Functional Strength Training For Triathletes
If take two triathletes who both have the same Vo2 max and matching levels of energy economy, but one of them conducts regular functional strength training during the winter/base phases of training, who do you think would win in a head to head sprint tri race? Yep that’s right, the triathlete that includes regular functional strength training into his or her schedule would be the winner. It simply takes more strength to pedal faster and the faster of the two triathletes will be the cyclist with stronger leg and gluteal muscles. The same rule applies to swimming and running. In all three disciplines forces used in forward propulsion are transferred between the upper body and legs through the trunk, so there is an advantage straight away in developing a reserve of strength throughout the body.
Most endurance athletes do not fully realise the benefits of strength training as most of them see strength training as that of the traditional body building method. But as a triathlete you should not strength train like a body builder. Body builders train muscles and perform exercises that isolate and concentrate force upon individual muscles. The result of this type of training is big muscles that look powerful but for most are virtually incapable of co-ordinating with other muscles to perform athletic movements.
Triathletes should look to train movements or patterns and not individual muscles. The majority of the exercises you perform should be based on functional movement that mimic as much of the three discipline actions as possible. The goal here is to promote strength in your stabilizing muscles in order to stabilize the body during swimming, biking and running, as well as generating force from the prime movers(a muscle that acts directly to bring about a specific movement) and synergists (groups of muscles that contract together to accomplish the same body movement) of the body.
A classic body building exercise like the barbell bench press with it’s full trunk stabilisation, muscular isolation and symmetrical limb movements, will stimulate nothing you’ll ever do in the water, on the bike or running. Yes, you may build direct strength of the chest muscles, but there’s nothing functional about it for triathlon.
Functional strength training is all about training your body to perform sport specific movements with correct form and greater force. Like swimming, biking and running themselves your key strength training exercises should involve balance and core stabilisation (another topic I intend to cover), independent limb movements and co-ordination of several muscles that are directly involved in the movements of the three triathlon disciplines.
Your functional strength training workout should be designed to correct the muscular imbalances in order to improve power in all disciplines. There’s no harm in performing this workout all year-round if time permits in your training schedule and the exercises require minimal kit. As long as you’re got a couple of resistance bands and a gym ball you’ll be well on your way. Exercise examples to include in your workout could be; core & trunk stabilisation, lunges, squats, torso band twists, single arm band push, single arm band pull, stability ball pullover etc.
Over the next few weeks I intend to get a sample workout up online so you have the basis of a routine to follow.
Happy training!!
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Tags: Functional Training
A lot of triathletes never do any strength training at all. I do and I find it massively beneficial. I think this debate has went on for years with both sides highlighting research and personal experience as evidence that it does or doesn’t do the endurance athlete any good. I say, give it a go, it helped me!
You may want to check out swim coach finder and tell more people about your coaching services. It is a social network that connects tri-athletes with coaches for the purpose of coaching instruction.
Thanks for the comment Rob. I think that if more multi-sport atheletes are educated on the potential benefits of functional strength training there’d be less of a debate! As you and I know, it does help!