Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip: Offseason Strength Training

Fall is here. The kids are picking out pumpkins, the evenings are getting more brisk and the racing season is coming to an end.  Whether you are a runner, triathlete, rower, or mountain biker, fall is a great time for endurance athletes to get back in the gym and strength train.

The racing season not only takes a physical toll on your body but it takes an emotional toll as well. I have found that offseason strength training can help athletes not only get stronger but also improve their motivation for the sport. 

What Strength Training Exercises Should I Do? 

I suggest working the big lifts two days a week. Squats, deadlifts, and presses need to be at the top of your list.  Do these exercise in a progressive manner with the goal of lifting a little more than you did the week before. Regardless of what your sport of choice is, strength training will surely improve your performance.  

*images by Arby Reed, Flickr and Stephanie Wallace, Flickr

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How To Tell If Your Trainer Stinks

Unfortunately, there are far too many under-qualified trainers that just want your money. They are either instructing you to do exercises that may not work for your fitness level, they are updating their Facebook statuses during your sessions or they are eating donuts while yelling at you to do more push ups on the beach (true story!!)

If a trainer doesn't care about his own health and fitness, what makes you think he cares about yours? The cheat sheet below will help you determine whether or not your trainer is fit to make you fit:

1. You leave your training sessions feeling "crushed" leading you to believe that your trainer is using a "one size fits all" approach. 

Your trainer should be providing custom fit programming for each of his clients. If you believed in a "one size fits all" workout, your Taebo DVDs wouldn't be collecting dust in your den. 

2. Your personal trainer uses popular training fads to increase her marketability despite never actually using these methods herself. 

If your trainer suggests you do a set of 15 Shake Weight reps while simultaneously squeezing a Thigh Master, chances are she also got her personal training license from a Cracker Jack box. Instead, she should be teaching you tried and true techniques that can easily be replicated outside of your sessions.

3. Your personal trainer has a spare tire and love handles. 

This phrase should not be something a trainer EVER says, "do as I say, not as I do." If you have a career in the health and fitness industry, you should be in respectable shape. No ifs, ands, or big butts.  

4. Your trainer has a certification, but no experience in the field. 

A trainer should have experience under her belt before she expects you to start paying for her expertise. Hiring a trainer before this step is like hiring a driver that just got her license. Not only should your trainer have experience in the field, she should have a constant hunger to learn more about the fitness world. She should be up to date on the latest fitness information as well as be a frequent attendee at health and fitness seminars. 

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In the market for a personal trainer? Here is a list of questions you should ask before you commit to one:

1. How long have you been a trainer working with clients? 

2. What is your current certification? 

3. I have an injury on my (fill in the blank). How would you recommend I proceed? 

Last (but certainly not least):

Do you know who Mark Rippetoe, Dan John, Louie Simmons, or Todd Durkin are? *

*If they answer no to this one, run away as fast as you can! Happy hunting!

**image by Christopher Koppes, Flickr

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Inside The World Of Obstacle Course Racing (INTERVIEW)

In the fall of 2012, I had the privilege of helping author and fitness extraordinaire, Erin Beresini prepare for the Spartan Ultra Beast. Though Erin had plenty of experience in the endurance world (she competed in the Boston Marathon, Ironmans, and a countless amount of other races), this preparation was a little different. Erin was not only running the race, she was writing a book about her preparation and the world of obstacle course racing. She was also recovering from an injury, which meant she was not up to her normal standard of fitness (and therefore needed to improve her strength.)  

I recently had a chance to catch up with Erin and interview her about her finished book titled Off Course: Inside The Mad, Muddy World Of Obstacle Course Racing. Read the interview here:

Why did you choose this race?

This was the first time that there was an obstacle race this long and I wanted to see how the runners would handle it. It was also the unknown that brought many of the pros to this race.

What was the hardest part of this race?

The race course was set up in a loop that you had to do two times, knowing that I had to do a second loop was by far the biggest challenge. I knew what I was in for. The other hardest part was later in the race it started to rain and it was getting dark.

How long did it take you to finish this race? 12 hours and 45 minutes. I was almost the last person to finish.

How did the strength training help you? I couldn’t have finished the race without doing strength training. The race is totally run-able so I had to hike and having the strength to get through the obstacles really helped me. Having you to teach me how to pick things up off the ground also saved my back.

What was the one exercise that we did that you found most helpful?

You making me carry a 45lb sandbag and doing repeats up a 70 plus staircase. I remember thinking that the people around me must think I’m insane doing this. During the race one of the obstacles was carrying things up the mountain. I knew how from this exercise how to pick it up and place it on my shoulder.

Erin writes about health and fitness for Outside online and is a contributing writer to Triathlete Magazine and Men’s Journal. She started Outside’s Fitness Coach column, and has written articles for Outside Magazine, Inside Triathlon, espnW, and the New York Times. Erin’s book is due out Oct. 14th 2014 

*image by The National Guard, Flickr

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