I started lifting weights in college. My boyfriend at the time was training for a bodybuilding competition and the gym was one of the few places he enjoyed being. Needless to say, he became my trainer, of sorts, during the early part of our relationship.
In the years following our break-up I continued to lift weights and also started running. I never considered getting a trainer for running until I registered for my first marathon. I met a local physician through work, who had completed more than a dozen marathons, and he took me under his wing.
I finished the Chicago marathon and was thrilled. I then went back to running on my own, but never did as well as when I was being pushed by Dr. Z. Having experienced this I was not the least bit surprised to read a new study, which claims that training, if done correctly, is the ultimate performance enhancer.
According to the study, the effects of proper training can dwarf those of illegal drugs and legal stimulants, such as caffeine. Researchers say most people who want to run, swim, cycle or row faster can do so with the right training, and trainer.
As one researcher put it: “If your goal is to finish, you just need to skate enough so that you can cover the distance. If your goal is to be faster, you have to train.”
While training programs are easily accessible (especially online), experts say that amateur athletes looking to improve their performance need guidance from experienced coaches.
An exercise physiologist at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, gave this example of what training can do for a mediocre male runner: “A man who has been running but not training might run a 5K race at a pace of 7:45 a mile. If he trained for six months, he could get his pace down to 6:10.”
I believe it.
Do you workout with a trainer?
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