How I started training force to compete in triathlon - Part II

Sep 29, 2022

by 226ERS #FeedYourDreams

By Carlos Plata I continue with part II of the article "How I started training force to compete in Triathlon".

Advantages of including in Triathlon training the strength exercises in the gym

Many cyclists and triathletes are just bike, as if that were enough. We are able to avoid doing strength in the gym, as if increasing muscle mass was something bad. However, a well -planned force program has more than cons. The level of triathletes is higher every day and for someone like you and like me, who not only settle for finishing the competition, the matter is really tense. Many times I wondered if doing more kilometers, more intervals would get to go faster, At first, until the point came where I needed to give much more of me to reach the improvement areas. My answer was to work the power and strength in the gym, And I don't talk about going to the gym for two hours and doing three exercises; I talk about going to the gym and in 45 minutes have the training ready, with pauses between exercises. Next, I indicate some Advantages of including in your triathlon training the strength exercises in the gym:

You will avoid injuries.
You will stimulate your white fibers Pso that they are stronger.
You will make your red fibers increase in size And, therefore, you are stronger and more explosive.
You will reinforce the walls of the heart, thus reducing the chances of suffering unwanted cardiovascular diseases.
You will look better in your trisuit.
Mentally you will feel stronger, with more self -esteem and safety when facing you in the intervals sessions.
You will produce More watts in the cycling segment.
You will improve your rhythm in The segment of swimming.
Your total triathlon time will improve.
Your motivation will increase.

Some people have the belief that when they approach the bar and I mean that of the gym, they will gain a lot of muscle. I'm going to be honest, I've been training in the gym for years and I really keep waiting for that moment in which I will say: Carlos, but as you have put yourself, a bodybuilder! For that to pass it would have to:

Train daily with a very well planned strength and hypertrophy regime (which I do not do).
Do not do any type of resistance sport (which I do).
Eat very well and in good quantities (which I do).
Take daily supplements that help take a lot of muscle volume. (I do not do. I do not leave proteins, creatins, glutamins and some electrolytes, from time to time).
Have a genetics that helps you gain muscle very easily. (In my case, I don't have it).

And since none of that you are going to do and there are many conditions that have to occur, I can assure you that you will not gain a lot of weight.

Among my essentials, are the 226ers proteins offers me a good variety with different flavors

Tips and ideas in your training to gain strength and not gain weight

If you have read here and you are convinced to sign up for the gym, now you will be wondering, what strength training do I do? Next, I leave you 10 points that you can continue in your strength training:

Train complex or multi -articular movements, such as squatillas, loaded with power ...
Train movements that look like those you do in triathlon, we could talk about functional training in general terms and to understand quickly.
Work your weaknesses, in other words, work muscle imbalances.
Train the "Core" dynamically, for example, with Kettlebell's swing.
Avoid programs that work muscles in isolation, you are looking for as a triathlete to increase your maximum strength and that you can transfer to the triathlon segments. Unless you are injured or need to balance your body (point 3).
Train the force with a plan that records: adaptation phase, transition phase, maximum force phase and maintenance phase.
Keep the number of exercises low.
When you work the maximum force and maintenance force, keep the number of repetitions low, the number of sets must be between 3 and 5 if you do not have experience in specific work of force.
The recovery between sets will be conditioned by the load, that is, the greater the lifted weight more recovery will need your body to achieve high energy levels and thus face the next set. The recovery ranges between approximately 2 to 5 minutes.
Include in your training some crossfit intervals, say one per week, that aims to improve your speed, power and fatigue resistance.

In summary, at first, all this may seem a lot of information, but in the end what you do keep in mind that your sport is triathlon, cycling, ultra trail ... that you do not stop being a resistance athlete, that your goal is to be faster in the healthiest way, and why not, also possible economic. Keep in mind that not all triathletes are the same and that each of them is an individual with different physical demands to another and that, for that reason, each force program has to be individualized. A triathlete is not a cyclist, a runner or a swimmer, so there will also be many variations and conditions at the time of programming a strength session in the gym, it is highly recommended to find a coach who knows of triathlon, and, in addition, he is a specialist in training the force. When talking about crossfit or crosstraining, we talk about wod, (workout of the day) In Spanish: training of the day. Not all WOD are recommended for triathletes, but some of them do, because they combine many exercises with body weight and repetitions with dumbbells and bars. However, it is worth talking to Crossfit coaches, explaining your needs as a athlete, to know what day you could do the WOD. During this month in 226ers we will publish some videos in which some perfect step -by -step strength exercises for triathletes will be demonstrated, so that you can study them well and thus help you to make your winter season much better. You know what is said: What has brought you here, will not take you further, if you want different results you have to do different things. #FeedYourDreams

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