David Ambrose
Oregon Trikke Trainer Compares Fitness Regimens
David Ambrose is a fitness coach who, in 2009, discovered the Trikke and attended the Trikke Academy. Now a certified, level 2 Trikke trainer, David gets his “swerve on” in Portland, OR, where he organizes demos and rides in an effort to get more people involved in the sport of carving. [See ride invite for this Saturday.]
TrikkeWorld asked David, whose blog is called Get and Stay Fit, to compare riding a Trikke to two of today’s most popular commercial fitness regimens: the P90X and Insanity. Here’s what Coach Ambrose had to say about which form of exercise does a body the most good:
When comparing fitness programs, the most important element is the fun factor and riding a Trikke is right up there with the most fun sports you can do on solid ground. It feels like skiing and the amount of gear needed is minimal. No scary bike shorts because you’re not in a saddle. Instead, you’re standing in an athletic position, leaning into power carves and looking for your next turn.
Fitness wise, Trikke riding, or carving, is definitely a cardio activity that engages major muscle groups, including your core, lower body and upper body. The Trikke is much more beneficial as a cardio routine than bicycling, in my opinion, because it gets your heart rate going in less time; plus it actually tones your abs, core, gluteus, biceps, triceps and shoulders.
Carving has a much lower impact on the body than running. There’s no pavement pounding, which can be very hard on aging knees. Carving is also a great way to incorporate interval training into your cardio program. Interval training will get you the best results in the shortest amount of time.
If you’re looking for the best fitness results, the next biggest factor, after fun, is consistency, something that can be more of a challenge with a Trikke compared to an indoor program such as P90X. It’s more difficult to commit to a Trikke regimen, since it’s weather dependent, but if you’re lucky enough to be able to ride every day and really push yourself, you could see comparable results.
P90X is absolutely the most popular at-home workout program and for a reason. It gets you results regardless of weather and you don’t need a lot of equipment, just the program, a laptop, some weights, and a pull-up bar (or resistance bands).
And now you can purchase the P90X iPhone app for guided, P90X workouts! I highly recommend P90X to anyone who wants to get their Trikke riding to the next level. It will help develop your shoulder, bicep, tricep, chest, leg and core muscles, which will make your riding not only more efficient but faster and more fun.
Insanity is a newer, home-based DVD workout program and is considered to be the hardest and most extreme. It is max interval training, so you perform short, intense circuits for three minutes or more, then take a 30-second rest. One great thing: there’s no equipment required, other than what’s needed to play and watch the DVD, and it’s only a 60-day program vs. 90 days for P90X.
Insanity is incredibly intense and you’ll sweat harder than any other program out there. I’ve never been able to get my heart rate going at similar levels while Trikke riding, but it may be possible.
Results wise, Insanity is definitely more cardio based, so you shed pounds quickly. It’s not a muscle-building workout like P90X, but you will see more definition in your shoulders and arms due to all the pushups! You’ll also develop your leg and gluteus muscles quickly, due to all the jumping and squats.
If purchased through Team Beachbody, programs like P90X and Insanity come with a coach, a huge benefit for a lot of people, as it completes the link between fitness, nutrition and support. Your coach is there to hold you accountable to your goals and answer questions about workouts and nutrition.
Trikke products don’t come with a coach, but resources are available, including a network of trainers to help get your riding to the next level. I strongly encourage anyone who is new or struggling—or just looking for others to ride with—to contact a local certified Trikke trainer in your area.
Thanks for reading and any comments are encouraged, as well as shares, likes and tweets!
A slightly different version of this story appears on David’s blog.
