February Spin Profiles, Part 1: 59-64

Wednesday marks my 100th Spin Profile! Wow! While compiling the Ultimate Spin Profile Song List for this class, I started to realize that I'm about 40 profiles behind on my blog. Whoops! I had wanted to keep things pretty UTD on this site so I would have fresh impressions of things, but it seems as though living has gotten in the way of writing. Oh well.

February was all about build up to our Race Day at the end of the month. Also featured some Valentine's Day Themed Classes (however, I don't think I could top last year's Classic Rock Love Songs Themed Class (SP #03)).


Spin Profile #59: Face Lift 2/1/10 48.2 min
1. Cruel Summer by Blue Crush (5:24)/WU
2. Breakin Dishes by Rihanna (3:21)/Rolling Hills
3. Pink Houses by John Mellencamp (4:44)/Climb N Cadence
4. Replay by Iyaz (3:02)/Jump Mix @ 1-2
5. Once In A Lifetime by Talking Heads (4:19)/Climb N Cadence
6. Uprising by Muse (5:05)/Mod jumps @3 + Rolling
7. Imma Be by Black Eyed Peas (4:17)/Jumps @2
8. You're So Damn Hot by Ok Go (2:39)/Run + pickups @1
9. I'm In Philly Trick by LMFAO (3:50)/Mod jumps @3
10. Twist & Shout by Ike & Tina Turner (3:02)/Run + pickups @1
11. In The Air Tonight by Nonpoint (4:31)/Sprints w R
12. Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (4:04)/CD

SP #60: I Got The Power! (hooray) 2/3/10 47.5 min
1. The Power by Snap! (3:49)/WU
2. Tik Tok by Ke$ha (3:20)/Warm Up Jump Mix + easy pickups
3. Hip Hop Hooray by Naught by Nature (4:24)/Jumps @1
4. Cruel To Be Kind by Letters To Cleo (3:03)/Run + pickups @1
5. Popular by The Veronicas (2:42)/Standing Climb N Cadence
6. Speakerphone by Kylie Minogue (3:54)/Standing Rolling Hills
7. God Is A DJ by P!nk (3:44)/Chorus Sprints w R
8. Empire State Of Mind by Jay-Z (4:37)/Mod Jumps @3
9. Calypso by Spiderbait (1:51)/Standing Sprints w/R; follow music
10. Don't Trust Me by 3OH!3 (3:13)/Recover, cadence
11. Numb/Encore by Jay-Z & Linkin Park (3:25)/Aggressive Climb
12. Boom Boom Boom by The Outhere Brothers (3:22)/Faster to Fastest @1-FR
13. Call On Me by Eric Prydz (2:49)/2 sets of max v max r *****
14. Horchata by Vampire Weekend (3:27)/CD

** Before class I sent out an email to my spinners saying, "Oh look, my BodyPump class was filmed the other day and some of you were in it. Check out the video. The song will be on tonight's play list!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_fCqg92qks
Some people just replied "Oh Congrats Nina" before actually watching the video. Check it out for yourself! Real workout motivator....

Hahahahahaha! I'm still cracking up about this. Yes, if you come to my spin class, you know my humor is stupid and corny. It does get you smiling though! :D

SP #61: Miseducation 2/5/10 57.1 min
1. Take The Lead (Wanna Ride) by Bone Thugs N Harmony (3:28)/WU
2. I Like To Move It by Reel 2 Reel (3:43)/Easy sprints, FR-.5
3. What Would You Do? by City High (2:56)/Climb N Cadence (remember this song after watching Intervention with my housemate...)
4. Dani California by RHCP (4:43)/Climb @2 HP3
5. La La La by LMFAO (3:30)/Rolling
6. Carry Out by Timbaland (3:52)/Jumps @1
7. The Game of Love by Santana (4:14)/Jump Mix @1-2
8. Proper Education by Eric Prydz v. Floyd (3:24)/Rolling + pickups
9. Youth Of The Nation by P.O.D. (4:18)/Aggressive Climb HP3
10. Everything Is Everything by Lauren Hill (4:53)/mod jumps
11. Asereje by Las Ketchup (3:31)/Fast cadence + pickups @FR-1
12. Walkin Out Yo Girlfriend mashup by DJ Lobsterdust (3:40)/Jump Mix
13. Whoa Oh! by Forever The Sickest Kids (3:25)/Fast cadence + pickups
14. Everytime We Touch by Cascada (3:20)/max v max r
15. Halo by Beyonce (4:22)/CD

SP #62: Jump N Bang 2/8/10 48.6 min
1. Bang Bang by K'naan (3:07)/WU
2. Big Yellow Taxi by Counting Crows (3:45)/Climb N Cadence
3. Send My Love To The Dancefloor (3:52)/HP3 surges @2
4. Symphonies by Dan Black (3:47)/Rolling + seated pickup
5. Jump by Van Halen (4:02)/mod jumps @3 + pickups @1
6. Down by Jay Sean (3:32)/Jump Mix + pickups @1

7. Hand In My Pocket by Alanis Morissette (3:42)/Recovery, Climb N Cadence
8. I Made It by Kevin Rudolf (4:22)/Alt Fast + Slow jump mix
9. Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead (4:51)/High R! 1) iso intervals 2) sit + pickup 3) iso intervals
10. Troublemaker by Weezer (2:45)/Rolling + pickups
11. Crazy Remix by Alanis Morissette (3:40)/Rolling + pickups: Up 2, down 1 to sprint
12. Oh Africa by Akon (3:21)/CD


Two Valentine's Day Themed Classes! (we had the competition again: points for guessing artist, name of song, theme, technique, movie name)

SP #63: Tainted Love 2/12/10 59.1 min
1. Love At First Sight by Kylie Minogue (4:00)/WU
2. Tainted Love by Soft Cell (2:40)/Jump Mix @1
3. Killing Me Softly by Fugees (4:50)?mod jumps @3
4. One Way Or Another by Blondie (3:36)/Rolling + pickups
5. Turnin Me On by Keri Hilson (4:09)/Fast jump mix @1
6. Your Love by The Outfield (3:36)/Run @1, Climb HP3
7. Ooops!...I Did It Again (3:31)/Climb HP3 +pickups
8. Angel by Aerosmith (5:07)/isolation intervals, climb
9. Oops (Oh My) by Tweet & Missy Elliott (3:58)/alt fast and slow jump mix
10. My Bloody Valentine by Good Charlotte (3:55)/stamina test, max v maxr
11. #1 Crush by Garbage (4:45)/iso, mod jumps
12. I Touch Myself (3:45)/jump mix + pickups
13. Head Over Feet by Alanis Morissette (4:24)/iso, high R pickups
14. Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money (3:31)/Sprints w R
15. Can't Help Falling In Love by UB40 (3:27)/CD

SP #64: Lovey Dovey Movies 2/13/10 48.9 min
1. Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison, Pretty Woman (2:58)/WU
2. Love Fool by The Cardigans, Romeo + Juliet (3:14)/Warm up Jumps
3. Tenderness by General Public, Clueless, Werid Science (3:38)/Run @1
4. Love Stinks by Adam Sandler, The Wedding Singer (1:26)/iso, heavy
5. I Want You To Want Me by Letters to Cleo, 10 Things I Hate About You (3:26)/30 sec int jump mix
6. Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, et al, Moulin Rouge (4:25)/Rolling
7. In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel, Say Anything (5:27)/Climb N Cadence
8. Walking On Sunshine by Katrina & The Waves, High Fidelity (4:01)/Fast cadence seated and standing @FR-1
9. Mrs. Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel, The Graduate (4:03)/HP3 cadence @2
10. Summer nights, Grease (3:37)/Rolling + pickups
11. All I Want Is You by U2, Reality Bites (6:30)/Descend N Cadence
12. I'm A Believer by Smash Mouth, Shrek (3:03)/climb, run, sprint
13. Seasons of Love, Rent (3:03)/CD

RACE DAY Musings

Forgot to mention in my last post how RACE DAY actually turned out. My cryptic email messages and in-class announcements did their job: Spinners got really excited about the day. There was a buzz around Pottruck Gym which reached new participants and my rather surprised boss. One of my Regulars even said that she'd been talking about it to her parents and was bursting with anticipation all week long. Said Regular and two others also decided to make 'costumes' for the occasion. I was completely tickled to see their "NINA IS MY HERO" jerseys. I myself bought a racing outfit (NB: I bought a triathlon outfit that would help motivate me to sign up for my first triathlon in August...I mean, if I have the duds, I HAVE to sign up, right?). My race attire matched my neon green sweatband, which I wore 80's style across my forehead. In block letters, you could easily see my "TEAM" and "MIND/BODY" catch phrases. Did I mention that I stayed up until 2AM the night before making those bands? Crafts take so much longer than you think... It was just as well the bands took me so long, I was so excited I couldn't sleep.

The hours leading up to class passed in a whirl wind. Greg had agreed to meet me an hour before class to help me set up the bikes, etc...however, the day before he had a huge exam and slept through his alarm. He did make it in time for the event, but this left me alone to move all the bikes into a square, hang streamers, and set up the cards and photos. Fortunately Cecilia and others arrived 35 minutes early to claim their spots and I was able to delegate the duties. By T-30 minutes, there was already a bulging line out the door. It was up to me to take charge, make sure people stayed outside and then pass out the right bands to the right people.

Slight difficulties arose because this wasn't a separate, official event. It was first come, first serve; so a complete Newbie could have show up and come into this situation. For my Regulars, I had specific bands that I wanted to give them. For instance, I wanted Dorsey to have the "SexyBack" band because we had worked on posture technique together. To Linds, the "Endure" band because a) she's made so much improvement since she started last year and b) she said it was her favorite of my catch phrases. Cecilia: "Breathe" because she's really into yoga...Hope: "Faith", obviously you can't have Faith (the second song) without Hope (made connection and joke during the track). Anyways, the list goes on. I had made up a list of all the people that I knew, and hoped, would come to class and what power words I associated with them. The tricky part was that I didn't know for certain who was coming. And I was hoping that no one new showed up that day and took the spot of a Regular.

I, myself, felt the same feelings and anticipatory-nerves that I'd feel before any race (and I was a little nervous about whether people would show up)--which is exactly what I was going for! The Race went off without a hitch and I made my usual corny jokes. For instance, during "Sex Bomb," which was popular during my first semester in France, I told the story of how this French guy commented, "Nina, normally you are like ice, but tonight you are on fire!" I then followed with a "Fire it up, Team!" Also, I had a real blast beating on the cowbell during "Phantom of The Opera" to signify pace changes.

*The feedback to me personally and to my boss, Katie, was so positive that Katie has agreed to make TWO OFFICIAL RACE DAYS this next semester! Now we can have a sign up sheet and a separate time just for this event! I have so many ideas already on how to make it better and run more smoothly.

In any case, the goal of this class was two-fold. A) To test how your training is going & B) To keep people excited about working out. Definitely accomplished both of those tasks. Success!

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you to all the Regulars who make planning spin classes such a delight!

RACE DAY (Spin Profile #41)

Over the course of the last semester, I pondered what makes a good spin class. And more importantly, what makes my spin class awesome?

1. Music. Connecting me and the participants to the music.

2. Well thought-out and organized profile that fits with the music.

3. Challenging. My classes are hard. I push us to only take breaks at the end of a set.

4. Sense of team. We're in this together. For me, it's not just about showing up to class, playing the profile, and then leaving. I care about the Team and if we all meet our goals (and whether or not we all make it through and feel good about ourselves afterwards).

5. Innovation leads to motivation. I keep myself and the team excited about coming to class with new ideas: new music, themes, race day, spin list serve

6. Belief in my Team. I believe that everyone can do more than they think. Sometimes we all need just one person to believe in us and push us to that next level.

Notice how I mention 'Team' several times. Last January, I was taught in my Body Pump training to think of myself more as a coach than an instructor; to think of my class as my Team. The number one aspect of college that I miss the most is my Track Team: people with whom I share common goals and who support me to achieve those goals. In following this train of thought, I realized that perhaps the students who come to my class are looking for those same things. A sense of belonging to a team that will help them feel good and challenge to the next level.

This is when I thought about doing a Race Day. As a runner, I've had many opportunities to experience the adrenaline rush and re-motivating euphoria of a race. This is what we need our spin team to experience as well! You may wonder, "Nina, you're on an indoor-stationary bike, how can you have a race?" With a little planning, creativity, competition, and just the right spin profile, you can simulate the feeling of showing up to that starting line, racing through an 'out and back' race course, and challenging yourself to your edge.

What does that mean for the indoor cyclist? Racing means (at least to me), picking a pace that is not comfortable and holding it (more or less steady). On our bikes, there is neither a heart monitor nor a pedometer...so the only way to gauge effort level is by manually checking your HR and the less-scientific approach of "How do I feel." Either way, the goal is to keep your heart rate above 80% for most of the ride (just a slight break in the middle on the "turn around").

To hype the event and add on mystery, I organized a spinning list serve with the regulars (this actually has turned out to be a great tool to connect with regulars and get song suggestions). I made sure that people knew this was coming and to mark their calendars, but I didn't really say what it meant. Unbeknownst to my spinners, I started preparing them for Race Day two months in advance with Endurance and Strength Profiles and also by slowly decreasing the number of breaks allowed. For example, we started out the semester doing sets of two songs--can take a water break at this point. Then it became after three, then four and so on. We slowly increased our overall endurance so by the time Race Day came around, we had the endurance to last through 6 (regular length) songs without a break.

It took me three weeks to narrow down the profile. I at first thought of doing only longer-than-seven-minute songs to encourage the endurance aspect...but there are not many songs that everyone can stand for seven minutes. And many of them start out with slow, guitar anthems...

I decided on five songs to take us out, one middle song to transition us for the turnaround, and then four songs (more intense pace) to take us back.

Instead of a usual profile filled with different drills, I kept it simple. It's a race after all, we want it simple and you wouldn't be doing drills or intervals in a race. So, I had two commands: Rolling and Flats. Rolling means we turn the resistance up to a 2 (aka your challenge resistance) and go out to standing-position 3. Flats means we sit down, turn the resistance down, and get on the FR cadence. That "rolling" was meant as a sprint up a hill. In terms of how fast you should be going, mostly the cadence/tempo of the song is a good indicator. For instance, Take My Hand by Simple Plan is FAST and it's near the end, so just keep up with the song.

But remember, this is a race. Every moment should be at your edge. There are only three speeds today: FAST, FASTER, and FASTEST!

Additional Surprises:

1. Set the bikes up in a square. Everyone had a partner/competitor across from them

2. Decorated with Penn-colored streamers

3. Made sweatbands for each participant. Each had one of my favorite motivational words on it (Endure, Fire It Up, SexyBack...)

4. Each bike had card on it with one of the words from the sweatband with an inspirational quote on it or technique. Participants were given sweatband upon entering and had to find their matching bike

5. Each bike also had a post card of (what I thought) was a good visualization (mountains, beach, sunsets...)

6. I brought out my cowbell (what race isn't complete without one) and used it in the second half to signify bursts of speed (Fast, Faster, Fastest)

The List:
1. I'll Be There For You by The Rembrandts (3:08)

2. Faith by George Michael (3:13)

3. Sex Bomb by Tom Jones (6:05)

4. I'd Do Anything For Love by Meatloaf (7:41)

5. Like A Prayer by Madonna (5:41)/treat this song like it's the last one. FASTEST! Break is coming in next song.

6. Take My Hand by Dido (6:43)/take the first minute to get control of breath and form...as the song picks up, so do you with some easy rolling.

7. Phantom of the Opera by Harajuku (6:21)/Back to our max intensity! (brought the cowbell out for this...bursts of all out sprints)

8. Hey Girl by O.A.R. (8:14)

9. Take My Hand by Simple Plan (3:51)/Coach ppl to go all out for the last two songs by moving at cadence or faster. This is RACE DAY! ENDURANCE AND STAMINA CHALLENGE TO THE MAX!

10. Halo/Walking On Sunshine by Glee Cast (2:05)

11. Symphony No. 9 Choral: IV. Ode To Joy by London Symphony Orchestra (3:19)

Opposites Attract in the 90's: Spin Profile #22

Flasback to the 90's! And it was a hit! People (including myself) had so much fun working out to this music. As an added bonus, I told a story during each song. See, I didn't just pick out random 90's songs, I picked ones that drew up strong memories. Like the first time I drove my Mom's Volvo all by myself with a good friend riding shot gun. Or my first concert by myself (No Doubt). Or hanging out in my sister's room, listening to Vanilla Ice or New Kids On The Block and thinking that she's the coolest person in the world (in her scrunchy and jams!). And of course there are the high school dance memories...

Anyways, each song has a particular meaning to me and it was fun to bring us all back into those times.

During the second song, Opposites Attract, explain the workout. Think of it as six sets of two songs. Breaks should hold off for after the second song of a particular set.

First song: Flats. Fast and Furious.
Second song: Climb!

As soon as the second song ends, turn resistance all the way down and pick the pace up. The point is to exhaust yourself in "opposite" ways from one song to the next. Work your power during the sprints, work your strength (and butts) during the climb.

NB: I finally changed my resistance scale to something that makes more sense.
0 = Flat road (FR), just enough res to feel the road beneath you(NOT no resistance)
1 = Light hill, just enough res to stand up
2 = Medium Hill, starting to feel the quads burn, but can keep up with the beat
3 = Moderately heavy hill, want to jump out of the saddle, uncomfortable, starting to want to slow down
4 = Heavy hill (top of the hill), cannot hold for more than 20 sec, cannot pick up the pace even if you try, are behind the beat of the music

1. Save Tonight by Eagle Eye Cherry (3:59)/WU, cadence, 0
*All 90's, all hour long! Get excited!
2. Opposites Attract by Paula Abdul (4:25)/WU, jumps @ 1-2
*Pre-reality TV show, Abdul was a great singer and dancer in the 80's/90's. Although there are plenty of more popular songs by her, this one happens to be my favorite. Why? Because of the awesome music video. Only in the 90's would it be cool to be dancing in your video with a cartoon wolf in a bright blue zut suit...

3. Just A Girl by No Doubt (3:26)/Pickups, 80% during verse ==> 90% max speed during chorus. 80% = cadence. Not all out sprint yet.
*In the 8th Grade me and Pam Hershey (and others) rented a white limo to take us to the No Doubt Concert at Great Woods. We thought we were so cool going to the concert in style without any parents!
4. Jumper by Third Eye Blind (4:33)/Climb, seated + standing mix FR ==> 3
*I spent the summer before sophmore year of high school learning how to play this song on the drum set. I started taking drum set lessons (in secret) my freshman year and blew people away at the jazz band auditions at the end of that summer.

5. Whoomp! (There It Is) by Tag Team (3:45)/Speed bumps, cadence/constant pace, 20 sec intervals: FR > 1 >FR. Pace stays the same no matter the changes in resistance!
*Remember to bring that resitance down quick and work the turnover. No breaks yet!
6. I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred (2:51)/Modified jumps @ 3
*I'm too sexy, 'nuff said.

7. What Is Love by Haddaway (4:30)/20, 30, 40 sec all out sprint interveral followed by same amount of active recovery.
*Sure, today people associate this song with the goofy dance from Night At The Roxbury. I, however, always think of Ricky from My So Called Life. He busts out his moves at the school dance, leaving Angela alone in her drama with geeky Brian and Jordan Catellano.
8. No Scrubs by TLC (3:38)/Standing climb, FR ==> 3, add in pickups during chorus
*Every 90's mix must have TLC in it. Period.

9. Blue (Da Ba Dee) by Eiffel 65 (3:30)/Keeping same fast cadence, inc resist from FR ==> 2. Slow and steady burn, do not go higher than 2. Want to keep it fast and furious.
*Still can't figure out what the heck they are singing about, but Senior year of high school this song was popular at the dances. Not knowing the lyrics would never stop me from belting the song out!
10. I will buy you a new life by Everclear/Standing Climb, 2 ==>4, adding seated pickups here and there.

11. Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice (4:31)/Speed bumps, this time changing res: FR > 1.5-2 > FR every 20 sec. Fight thru the resistance to keep that pace constant!
*Yeah, I still know the dance...
12. American Woman by Lenny Kravitz(4:22)/Isolation drills @ 3 or 4 = 20 sec isolation intervals. 20 sec isolate the legs by focusing on keeping the upper body still, slowing the pace down, circular pedal strokes, high knees. Keep the weight back! No weight in the arms. Work the core to stabilize. Flat backs, abs in, shoulders down and back. Then 20 sec of cadence. Repeat. I call out "Isolate!" and "Pace" to signal changes. Notice the difference between isolation of legs and using your body weight to help you push the pedals.
*Great running/workout song then and now.

13. Boom, boom, boom, boom! by the Vengaboys (3:22)/100% sprints during chorus, for greater challenge, bring it up to 1 or 2. But fast! Cadence during verse.
-Last chance to sprint! All out!
*Another high school dance favorite my senior year.
14. Closing Time by Semisonic (4:34)/Seated climb 1 ==> 3, standing surges during the chorus. Exhaust yourself!
*Love, love, love this song. First heard it in my car summer before junior year. Again, was the first summer that I could drive by myself (I was the last year to be able to get my license at 16.5).

15. No Rain by Blind Melon (3:37)/CD
*Great song, but in the 8th we performed it in the school chorus and butchered it. Ahhh, some songs should just not be harmonized by a group of 14 year olds.
16. Torn by Natalie Imbruglia (4:05)/CD
*I will always remember me and Rob Jack cruising in the Volvo, all the windows rolled down, belting out this song. He sang it even louder than me! End of sophomore year.

Against All Odds: Spin Profile #19

Themed spin class for June!

Against All Odds Movie Songs! Read: Songs from movies where the characters had to overcome a great feat to achieve their goals. Oh the inspiration. Thankfully, the turnout was superb, despite the cats and dogs rain outside. Everyone was energized and gave a great effort. Several people said that the hour sped by and were surpised when I announced the "3 songs left" mark. Quite the accomplishment to make it challenging, but also so fun that people don't notice the time (or the pain).

First prize this month was a lovely pineapple. Everyone recieved a fruit prize (bananas, oranges, apples) just for showing up. I was glad that the class was full and the fruit was all gone by the end--it was difficult to lug all that fruit through the rain to class!

Point System:
1 point for naming: artist, movie, song name, scene
2 to 5 points for best: sprint, run, climb, isolation, or jump technique/pace
3 points for theme

Point is to get a great workout, have fun, connect, and get to know eachother better. Share a bit about yourself. When did you first watch that movie? What does it mean to you?

1. The Imperial March Remix (2:32) by Sas Leon--originally by John Williams
2. That Thing You Do! by The Wonders (2:47)/Run @ 6
3. Spiderman Theme by Danny Elfman/30 sec intervals; Cadence + 90% Sprints

4. Jai Ho by A.R. Rahmun et al (5:19)/Seated & Standing Climb Mix (FR ==> 9)
Slumdog Millionaire

5. Time Warp by Little Nell, Patricia Quinn & Richard O'Brian ( 3:19)/
Verse: Cadence; Chorus: Run @ 6
Rocky Horror Picture Show

6. Greased Lightnin' by Jeff Conway & John Travolta (3:13)/Cadence + Pick Up During Chorus
Grease

7. Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangsta by Geto Boys (5:10)/Jumps
Office Space. Ahh, the awesome scene where the office guys beat the heck out of the malfunctioning photocopier/fax machine!

8. Don't Stop Me Now by Queen (3:30)/30 sec break
Shaun Of The Dead. So funny, Shaun + Co are killing zombies left and right while this up beat track plays in the background.
After break, increase resistance to 7. Hi speed for 2 min. Increase to 8, standing position 2/3 for 1 min. Keep the pace up!

9. Do You Hear The People Sing by Les Miserables Original Cast (2:16)/Isolate, standing position 3 @ 9

10. (I've Had) The Time Of My Life by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes (6:46)
Dirty Dancing of course!
Continue from last song, heavy standing position 3. After 30 sec, sit it down--still heavy. Once music starts to pick up, bring down resistance to 6. Pick the pace up--cadence. During chorus--all out sprints at FR or 6.

11. Requiem For A Tower by London Music Works & Clint Mansell (4:10)
Isolation Challenge (standing position 3)! Who can hold the position as long as Nina? And have perfect form? High resistance @ 9. Slow the pace way down. Isolate the legs by keeping the upper body completely still--all from the legs, circular peddle strokes + high knees. Focus on working your core--abs in and flat back. Keep the weight back to isolate those glutes!
*This song was remade for Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Everyone loves this instrumental!

Option for newer folks. 30 sec intervals: 30 sec isolation, 30 sec "pace". I kept calling out 30.

12. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (5:55)
Wayne's World, Wayne's World! Party time! Excellent!
Continue with the standing position 3 heavy resistance from previous song. After one min music picks up. Sit down and gradually descend for flat road sprint. At end, music slows down again, increase resistance for short, seated climb.

13. Minas Morgal by Howard Shore (1:58)
Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
Short & fast. Standing Position 3 @ 8. Drive the pace.

14. Old Time Rock & Roll by Bob Seger (3:13)
Ahhh, Tom Cruise dancing around in his tightie whities! Everyone had a good chuckle.
Risky Business.
Run @ 6. Surges in pos 3 during chorus.

15. Gonna Fly Now by Bill Conti (2:44)
Of course, we have to have a lil Rocky in our "Against All Odds class! Especially since we're in Philly too. Standing position 3 @ 7. Surges: 20 sec on/10 sec off

16. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love by The Blues Brothers (3:21)
Ahh, the Blues Brothers. Against all the odds, they get the band back together and perform a rockin' gig (with the 'fuzz in attendance of course). Love this number!
Big finish. Sprints with resistance. 30 secs on, 10 sec off. As hard as you can go!

17. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling by The Righteous Brothers (3:45)
Top Gun. Cool Down.

18. Harry Potter Theme by John Williams (5:02)/Stretches
Anyone else getting super excited for the movie release next month??!?!?

This class was a bit longer than an hour. I would take out the Minas Morgul song. Didn't seem to be a hit (though I like working out to it).

All in all it was a great class!

Mad, Mad River: Spin Profile #13

It's Monday. Sometimes all we can think about on Monday is "WEEKEND." Perhaps we're thinking of the great times from the past weekend. Perhaps we're already thinking ahead to next weekend and wondering what interesting events will come to pass.

Wouldn't it be great if we could extend that feeling a little longer? Yes? Alrighty then! Head on down to spin class this evening and join me in a sing-a-long to all those classic bar songs that have us jumping up and down and belting out "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch" (you know you have!) and all those other bar favorites.

What's better than having a sing-a-long? COMPETITION!

That's right. Let's see how much you've been paying attention to me all semester long.
Points for:
-Song name
-Artist
-Theme (Bar Songs; Mad River = bar where I hear all of these songs)
-Form (sprints, jumps, climb)
-Knowing the words
-Showing up

It's the end of the semester and people are getting a bit burnt out. Let's encourage by giving an award to everyone who shows up and the highest point scorer. This is a place where just showing up earns you points! Sweet!

1. Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles (4:14)
2. ABC by The Jackson 5 (2:57)
3. Jump Around by The House of Pain (3:36)
4. Drift Away by Uncle Kracker (4:16)
5. Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners (4:00)
6. Laid by James (2:37)
7. I Can't Help Myself by Four Tops (2:46)
8. Lola by The Kinx (4:25)
9. You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC (3:29)
10. Sweet Child of Mine by Guns N Roses (5:58)
11. Free Fallin' by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (4:20)
12. Beautiful by Akon (5:13)
13. American Pie by Don McLean (8:29)
14. Cecilia by Simon & Garfunkel (2:55)
15. It's Five O'Clock Somewhere by Jimmy Buffet (3:44)

Welcome Music
Undone (Sweater Song)
I Touch Myself

The Spy Who 'Burned' Me: Spin Profile #7

Another themed class! Woo-hoo!

Point break-down:
1 - Artist
1 - Song Title
1 - Origin (some have multiple)
3 - Theme (= Spy Songs)

1. James Bond Theme Remix by Moby (3:23)
2. Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers (3:07)/Secret Agent Man TV Show, Ace Ventura
3. Live & Let Die by Paul McCartney & Wings (3:13)/Bond
4. Pink Panther Theme by Henrey Mancini & Chris Mancini (2:37)
5. Die Another Day by Madonna (4:38)/Bond
6. Goldeneye by Tina Turner (4:46)/Bond
7. It's The Hard Knock Life by Dr. Evil (1:44)/Austin Powers
8. Short Skirt/Long Jacket by Cake (3:24)/Chuck TV Show
9. Mission Impossible Theme Remix by Top Secret (5:37)
10. Main Title by Michael Giacchino (0:28)/ALIAS
11. Decode by Paramore (4:22)/Twilight--ok not a spy flick, but Decode = spy themed so it's ok
12. The World Is Not Enough by Garbage (3:58)/Bond
13. James Bond Theme by John Barry Orchestra (1:48)/Dr. No

Classic Rock Love Songs: Spin Profile #3

Every spin class that I've taught so far has been fun. However, today's class was the best class ever. I started doing a themed class and held a little competition for the Women's Rowing Team. Five points to whomever guessed the theme. One point for the name of the song. One point for the artist. I also gave out points for energy, form, and pace. First place got a Gatorade and Kashi Bar; second place got a Kashi Bar. The ladies were psyched for the challenge. One woman even remembered that I had announced last week that there would be a theme and came into class already excited about it!

Theme #1: Classic Rock Love Songs

Going into class, I wasn't sure if the college ladies would be familiar with this genre. They've enjoyed all my beats so far, so I figured my judgement was sound. Boy was I right! This was the most high energy class. Everyone was singing--even to songs they hadn't heard before! Oh, ok, there were songs that people were so out of breath that they couldn't sing anymore, but the spirit was still there.

Goals:
The main focus of this class is endurance; second goal is stamina. This means lots of cadence work and lots of running; get on that fast pace and hold there regardless of small changes in resistance. I wanted to keep the heart rate up for as long as possible (almost the whole time, I gave two short recoveries). You want to get yourself into that uncomfortable place where you don't think you can hold on that much longer--and I make you go longer than you think you can. Whenever I brought resistance up during a song, I brought it immediately down in the next song, brought the tempo back up, and then adjusted resistance again. The songs that I did have heavy resistance on, I kept the pace and resistance steady for the entire song. Feel the burn and hold it there! Endurance!

1. More Than A Feeling by Boston (4:45)
Warm up; Flat Road (5)
The women had a great reaction to the song. Most people knew it right off the bat and were singing along.

2. Brown-Eyed Girl by Van Morrison (3:00)
Standing Run @ 6
Everyone got a point on this song :) The energy in the room was incredible. EVERYONE was singing and smiling. So great.

3. Make Me Smile by Chicago (4:28)
Cadence on verses; Sprints on chorus (and extra sprint at end to finish; seated) @ 6
NB. We played this song in the marching band in high school (yes I was a band dork, but I think I gain some cool points because a I was/am a drummer...). Shawn Hildonen played this song on drums and had an awesome solo. I took the more swingy Chicago song "Does Anyone Know What Time It Is?" This was actually the first song I ever played in front of people on the full drum set. Good times!!! None of the women had heard this song before, BUT someone did guess that it was Chicago. I was very impressed! By the end of the song, everyone was singing along to the chorus. "Makes me happy!...Makes me Smile!" Great energy.

4. Layla by Derek and the Dominoes (7:03)
~3min of standing run @ 7; 4 minutes standing climb (position 3) @ 8
Don't let your heart rate fall on second half of song. It may have a slower feel, but you have to keep the resistance up and steady pace for 4 minutes. Focus on form; drive through the glutes!

5. Crazy On You by Heart (4:53)
Cadence on verses; sprint on chorus (seated) @ 7 (acoustic intro~gave 30 sec break; flat road; grab water). These are sprints with resistance. Burn, baby, burn!

6. Any Way You Want It by Journey (3:22)
Standing Run @ 7. No breaks! Get people up quick. Again, people had a blast singing and rocking out to the chorus. It was a great way to get people re-energized.

7. D'yer Mak'er by Led Zeppelin (4:22)
[Fast] Jumps. Counts of 4 the whole song!

8. Paradise By The Dashboard Light by Meatloaf (8:29)
This song is a bit complicated with many changes in tempo, but it mostly stays pretty up beat.
Here are my approximate notes on timing (numbers refer to the clocked time):
Start at a level 6.
0-57: Verse 1; Standing Run
57-1:11: "I can see by the dashboard light", music slows, out to position 3, standing climb, half a turn up
1:11-2:30 "Ain't no doubt about it" interlude then verse 2 ; standing run
2:30-3:18 "I can see paradise" tempo slows again, position 3, half a turn up (should be at 7 or 7.5); last 16 sec of this gets faster again; speed up but stay in pos 3
3:18-4:25 "We're gonna go all the way tonight" and radio talk- seated SPRINT, hand pos 2
4:25 "Stop Right There" Ease Off
4:30 "Will you love me forever" standing run
5:30 "Let Me Think On It...will you" man and woman back and forth; seated SPRINT
6:00 Talking; Ease it off, cadence
6:20 "Let Me Sleep On It" Standing Run
6:50 Drums build up + "Love You Til The End Of Time" seated SPRINT
7:30ish "Now I'm Praying For the end of time" back off then standing RUN
Run to the end or 30 sec of running then 30 sec seated sprint. Either way, race it to the finish!

This song is all about keeping the pace up for an entire 8.5 min = pushing your comfort zone. It's more about cadence and less about having heavy resistance. I didn't go higher than a 7.5. Option would be to keep it at a six. Regardless of resistance level, heart rate should be up the entire song. Pace is fast! All about endurance and stamina! They did actually guess Meat Loaf, but not til half way through the song when Ellen Foley's voice came in. The team didn't know the song in the beginning, but after 7 min everyone was singing along (in between huffs that is).

9. Love Stinks by The J Geils Band (3:46)
Standing climb. Level 9. Pos 3. Keep the butt back as far as you can for the entire song. Make sure every one's resistance is up high enough so they're either on the beat or behind it. Drive it through the glutes! Again, resistance up, but this is about getting on a pace and sticking to it = endurance and stamina! You should feel uncomfortable the entire song!

10. I'm A Believer by The Monkees (2:51)
Standing Run. Start @ 7; half way through back off to 6, but pick up the pace. I threw in a couple of seated sprints during the choruses, especially the last one. Race to the finish line! I personally felt sick at the end and my heart was going crazy...this should be the goal. This is it so give it everything you have. More pace! The women loved this song. Everyone singing again--except at the end. I don't think anyone had any breath left :)

11. Somebody To Love by Queen (4:57)
We made it! 2.5 minutes flat road; then take resistance all off; on-bike stretches

12. Lay, Lady, Lay by Bob Dylan (3:17)
Off bike stretches; prizes! Every song was guessed correctly! Wow, very impressive. The points for form, energy, and pace worked very well too. Just about everyone in the class had great form.

I told the Team that in two weeks time we'd have a form contest. Special prizes again! That got cheers all around.

Positive, positive energy!