Strength Training

I am not only training for my first ever TRI, I am also working my way back to health and fitness.  I have weight to lose and I wanted to be sure to incorporate weight training and specifically core work to my training schedule.  I have been doing this for over a month... here is what I learned:

• Interview your trainer... follow your instincts about fit... you need to fit with your trainer and you need to know what you are looking for in terms of style and temperament (it should go without saying that you want to be sure they are certified, etc)
• I DO NOT fit with my trainer... this can become a distraction as well as a de-motivator
• Be sure you have an open line of communication with your trainer... be clear with your goals and how you want to go about achieving them.  My trainer continues to 'forget' that I'm training for my TRI... my first goal is my TRI-specific training... the secondary goal is incorporating the additional strength training
• Don't do more of anything than you feel comfortable doing
• I do NOT want to train all this time only to bring myself down by lifting too heavy a weight or doing too many reps... My trainer seems to be of the no pain, no gain camp

You may wonder why I'm with this trainer when we seem to be at such odds... it's because there really aren't that many options in this area.  Initially I was excited because the cost was a mere fraction of what I'd pay back home... but ultimately it's not a bargain if it makes me not want to go to the gym... lol... and I really DO want to be the best I can be... so, I simply try and learn what I can so that I can take it all and continue on my own.

You have to know what you want to get.  -Gertrude Stein