Training question

[Catrin]

As I may, or may not, have already mentioned, I am a computer geek on an anti-diabetes campaign. While this isn't the primary purpose for my interest in cycling, it is a most attractive way to get me out of doors and away from my assorted computers for a number of hours a week - once I finish learning how to ride :p

Currently I am working with a personal trainer to focus on general fitness and strength training. Too many years of computer geekdom have given me very strong fingers and not much else :o My trainer is great.

My current training package is up in mid-January, and am considering what to do with the next training package that I will purchase. I am considering splitting it between my current trainer and another personal trainer we have who is an avid cyclist.

My idea is that the cyclist/trainer would be best able to focus on conditioning, and my current trainer is of course great for strength training. I also attend 3 spin-cycle classes a week. Does this idea make sense, or would it be best to leave it as it is? I really want to be as fit as possible before spring so that I can focus on learning how to ride properly without having to deal with any more fitness/conditioning issues than necessary.

What do you ladies think? Is there conditioning that would be specific for cycling that I can work with a knowledgeable cyclist/trainer that would be different than regular strength training? To me this makes sense, but what do I know? I will continue with the personal training, either way, until late March, early April.

[marni]

4 years ago I was in a similar quandry. I joined and gym and started seriously training to lose weight at the same time I was trying to go from struggling to ride a mile a day to becoming a serious road biker.

I was lucky enough to have a trainer who knew enough about biking to understand that what I needed was core strength, arm and shoulder improvement and a lot of pylometrics and alternating upper and lower body sets to increase stamina. He also understood that I didn't want to build bulk but decrease body fat and increase lean muscle, both for weight loss and for overal fitness.

I worked with him for a year and a half. He was followed by a former Marine with sports training certification who basically believed in hitting every muscle every time for sustained strength. That meant that we did a lot of reps at light weight with a lot of pauses and holds.

My current trainer is a runner but in the interim I have learned enough about my own physiology to be able to realistically advise him on some of the stuff that I need or find beneficial. He is ASM certified, a trained kinestheologist and has enough psychological training to not listen to my whining butt understand when the old bones and arthritis are hurting.

I know enough about my own mental state to understand that this has to be a long term committment since I will not push myself hard enough, nor ride hard enough without some other discipline. Having said that, I would agree that the gym days are definitely for core and specialized muscle strength and cardio, whereas the bike training is for speed, intervals and endurance.

Training is about the only thing I spend money on but it has worked for me to the tune of 125 pounds, going fromm a 47% body fat to 25%, dress size 2xl to 10 petite and from struggling to ride a mile a day to routinely riding 40-60 miles 3 x week and training 3 hours at a stretch 2-3 times a week.

but that's just me and my 2 cents worh

marni

[Catrin]

Marni - thanks for your perspective on this. I've already gone from 34% bodyfat to 28% and have lost 15 pounds in a little over 2 months. My current trainer is a certified medical coach with a strong strength training background who is currently working to help me overcome a strong neural deficit - one half of my body wants the other half to do all of the work - so we are doing some heavy unilateral training right now to persuade all of my muscle groups to do their fair share of the load.

I've done some work in the past with the cycling/personal trainer I mentioned, and while he gave me much lighter workouts than my current trainer, I was in worse shape at that time and we were focusing on increasing my tolerance for exercise in general. I think he would be great with helping me with core conditioning - and perhaps the best thing would be to see both of them once a week.

Part of my problem isn't motivation - but pushing myself too hard and in the wrong way. I am strongly motivated, but I do not know the right things to do and - just as importantly - how much is enough. The training is expensive, but it keeps me honest and I probably would have already hurt myself without it. All of our trainers have two degrees and are all ASM certified - the two I work with have multiple certifications.

So what I hear you saying is to work with the trainer, or trainers, that have the knowledge and understanding to get me where I need to be - and that knows when to pull back. That makes sense - I just wanted to check to see that what I am considering actually makes sense - personal training is not cheap.

[dianne_1234]

Part of my problem isn't motivation - but pushing myself too hard and in the wrong way. I am strongly motivated, ...

I'd consider sticking with one trainer. If you had two, each might give a reasonable workout schedule... but not fully understand the stress of the other.

[Catrin]

I'd consider sticking with one trainer. If you had two, each might give a reasonable workout schedule... but not fully understand the stress of the other.

This is a good point, though they do work together from time to time. Their styles are quite different. This is something else for me to consider, though I won't make any changes before the last part of January.

[tctrek]

You could ask your trainer to build you a program that has cycle specific exercise. Usually when you tell a trainer your goals they try to help you with workouts that will help you to achieve your goals.

[Catrin]

After thinking about it and talking with both of them, I decided to split my next training packages between the two trainers. They have worked together before, and indeed were the two I worked with during a special medical program last summer. They both have strengths and a different style of approach that my body certainly responded to the last time I worked with both of them. Thanks for your input!