Weight Training for Triathlons: A Guide to Triathlon Strength Training with a Triathlon Training Program

Weight Training for Triathlons: A Guide to Triathlon Strength Training with a Triathlon Training Program
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Introduction to Triathlon Strength Training

Don’t you hate it when you search for some tips on weight training for triathlons and the guy (or gal) writing it mentions how every body is different and no one plan works for everybody and that you should see your doctor before beginning any training program (does anyone actually do that who hasn’t had a severe heart attack?). I’m not going to start with that even though it’s true.

I’ll start by telling you to look at triathletes, the really good triathletes (if you’re scrolling up to my picture at the top of the page, stop. I’m a regular guy who likes to challenge himself, a middle of the packer who used to be a back of the packer. I’m not a really good triathlete, but I know how to improve). Really good triathletes are slender and muscular, well defined. They make weight training part of their program.

Triathlon Strength Training Basics

  1. Weight training for triathlons should focus on circuit training. Circuit training is a combination of high-intensity aerobics and resistance training. Circuit training is easy to follow and targets fat loss, muscle building and heart-lung fitness. It involves moving from one exercise to another in rapid succession.
  2. Many triathletes worry about getting too bulky. Women need not worry. Their bodies aren’t designed for bulk. Men need worry only if their goal is to become bulky, accomplished by large amounts of weight, few reps, and large amounts of food ingestion. Circuit training will not produce bulk. It produces lean muscle.
  3. Remember, the focus of your training should be swimming, biking, and running. Weight training for triathlons is a supplemental activity. When specifically training for a triathlon, every exercise you do should be focused on triathlon training. That includes weight training.

Triathlon Strength Training Program

This is not the only triathlon strength training program. It just happens to be the one I use. It is effective and easy to follow. It requires weights. The ideal is to do each exercise for four minutes (you’ll soon realize four minutes is a heckuva long time) at about 25-30% of the weight you would normally do. Once it becomes easy, increase the time. Another option is to do two full circuits of two minutes each or four full circuits of one minute each. Ride the exercise bike for 5 minutes in between circuits. Here are the exercises:

  1. Leg Press
  2. Bent Over Row
  3. Leg press
  4. Bench Press
  5. Calf Raise
  6. Tricep Pull Down

For those in love with their upper body, try this. Do three sets of 12 for each of the following exercises. Pause one minute between each set and do lunges. Switch immediately to the next exercise after the third set.

  1. Bench Press
  2. Lat Pull Down
  3. Bench Press
  4. 5-minute Exercise Bike
  5. Incline Dumbell Press
  6. Seated Row
  7. Incline Dumbell Press
  8. Military Press
  9. Barbell Curl
  10. Tricep Pull Down
  11. Barbell Curl

Exercise Images

Leg Press

bent-over-rows

Bench press

calf raise courtesy of greatweightlifting.com

tricep pulldown

More Exercise Images

lunges

Lat Pull Down at Fullfitness

incline dumbell press courtesy of exercise goals.com

seated row courtesy of myfit.ca

military press courtesy of bstrong.net

This is not me doing a barbell curl

This post is part of the series: Triathlon Training

Train smart.

  1. Triathlon Strength Training