gives them an opportunity to use yours to trial the ride data 2. They may not yet know how to follow the protocol and will be interested to learn how to get started 3. Who wants to go in to the dark black cave that is an FTP test on their own? Not us. Doing an FTP test as a group is way more enjoyable; the coach, the team inspiration… it’s way too easy to surrender when you’re doing that thing solo.

When you’ve ran an event like this once, schedule retests. Invite all your riders back every six weeks, minimum.

You might package this up for non-members with an interest in cycling and provide them with the opportunity to sign up for more with you after the six weeks is through.

THEN WHAT?

Word will spread and before you know it, Dave who’s become a regular in your weekly Thursday morning climbing rides, will be bringing Anna with him. Then Andrew, then… You’re developing a committed group.

Start a regular race night on a Tuesday or Wednesday for visiting cycling clubs. If you have Stages Flight, brilliant, you can host any race from around the world live on screen and the group can test their results over time; both of you will prove that you're pretty serious about indoor cycling and that it can definitely help you be a better rider. Plus, the riders get to avoid the wind and the rain too.

You’ll start to see these riders come more regularly. Non-cyclists will start to love these events too because they’re given a real goal and a timeline. We’ve seen members competing for bike spaces to take part in these programs, even in the summer months, when outdoor cyclists are known to ride outside more often.

BUCKET LIST

All of these ideas can be tiny steps. It doesn’t need to be all-in from the start. Once you’ve gotten started though, how do you keep it interesting and keep everyone - since you have a hybrid group riding with you frequently now - entertained and engaged? Refresh the programming, the routes. Create internal Teams, score points and challenge other clubs.

If you have Stages Flight, ask your riders to hit you with their bucket list: a list of all of the places where have they always wanted to go. Get designing rider profiles to Hawaii on Stages Flight and give them a flavour of new experiences. You can always borrow one of ours

Do all of this well, and your riders who only ever rode indoors before will start to ride outdoors as well.

Stages Cycling Master Coaches Kristy Kilcup and Marina Mitchell are back.

Metrics Matter

In Part I “Power vs. Rhythm: The Debate is On!”, we outlined the amount of research and data that identifies how metrics to evaluate training, both outside and indoors, matters. Let’s take a quick recap:

1. Metrics provide a quantitative means of evaluating intensity.

- Instead of basing how hard a rider is working on perceived exertion alone, actual numbers on a head unit or console provides real, immediate feedback.

- Numbers identify cardiovascular training zones, weaknesses, strengths, and gains.

2. Metrics can be used to help pace a ride.

- Wattage on a head unit or console identifies a level of effort and can be used to help gauge a rider to work less, hold the line or increase work based on the remaining distance and time left to cover.

Beats Matter Too

We explained that research also demonstrates that well-selected music can be used as a primary means of motivation and identifies the following results:

1. It drives us to do more!

- When using the down beat as a guide for your pedal stroke, you are less likely to slow down when you fatigue.

2. It distracts us from the work at hand!

- Using dissociation and association as our guides, we can use the lyrics and beat of the music to draw our riders’ attention away from their working bodies.

- Our riders can be transported into “another time”. Music can spark emotion and memories that can contribute to dissociation.

- Music can somehow help us to find energy we didn’t think we had, like pulling from another reservoir that had been deemed ‘empty’.

3. It can elevate our mood, change our mindset and broaden our perspective.

- Genres, song lyrics and musical beats all contribute to opening our eyes wider and turning up a smile. We can use music that speaks and carries messages of hope, endurance, fun, strength, etc. It can be used as one of our final layers to set us apart as an exceptional instructor, and a driver toward encouraging our riders to keep coming back to class.

Power and Rhythm “Blenders”

With all that good stuff, it’s pretty cool to know that it’s possible to blend the two. Here’s our best tips for how to create meaningful, blended rides in your class designs:

Get started next week with these Monday morning ready tips:

Use Stages Indoor Cycling Simple Sets™ when creating your class design.Use a variety of music, motivational language cues, cardiovascular training zones, and metrics when designing a class.Use music that is relevant to that segment of the ride. Watch out for music that is too slow or too fast for the purpose of that point in time.Always communicate your class goal ahead of time. Informing your riders of the layout and work efforts helps them pace themselves and sets them up for success.In giving your riders the best of YOU, you have already set them up for triumph. They really came for you for your knowledge and expertise, your enthusiasm, motivation, inspiration and love for indoor cycling!

Discover new workouts from Kristy, Michelle and the Team @stagesindoorcycling @stagesindooruk.

Stages Indoor Cycling US Master Coaches Kristy Kilcup and Marina Mitchell take on the elephant in the room:

With the rise of power meters being used indoors, our indoor cycling world seems to have become hyper-divided between power-purist studios and rhythm-based studios.

In the interest of filling classes however, we think it is important to explain how and why both [Power and Rhythm] are important [Part 1] and how to find a happy medium to blend them [Part 2].

What is the primary difference between Power-based and Rhythm-based indoor cycling classes?

1. A Power-based class focuses predominantly on performance based techniques; this includes using metrics [or data] on a display unit [console in the indoor cycling world] and possibly collecting the same data to build training protocols.

2. A Rhythm-based class focuses largely on the beat of the music; this usually includes higher energy songs, with build ups-and clear beat drops. Consoles may be used but mainly for the purpose of setting time expectations and monitoring RPM. Many studios still do not use consoles, but we are noticing this starting to change.

What are some solid benefits of Power-based indoor cycling?

A focus on quantifying work [Hunter Allen Power Blog]: “Data”, such as watts [the power metric] or Kilojoules [watts accumulated over time] to identify a level of intensity for each segment of work performed. This work can be measured to determine how much stress the rider has endured over the course of a workout, or over longer periods of time. This type of analytical evaluation allows a rider to zero in on the areas of lower level fitness, optimizing his/her lower-end and higher-end cardiovascular zones while monitoring proper recovery.

Using a power meter and console is much like having a personal trainer guiding and motivating you through your workout. Your personal trainer will tell you when you “backed off” on intensity or will give you the needed information to avoid peaking your performance too early. Additionally, using the metrics on the console, regardless of your overall intent in participating in the class, allows you see whether you are following the instructed prompts for more or less intensity, whether you are staying consistent in your pedal stroke turnover and body position, and for the purpose of pacing.

What are some benefits of Rhythm-based indoor cycling?

Riding with the rhythm of the music is when a rider hits the front push of the pedal stroke on the down beat of the song. If we imagine the pedal stroke from the top all the way around resembles a clock, most of our work comes between 12 and 4. This is also the area where your foot is on the downbeat of the music. So if that’s true, then we really need to either feel the music or know the beats per minute [BPM] of the song, leading us to know our revolutions per minute [which many bike consoles display as RPM].

How can BPM’s and RPM’s be used during ride design?

The beats per minute of a song gives instructors a good place to start their ride design. There are lots of apps that will tell you the beat of the music. You can open an app, tap your finger to the beat of the music and the screen will show you what the BPM is. Nice, right? Once you have this number, you know that one foot will hit the front push on one beat and the other foot will hit the front push on the very next beat. Because revolutions per minute is how many times ONE leg goes around the full revolution in one minute, then we know we cut the BPM’s in half in order to know our RPM’s.

What are safe RPM ranges?

Collaboratively indoor cycling groups have identified a series of safe RPM ranges for riders. For higher resistances, RPMs can range from 60 – 80, where in workout segments with less resistance, the RPM range varies anywhere between 80 – 115. That’s not to say you can never go outside of those numbers, but we must have a specific purpose to do so, as our risk of injury can increase and we can also completely lose effectiveness… and since we’re giving up an hour on a bike that goes nowhere, most of us would like to get the biggest bang for our buck!

What do we know about riders’ class expectations?

1. They want to participate in a class that has a purpose.

2. They want to feel some form of assurance of safety.

3. They want to leave feeling like he/she worked out.

4. Instructors/coaches are their primary motivator to ensure they come back.

5. They need to leave feeling invigorated and not just exhausted.

The great news is that in either class format [Power or Rhythm], the rider can come away having achieved all of the above!

The Power vs Rhythm debate can be hot!

We all see the debates between Power Purists and Rhythm Riders on social media and in discussions. Rather than debating though, we as instructors have an opportunity to keep an open mind and learn from each other. Ask questions rather than jump to conclusions. Think critically and realize opportunity. Because….

The Reality Is…

1. We need each other! Why always reinvent profiles? Why not accept what other people have to offer and simply edit the content to define it as your own? Most professionals in this industry do not get paid to prepare for their classes. So poach away! [Give kudos to the creator of course!]

2. Variety is key. Offering a plethora of ride protocols allows for clients to experience both lower end cardiovascular training as well as higher interval based efforts. Remember, your clients will only be able to perform those higher bouts of efforts when they have been supported with lower end base training and recovery.

3. Variety in coaching, even in one hour-long class, can be exciting to participants; keep them on their toes, expose them to different ways of reaching their cardiovascular zones, and just be plain ol’ fun! Try a class that has some time-based goal riding, high intensity intervals, and songs where you hang out in steady state where you can use the rhythm for consistency and still create a ‘party’ like atmosphere.

4. Power AND Rhythm classes have benefits and can be combined successfully. When they are combined, you may be pleasantly surprised to see your classes fill up, and ideally, you’ll access additional different types of riders!

In Part II we will identify some “Blenders”: ways of blending Power riding concepts with Rhythm riding.

If you're very lucky, you may be able to catch sight of the Stages Indoor Cycling International Man of Mystery or - as he is known by his UK fans - Coach Trouts. A guy that spends more than half the year travelling the globe coaching Stages Indoor Cycling audiences, he packs more than a flash title and air miles.

Known the world-over for his up-front approach to coaching, real talk, and solid programming know-how, it was time for a one-on-one of his own.

Working at his new fancy digs: The Rooftop bar at The Ned Hotel, Bank, London, She just sat down next to him. [Ok. It was a Pret in Victoria. Go with the illusion.]

IMoM: I hear you wanted to talk to me. I saw your message in the personal ads in the Evening Standard.

Agent TPN: Yes! We want to do a follow-up piece from our interview with Pat Warner. Are you ready for that?

IMoM: Naturally. A very easy act to follow.

Agent TPN could detect a slight nervousness from IMoM. Was it the pressure of following Pat? The fact he was out in the open and in sunlight rather than in an indoor cycling studio? Or just the affect Agent TPN was having have on him. Very Lois Lane v. Superman. Either which way, they got to it:

THE BENEFITS OF A STRUCTURED SESSION.

Agent TPN: Last month, Pat Warner, Vice President at Stages Cycling told us: ”The biggest benefit of riding indoors is the opportunity to get the most out of a structured session.” We thought every indoor cycling class has a structure?

IMoM: Yes. You would hope most indoor cycling classes have some sort of basic structure, like warm-up, main ride and cool down, but it’s the main section of the ride which sometimes lacks structure. I’ll elaborate.

We can break indoor cycling classes down into two categories:

1. A workout: a period of physical exercise or training, e.g. 45-minute aerobic workout

2. A structured ride where the class has and manifests a clearly defined structure or purpose

A workout has you working in numerous training zones for varying periods of time. It is ultimately a 'jack of all trades, master of none’ session. The sole goal is “just ride”.

A structured workout wants you to master one discipline, e.g. one training zone and contains longer intervals or repeat blocks of work.

Agent TPN: Oh a structured workout sounds quite boring - I want my music to dictate the ride. I want to have fun.

IMoM: Of course, and having riders come along and just exercising is crucial, and a ride CAN just be a workout. In today’s current climate, we need more people to move than ever. But if you just work out, whilst you'll get some rewards initially, eventually you won't really be able to see what progression you are making. We struggle in a workout to specifically target any one training system effectively during that ride, which can impact your riders reaching their ongoing fitness goals. That’s when we start to lose people.

A lot of instructors also share your sentiment that structured workouts are boring, but they aren't. If a workout is ever boring the fault lands in the lap of the instructor.

Agent TPN: So can you give me an example of a structured workout?

IMOM: Sure. We can use the example from my recent webinar about progression - we'll come back to progressions later.

We'll take this Threshold ride. 3 x 10 minute intervals with 2.5 minutes recovery between intervals. How does that sound?

Agent TPN: Boring, difficult and technical.

IMoM: Yes I've hardly marketed it well. Ok. So the duration of the intervals sound long. Imagine listening to the same song for 10 minutes and riding at the same cadence.

Agent TPN: But outdoor….

IMoM: Yes, outdoor cyclists will love that all day long. But we’re thinking about different groups all the time, right.

Remember for a moment, power is about the relationship between resistance and leg speed.

What if I now choose three popular songs, each 3 to 3:30 long to make it nearly 10 minutes. I can still even ask you to stand in the chorus and sit in the verse, but the aim is to standardise your power and stay in the same training zone. Then I do the same two more times.

Side bar: don’t go thinking you’re going to listen to three epic trance tracks, I can have you bopping along to the Bieb or Swift - I know they are your favourite.

Does that sound better?

Agent TPN: Yes much better. But what do structures really help me achieve?

IMoM: Results, simply.

We know now how important benchmarks are and that people who are riding with power are looking at improving their functional threshold power [FTP] all the time.

Agent TPN: Hang fire. Did you just swear at me then? FTP? Is this what an instructor shouts instead of “Feel the Pain!?”

IMoM: Actually that’s quite good. Because generally, when you are riding at Threshold, you do just begin to feel some discomfort. But no. FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power. Simply put, this is the highest amount of Power [watts] you can sustain for one hour of riding.

Agent TPN: Okay, so FTP: important benchmark. Got it. Continue.

IMoM: To improve this we need to train at Threshold regularly. So, we need to be riding in these zones for an extended period of time. 10 - 20 minutes with small amounts of recovery. Take another example we highlighted previously in an article: 2 x 20 mins at Threshold with 5 minutes recovery. With the warm-up and cool down not much else is happening in the class. So it is a Threshold ride. With…. wait for it… No sprints!

Agent TPN: But everyone loves a sprint!

IMoM: We can do a structured class focusing on sprints. As long as the riders are able to maintain their power during the ride. We know that if the power drops by 10% by the third interval, that they should stop and recover before joining back in. Quality over quantity remember.

Agent TPN: Just in case you thought I had zoned out - pardon the pun - earlier you mentioned “progression”?

IMoM: Yes I did. There’s a couple more great things about doing a structured workout:

1. Because there is a structure, there is something to measure yourself against. So you can repeat the ride over a number of weeks and your riders will be able to gauge improvements; even more so if the studio has Stages Flight or any other data feedback tool, which sends emails to your riders. They can look back and see it themselves.

2. As an instructor you can add progression in to the ride weekly. Our London Stages Master Coach Richard Collier does this with awesome effect. He runs an 8-week block of rides. He tweaks it each week to make it marginally more difficult. Same music, same format, but the members don't mind as they can see the progression occurring. Then he re-tests their FTP.

3. This also saves the instructor huge amounts of time looking for music and creating more profiles. [Of course you can change up the music should you wish, but it is okay that the structure remains the same].

Agent TPN: 8 weeks of the same music. Do riders buy into that?

IMoM: What fitness brand does that so well globally? It doesn’t have to be 8 weeks. Three to four will do. Just allow your riders the opportunity to see if they improve from this structured progression, rather than change their workouts all the time.

Agent TPN: Ok so structured workouts aren't to be feared by instructors or riders. But are we now condemning workout rides to the waste bin?

IMoM: Not at all. They are still an important part of any instructor’s toolbox. Know your audience, right? Know what your class enjoys, but always be in a position to educate your riders, no matter how long that road takes. If they aren't used to hearing the same playlist from you, play one in subsequent weeks. That can simply be the start.

But if you have never tried a structured workout then in the same way, your instructor toolbox is greatly missing an important skill set.

Agent TPN: So what are you working on now?

IMoM: Funny enough, I have been asked to revisit an older structured workout. [Yes riders requesting structured rides.]

3 is the magic number. It revolves around 3 minute intervals. The great thing is I can teach it two ways: 8 x 3 minute in the upper tier of Threshold with 1 minute recovery or 4 x 3 minute intervals anaerobically with 5 minutes to recover. I can do 3-4 weeks each way. Simple.

And with that IMoM casually left Agent TPN with a swag and humming De la Soul '3 Is the Magic Number’. From what he says, a structured workout could well be worth exploring.

We'll hear from IMoM again. Who knows when he'll next pick up an Evening Standard.

What may have once been considered the domain of only gym devotees, increasingly all levels and types of outdoor rider are adding indoor cycling to their training time.

Smarter is the Way to Success.

For every rider, a smart training approach is key. On rainy days, dark nights or brief moments of time between work or busy family life when you just gotta grab a ride, indoor rides can deliver convenience and undeniable gains.

A man who knows such gains and what it takes to balance a demanding schedule with podium level kind of racing is Pat Warner, the Global SVP at Stages Cycling. Pat has a Track cycling palmarès that spans collegiate level racing right through to elite and masters. This October, he has his sights back on The Masters Track World Championships in the USA. A trained Mechanical Engineer and Head of Product Development and Manufacturing at Stages Cycling, Pat dedicates every day to bettering product, as well as fitting in a daily training session. It’s his desire to improve every performance that takes him indoors in addition to his outdoor rides. Here Pat answers “What are the benefits of training indoors for outdoor cyclists?” laid down in a simple 1 to 5.

#1 Control: No Wind. No Stop Lights. No Traffic.

“The biggest benefit is the opportunity to get the most out of a structured session. Riding indoors provides a super consistent, measured environment. Put simply, it’s the only way to free yourself from interruption – cars, stop signs and lights, wind. You name it, unpredictable external factors will prevent you from testing your body at a consistent, maximum training effort.

“When you need to get the most out of your time, absolutely, the best place is inside. If you’re targeting heart rate or power zones, you’ll get the consistency you need.

“Say you want to do a Threshold test, indoors you can do it for a steady 20 minutes at a sustainable, precise peak power, without any possible distractions. There are mental benefits too; if you can achieve your numbers inside, you’ll know you can do it on race day.”

#2 Efficiency: Get the Most Out Of An Hour

“Indoors you not only eliminate the natural elements, but you also never have to stop pedaling. Sounds obvious right, but on the road, you’ll stop… and start again, coasting on the downhills, ultimately breaking your session. Indoors, for the same length of time, you’ll do a whole lot more pedaling, meaning you could actually ride for less time, with more total benefit.”

#3 You’ve Got the Numbers To Concentrate On

“You’ve all the data you need right there on the bike using a power meter. With a power meter and a device to record your workout, you’ll see exactly what you are doing and what you’ve done, no guesswork involved. Using that information, you can analyze your efforts, as well as follow a prescribed plan.

“What’s the ultimate measure? Undoubtedly, power output. So you’ll see how the advancements in technology and the rise of the power meter indoors, has brought with it new ways for riders to get results indoors. Look to the professional guys; this is exactly the approach they take in preparation for races like the Tour de France; they train and test indoors for exactly these reasons on some of the preparation days.

“Add to that the inherent motivation from data and targets, now available indoors.

“But it’s not just the numbers. There are multiple display technology and engagement options available right now like Stages Flight, Zwift and other up-to-the minute digital tech that simulate your ride outside, inside – so you can see your route, replicating the miles you’ve ridden with the addition of data gauges.”

#4 No Limitations

“There’s no time limit when you ride inside. Say the alarm goes off for a 4am session or it’s 10pm at night? Now and again I’ll avoid the dark and choose the indoor option, so I’m cutting out the discomfort and the disruption. There’s no such thing as bad weather indoors, right?

“Then there’s the efficiency again. Sounds like a low key consideration, but indoors takes away the need to clean a dirty bike and there’s less wear on your equipment overall. Travelling can be a serious challenge to your training, so you take your shoes with you and hunt out an indoor studio to keep you dialed in with your schedule.

“Now and again it helps declutter a potentially otherwise compromised training schedule.”

#5 Better Together

“At the office we all ride pretty much every day. Around 30-40 riders join us out on the road every Tuesday. That’s not just the corporate team, Boulder locals too and guys who like to ride. That’s the power of riding as part of a group right there. For me, the group is a huge motivator to improve.

“Indoors you can replicate this just as easy and oftentimes we bring it in to the office. As a bunch of people, riding sessions with your friends helps you all find inspiration, plus you’re much less worried about matching your speed with the rest of the pack if you’re just getting started. Safety comes in to it as well with no cars for the pack to negotiate and if it’s a 6am hard session on the cards, others around you make it much easier to push yourself and hit that goal.

“Sure, the feeling of being in the outdoors is different, but the two work nicely together and a combination of both means you’re going to see the gains in your training strategy.

“When it comes to group effort, we welcome riders to come join us to ride the local routes when they’re in town.”

And no kidding, with that, Pat left to go ride.

Follow Stages Indoor Cycling on Instagram @stagesindoorcycling @stagesindoorcyclinguk @stagescycling and look out for Part II from Coach Neil Troutman, released later this Summer.