Ryding2health Blog
Group Fitness – Personal Training – Massage
Weight training or strength and Conditioning?
I was told that it may take an hour to an hour and a half, and that I would need water. He was going to beast me he said. I felt scared!! I had a run hills session lined up that day as well, and really feared for what I had let myself in for!!
David has a very matter of fact theoretical approach, and constantly relates and transfers the exercises swimming, running or biking. This is one thing I like about him, no messing straight to it, and equally he takes no messing, which is good, because when it comes to pain and discomfort I am usually full of excuses!!
He took me through a series of exercises and drills, all of which sounded easy. He says that there is no point in doing more than 6 reps, and you are better in the long run doing less, with more weight. WHY? See my write up and his presentation which contains references here… http://www.melanieryding.co.uk/#/strength-and-conditioning/4546299698) or here for the mobile version (doesn’t include the powerpoint unfortunately) http://melanieryding.blogspot.com/2010/12/philosophy-behind-strength-and.html
This seemed like an odd way of doing things to me. I felt like I was doing an awful lot of sitting around in between sets!! However, don’t get me wrong, the exercises I was doing were flipping impossible at times!! Sometimes, I wasn’t able to even resist the pressure of his little finger!! I couldn’t even get up from seated using only one leg!! He had an amazing way of uncovering ALL my weak areas and declared it a wonder that I could run at all I had that many weaknesses that hadn’t been picked up before!
At the end of a session where I did only 3 x 6 reps and 2 min recoveries, it took 1 hour 20 mins and I actually felt ok. I thought I would be hanging off the doorframes sweating buckets. But it wasn’t like that. However, the aches came… it was 2 days later!!! I had serious abs aches, and I didn’t even do sit ups!! That’s what strength training is about, training your muscles together, rather than in isolation
Since the visit, I have been doing the sets he gave me, which are all based on ham strings, hip flexors and unilateral balance, (my weak areas). I come away from the gym sweating and aching every time! I never do stand alone sit ups yet my abs haven’t stopped hurting since I saw him 2 or three weeks ago!! I daren’t complain though, because he accuses me of being a girly footballer if I do!!
I have noticed marked improvements already, however. I can in fact perform the exercises much better already, I can indeed now get up from a chair standing on one leg, and I cant wait to see how it transfers into running abilities later on down the line.
I look forward to our next rendezvous in a few weeks or so, and I have so far found it and incredibly enlightening experience.
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