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Today, I’m going to give you a fun and challenging triathlon oriented swim-specific workout that you can do in the gym. For an extra boost to your multi-sport training, complete this challenge directly before a spin class or bicycle workout – and for those of you going for the longer base endurance workouts, tack on a run as well. What the heck, might as well get the full meal deal, right?

I’ve attempted to include equipment that most gyms should have. Remember, wearing your swimsuit, swim cap, and goggles in the weight room is optional, but not recommended. In some situations, you just shouldn’t squat in spandex.

Warm-up: Complete on arm ergometer or rowing machine:

• 2 minute warm-up, followed by a hard-easy ladder: 1 hard pull or cycle followed by 1 easy pull or cycle, then 2/2, 3/3, and so on up to 10 hard pulls and 10 easy pulls. Then ladder back down from 10/10 to 1/1. Finish this station with a 2 minute maximum effort, before moving on to…
• Cable work: Complete 15 repetitions for each of these three exercises, with minimal rest:
• Straight arm cable pulldowns: use a bar for a handle – grab with both arms and pull from high (above shoulder height) to low (down to hips) without bending your arms.
• Bent arm cable pushdowns: do the same exercise, except begin with elbows bent at 90 degrees, and straighten at bottom
• Standing cable rows: bring cable height down to bellybutton level – row into body, squeezing shoulder blades back.
• Complete this cable circuit three times through, then move on to…
• Core work: Again, complete these three exercises as a 3x circuit with minimal rest (15 repetitions):
• Superman: line in prone position on ground with all four limbs outstretched – lift all limbs off the ground, hold briefly, then return to starting position.
• Bicycle crunches: start on back with one leg extended and one leg bent (both feet hover above the ground). Complete a crunch by flexing upper body up while bending the straight leg and straightening the bent leg. Return to starting position (that’s one rep, complete 15 for both sides).
• Mountain climber: in push-up position, bent right knee to touch left elbow, then left knee to touch right elbow (complete 15 to each side)

Finally, move on to….

• Leg work: Complete both exercises as a 15 repetition circuit.
• Cable kick forward: attach leg to cable apparatus – standing on one leg with the kicking leg straight, kick forward as if kicking soccer ball. Switch after 15 and complete 15 kicks for the opposite leg.
• Cable kick back: again stand on one leg, but hinge forward at the waist and kick behind. Same number of repetitions.
• Complete this circuit only 2x.

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This workout will work many of the same muscles that are utilized while swimming, but remember, nothing can substitute for the feel and drag experienced in the water, so don’t completely neglect the pool – just throw a resistance training workout in if you simply can’t get a good swim time or need a change-up from the normal routine.

The off-season is a great time for cross-training, so a weight training routine like the one outlined above is recommended, especially at this time of the training season. If you like this type of workout, you’ll definitely want to check out a book I found that is jam-packed with video exercises and workouts specifically designed with the busy triathlete in mind. Just go to:  Top 12 Resistance Training Routines for Triathletes.

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Warning Triathletes!

Don’t waste another minute performing highly non-effective strength training routines from old-school programs until you read, “Top 12 Resistance Training Routines for Triathletes” from Ben Greenfield, a Spokane personal trainer and triathlon coach. In it he asks the question:

What does your typical strength training or weightlifting routine look like? I’ll give you a second to think about it.

Let me guess…

• Benchpress? Squat? Deadlift?
• Machine leg extensions? Machine leg curls?
• Crunches? Dumbbell curls? Tricep pushdowns?

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Let me share an interesting piece of advice with you. If there is one single important tidbit of wisdom that you gain from reading , “Top 12 Resistance Training Routines for Triathletes“, this would be it:  the majority of “strength-training” routines that appear in most modern triathlon books and coaching programs were borrowed directly from the traditional methods of football, baseball and basketball. In “Top 12 Resistance Training Routines for Triathletes“, Ben argues that the exercises that you’re performing were actually originally designed to produce fast-twitch muscle, heavy upper bodies, and huge arms. Aren’t these goals completely contradictory to the physical requirements of endurance sports?

Precisely.

So, although strength training supposed to be good for triathletes – reduced risk of injury, enhanced force application, higher economy and efficiency, speedier metabolism, and greater power, the traditional body-building exercises do not accomplish the intended goals for the endurance athlete. These exercises are just not triathlon or endurance athlete specific.

The sport of triathlon just hasn’t been around long enough for endurance athletes to break the mold of “traditional” strength training for “team-style” sports.

Furthermore, many of the strength training programs on the market today are too involved for the average triathlete – too much time, too much complication and too many exercises.

Here’s just a few of the lessons from, “Top 12 Resistance Training Routines for Triathletes“:

Lose weight: The biomechanical consequences of lifting 1, 5, or 10 extra pounds with each step can you get you huffing and puffing just a little more from climbing a flight of stairs, imagine what it does to your body over the course of a 26.2 mile marathon, or even a 3 mile fun run! Your body must lift that extra weight with each step. If you take 10,000 steps and weight 3 extra pounds, that’s 30,000 extra foot pounds that you must hoist – a huge metabolic requirement. If you’re going out and hammering your run sessions, but not focusing on proper timing and content of nutrition to achieve weight loss, you’re basically getting about half the benefit of your training, if that. You would not believe the stories I hear from runners who feel as light as a feather by just losing a handful of pounds. Trust me…I have run competitively at 209 pounds and now run at 173 pounds. There is a huge difference, in both speed and joint impact.

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Increase cadence: Until a cadence of 86-90bpm becomes second nature, you cannot let yourself “zone out” on your runs. Period. You must focus the entire time. You must count your steps. You must play “hot potato” with your feet and the ground. You must minimize ground contact time. You must take 20 second time spans and ensure that you’re getting close to 30 footstrikes with either the right or the left leg within those 20 seconds. The *hard* part of running is to increase stride cadence – the easy part is to increase stride length. Once you dialed in a cadence close to 90, it will become much easier for you to increase pace by striding out just a little longer when you need that extra burst of speed. It pays dividends, bigtime! Initially, you’ll feel like you’re “bouncing up and down” as you try to achieve the high cadence. Eventually, it will feel smooth, steady and relaxed. Practice!

Use a treadmill: This recommendation ties into the cadence-increasing suggestion from above. Sometimes a treadmill can be a great teacher, because that belt keeps moving underneath you no matter what, so your feet must keep up their rapid 1-2 cadence. Like an indoor trainer, there are fewer interruptions like stoplights and street crossings on a treadmill, so it can really help you focus on cadence. Every once in a while, I suggest performing your tempo run on a treadmill, setting the treadmill at a slightly faster speed than you are comfortable with, and allowing your legs to experience and memorize the rapid leg turnover. Essentially, you’re engaging your body in forced neuromuscular training, and it actually works.

Hills: The beauty of hills is that they can allow you to achieve high physiological intensities without the pounding of running, for instance, sprints on a track or strides on a flat trail. This is because your feet are that much closer to the ground when you’re running up a hill, so there is less momentum of the body upon impact. By using hills regularly in your training, you reduce your risk of injury and increase your achievable intensity. For your long runs, attempt to regularly include courses that contain hills, and at least once every two weeks, attempt to include a hill repeat or rolling hill course workout, performed at a pace close to your ventilatory threshold.

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Plyometrics: In “Top 12 Resistance Training Routines for Triathletes” there are several plyometric, explosive type exercises. The benefit of these exercises is that they teach the elastic muscles of the lower leg to quickly absorb your body weight and re-contract after your foot touches the ground while running. As a result, you minimize your ground contact time and maximize your recoil with each step. Over thousands of steps, such as during a race, this can be a huge speed boost. Plyometrics do not need to be a daily routine – just once a week can provide enormous benefits. Good plyometric exercises include hopping with one foot or both feet onto a raised surface like a step bench, performing explosive jumps from a lunge or squat position, or standing under a basketball hoop and repetitively tossing a ball against the backboard while jumping to retrieve it. Your body can actually learn how to “rebound” far more efficiently. Typical plyometric workouts include 2-3 sets of 10-20 jumps for 2-3 different exercises.

Consistency: The best way to become a solid runner is to ensure that your running routine is not constantly interrupted with sickness, vacation time, injuries and business. Running every 48-72 hours keeps the muscle memory prepared for the unique biomechanical movements of running gait. On mornings where you’d be tempted to sleep in, slumber in your running tights with your shoes beside the bed. Always toss your running shoes in your bag or backpack before leaving for work. Include running gear in your suitcase when packing for vacation, no matter how short it may seem (48 hour layovers happen!). And remind yourself on those super busy days that when it comes to consistency, a short 15-20 minute jaunt is better than nothing at all.

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