Strength Training and the Triathlete

Many endurance athletes do not partake in strength training.  Some because they do not like it, but many because they do not feel that it is useful and/or cannot find an extra couple of hours per week to fit strength training into their training schedule.  However, it is safe to say that specific strength training is key to performance and to injury prevention in endurance sports.  And, they key work here is "specific".  Going to the gym and "pumping iron" doing bicep curls, shoulder shrugs, etc, is unlikely to benefit your performance.  In fact, the typical gym program could be detrimental to your performance.  Triathletes (as well as cyclists, runners and swimmers) should partake in a specific strength training program that addresses the movement patterns and muscle activation patterns present in their sport.  They should also address muscle balance, to ensure that those muscles that are not used as often in their sport maintain strength and balance with the muscle groups that are used repetitively.  A strength training program should also be periodized;  in the off-season, exercises should focus on large movements and big muscle groups.  This is where the more traditional squats, lunges and leg presses fit in.  As an athlete moves through the season, their strength training program should progress and change in combination with their swim, bike and run workouts - becoming more specific to their sport and to their target races.  Exercises become more sport specific, incorporating the movement patterns required in the athlete's sport as well as more balance and coordination exercises.  As the racing season comes closer and closer, plyometric exercises are introduced to maximize the athletes rate of muscle firing, further increasing their power and speed.  So, to re-iterrate, strength training is very important for the endurance athlete, just as it is for the power athlete, and finding time to fit it into your training program is well worth it for both performance enhancement and injury prevention.  It should not be seen as second on the list, and even replacing a swim, bike or run workout with strength training, if need be, will be worthwhile.  They key to it all, however, is ensuring that your strength program is periodized through the year in relation to your "A" or "goal" races, and that it takes into account the movement patterns and muscle activation patterns that are required in your sport.  As an athlete, your workout program should stand out in a typical gym setting - if you are doing the same thing as most of the others around you, you could probably use a review of your program.  Stay tuned to this blog - future posts will further discuss some ideas on exercises to include in your program as you make your way through the year.