TOP 10 REASONS TO TAKE COMPUTRAINER CLASSES
Ready for CompuTrainer Class
What is a CompuTrainer? A CompuTrainer is a premier indoor bike trainer with a precision ergometer measuring power wattage, heart rate and cadence. It’s what professional and avid triathletes and cyclists use to train hard and increase their fitness while riding indoors on their own bike.
This is not your regular “spin class.” You are on your on bike on a computer.In my own words, it’s basically your bike on a computer. If done correctly, CT sessions are worth their weight in gold. Still need to know why you should try it? Here our our Top 10 Reasons to Take CompuTrainer Classes:
1. Climate-controlled: The CompuTrainer is ridden indoors and that means heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. You don’t need to bundle up for a great ride in the winter time and you don’t have to worry about feeling like you are going to melt in the summer time!
2. No cars: Let’s face it, we cyclists need to be very careful. Even before everyone was texting and driving, riding a bike on a busy or a fast street was pretty scary! It’s dark now in the mornings and evenings, so unless you have a flexible schedule that allows you to get out mid-day, you need to invest in proper lighting if you want to ride outdoors.
3. Course simulation rides: The CompuTrainer software varies but there’s definitely a course or workout for everyone. There are many courses to choose from. The benefit is that even if you live in a pancake state, you can train on some “hills” and vice versa. If you want to train for a particular race, they even have those profile courses you can ride.
Tri Right CompuTrainer Studio
4. No cheating: Nothing against a spin class, but we all know that when it’s tough or we are tired, we don’t give that knob an extra “turn to the right” when the instructor calls for it. The same thing goes for the regular trainer, where the resistance stays constant throughout the ride. Even on the road, you can coast if you get tired. The CompuTrainer adjusts resistance for you so there’s no way you can “cheat”. Plus, you can see on the monitors if your watts drop too low or you aren’t pedaling at a high enough cadence (RPM).
5. Data: No matter what data you are looking for, the CompuTrainer class can deliver that to you. In fact, riders receive an email after each ride with all the corresponding data to how they rode that day. This data is also up on the screen throughout the ride, so you can watch what you are doing, but also keep an eye on everyone else.
6. Any ride accommodates all levels: Much like a treadmill where you can have a 7 minute miler running next to an 11 minute miler and give both of them an equally challenging workout based on their ability, the CompuTrainer achieves just that. Worried that you can’t “keep up” with the pack on a group ride? In a CompuTrainer class, everyone is together for the duration of the ride. The trainer is controlled based on each individual athlete’s ability, yet everyone stays in the same spot.
7. Friendly competition: For you competitive athletes, a race course can be chosen and athletes can virtually race each other. Custom parameters are entered (weight of the individual and of the bike) to make the course simulation more accurate. The screen shows who is leading, who is 2nd, 3rd, 4th and so on and will show how far each person is “behind”.
Smiles after a tough CompuTrainer ride!
8. Interval workouts: While interval workouts can be done on the regular trainer as well as the open road, the CompuTrainer does all the timing and there are no stop lights or turns. Set up the interval workout and the trainer adjusts the resistance and counts down the intervals automatically.
9. Banishes boredom: Watching TV on a regular trainer can be really boring. In a CompuTrainer class, there are many things to keep you engaged: pay attention to the numbers on the monitors, pay attention to the other riders’ numbers, and there is usually something playing on another screen – could be an Ironman race, another triathlon, bike race, a hit television show, sports documentary, motivational movie, the options are endless. There is also the energy and company of those riding with you. You can ride with your friends! The time goes by much quicker and riding simulated course or workouts can be a different “surprise” every time you ride.
10. Progressive workouts: A good CompuTrainer studio will plan workouts according to the season or training of most of the athletes that attend. Not to be treated as a gym, where you just go in, get a good workout and leave, a reputable CompuTrainer studio will have blocks of training planned to get you in the best biking shape you can be in when it comes time for your race. This means the best results will occur when you attend classes regularly. CompuTrainer training will take your cycling to a whole different level.
