Formatting Your Instructor Notes for Cycling Class
There are many different schools of thought on how to format and/or teach a cycling class. What cues/drills are good, what cues/drills are bad, etc. etc (don't worry, there's a special blog post about that in the future). But, it's safe to say that no matter what method of cycling class you teach, you're gonna need music and a variety of drills that build a bell-curve-ish setup. And music is SOOOOO important, especially in a challenging cardio workout like indoor cycling. Whether you use music as background only or you "choreograph" your routines to selected songs (like me), your playlist needs to be high energy and match the intensity of the drill. Your cool-down song(s) should be slower and more relaxed.
For those of you who do the routine-to-a-song method and you find yourself struggling to keep your head out of your notes or comprehending your short hand, take a look at my example class below. And yes, this is a real routine and you can even find the playlist on Spotify here.
What I do, is type everything so it rests to the left half of the paper and then cut off the right side. If your routine goes to a second page, like mine, tape the 2 sheets back to back. Then laminate your routine to keep it protected and it will help the paper stand upright. I put mine in the cup holder on the bike.
It is standard for me to give myself around 30 seconds at the beginning of every song to allow for recovery and explanation of the next drill. Then, I bullet point out the cues of the drill and make sure everything adds up to the total song time. Knowing the length of the song can be useful in a class to help motivate people, i.e. "You have one final drill left, only 4 minutes! That's it!". Things to that nature. Feel free to use my wording on cues/levels if you want, but more so, find simple and short wording that you can understand easily without having to stare at your paper for a long time.
If you've never written out a full hour class and want to use this one, go for it! Feel free to ask me any questions about the drills and how to cue them. Happy cycling!
-Cara