STRENGTH TRAINING GUIDE

18
FOR PERFORMANCE ATHLETES

—David Warden

D r. Tudor O. Bompa, considered the father of modern periodization,

was once asked about the biggest mistakes that triathletes make in
their training.1 He responded that the two biggest mistakes were not using
evidence-based training methods (which this book seeks to address) and not
implementing a year-round strength training program. With this endorse-
ment, justifying the exclusion of strength training for the serious triathlete
it would be difficult.
In his breakthrough book Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training,
which introduced the method of periodization, Dr. Bompa lays out three criti-
cal biomotor abilities: strength (force), endurance, and speed.2 Although each
discipline requires a different balance of these abilities, some element of all
three is necessary to maximize performance in any sport. Furthermore, Dr.
Bompa states that the development of strength “should be the prime concern
of anyone who attempts to improve an athlete’s performance.”3
For the triathlete especially, strength is paramount. For example, running
performance is often simplified as a calculation of only two factors—stride
frequency and stride length. True run performance, however, is the result
of three factors—stride frequency, stride length, and force,4 force being the
ability to accelerate a mass (the runner or limb) in a desired direction.
Weyland et al. found that when comparing slower runners with faster run-
ners, the faster runners indeed had a stride length 1.69 times greater than the
slower runners did, a stride frequency 1.16 times greater, and a force applied
to the running surface 1.26 times greater. In other words, force was more
closely associated with run speed than stride frequency was. The researchers
concluded that force played the primary role in reducing contact time with the
ground. In other words, the more force that a runner applied to the ground,
the shorter the time was between the end of the contact period of one foot
and the beginning of the contact period of the opposite foot.
Additionally, strength is one of two abilities required to develop the
advanced ability of muscular endurance, which is the combination of
strength and endurance. Although some strength is developed as a residual

1
of endurance training, true force can be developed only through a specific
and dedicated strength training program.

Strength Training and Performance

Unlike endurance and speed training, strength training can be seen by triath-
letes as contrary to the training principle of specificity. The nature and scope
of strength training, particularly gym-based training, mimics the movement
of the triathlon disciplines only superficially. Triathlon is a steady-state sport
and, with the exception of draft-legal ITU-style racing, exhibits little need for
bursts of brief power and explosive force. Rather, the triathlete will perform
best with a constant and measured intensity consistent with the distance of
the event.
For that reason, strength training has a poor reputation among triathletes.
Performing it is sometimes seen as stealing time from precious sport-specific
training, or even worse, as the cause of weight gain that leads to reduced
economy and performance.

Strength Training Benefits

Despite the lack of sport-specific movement and the theoretically unnecessary
development of power and mass, a considerable body of research indicates
that strength training can improve a triathlete’s endurance performance in
cycling and running in particular. The two primary benefits from strength
training appear to be increases in both endurance and economy.
In a frequently-cited study,5 researchers added three strength training
sessions for 10 weeks to the regimens of athletes trained in both cycling and
running. As expected, leg strength increased significantly, but thigh girth
remained unchanged. .
More important, cycling time to exhaustion at 80 percent of VO2max
increased from 71 to 81 minutes, an exercise duration and intensity highly
applicable to triathletes. Short-term endurance performance (from 4 to 8
minutes), which would add power to the final push in a triathlon event, also
improved 11 to 13 percent in both cycling and running. Additionally, 12 weeks
of strength training
. resulted in a 33 percent increase in cycling to exhaustion
at 75 percent of VO2max, also an intensity particularly relevant to triathletes.6
Another study found that concurrent strength and endurance training
resulted
. in a significant improvement in 5K run time unrelated to an increase
in VO2max.7 This improvement would be quite useful in the final minutes of
triathlon, specifically in sprint-distance triathlon events.
Specific to endurance running, researchers found that adding strength
training concurrently with run training significantly improved endurance
running.8 The strength regimen was 8 weeks long, but this research divided
the group into three types of strength training: heavy (high load), explosive
(high power), and muscular endurance (high duration). All three types of

2
strength training resulted in improved run endurance, and the muscular
endurance training resulted in the highest gains. This finding suggests that
although any type of strength training can improve endurance, the best results
will come from the most sport-specific strength training.
Much of this research supports the positive relationship between strength
and endurance performance for durations of 4 to 80 minutes. But what will
the effect of strength training be on exercise of 2 hours’ duration or longer?
Although the research on endurance of this duration is limited, significant
science supports a positive correlation between strength training and both
cycling and running economy. Any improvement in economy (usually mea-
sured as the relative oxygen cost in milligrams of oxygen per kilogram per
minute to run at a given velocity) is almost certain to improve endurance,
particularly at longer distances.
For example, eight well-trained runners completed an 8-week strength
training program on 3 days per week, in addition to their regular training.9
They were compared with nine control runners who did not include strength
training in their regimens. The strength training group improved running
economy by an impressive 5.0 percent, which likely contributed to a 21.3
percent improvement in time to exhaustion at maximum aerobic threshold.
Similar results were seen with a group of 15 triathletes assigned to either
an endurance-only group or a group that did endurance training and two
sessions of strength training per week for 14 weeks.10 The endurance-plus-
strength group had a significant improvement in running economy.
Perhaps even more compelling evidence than these individual studies
comes from two systematic reviews of multiple studies on strength training
and endurance performance. After reviewing several studies and using a
scale to determine the quality and consistency of the research, the researchers
concluded that “resistance training likely has a positive effect on endurance
running performance or running economy,”11 and “replacing a portion of a
cyclist’s endurance training with resistance training will result in improved
time trial performance and maximal power.”12

How Strength Training Improves Endurance

and Economy
How could strength training contribute to this increase in endurance and
economy? Strength training appears to promote a combination of biome-
chanical and metabolic changes that directly affect endurance and economy.
Because run speed is a result of stride length, stride frequency, and force,
a triathlete who can maintain stride length late in the run has an increased
likelihood of maintaining run speed. This notion is borne out in a study in
which 18 very quick endurance runners were placed into periodized strength
and nonstrength groups for a period of 8 weeks.13 At the end of that period,
the runners performed a workout of three intervals, and the researchers

3
measured the stride length of the first and third intervals. The periodized
strength group had no significant loss of stride length during the third inter-
val, whereas the nonstrength group lost almost 3 percent of stride length in
the final interval.
Additionally, researchers from Ohio University used an MRI to measure
the contrast shift (activation) of muscles before and after a 9-week strength
training program.14 After the strength training, the MRI revealed less con-
trast shift for a given amount of work. These results suggest that resistance
training results in the use of less muscle to lift a given load. This finding has
significant potential application for triathletes. Less use of muscle for a given
amount of work would not only delay muscular fatigue and reduce muscle
glycogen use but also reduce oxygen consumption for that given load and
thus help explain the increase in economy seen after performing a strength
training program.
At a metabolic level, strength training has been shown to introduce
remarkable changes. Healthy males were tested for levels of phosphocreatine
(an essential molecule in the formation of ATP), .lactate, and glycogen after
approximately 1 hour of exercise at 72 percent of VO2max.15 They were tested
again for those levels postexercise after 4 to 12 weeks of strength training
three times a week. The results were a 39 percent increase in phosphocreatine,
a 37 percent decrease in lactate, and a 37 percent increase in glycogen levels
after exercise, when compared with the period before strength training. In
a previously . cited study, the 33 percent increase in time to exhaustion at 75
6

percent of VO2max after 12 weeks of strength training was attributed to a 12

percent increase in lactate threshold.

Controversy Regarding Elite Male Triathletes’

Need to Strength Train
Despite this notable body of evidence supporting strength training in endur-
ance triathletes, many triathletes and coaches believe that strength training
may not benefit performance in elite male triathletes. Additionally, they often
express concern regarding weight gain and the limited time available for
task-specific endurance and speed training.
Strong research supports strength training for endurance performance
specifically for female athletes,16 junior athletes,17 and masters athletes.18
Because female, junior, and masters athletes maintain less muscle mass than
young men do, elite male triathletes could theoretically benefit less (or not at
all) from strength training.
Additional arguments against strength training for elite male endurance
triathletes include the difficulty of fitting additional work into a schedule that
often already exceeds 20 hours a week. This considerable volume of specificity
may eclipse any benefit from strength training. Finally, some studies refute the
performance benefit of strength training in both cycling19 and running.20 These

4
studies concluded that female cyclists had no improvement in a 1-hour cycle
test after 12 weeks of twice weekly
. strength training and that middle-aged
runners had no improvement in VO2max, stride length, or stride frequency.

Most Evidence Shows Strength Training

to Be Helpful to Cycling and Running
The evidence supporting strength training for endurance performance is
therefore far from unequivocal. The majority of evidence, however, suggests
a positive relationship. Even the limited studies refuting strength training for
endurance performance do not find a decrease in performance. Rather, they
simply find no performance increase, which means that there is little risk to
the triathlete in a trial of strength training. These negative studies represent a
small portion of the literature, whereas significantly more research indicates
that strength training improves endurance performance.
More specifically, the concerns regarding elite triathletes—weight gain
and sacrificing training time—are themselves refuted in multiple studies.
For example, previously cited studies supporting the benefits of strength
training11, 12 included advanced cyclists who rode more than 90 miles (145
km) a week and advanced runners who ran more than 30 miles (48 km) per
week. Further research concluded that strength training can lead to enhanced
long-term (greater than 30 minutes) endurance capacity, in both well-trained
and highly trained top-level endurance athletes.21
Concerns regarding strength training and weight gain are certainly justi-
fied. A triathlete’s mass is a critical factor in performance, both physiologically
and even aerodynamically. But weight gain by itself becomes irrelevant when
measuring economy or power-to-weight ratio. Because running economy is
the measure of oxygen cost for a given velocity, when economy improves any
concurrent increase in the mass of the triathlete is immaterial.
In elite cycling, a gain of 1 kilogram of body weight can be alarming but
becomes insignificant if the triathlete’s power has increased by 2 percent
because the total power-to-weight ratio has increased. Rather than focus-
ing on simple weight gain, a triathlete or coach should avoid uneconomical
weight gain. Note also that although many studies reported an increase in
limb girth and weight with strength training, other studies reported no
weight gain from the regimen.7
Finally, objections to redirecting precious training time to strength training,
particularly for time-constrained age-group triathletes, seem to be addressed
in the scientific literature. Most of the studies cited in this chapter had the
subjects add strength training to an existing endurance program. But other
studies showed the benefits of strength training when athletes replaced as
much as 32 percent of their endurance training with strength training.5, 9 In
fact, strength training was most effective when replacing existing endurance
training rather than being used as an additional approach.12

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Effect of Strength Training on Swimming
The research discussed in this chapter has hereto focused on the benefits of
strength training on cycling and running performance. Not surprisingly, the
three disciplines of triathlon may have different responses to strength train-
ing. In swimming, swim coaches at all levels have used dry-land strength
training extensively. Despite this consistent use by swim professionals, the
empirical data supporting dry-land strength training are weak.

Greater Strength, Yes; Better Swimming, No

In one study collegiate swimmers added strength training on 3 days per week
to their existing 6 days per week of in-water training.22 Despite an increase of
25 to 35 percent in dry-land strength, no change in distance per stroke was
observed compared with the control group, and no significant differences
were found in any of the swim power and swimming performance tests.
Similar results were found with another group of collegiate swimmers.
Again, although dry-land power improved, no difference was seen in stroke
length or performance time in a 400-yard (366 m) swim time trial between
the swimmers who did and did not perform dry-land strength training.23
Furthermore, despite claiming six gold and two bronze medals at the 2004
Olympics in Athens, Michael Phelps reported in a 2004 interview, “I've never
lifted a single weight in my life. It's all from training in the water, period.”24
Although Phelps did begin dry-land training in 2005 before an even more
impressive 2008 Olympic performance, the benefit was reported as limited to
his push-off from the wall,25 a benefit not relevant to open-water triathletes.
A study from the University of Colorado may have described it best: “In
contrast to running and cycling, traditional dry-land resistance training or
combined-swim-and-resistance training does not appear to enhance swim-
ming performance in untrained individuals or competitive swimmers, despite
substantially increasing upper-body strength.”26
The anecdotal evidence supporting dry-land strength training, stemming
from its extensive use by swim professionals, is difficult to ignore, but the
empirical evidence is equally convincing. Note that no evidence suggests that
dry-land strength training impedes performance. The studies cited earlier did
not find any detrimental effects of strength training on swim performance.
When discussing swimming and strength training, it is essential to
distinguish the research regarding dry-land strength training from that
regarding in-water strength training. The latter has positive results on swim
performance. In-water strength training is discussed later in this chapter.

Dry-Land Strength Training Not Needed

It is the author’s opinion that the relative importance of flexibility and strength
are related to the technique required to perform the task. For example, cycling
certainly requires a certain amount of skill, but it is relatively easy compared

6
with the technique required in swimming. An inverse relationship may
exist between the complexity of a sport and the role of strength, and a direct
relationship may be present between complexity and the role of flexibility.
Because of the complexity of swimming, dry-land training for swimming
appears to be unhelpful. In previously cited research, the authors suggested
that “the lack of a positive transfer between dry-land strength gains and
swimming propulsive force may be due to the specificity of (swim) training.”22
Other research postulated that “resistance training may be a valuable adjunct
to the exercise programmes followed by endurance runners or cyclists, but
not swimmers; these latter athletes need more specific forms of resistance
training to realise performance improvement.”27
The hypothesis of the relationship between strength and flexibility and the
three triathlon disciplines is supported in the literature cited in this chapter
and in chapter 17, but further research is required to confirm this supposition.

Gym-Based Strength Training

With the benefits of strength training well established, how do triathletes
incorporate it into their endurance training? The most successful approach
is a program that is both sport specific and periodized. Sport-specific means
that the strength training focuses on the prime movers, or multijoint exercises
that mimic the movements of the discipline. Periodized means the strength
training follows a preparatory-to-specific path. For example, strength training
was found to benefit stride length in runners only when the strength train-
ing was periodized.13 In this particular study, the runners spent 4 weeks in
a prep phase of easy lifting to adapt the muscles to the additional upcoming
stress, 8 weeks in a specific period in which the strength training mimicked
the increased intensity of running, and finally 4 weeks in a period of strength
maintenance.
Sport-specific strength training is, of course, unique to every sport. For
triathlon, table 18.1 lists the recommended exercises and the associated dis-
cipline that receives the greatest benefit.
In his book The Triathlete’s Training Bible,28 author Joe Friel proposes four
distinct periodized strength training phases: anatomical adaptation (AA),
maximum transition (MT), maximum strength (MS), and strength mainte-
nance (SM). This chapter also proposes an additional strength training phase,
the competition maintenance (CM) phase.

Table 18.1 Multijoint Exercises and Applicable Discipline

Multijoint exercise Applicable disciplines
Squat or leg press Cycling, running
Bent-arm lat pull-down Swimming
Chest press or push-up Swimming
Seated row Cycling (particularly climbing)

7
Anatomical Adaptation
Consistent with the theory of endurance periodization, anatomical adaptation
is a preparatory phase introduced at the beginning of an overall triathlon
training program or season, usually in the early season preparation phase last-
ing into the early weeks of base training. Long, slow repetitions both promote
slow-twitch muscles and prepare the body for the increased demand in load as
the strength program progresses. Use caution when introducing this training,
particularly for the first time, and increase the load slowly over the AA period.
Failure to introduce this new type of training can result in severe soreness that
can disrupt days of training or even cause injury, requiring an even longer
recovery time. Table 18.2 lists the suggested implementation of the AA phase.

Table 18.2 Anatomical Adaptation (AA) Phase

Total AA sessions 8 to 12
Sessions per week 2 or 3
Load (% of 1RM) 40 to 60
Sets per session 3 to 5
Reps per set 20 to 30
Recovery time 60 to 90 seconds
Speed of lift Slow

Triathlon exercises (in order of completion)

1. Squat or leg press

2. Bent-arm lat pull-down

3. Squat or leg press

4. Chest press or push-up

5. Personal weakness (hamstring curl, knee
extension, heel raise)
6. Seated row

7. Core (see chapter 17)

Adapted from The Triathlete’s Training Bible, third edition, by Joe Friel, 2009, Boulder,
CO: VeloPress.

Maximum Transition
The MT phase is designed to prepare the body for the heavier loads of the
critical MS phase. Use caution when introducing this phase and the increase
in load. Note that only certain exercises (in bold in table 18.3) move to the
MT phase; all others remain in the AA phase. This approach promotes long,
lean, fat-burning muscles that will not be required to generate as much force
as the key prime movers. See table 18.3 for the MT phase.

8
 Table 18.3 Maximum Transition (MT) Phase
Total MT sessions 3 to 5
Sessions per week 2 or 3
Sets per session 3
Reps per set 10 to 15
Recovery time 90 to 180 seconds
Speed of lift Slow

Triathlon exercises (in order of completion) Load goal

Squat: 1.3 to 1.7 × body weight
Squat or leg press*
Leg press: 2.5 to 2.9 × body weight
Seated row* 0.5 to 0.8 × body weight
Personal weakness (hamstring curl, knee
40 to 60% 1RM
extension, heel raise)
Bent-arm lat pull-down* 0.3 to 0.8 × body weight
Core (see chapter 17)

*Carried over from the AA phase.

Adapted from The Triathlete’s Training Bible, third edition, by Joe Friel, 2009, Boulder, CO:
VeloPress.

Maximum Strength
The MS phase is the primary purpose of gym-based strength training. This
phase is when power is primarily developed for the triathlete. Although power
is rarely called on in a steady-state event, it is crucial in draft-legal events,
when climbing, or when finishing a race. The work done in the AA and MT
phases prepares the triathletes for these heavy MS loads to solidify the ability
to generate force and power. Like the MT phase, only specific exercises move
to the MS phase; all others remain in the AA phase.
Be aware that endurance and speed training may suffer during this phase
because the MT phase introduces a significant level of fatigue. To minimize
this effect, strength training should be periodized and coordinated with
endurance training so that the MT phase ends by the first part of the base
training phase. This approach allows the later stages of base training and
further phases to focus on sport-specific improvement without the heavy legs
introduced in the MT phase.
Additionally, scientists found that the fatigue introduced from strength
training can be mitigated by ordering the strength sessions to take place after
an endurance set, which allows a high- quality endurance set and improves
results from the strength session.29 See table 18.4 for details about the recom-
mended MS phase.

9
 Table 18.4 Maximum Strength (MS) Phase
Total MS sessions 8 to 12
Sessions per week 2
Sets per session 3 to 6
Reps per set 3 to 6
Recovery time 120 to 240 seconds
Speed of lift Slow

Triathlon exercises (in order of completion) Load goal

1. Squat or leg press Squat: 1.3 to 1.7 × body weight
Leg press: 2.5 to 2.9 × body weight
2. Seated row 0.5 to 0.8 × body weight
3. Personal weakness (hamstring curl, knee
40 to 60% 1RM
extension, heel raise)
4. Bent-arm lat pull-down 0.3 to 0.8 × body weight
5. Core (see chapter 17)
Adapted from The Triathlete’s Training Bible, third edition, by Joe Friel, 2009, Boulder,
CO: VeloPress.

Strength Maintenance
Like any other fitness or skill developed, strength must be maintained. The
SM phase is designed to sustain the new abilities to generate force while not
interfering with critical sport-specific endurance and speed training beyond
the base phase. Note in table 18.5 that the standing, bent-arm lat pull-down

Table 18.5 Strength Maintenance (SM) Phase

Total SM sessions Until race or competition phase
Sessions per week 1
Load (% of 1RM) 60, 80 (last set)
Sets per session 2 or 3
Reps per set 6 to 12
Recovery time 60 to 120 seconds
Speed of lift Moderate

Triathlon exercises (in order of completion)

1. Squat or leg press

2. Seated row
3. Personal weakness (hamstring curl, knee
extension, heel raise)
4. Bent-arm lat pull-down

5. Core (see chapter 17)

Adapted from The Triathlete’s Training Bible, third edition, by Joe Friel, 2009, Boulder,
CO: VeloPress.

10
reverts to AA phase repetition frequency in the SM phase, whereas the hip
extension and seated row alone, in bold, continue with the lower reps of the
SM phase.

Competition Maintenance
Many coaches recommend the termination of strength training at the onset
of the race phase to avoid the buildup of additional fatigue. Continuing
limited strength training into the race phase, however, will result in better
performance than abruptly ending strength training.30 This plan is particu-
larly relevant for female and masters triathletes, who may lose muscle mass
faster than younger men do.
The CM phase is designed to provide limited strength training benefit
without introducing resistance-induced weakness in competition. Because
of this, a CM session should be completed at least 72 hours before competi-
tion. Table 18.6 outlines the recommended CM phase. Note that all exercises
follow the same load and repetition goals in the CM phase.

Table 18.6 Competition Maintenance (CM) Phase

Total CM sessions Through race or competition phase
Sessions per week 1
Load (% of 1RM) 80 to 85%
Sets per session 2
Reps per set 5
Recovery time 60 to 120 seconds
Speed of lift Moderate

Triathlon exercises (in order of completion)

1. Squat or leg press

2. Seated row
3. Personal weakness (hamstring curl, knee
extension, heel raise)
4. Bent-arm lat pull-down

5. Core (see chapter 17)

Load Goals
Naturally, the repetitions recommended here would be easy to achieve with
little resistance. Appropriate load must be administered to stress the body
sufficiently to gain new fitness. Load goals are generally determined either
as a percentage of body weight or as a percentage of 1 repetition maximum
(1RM).

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 Several formulas and protocols can be used to determine 1RM. One author
proposed the following protocol for 1RM testing:31 Begin with a warm-up
of 5 to 10 repetitions at 40 percent to 60 percent of the triathlete’s estimated
maximum. After a brief rest period, the load is increased to 60 percent to 80
percent of the triathlete’s estimated maximum, and the triathlete attempts
to complete 3 to 5 repetitions. At this point small increases in weight are
added to the load, and a 1RM lift is attempted. The goal is to determine the
triathlete’s 1RM in three to five trials. The triathlete rests for 3 to 5 minutes
before each 1RM attempt.
A more practical approach, or at least an approach to estimate the 1RM
that initiates the preceding method, is a formula that states that a 1RM can
be calculated based on the resistance and number of repetitions to exhaus-
tion, as follows:32
1RM = 100 × weight / (102.78 − 2.78 × reps)
For example, an athlete is able to squat 200 pounds (91 kg) 15 times. Using
the preceding formula, her 1RM would be estimated as follows:
1RM = 100 × 200 lb / (102.78 − 2.78 × 15 reps), or a 1RM estimate of 327
pounds (148 kg)

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Strength Training Exercises
Here we describe the exercises listed in tables 18.1 through 18.6. Follow the
specific guidelines for each phase regarding number of sets, repetitions, and
load.
Squat Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes out slightly. If
using a barbell, hold it across your upper back in a closed grip. If using dumb-
bells, hold them to your sides, palms turned in. Maintaining a natural curve in
the lower back, slowly squat, moving the buttocks back as though sitting on
a chair, making sure that the knees do not move over the toes (figure 18.1).
When the thighs are parallel to the floor, straighten the legs to return to the
starting position.

„„Figure 18.1 Squat.

13
Leg Press Sit in an incline leg press machine or sled with your back flat against
the seat back, your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform, and your legs
straight. Slowly bend your knees to lower the weight, bringing the knees to a
90-degree angle (figure 18.2). Do not lock your knees. Straighten your legs to
return to the starting position.

„„Figure 18.2 Leg press.

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 Strength Training | 263

Bent-Arm Lat Pull-Down Stand facing a cable machine with your feet
shoulder-width apart or sit on the seat of the cable machine, facing it, feet
flat on the floor. Using a wide grip, grasp the bar with the palms facing away
from your body and your arms extended overhead. Bend the arms to pull the
bar down to the upper chest (figure 18.3). Extend the arms to return to the
starting position.

„„Figure 18.3 Bent-arm lat pull-down.

Chest Press Lie on a weight bench or stability ball with your feet flat on the
floor. Using a closed, overhand grip, grasp the barbell with your hands about
shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower the barbell toward your chest (figure 18.4).
Push the barbell up to return to starting position. If using dumbbells, hold a
dumbbell in each hand with the palms turned toward the feet and lower the
dumbbells until they touch your chest.

„„Figure 18.4 Chest press.

15
Push-Up Lie face down on the floor with your hands under your shoulders
and toes pointed. Push up with your hands until your body is in a straight line
from the ankles to the top of your head. Bend the elbows to lower your torso
toward the floor (figure 18.5). Then push up again.

„„Figure 18.5 Push-up.

Seated Row Sit on the bench facing a pulley machine. With palms facing each
other, grab the handles of the machine and have your arms straight. Keeping
your back still, pull the handles toward your torso (figure 18.6), pulling your
shoulder blades together. Pause before straightening the arms to return to the
starting position.

„„Figure 18.6 Seated row.

16
Hamstring Curl Lie face down on a hamstring curl machine with your ankles
under the pads. Slowly bend your knees to pull the pads toward your buttocks
(figure 18.7). Return to the starting position by slowly straightening your legs.

„„Figure 18.7 Hamstring curl.

Knee Extension Sit on a leg extension machine with your ankles under the
pads and knees bent. Slowly straighten your knees to lift the weight (figure
18.8). Return the weight to the starting position by bending your knees.

„„Figure 18.8 Knee extension.

17
Heel Raise Stand on a small plyometric box with your heels off the edge
of the box. Hold on to a sturdy object for balance, if you wish. Press through
the toes to lift your heels (figure 18.9), keeping the knees soft. Slowly return
to the starting position.

„„Figure 18.9 Heel raise.

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Distance-Specific Strength Training
Is the approach to strength training the same for the various triathlon dis-
tances? The cycling and running improvements in force, endurance, and
economy that occur with strength training are certainly desirable for tri-
athletes participating or specializing in any distance. But incorporating the
recommended strength training frequency and volume to an already busy
week of training can be challenging. Recovering from strength training in an
8-hour training week is much easier than recovering from the same strength
training that is part of a training week of 15 hours or more.
Therefore, the long-distance triathlete, who will often exceed 15 hours of
training in the latter stages of a training season, needs to map out an annual
training plan that ensures that the MS phase of strength training is complete
before the heaviest volume of training begins, usually in base training. This
plan is practical even for short-distance training, but it is crucial for the long-
distance triathlete, who must complete the strength training periodization
plan and move to a once-weekly strength maintenance program as soon as
possible.

Sport-Specific Strength Training

If gym-based resistance training shows promise of improving endurance
performance, then combining strength training within the specificity of a
workout for a particular discipline might be even better. Here, power workouts
using swim paddles, plyometrics, and hills can play a role in a triathlete’s
training. As with gym-based resistance training, the purpose is to apply high
levels of quick force for a portion of the workout. Unlike dry-land resistance
training, in-water swim resistance training has robust support from scientific
studies. One report found that the measured use of swim paddles may help a
swimmer develop a feel for stroke length (a predictor of swim performance),
because paddles were shown to increase stroke length.33 A swimmer who
becomes accustomed to the velocity and feel of distance per stroke when
using paddles may be able to translate that skill to open-hand swimming.
Other in-water resistance devices and programs have been shown to
improve performance. A device similar to hand paddles improved stroke
length and 200-meter race time by 2.3 seconds.34 Additionally, an in-water
bungee resistance device tethered to the swimmer improved distance per
stroke and velocity more than either an assisted device (pulling the swim-
mer) or using no device at all.35
Endurance runners have long claimed that hill work (a form of plyomet-
rics) has improved their performance, and some evidence backs that up.
An increase in running economy of 2 percent occurred after just 6 weeks of
plyometrics in speeds up to 12.88 kilometers per hour,36 and three plyometric
sessions of 30 minutes per week improved running economy by 4.1 percent
during even faster speeds of 18.0 kilometers per hour.37

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 The addition of force to an endurance workout should include brief intervals
of 30 to 60 seconds at a low cadence with high force, using short recoveries of
only 15 to 30 seconds. This kind of workout is best done in hills for cycling
and running. When swimming with paddles to introduce force, the reduced
load-bearing fatigue of swimming would allow the triathlete to swim at a
constant state for 5 to 30 minutes, depending on paddle size.

Conclusion
With the overwhelming endorsement and evidence supporting strength
training for triathletes, strength training should be treated as the fourth
discipline. Triathletes can expect results with predictability similar to that of
core endurance training. As with flexibility, the benefits of strength training
are not universal. Swim performance lacks a strong link to dry-land train-
ing. But the overall established benefits of increased ability to generate force,
economy, and endurance from a periodized gym-based and sport-specific
strength program would be a welcome gain for triathletes of all distances
and experience.

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