Personal trainer Lonny Liss receives many requests to help people lose weight or help them gain muscle but sometimes the client wants something else.
Marcus Schmidt of Lincoln, Nebraska signed up to participate in the 150-mile Gravel Worlds is an annual bike race that takes riders through 150 miles of gravel roads through Lincoln and surrounding areas during the month of August. The race is not for everyone and takes a great deal of strength and endurance. Schmidt knew he needed some extra training to get his body ready to be pushed that hard so he looked up Liss on the recommendation of a friend.
Liss works with Phoenix Training Systems in Lincoln and has done a great deal to help Schmidt prepare for the strenuous bike ride. In addition to gaining the six-pack abs he was hoping for, Schmidt says after following Liss’ workout approach he longer experiences the back, neck or shoulder pain that typically comes after a long ride and his left arm no longer is numb.
In order to make the physical transition, Liss had Schmidt alternate muscle groups each day and gave him an individualized program to meet his specific needs. His training includes small group workouts which combine metabolic conditioning and strength training. Schmidt says the approach burns a high amount of calories quickly.
The new way of working out has changed Schmidt’s idea of what physical training should be. Instead of only running and biking, he now sees the importance of strengthening your body and the benefits he has gotten from the new approach.
Liss also makes Schmidt accountable for his workouts and his diet. He texts Schmidt to tell him to add weight to his weight vest or find out when he is coming in for another workout. “At my age, I need a class, somebody that knows I’m coming,” says 38-year-old Schmidt.