Personal Trainers
Discussion
Has anyone had a good success with a personal trainer?
I'm considering getting one to help me catch a couple of mates I ride with, but am struggling to understand how they could help me get fitter that I can't/won't achieve on my own! They're not cheap, so I wanna be sure of the benefits.
Matt
I'm considering getting one to help me catch a couple of mates I ride with, but am struggling to understand how they could help me get fitter that I can't/won't achieve on my own! They're not cheap, so I wanna be sure of the benefits.
Matt
I'm actually in my 2nd week of having a personal trainer.
Its costing me 90 euros per month. So far seems good, he's given me some good advice.
The reason I went with a trainer is because I tend to push way too hard when training on my own.
I was going out day after day pushing my self to the limit. It was making me sick and my fitness was getting worse.
So I got a trainer, its now his responsibility to regulate my training. He sets a target HR and power zone for me to stick to. I stick to it because I know he is going to look at my training files.
Not sure how it will work out in the long term but so far, very happy.
Also having to keep a food diary means I am more careful about what I eat and have seriously cut down my alcohol consumption.
Its costing me 90 euros per month. So far seems good, he's given me some good advice.
The reason I went with a trainer is because I tend to push way too hard when training on my own.
I was going out day after day pushing my self to the limit. It was making me sick and my fitness was getting worse.
So I got a trainer, its now his responsibility to regulate my training. He sets a target HR and power zone for me to stick to. I stick to it because I know he is going to look at my training files.
Not sure how it will work out in the long term but so far, very happy.
Also having to keep a food diary means I am more careful about what I eat and have seriously cut down my alcohol consumption.
Do you really mean a personal trainer or are you looking for a cycling coach? Most personal trainers are gym-based and unlikely to be knowledgeable enough to help you improve your cycling specifically (unless they happen to be a cyclist themself!). They will be great for improving general fitness, strength etc. especially if you lack motivation to push yourself!
A cycling coach will give you a structured training plan to follow specific to your cycling goals
Do you cycle road or mtb? In what respect do you need to catch up with your mates i.e. do they drop you on hills, or sprinting, or just in general?! What do you currently do for riding/training?
A cycling coach will give you a structured training plan to follow specific to your cycling goals
Do you cycle road or mtb? In what respect do you need to catch up with your mates i.e. do they drop you on hills, or sprinting, or just in general?! What do you currently do for riding/training?
Thanks for the replies!
I'm into road cycling, not MTB. It's a good point cycling coach vs personal trainer. Actually all I really want to do is be faster - and whichever of those would be most effective at it would suit me just fine. Motivation isn't an issue, but understanding what, when and how I need to exercise in order take a big step forward is.
A bit of background:
I'm somewhat constrained by work. I really can only get out on the bike 1 day a week at the weekends, the rest of my time is in the gym.
Historically, this was mostly spinning classes, but I've started adding leg weights & cross trainer in now as well. So at the moment I'm typically doing a "big" workout on monday & wednesday, with a light spinning only session on tuesdays and thursdays, and then a ride on either saturday or sunday. In the summer I substitute some of the gym sessions for getting out on the bike in the evenings.
Current Fitness:
I had a bit of a crash in May that set my fitness back somewhat, I couldn't ride for 2 months. However all OK again now, and despite the crash I managed to do La Ronde Picardie this year (Reckon I was the only person there wearing a PH shirt!), plus also cycled most of the hills of the Tour of Flanders the monday after, clocking 192 miles over the 3 days.
As it stands - I can repeatedly average between 20 & 21mph on a solo ride over 30ish miles (always over 20, never yet managed to quite hit 21) and can certainly sustain 23+ in a group.
I could also quite happily get on the bike and ride 100 or so miles tomorrow - although obviously a lot slower than my 30 mile rate.
My resting HR is OK - it can be as low as 46, but when I ride hard, I can sustain 180+ for an hour or so, peaking at 206 if I really push it (obviously 206 has a longish recovery time)
Goals:
The guys I ride with are fairly good, all either 2nd's or 3rds - and I need to catch them, plus also do well in some races next year to try and graduate up from being a 4th myself. I also have a particular demon I need to face at goodwood - that's where the crash in may was, so I need to go back there and put that one to rest. The guys have mixed abilities - 1 guy is an awesome sprinter, the other has the most amazing CV capacity I've ever seen. I need to improve both.
I'm into road cycling, not MTB. It's a good point cycling coach vs personal trainer. Actually all I really want to do is be faster - and whichever of those would be most effective at it would suit me just fine. Motivation isn't an issue, but understanding what, when and how I need to exercise in order take a big step forward is.
A bit of background:
I'm somewhat constrained by work. I really can only get out on the bike 1 day a week at the weekends, the rest of my time is in the gym.
Historically, this was mostly spinning classes, but I've started adding leg weights & cross trainer in now as well. So at the moment I'm typically doing a "big" workout on monday & wednesday, with a light spinning only session on tuesdays and thursdays, and then a ride on either saturday or sunday. In the summer I substitute some of the gym sessions for getting out on the bike in the evenings.
Current Fitness:
I had a bit of a crash in May that set my fitness back somewhat, I couldn't ride for 2 months. However all OK again now, and despite the crash I managed to do La Ronde Picardie this year (Reckon I was the only person there wearing a PH shirt!), plus also cycled most of the hills of the Tour of Flanders the monday after, clocking 192 miles over the 3 days.
As it stands - I can repeatedly average between 20 & 21mph on a solo ride over 30ish miles (always over 20, never yet managed to quite hit 21) and can certainly sustain 23+ in a group.
I could also quite happily get on the bike and ride 100 or so miles tomorrow - although obviously a lot slower than my 30 mile rate.
My resting HR is OK - it can be as low as 46, but when I ride hard, I can sustain 180+ for an hour or so, peaking at 206 if I really push it (obviously 206 has a longish recovery time)
Goals:
The guys I ride with are fairly good, all either 2nd's or 3rds - and I need to catch them, plus also do well in some races next year to try and graduate up from being a 4th myself. I also have a particular demon I need to face at goodwood - that's where the crash in may was, so I need to go back there and put that one to rest. The guys have mixed abilities - 1 guy is an awesome sprinter, the other has the most amazing CV capacity I've ever seen. I need to improve both.
It sounds to me like your basic fitness is very good, I certainly couldn't average 20mph if I only went out on one day a week !
Slightly off theme, but have you considered getting a turbo trainer ? I use one over winter and there's loads of info on training plans out there. Personally they don't work for me as far as long-ride stamina goes, but they're great for building up your speed, either by anaerobic sprints or longer threshold interval sessions which you can't really do on the road.
Slightly off theme, but have you considered getting a turbo trainer ? I use one over winter and there's loads of info on training plans out there. Personally they don't work for me as far as long-ride stamina goes, but they're great for building up your speed, either by anaerobic sprints or longer threshold interval sessions which you can't really do on the road.
Suggest this book : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-crunched-Cyclist-Fast...
I have a copy - looks quite good at a glance but I haven't had time to read it properly!!
I have a copy - looks quite good at a glance but I haven't had time to read it properly!!
I'd strongly recommend contacting a BCF coach in your area who can design a specific program based around your own objectives:
http://www.abcc.co.uk/Coachreg/creg_south.html
There seem to be a few in your area including Glen Longland - former 'British Best All Rounder' though you could always contact one of the senior coaches listed to ask their suggestion as to which coach would best suit your needs.
The BCF coaching standard is very high and you will get advice on 'on the bike' training techniques, racing strategy, performance monitoring, training camps etc as well as a gym program - much better for your needs than a personal trainer at a gym.
http://www.abcc.co.uk/Coachreg/creg_south.html
There seem to be a few in your area including Glen Longland - former 'British Best All Rounder' though you could always contact one of the senior coaches listed to ask their suggestion as to which coach would best suit your needs.
The BCF coaching standard is very high and you will get advice on 'on the bike' training techniques, racing strategy, performance monitoring, training camps etc as well as a gym program - much better for your needs than a personal trainer at a gym.
Roman said:
I'd strongly recommend contacting a BCF coach in your area who can design a specific program based around your own objectives:
http://www.abcc.co.uk/Coachreg/creg_south.html
There seem to be a few in your area including Glen Longland - former 'British Best All Rounder' though you could always contact one of the senior coaches listed to ask their suggestion as to which coach would best suit your needs.
The BCF coaching standard is very high and you will get advice on 'on the bike' training techniques, racing strategy, performance monitoring, training camps etc as well as a gym program - much better for your needs than a personal trainer at a gym.
This thread has got me thinking about a cycling coach as I'm doing a ride in the alps next July and need to do some serious hill training. I've found a coach that's near me but there is no tel/email number to contact them, just their address. Any other way to contact a coach?http://www.abcc.co.uk/Coachreg/creg_south.html
There seem to be a few in your area including Glen Longland - former 'British Best All Rounder' though you could always contact one of the senior coaches listed to ask their suggestion as to which coach would best suit your needs.
The BCF coaching standard is very high and you will get advice on 'on the bike' training techniques, racing strategy, performance monitoring, training camps etc as well as a gym program - much better for your needs than a personal trainer at a gym.
jodypress said:
Roman said:
I'd strongly recommend contacting a BCF coach in your area who can design a specific program based around your own objectives:
http://www.abcc.co.uk/Coachreg/creg_south.html
There seem to be a few in your area including Glen Longland - former 'British Best All Rounder' though you could always contact one of the senior coaches listed to ask their suggestion as to which coach would best suit your needs.
The BCF coaching standard is very high and you will get advice on 'on the bike' training techniques, racing strategy, performance monitoring, training camps etc as well as a gym program - much better for your needs than a personal trainer at a gym.
This thread has got me thinking about a cycling coach as I'm doing a ride in the alps next July and need to do some serious hill training. I've found a coach that's near me but there is no tel/email number to contact them, just their address. Any other way to contact a coach?http://www.abcc.co.uk/Coachreg/creg_south.html
There seem to be a few in your area including Glen Longland - former 'British Best All Rounder' though you could always contact one of the senior coaches listed to ask their suggestion as to which coach would best suit your needs.
The BCF coaching standard is very high and you will get advice on 'on the bike' training techniques, racing strategy, performance monitoring, training camps etc as well as a gym program - much better for your needs than a personal trainer at a gym.
Best to join a local club and participate in some hilly club runs with them:
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubfinder
Edited by Roman on Thursday 11th November 11:47
MattYorke said:
A bit of background:
I'm somewhat constrained by work. I really can only get out on the bike 1 day a week at the weekends, the rest of my time is in the gym.
I honestly believe your problem is this, there is only one thing for going quicker on a bike and that is riding it.I'm somewhat constrained by work. I really can only get out on the bike 1 day a week at the weekends, the rest of my time is in the gym.
Can you not cycle to work once or twice a week ,
or take the bike to work and do some lunchtimes ?
How about an evening on the track, that sorts you out very quickly . Not sure if Reading is still open twice a week , but it was excellent training just doing laps in the group mid week evenings , and dont shy away from the turn on the front
.imho , going out and riding at 20mph is good training for just that .
Look hard at your weeknesses and go out and practice them , train your strengths .
If you are near Farnborough I guess there is still a lot of active roadies around that way , go down the club and meet some , most will be very keen to assist .
Thanks guys! 
@Busamav:
Yeh, there's no doubt you're right, but needs must and I want to make the best of a bad job, hence trying to see what I can do to get better "value" training.
I have cycled to work before, but it's a 90 mile round trip.
I don't "just" ride the bike at 20mph
- I only used that as an example of where my current fitness level sits (ie I'm not a 20+ stone couch potato, but neither am I ever gonna be contador).
VC Meudon looks like a decent club, am considering joining them - but the original question still stands, is it likely that a personal trainer type will be able to help me improve what I get from my training, or are they largely a waste of money.
@gingerp:
I love running! Historically, running was my sport. Eventually I started to get quite bad runners knee and was advised by the quack to stop before I destroyed my knees, hence I took up cycling. I used to be able to still run on a treadmill as they are much more forgiving, but since my little "crashette", my balance isn't quite as good as it was - the running machine is very unforgiving for even a small misstep, hence I switched to a cross trainer.
@Busamav:
Yeh, there's no doubt you're right, but needs must and I want to make the best of a bad job, hence trying to see what I can do to get better "value" training.
I have cycled to work before, but it's a 90 mile round trip.
I don't "just" ride the bike at 20mph
- I only used that as an example of where my current fitness level sits (ie I'm not a 20+ stone couch potato, but neither am I ever gonna be contador).VC Meudon looks like a decent club, am considering joining them - but the original question still stands, is it likely that a personal trainer type will be able to help me improve what I get from my training, or are they largely a waste of money.
@gingerp:
I love running! Historically, running was my sport. Eventually I started to get quite bad runners knee and was advised by the quack to stop before I destroyed my knees, hence I took up cycling. I used to be able to still run on a treadmill as they are much more forgiving, but since my little "crashette", my balance isn't quite as good as it was - the running machine is very unforgiving for even a small misstep, hence I switched to a cross trainer.
Edited by MattYorke on Friday 12th November 20:15
I suggest you start concentrating on either a decent turbo trainer at home or a Concept 2 rowing machine at the gym.
As for the personal trainer , i think there is enough good info available on tinternet to get by on your own if you are motivated ,
If you were progressing to compete at national level then i am sure an almost fulltime personal trainer would be a requirement , but for one or 2 hours a week , spend the money on sports massages .
good to hear the VC Meudon still running , they were just getting going when I was riding ,very small club at first , with sponsorship , had all the gear , decent wheels ,but couldnt turn them quick enough
As for the personal trainer , i think there is enough good info available on tinternet to get by on your own if you are motivated ,
If you were progressing to compete at national level then i am sure an almost fulltime personal trainer would be a requirement , but for one or 2 hours a week , spend the money on sports massages .
good to hear the VC Meudon still running , they were just getting going when I was riding ,very small club at first , with sponsorship , had all the gear , decent wheels ,but couldnt turn them quick enough
Edited by Busamav on Saturday 13th November 18:19
MattYorke said:
Thanks for the replies!
I'm into road cycling, not MTB. It's a good point cycling coach vs personal trainer. Actually all I really want to do is be faster - and whichever of those would be most effective at it would suit me just fine. Motivation isn't an issue, but understanding what, when and how I need to exercise in order take a big step forward is.
A bit of background:
I'm somewhat constrained by work. I really can only get out on the bike 1 day a week at the weekends, the rest of my time is in the gym.
Historically, this was mostly spinning classes, but I've started adding leg weights & cross trainer in now as well. So at the moment I'm typically doing a "big" workout on monday & wednesday, with a light spinning only session on tuesdays and thursdays, and then a ride on either saturday or sunday. In the summer I substitute some of the gym sessions for getting out on the bike in the evenings.
Current Fitness:
I had a bit of a crash in May that set my fitness back somewhat, I couldn't ride for 2 months. However all OK again now, and despite the crash I managed to do La Ronde Picardie this year (Reckon I was the only person there wearing a PH shirt!), plus also cycled most of the hills of the Tour of Flanders the monday after, clocking 192 miles over the 3 days.
As it stands - I can repeatedly average between 20 & 21mph on a solo ride over 30ish miles (always over 20, never yet managed to quite hit 21) and can certainly sustain 23+ in a group.
I could also quite happily get on the bike and ride 100 or so miles tomorrow - although obviously a lot slower than my 30 mile rate.
My resting HR is OK - it can be as low as 46, but when I ride hard, I can sustain 180+ for an hour or so, peaking at 206 if I really push it (obviously 206 has a longish recovery time)
Goals:
The guys I ride with are fairly good, all either 2nd's or 3rds - and I need to catch them, plus also do well in some races next year to try and graduate up from being a 4th myself. I also have a particular demon I need to face at goodwood - that's where the crash in may was, so I need to go back there and put that one to rest. The guys have mixed abilities - 1 guy is an awesome sprinter, the other has the most amazing CV capacity I've ever seen. I need to improve both.
You should aim at going out for 2 - 3 hours saturday & sunday at the moment and concentrate on getting some mile in your legs.I'm into road cycling, not MTB. It's a good point cycling coach vs personal trainer. Actually all I really want to do is be faster - and whichever of those would be most effective at it would suit me just fine. Motivation isn't an issue, but understanding what, when and how I need to exercise in order take a big step forward is.
A bit of background:
I'm somewhat constrained by work. I really can only get out on the bike 1 day a week at the weekends, the rest of my time is in the gym.
Historically, this was mostly spinning classes, but I've started adding leg weights & cross trainer in now as well. So at the moment I'm typically doing a "big" workout on monday & wednesday, with a light spinning only session on tuesdays and thursdays, and then a ride on either saturday or sunday. In the summer I substitute some of the gym sessions for getting out on the bike in the evenings.
Current Fitness:
I had a bit of a crash in May that set my fitness back somewhat, I couldn't ride for 2 months. However all OK again now, and despite the crash I managed to do La Ronde Picardie this year (Reckon I was the only person there wearing a PH shirt!), plus also cycled most of the hills of the Tour of Flanders the monday after, clocking 192 miles over the 3 days.
As it stands - I can repeatedly average between 20 & 21mph on a solo ride over 30ish miles (always over 20, never yet managed to quite hit 21) and can certainly sustain 23+ in a group.
I could also quite happily get on the bike and ride 100 or so miles tomorrow - although obviously a lot slower than my 30 mile rate.
My resting HR is OK - it can be as low as 46, but when I ride hard, I can sustain 180+ for an hour or so, peaking at 206 if I really push it (obviously 206 has a longish recovery time)
Goals:
The guys I ride with are fairly good, all either 2nd's or 3rds - and I need to catch them, plus also do well in some races next year to try and graduate up from being a 4th myself. I also have a particular demon I need to face at goodwood - that's where the crash in may was, so I need to go back there and put that one to rest. The guys have mixed abilities - 1 guy is an awesome sprinter, the other has the most amazing CV capacity I've ever seen. I need to improve both.
You can win 4/3rd cats race on a few turbo seesions a week and two road rides of 1-2 hour hard intensity.Running isnt the same ,you lose weight which is good but the leg strength aspect is very different.I would read less on the net and go and ride your bike more ,a good winter base is what you want for next years season
Edited by mrandy on Monday 15th November 09:13
mrandy said:
MattYorke said:
Thanks for the replies!
I'm into road cycling, not MTB. It's a good point cycling coach vs personal trainer. Actually all I really want to do is be faster - and whichever of those would be most effective at it would suit me just fine. Motivation isn't an issue, but understanding what, when and how I need to exercise in order take a big step forward is.
A bit of background:
I'm somewhat constrained by work. I really can only get out on the bike 1 day a week at the weekends, the rest of my time is in the gym.
Historically, this was mostly spinning classes, but I've started adding leg weights & cross trainer in now as well. So at the moment I'm typically doing a "big" workout on monday & wednesday, with a light spinning only session on tuesdays and thursdays, and then a ride on either saturday or sunday. In the summer I substitute some of the gym sessions for getting out on the bike in the evenings.
Current Fitness:
I had a bit of a crash in May that set my fitness back somewhat, I couldn't ride for 2 months. However all OK again now, and despite the crash I managed to do La Ronde Picardie this year (Reckon I was the only person there wearing a PH shirt!), plus also cycled most of the hills of the Tour of Flanders the monday after, clocking 192 miles over the 3 days.
As it stands - I can repeatedly average between 20 & 21mph on a solo ride over 30ish miles (always over 20, never yet managed to quite hit 21) and can certainly sustain 23+ in a group.
I could also quite happily get on the bike and ride 100 or so miles tomorrow - although obviously a lot slower than my 30 mile rate.
My resting HR is OK - it can be as low as 46, but when I ride hard, I can sustain 180+ for an hour or so, peaking at 206 if I really push it (obviously 206 has a longish recovery time)
Goals:
The guys I ride with are fairly good, all either 2nd's or 3rds - and I need to catch them, plus also do well in some races next year to try and graduate up from being a 4th myself. I also have a particular demon I need to face at goodwood - that's where the crash in may was, so I need to go back there and put that one to rest. The guys have mixed abilities - 1 guy is an awesome sprinter, the other has the most amazing CV capacity I've ever seen. I need to improve both.
You should aim at going out for 2 - 3 hours saturday & sunday at the moment and concentrate on getting some mile in your legs.I'm into road cycling, not MTB. It's a good point cycling coach vs personal trainer. Actually all I really want to do is be faster - and whichever of those would be most effective at it would suit me just fine. Motivation isn't an issue, but understanding what, when and how I need to exercise in order take a big step forward is.
A bit of background:
I'm somewhat constrained by work. I really can only get out on the bike 1 day a week at the weekends, the rest of my time is in the gym.
Historically, this was mostly spinning classes, but I've started adding leg weights & cross trainer in now as well. So at the moment I'm typically doing a "big" workout on monday & wednesday, with a light spinning only session on tuesdays and thursdays, and then a ride on either saturday or sunday. In the summer I substitute some of the gym sessions for getting out on the bike in the evenings.
Current Fitness:
I had a bit of a crash in May that set my fitness back somewhat, I couldn't ride for 2 months. However all OK again now, and despite the crash I managed to do La Ronde Picardie this year (Reckon I was the only person there wearing a PH shirt!), plus also cycled most of the hills of the Tour of Flanders the monday after, clocking 192 miles over the 3 days.
As it stands - I can repeatedly average between 20 & 21mph on a solo ride over 30ish miles (always over 20, never yet managed to quite hit 21) and can certainly sustain 23+ in a group.
I could also quite happily get on the bike and ride 100 or so miles tomorrow - although obviously a lot slower than my 30 mile rate.
My resting HR is OK - it can be as low as 46, but when I ride hard, I can sustain 180+ for an hour or so, peaking at 206 if I really push it (obviously 206 has a longish recovery time)
Goals:
The guys I ride with are fairly good, all either 2nd's or 3rds - and I need to catch them, plus also do well in some races next year to try and graduate up from being a 4th myself. I also have a particular demon I need to face at goodwood - that's where the crash in may was, so I need to go back there and put that one to rest. The guys have mixed abilities - 1 guy is an awesome sprinter, the other has the most amazing CV capacity I've ever seen. I need to improve both.
You can win 4/3rd cats race on a few turbo seesions a week and two road rides of 1-2 hour hard intensity.Running isnt the same ,you lose weight which is good but the leg strength aspect is very different.I would read less on the net and go and ride your bike more ,a good winter base is what you want for next years season
Edited by mrandy on Monday 15th November 09:13
You need to concentrate on training on the bike as much as possible, base miles on club runs, then towards the start of the season faster chain gangs and interval training and finally regular racing will increase your speed to another level still.
Gym work is useful for maintaining general base fitness over winter but is nowhere near as effective as training on the bike. You simply cannot recreate the pain you will need to become accustomed to suffering when other riders attack or dictate a pace which puts you right out of your performance zone.
I've been trying to find a study I read a while back, but having no luck.
It was a proper research paper carried out by a university studying the effect of gym work on cyclists. The conclusion was that only the very elite at the top of their game gain tangible benefit from off the bike training. Everyone else from novices to top level club riders all failed to achieve any improvement in their riding by adding gym work (specific stuff aimed at improving cycling, not just random stuff) into their routines. The only improvement came from more riding (proper training rides, not just TITS).
It was a proper research paper carried out by a university studying the effect of gym work on cyclists. The conclusion was that only the very elite at the top of their game gain tangible benefit from off the bike training. Everyone else from novices to top level club riders all failed to achieve any improvement in their riding by adding gym work (specific stuff aimed at improving cycling, not just random stuff) into their routines. The only improvement came from more riding (proper training rides, not just TITS).
without getting to much on my high horse an online type coach can only give a generic plan.They cant tell if you can ride in a bunch,they cant tell what type of rider you are,they cant tell if you are making basic mistakes in a race and why you arent getting results.The strongest rider doesnt always win races ,road racing is a very tactical sport at all levels.
If you want a good coach to give you an online plan to get going with over the winter try Martyn Franck http://www.coachingrevolutions.com/ after that get sombody local who will go to races with you Or the cheaper and easier but old fashioned way is to join a local cycling club
If you want a good coach to give you an online plan to get going with over the winter try Martyn Franck http://www.coachingrevolutions.com/ after that get sombody local who will go to races with you Or the cheaper and easier but old fashioned way is to join a local cycling club
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