Group cycling is a well-established program for most campus recreation departments across North America. The camaraderie and energized feeling after an invigorating class attract students looking for an avenue to deal with the stressors of their demanding lives.
While the uninitiated might be tempted to think that all exercise bikes, programs, and instructors are interchangeable, nothing could be further from the truth. The best campus rec departments know that finding a complementary balance between these three critical factors is essential to the success of their group cycling offerings.
As an associate member of NIRSA since 2004, Matrix understands that finding the right blend for your program can be overwhelming. But your local Matrix representative is happy to help you find the perfect mix of equipment and programming that will set your instructors up for success in 2019 and beyond. We recently designed a complete range of cycles and complementary programming that when thoughtfully paired can see your cycling programming climb to the top of the mountain!
Accessible programming
Studio cycling has advanced considerably since the low-tech era of the 1980s. But, the music-driven studio environment combined with tracking of performance-based metrics has withstood the test of time for a reason. The surrounding environment plays a huge factor in motivating participants and in giving them an experience that they want to return to again and again.
As we researched what riders wanted in their programming, we consistently heard from participants that the tracking of riders’ watt output—long considered the measurement of truth within the industry—wasn’t providing useful information for a significant subset of studio riders.
“Participants are constantly asking me ‘How many calories did we really burn, today?’ and ‘Are we riding further as we get more fit?’ after classes,” says Becky Jalbert, Global Product Manager of Group Training at Matrix. While elite riders have enough experience to glean insights from tracking their watt output, many novice and even intermediate riders do not. Unlike many other group fitness offerings, there isn’t a stereotypical type of participant in group cycling classes. The fact that elite riders are frequently riding side-by-side with individuals with little or even no experience provides a challenge for even the most resourceful instructors.
Matrix Ride—our exclusive, all-original training programming—makes it easy for trainers to lead a next-level cycling class that engages a wider range of members by focusing on meaningful metrics including watts, heart rate, RPMs, distance, and calories.
Features and functions that make a difference
The Matrix Ride programming affords trainers more flexibility than ever before to deliver individualized training options to diverse groups of riders, especially when paired with the exciting new lineup of cycles that were developed hand-in-hand to optimize the programming. Our complete range of new cycles (CXC, CXM, and CXP) supports traditional programming while also providing exciting new possibilities for structuring facility timetables and motivating riders.
The CXC, CXM, and CXP Target Training Cycles offer optimized ergonomics that make for a real outdoor riding feel and intuitive adjustments that help to customize the cycle to each individual user’s body. And all three cycles are built with the top-notch quality that has given Matrix a reputation as one of the world’s premier commercial fitness brands.
“We chose Matrix for three reasons: quality, service, and relationship,” says Grady Sheffield, Director of Campus Recreation at Townson University. Simply put, we deliver a total cost of ownership that’s among the lowest in the industry.
The CXC Training Cycle is ideal for group cycling classes or for use on your cardio floor while the CXM offers a backlit LCD console that makes it ideal for those metric-focused group cycling classes. And the state of the art CXP Target Training Cycles is the best choice for personalized precision tracking during workouts. An LED color wrap helps instructors and riders gauge intensity. The wide variety of programs include interval, pace, heart rate, goal-based workouts and Sprint 8 giving riders almost endless individual training options.
Matrix solutions support your students and instructors
Matrix Training Cycles and Matrix Ride programming provide the motivation riders need to stick with the program and achieve results that will keep them coming back. That’s because Matrix Ride is based on a proven training system rather than an arbitrary combination of exercises. The Target Training Display of the CXP provides real-time feedback and an immediate sense that the time spent in class is worthwhile.
Since riders can be assigned different personal goals and challenges, students can join at any point during the program. Furthermore, Target Training encourages the development of community, accountability, and workout consistency, a major key to student retention. Best of all, the use of five different metric targets means the class structure can evolve over time, keeping content fresh and engaging.
When it comes to your cycling instructors, they can easily create their own programming using Target Training, ensuring that there is continuity between classes taught by different instructors. Another major benefit for instructors is found in the colorful LEDs of the CXP Target Training Cycle which provides visual cues to students and instructors relating to effort and progress. The simple color-coded system removes the guesswork of judging the intensity of a class and empowers both riders and instructors with real-time feedback.
Matrix Ride also helps campus recreation departments to deliver consistent programming regardless of instructor turnover because the technology drives the style and content rather than instructors controlling the output.
Support at every stage
The investment in new cycles is always an exciting prospect for a campus. Yet, a seamless transition is also important, with old products being removed and new cycles being put into service immediately. To make the transition smooth, it’s important to educate and inform facility staff and students of the value and benefits. Matrix has put together a comprehensive implementation guide and marketing package to help facilities do just this.
“Matrix has delivered an outstanding product and provided exceptional service that has surpassed all expectations. We are both pleased and proud to have established a great partnership,” adds Grady.
To learn more about the new Training Cycles from Matrix and Matrix Ride programming, visit matrixfitness.com/cxp today.
About Matrix
Matrix is among the world’s premier—and fastest-growing—commercial fitness brands. Leading clubs and fitness facilities around the world choose to partner with us because Matrix delivers. Matrix is a Diamond Partner of NIRSA and we have been an associate member since 2004.
Steve Barrett is currently the Global Director of Group Education & Training for Matrix Fitness.
