For 2008, we've enlisted the help of Fitness Expert Gin Miller to provide personal coaching services to 11 Cooking Light readers. Each described her current fitness routine and how she hoped to improve it, then Gin mapped out a new program to achieve each reader's goals.
Reader: Ann Terlizzi, Minneapolis
Her challenge: "I want to balance my cycling routine with upper-body strength training."
Her story: Terlizzi trains every year for a two-day bicycle ride benefiting the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. "In May, I will begin biking about five to six days a week, starting around 10 miles a day, then building up to 60 miles per day for two consecutive days prior to the benefit," she says. "It's a great way to get in shape, but I'm not exercising companion muscles, and I feel I'm missing a component of my training. I'd love to learn to incorporate techniques to round out my regimen."
Training at a glance:
• Perform upper-body strength training workout every other day or on opposite days from long rides.
• Do two sets of each exercise.
• Use a weight that challenges your muscles. "I recommend starting with five- to 10-pound dumbbells for this routine," Miller says.
• Relax with yoga-style stretches at the end of a strength-training workout and after long rides.
Gin's prescription:
Supplement your training. Terlizzi is right; cycling does neglect the upper body. "In order to achieve balanced fitness, make sure your workouts are targeting all body parts," says Cooking Light Fitness Expert Gin Miller. "In this case, that means adding upper-body training to supplement lower-body bike training. I've devised a program of weighted strength moves for the upper body. Some of the moves have a full-body component to help make Terlizzi's entire body stronger, which can benefit her on long rides."
Add stretches. Stretches help compensate for the forward flexion (bent-over position) that occurs while on the bike. "Stretching immediately before, during, and after a ride will help Terlizzi's muscles handle fatigue caused by training, and yoga-style stretches will help mentally and physically relax the body," Miller says.
Stay motivated. Terlizzi is on the right track in many ways," Miller says. "She's found an activity that she loves—biking. Plus, she trains for a charitable cause, which helps her stay motivated—a good tip for anyone." Another way to find inspiration: Examine your current routine, and look for ways to improve it. "When Terlizzi analyzed her workout, she realized she was missing a large part of her training," Miller says. A well-rounded workout plan balances endurance with power, strength with flexibility, a strong upper body with a strong lower body, and strength between muscle groups (for example, the front of the legs and the back of the legs, the biceps with the triceps, and so on).
