by Byron Kramer, owner of Real Fitness Trainers, 11/01/07

Do you want to race better with fewer injury problems, to look better, feel better and maintain a lower body fat percentage? Try adding weight training with a personal trainer to your workouts. With the right trainer, you can accomplish these goals.

The key, of course is to find the right trainer. Most personal trainers come from body building or power lifting backgrounds and many don’t understand how endurance athletes think.

Running, or cycling or swimming is in our blood; it is part of the fabric of our being. Many have experienced the consultation with a personal trainer where the trainer tries to convince the runner that distance running is counterproductive to muscle building. The truth is, distance runners don’t want to leave running and become body builders.
A trainer with a solid running background, an appreciation for the challenge of distance running and a background in kinesiology can develop a program that augments the runner’s program. A weight training program will increase a runner’s power while dropping body fat and building joint strength. This adds to the joint stability to better take the pounding on the roads. This will reduce the impact of such conditions as hamstring pulls, plantar fasciaitis and shin splints. In addition, the right trainer can help you develop a more efficient stride, can correct strength imbalances and can assist you in outlining a running program that will drop your race times without taking up more of your precious free time.

Triathletes, runners, basketball players and other athletes that require endurance benefit greatly from weight training without over-taxing their busy schedules. These athletes need a trainer that understands the special needs of their sport. The trick is to find the right trainer.

Byron Kramer, the owner of Real Fitness Trainers has a university degree and post graduate training in human biology and physical education. He has placed as high as 8th in the U.S. in the 1500 meter run and is an accomplished triathlete and cyclist. He lettered in track, basketball and cross country as an undergrad and has coached soccer, volleyball, and tennis. He enjoys training athletes from ages 12 to 80.