Red Deer Personal Training Testimonial
"The first question he asked was what my goals were. At the time I really didn't have any...
I started working with Cabel in November 2004. The first question he asked was what my goals were. At the time I really didn't have any since I wasn't overweight and simply wanted someone to provide me with a good training routine. I had been training for a number of years but did not feel that I was making any progress. I worked with Cabel to design a routine and proceeded to follow it for the next few months. Since I did not have a specific goal, my progress was okay but not stellar.
When summer came, I did not work out as much and any gains made during the winter months were eroded. I did lots of outdoor activity but nothing to really move me forward. I kept thinking back to Cabel's question about having a goal and that summer I found it. In August 2005 I decided that I was going to participate in the Transrockies Challenge V. This is a mountain bike race held in the Kootenay Rockies, starting in Fernie BC and finishing in Panorama Village. It runs over 7 days, covers 560 kilometers and involves 11,500 meters of climbing (you also go down 11,500 meters). There is about 20 kilometers of paved road with the rest of it being wilderness trails. It would be quite a challenge.
I sent Cabel an e-mail that said I needed his help and here was the goal that I had picked. His only comment was couldn't I have started with something easier!! Anyway, he accepted the challenge and that fall we got going on my training for this race which would be held in August 2006. I have to admit that training with a goal in mind is different than not having a goal. You are definitely more motivated and put more effort into your workouts when you know there is an end result in mind.
The program we designed was very specific to what I would need for this race. We were not so much concerned about size as we were about strength and core fitness. Cardio was also a big component and while Cabel did not do this training he provided advice on how much cardio I should be doing. Thus, the training was 3 times a week for weights and 2 to 3 times a week for cardio up to December 2005. Starting in January we increased to 4 times a week for weights and maintained the cardio. The strength gains were tremendous and my cardio was coming along just fine.
We also made some changes to my nutrition. I had gotten along pretty good for years as I was not overweight, but to get the most gains I could I had to change my nutrition intake. I basically followed the nutrition plan Cabel set out and this also assisted in the strength gains I was making.
Starting in mid-April, I was doing outdoor riding with my Transrockies partner (the Transrockies is a team event - 2 person) which meant I was riding 3 to 5 days a week. I continued going to workout with Cabel and we changed the routine yet again to accommodate my outdoor riding schedule (which was very important). My workouts with Cabel dropped to 1 to 2 times a week and were very specific to what I needed. We timed out the number of days to the race and determined what my workout schedule in the gym should look like given the amount of outdoor riding I was doing. It kept my strength up and allowed me to focus on my riding.
The race was held August 6 to 12 and the week leading up to it was the most nerve racking of my life. Cabel, as always gave me encouragement and said I was ready. There was no way to tell for sure at this point but there was also no turning back. The Transrockies Challenge V was by far the most grueling thing that I have ever done. They were 7 very long days but at the same time they brought out the best in me. Due to my workout routine, the race, while not easy, did not cause me to drop to the ground each day out of pure exhaustion. I felt good each day and was able to complete each stage of the race.A lot of this I attribute to the design of my training program over the previous eight months, which of course Cabel did.
I continue to use Cabel for training and would highly recommend his services to anyone. He tailored my program to my specific needs and also worked with the cycling coach to ensure that I continued to make progress. Cabel helped me to achieve my goal and in the end allowed me to truly enjoy one of the best experiences I have ever had.
Tim Dekker
Red Deer Alberta
October 2006
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