spinning instructor school

Over the weekend, I went to spinning instructor school. The class was taught by Michael Ferrante who is a nice, knowledgeable guy. Then he gets up on the bike and turns into this funakadelic praying mantis, sweet and smooth, all positive motion, positive energy, positive vibe.

I learned a fair amount in one day, but there is much more to learn. As a spinning instructor, I am not on this earth to make everyone in the class puke. I am here to bring out the best in everyone and serve the general population.

We had a lot of book learning including proper bicycle fit, course selection, heart rate zones, contra indications, and tips on how to deal with individuals who just don't get it. Then Michael put us through two sessions on the spinnig bikes. He was clearly the best rider in the room and could've put any of us into great difficulty if that had been his objective.


To celebrate the introduction to a new world, I saddled up Sunday, rode into Boston, took a spinning course at FitCorp Prudential, then rode home.

The instructor was inspiring and well schooled in her skills. She kept it all positive, and that is what spinning is all about. I could ride the same bike as you. I could ride the same route as you. I could eat the same food as you. I could be two inches from your handlebars for 2,100 miles. But we would both experience different rides. That is the nature of cycling, and the nature of spinning.

Before me, on the front and center bike, in an ancient pair of assos shorts, was Olivier. He's about five foot six, 125 pounds soaking wet. I took one look at him and knew I was in the presence of a natural-born climber. If such a thing is possible, Olivier is skinnier than Coach Joshua Dean Powers who, in form, can push 6.2 watts/kilogram of body weight. Lance has 7.

When Olivier goes up in the three position to climb, every bone in his spine pokes through his jersey. He knocked out a cruel cadence and I could imagine him floating up the Galibier, dancing on the pedals, higher and higher until he became a small spec in the clouds, leaving the rest of the group begging for mercy.

While Olivier was the eye candy of the class, there were plenty of things to observe. The instructor is there to give a class, not take it. I listened to her steady patter, watched her get on and off the bike, get people water, inspire different riders, give helpful tips. Obviously, music selection is key. And positive reinforcement makes a huge difference when people are in difficulty.

On a personal note, I was surprised to see my heart rate redline at 186 bpm on the last climb of the day. There may have been a couple of more beats per minute in the ticker, but I didn't want to push it. Usually with age, max heart rate decreases, and according to the chart, I should only have 178 in me. The new max heart rate may represent progress, a result of training, or then again, it may be an indication of a need for rest.

Spinning is a new world, a new adventure, a new mountain to climb that can be conquered from the indoors when the weather is ghastly during the wretched January and February. My objective is to become an inspired and competent part-time instructor. There will be no quitting the day job, as spinning instructors make a humble wage, and the knees don't have more than a few classes a week in them.

The technical aspect of spinning is far less advanced than the principles I learned from Coach Joshua Dean Powers of Carmichael Training Systems, and for good reason. If you have a member of the general population for 1 hour, you have a limited amount of time to share some information.

It takes a month of learning to really understand what is going on with a Carmichael Training System program, and in the absence of a grand goal, very few individuals have the discipline to wade through the details.