Originally Posted by
Snicklefritz
I am left leg dominant and step much harder on that side with any sport that I do whether it is skiing, snowboarding, or horse riding. I would find it beneficial for the latter to address the strength imbalances. I already lift 3x/week using a book that carbonfiberboy recommended and that is great for overall core work and upper/lower body.
What would I need to do though if I want to strengthen my right leg so that I am not so left leg dominant?
On a completely different topic, what is up with personal trainers and the way they push people to extremes? I have tried personal trainers twice this year and three times overall, and each time it is the same. I mention what my goals are in the info sheets I have to fill out. I recap in email before we start the program, but what I end up with is completely different. This is the second time this year with a different trainer where I've been so sore I have trouble going up and down stairs, etc for several days. DOMS is one thing if it's just stiffness, but experiencing soreness doing very basic activities is something else.
I'm a healthy person with no underlying issues. When I was training with Max Testa, I never had this sort of stuff going on with anything he asked me to do. Was I tired from the cycling workouts he programmed for me? Yes, particularly at the end of the week or after a 3 week training block. However, I had quick recovery and never felt extreme soreness.
The personal trainer I was working with this summer helped me lose a lot of inches and build lean muscle, but never backed off the workouts to something that was sustainable 4-5x/week or that allowed me to still be effective while riding. I had better success with the cook carbonfiberboy recommended. However, I thought in the off season I'd try personal training again at the office since I don't have heavy duty horse shows to worry about now. Good time to work on more fitness. I talked about cardio workouts, tabata, etc. and even specified that I like the workouts he does for person X at the gym where there is a lot of cardio. What I ended up with was mostly weight lifting and leg presses that have given me such bad soreness for 5 days that I don't even want to run on the treadmill or do elliptical.
Are all personal trainers like this where they work you so hard as if you have no life outside of the gym? If they push hard enough that I can't do regular exercise for 5 days, what is the point if my goal is to lose weight?
This is a rant more than anything else I guess, but I was wondering how to get across to them that what they are given me is not what I asked for without hurting their feelings.
I'm a personal trainer and coach with a B.S. in Kinesiology from Indiana University Bloomington. You're going to run into a lot of unqualified personal trainers because the profession only requires a certification instead of a license. This means you're more likely to get trainers who have little knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and likely purchased a "certification" from a bogus website. Some gyms and studios weed out the uneducated trainers by requiring a B.S. or M.S. in an exercise-related field, but honestly, it can still be hit or miss. I've been an independent contractor for about 7 years, so I've seen a lot of trainers come and go, and although some might hold a degree and certification from a nationally recognized certifying body, I still see their clients performing exercises with incorrect form.
Since it seems you're already working with someone, I highly recommend having your trainer research
gluteal amnesia and
motor control training. If you want to learn how to train the core correctly, I highly recommend studying any article that Dr. Stuart McGill produced. All of this information is free on the internet. Every client I've worked with has experienced massive improvements just by retraining the neuromuscular system through specific motor control exercises. My training style involves combining motor control with other training modalities. Perfect technique and muscle activation should always be the goal, but it's hard to identify with an untrained eye- that's mainly why I've been successful on my own. Also, soreness from lifting shouldn't last more than two days, especially with closed chain exercises. If the trainer progresses you correctly, you should be able to perform exhausting workouts, but recover within one or two days. If it's takes longer than two days, communicate it with your trainer and make sure he or she adjusts the workout appropriately.
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Vincent Vergara
Personal Trainer/ Coach
EatSleepTrainSmart.com