Would you hire a trainer to help you lose weigh by riding your bike?

[Sellen]

I had an idea today and I was wondering it its a good idea or a daft one.

I'm a personal trainer so I spend a lot of my time time in a gym helping people lose weight, particularly fitness models preparing for shows. Personally I ride my bike to keep lean and I use the gym to get stronger and prevent/rehab injuries, I don't bounce like I used to when I was a kid.

My idea was to train people on the bike, because I love riding and its heaps more fun then the gym. Lose weight by primarily riding your bike, workout on the trails so to speak.

Also I need to train a national level athlete to podium an event for a strength and conditioning qualification, I'd really be interested in helping someone prepare for nationals.

I could write your program, nutrition protocol and if you're in Sydney I could track your body fat using Biosignature.

Is this this idea feasible? Would it be something you'd be interested in?

 

[redbruce]

I had an idea today and I was wondering it its a good idea or a daft one.

I'm a personal trainer so I spend a lot of my time time in a gym helping people lose weight, particularly fitness models preparing for shows. Personally I ride my bike to keep lean and I use the gym to get stronger and prevent/rehab injuries, I don't bounce like I used to when I was a kid.

My idea was to train people on the bike, because I love riding and its heaps more fun then the gym. Lose weight by primarily riding your bike, workout on the trails so to speak.

Also I need to train a national level athlete to podium an event for a strength and conditioning qualification, I'd really be interested in helping someone prepare for nationals.

I could write your program, nutrition protocol and if you're in Sydney I could track your body fat using Biosignature.

Is this this idea feasible? Would it be something you'd be interested in?

An appealing value proposition, but with interests like "pimpin and playin" and an occupation - " i blow shit up, sometimes", I fear there may well be a massive queue already.

Then again your signature suggests a very focused outcome.

 

[0psi]

Out of curiosity, what happens if one of your clients is quicker than you? Not taking the piss I've just always been curious.

 

[redbruce]

Out of curiosity, what happens if one of your clients is quicker than you? Not taking the piss I've just always been curious.

EDIT: comment deleted.

 

[Mywifesirrational]

Out of curiosity what strength and conditioning qualification? the only one I have done that required anything like that was ASCA 3... and its been a nightmare... 1 year of 5 to go.
biosignature is pretty dubious, zero evidence that it does/measures anything useful.

 

[redbruce]

Out of curiosity what strength and conditioning qualification? the only one I have done that required anything like that was ASCA 3... and its been a nightmare... 1 year of 5 to go.
biosignature is pretty dubious, zero evidence that it does/measures anything useful.

What, you are challenging 'Ken' (Jonathan?) on his quals?

How dare you.

 

[Mywifesirrational]

What, you are challenging Ken on his quals?

How dare you.

haha, not at all, just curiosity.

Doesn't make sense to me that a personal trainer would need to train a national level athlete for any strength and conditioning cert as they by default would lack the knowledge - BUT a PT with an exercise sci bachelors or masters is another story.

 

[redbruce]

haha, not at all, just curiosity.

Doesn't make sense to me that a personal trainer would need to train a national level athlete for any strength and conditioning cert as they by default would lack the knowledge - BUT a PT with an exercise sci bachelors or masters is another story.

The (scientific) gauntlet thrown down.

 

[wilddemon]

If it was just to lose weight I'd be riding tempo on a trainer for two hours a day. I don't think it would be so effective on trails coz it's power on and off so much.
And if you train me to podium an event you'd be worth far more than a qualification!

 

[Sellen]

Thanks for your questions.

1) If you're quicker then me then I'm keen to go for a ride with you. Caveat, if you're quicker then me because you're a whippet who weighs 60kg and struggles to lift your bike above your head then that's cool you can have that.

2) It's a Poliquin level 3 strength and conditioning qualification. Biosignature for modulating hormone response is doubous i agree. But it's far more useful then for measuring progress then BMI or the scales or body measurements alone and it's cheaper and faster then getting a dexa scan.

3) I agree you can sit on your trainer for 2 hours a day to lose weight but that sounds incredibly boring and the chances of adherence are pretty slim. Personally I ride because its fun and because its fun I do it a lot and have been for sometime. If you honestly think you can't use trails for training then you have the creativity of a person who sits on a trainer for two hours a day and I would be happy to prove you wrong.

 

[wilddemon]

3) I agree you can sit on your trainer for 2 hours a day to lose weight but that sounds incredibly boring and the chances of adherence are pretty slim.

I went from 93 to 73 in a 3 months doing 80 mins 3 times a week. It's not boring if you download some sitcoms or other series to watch. I did a lot of the underbelly stuff personally.

Personally I ride because its fun and because its fun I do it a lot and have been for sometime.

Really?

...Personally I ride my bike to keep lean and I use the gym to get stronger and prevent/rehab injuries...

Hmmm ok.

If you honestly think you can't use trails for training then you have the creativity of a person who sits on a trainer for two hours a day and I would be happy to prove you wrong.

Well you certainly are creative with your interpretation of what I wrote... I said trails wouldn't be so effective, and if I just wanted to lose weight I'd spend hours on a trainer.

 

[0psi]

1) If you're quicker then me then I'm keen to go for a ride with you. Caveat, if you're quicker then me because you're a whippet who weighs 60kg and struggles to lift your bike above your head then that's cool you can have that.

That still hasn't really answered my question though has it?

I'm seriously considering a PT at the moment to help strengthen my core/stabiliser muscles (I avoid any indoors exercise like the plague) and so I have someone to answer to when I feel like slacking off, *Insert last night when I was meant to do a recovery session and went to bed instead, a move I regret this morning.* Now if I were to search for a PT and come across you who is offering mountain biking as an option what would happen when my sessions with you turn out to be a recovery ride? I wouldn't be particularly thrilled if I had to pay money to do less than what I could have by myself.

Back in my days as an elite (yeah shut up everyone) triathlete my coach would only run or ride with me if I were doing a recovery session or after I'd done my session and felt like logging a few extra lazy miles. If she needed to be with me for a session we'd go to the track, she'd ride while I ran or drove while I rode. Not options you have on the trails.

Now given I'm not that familiar with the whole PT scene but I can't imagine that it would do you much good if you started rejecting clients because you didn't dig their vibe. I'm about fitness and I couldn't care less about putting on muscle for the sake of putting on muscle, to me that pointless. Prime example is Michelle Bridges, looks fit, isn't. Couldn't walk after running a marathon.

Not trying to rain on your parade, just giving you food for thought.

 

[Mywifesirrational]

2) It's a Poliquin level 3 strength and conditioning qualification. Biosignature for modulating hormone response is doubous i agree. But it's far more useful then for measuring progress then BMI or the scales or body measurements alone and it's cheaper and faster then getting a dexa scan.

Thanks for the reply Sellen,

That practical hurdle is bloody awful for you, I work down in Melb with some of the AIS/AFL athletes down here and sometime shit just doesn't go right - injury, binge drinking and other stupid shit athletes do, family... all sorts of problems can interfere outside of your control to affect results. Best of luck.

 

[Browndog77]

I went from 93 to 73 in a 3 months doing 80 mins 3 times a week. It's not boring if you download some sitcoms or other series to watch. I did a lot of the underbelly stuff personally.

Really? You lost 20kg just using a trainer? Obviously you watched what you ate too? How strict were you on what you ate?

Not trying to pick a fight, just keen to know. I have a trainer set up in the spare room and at least 20kg to lose.

 

[wilddemon]

Really? You lost 20kg just using a trainer? Obviously you watched what you ate too? How strict were you on what you ate?

Not trying to pick a fight, just keen to know. I have a trainer set up in the spare room and at least 20kg to lose.

Thems fighting words
I always had one of those metabolisms where I ate as much of whatever and stayed same weight, and I was about 65 and very lean, then bulked up to 72 over some months when I was about 24. A wayward lifestyle saw me back down to about 68. Then I hit 35, I ate for 2 as always but just ballooned to 93. Sorry for the life story...
So the 3 months was getting cardio fitness as well as losing weight. I'd only just started riding and gave up the darts after pack a day for 20 years. Yes I did start eating less, prob just for 1.5 men. I ate a little bit less crap as well, and I added a breakfast of cereal to my dirt as well. As Mr PT has alluded to keeping to a trainer with a routine is hard. Get some shows like underbelly, I also did entourage, pretty ordinary series but has some eye candy. The point is its something you watch when you train. You wanna watch your show, you train, don't sneak in a show on the couch.
After a couple of months I downloaded downward spiral, a sufferfest vid and I did that once a week to mix it up and keep my power capability expectations honest for the other sessions. Having said that the TV sessions weren't as hard, more hanging in low tempo to upper zone 2 with a few small efforts.
That was almost 2 years ago and I'm now 77 with considerably more muscle. Would be nice to lose the last 2-3 kg from around the middle but not too concerned, married now anyway lol
Good luck with your journey. Everyones different, so try it and tailor it to suit your needs ie modify it so you actually do it, and feel good about doing it. Reward yourself with a nice piece of riding kit or light part, not food!

 

[Browndog77]

Thems fighting words
I always had one of those metabolisms where I ate as much of whatever and stayed same weight, and I was about 65 and very lean, then bulked up to 72 over some months when I was about 24. A wayward lifestyle saw me back down to about 68. Then I hit 35, I ate for 2 as always but just ballooned to 93. Sorry for the life story...
So the 3 months was getting cardio fitness as well as losing weight. I'd only just started riding and gave up the darts after pack a day for 20 years. Yes I did start eating less, prob just for 1.5 men. I ate a little bit less crap as well, and I added a breakfast of cereal to my dirt as well. As Mr PT has alluded to keeping to a trainer with a routine is hard. Get some shows like underbelly, I also did entourage, pretty ordinary series but has some eye candy. The point is its something you watch when you train. You wanna watch your show, you train, don't sneak in a show on the couch.
After a couple of months I downloaded downward spiral, a sufferfest vid and I did that once a week to mix it up and keep my power capability expectations honest for the other sessions. Having said that the TV sessions weren't as hard, more hanging in low tempo to upper zone 2 with a few small efforts.
That was almost 2 years ago and I'm now 77 with considerably more muscle. Would be nice to lose the last 2-3 kg from around the middle but not too concerned, married now anyway lol
Good luck with your journey. Everyones different, so try it and tailor it to suit your needs ie modify it so you actually do it, and feel good about doing it. Reward yourself with a nice piece of riding kit or light part, not food!

Awesome.

I didn't mind the life story, sounded a bit like my younger years

Yeah I am married to and have a young daughter who proudly told me yesterday that "gee Daddy, your tummy is massive". Totally innocent, but definitely time to do something about it.

Thanks mate

 

[poita]

In response to the original post, I might think about a bike based personal trainer but I would have reservations. I think most people jump on a bike for fun, complicating that by having targets and set exercises might just turn them off? If your program included one bike session a week to measure improvements made in the gym maybe that would work better. I also think road riding is much more suited to bring trained than MTB. I agree with the other posters too, what if the person you are training is faster than you, or more or less technically proficient? Would probably work better if you just have them a ride plan and checked their data afterwards?

 

[antigee]

a couple of months back I was looking for some casual work and there was an advert on gumtree someone looking for a trainer to cycle with them - read like someone had signed up to an event and needed some pressure to train for it - cycling is the new golf?

also but can't remember what paper but read a profile of a guy who had set up a business in Sydney hiring top level road bikes to visiting execs - drop off/ set up pick up at hotels with either a route map or a training partner

 

[Norco Maniac]

why would i hire some twat who's done a six week course to tell me how to ride or lose weight?

 

[onyabike]

It's feasible, there are already a number of personal & online trainers/ coaches around. I have used a program of one to build up to event before and have also done boot camp training both individually to address my needs/motivation. I think a good trainer could combine both elements to assist someone get in shape & target an event.