Approaching strength training in the off-season

Most triathletes are not doing enough strength training during the off-season.

And if they are, they probably are not doing the right things.

This leads to:

1. Not getting the gains from strength you’re hoping for
2. Not taking care of any hot spots or niggles
3. Not seeing the value in adding a strength workout

Strength training should be a part of every triathletes training routine.

And the off-season is a great time to get started.

Time to focus on strength

Why should you start strength training in the off-season?

Because you should have a little extra time to focus on learning new exercises.

AND you don’t have to worry so much if the exercises leave you a little sore for your SBR sessions.

This is a double benefit of the off-season.

What you should focus on this off-season

If you’re looking to take your off-season and start building strength there are 3 things that you should focus on:

1. Plyometrics and jump training
2. Pure strength in main movements
3. Any hot spots or common injury sites for you

If you build a program with these 3 things covered you will have a robust strength plan.

Plyometrics and jumps

I lump these together into one bucket (but many people will separate them).

For simplicity, anything where your feet leave the ground fits this category.

You should be doing plyometrics because they help build strong tendons and bones. (2 of the most common injuries in running). There is an added benefit that plyos can improve running economy - which basically makes you a better runner.

Some examples you could add include double and single leg hops, box jumps and distance jumps (broad jump).

Generally, I add these at the start of a program so that the legs are fresh.

Pure strength in the main movements

When building strength I am not concerned with specific exercises for triathletes.

You can gain most of your strength from loading simple movement patterns.

The main movement patterns you should include are:

• Upper push
• Upper pull
• Knee dominant movements
• Hip dominant movements
• Postier chain work
• Core/trunk
• Single leg exercises

We do this so that we build strength across all mucle groups. The body doesn’t move in muscle groups, it moves in patterns.

Pushing, pulling, squatting, running, cycling and swimming are all movement patterns.

We can train them appropriately with a template (see below for an example of the one I use).

Hot spot maintenance

The final piece of your plan to include in the off-season is any hot spot maintenance.

If you had an injury in the past - do something for it.

If you have a common niggle - do something for that.

We don’t want muscular or tendon issues to continue to be an issue for you.

Some options to figure out what to do:

• Repeat the rehab exercises you got in the past
• Google/YouTube the area (try that movement)
• Reply to this email and I’ll try and point you in the right direction

My goal is always, to find a movement that loads the area, make sure it doesn’t cause pain, and find a way to progress it (hold to movement to weight).

If you have multiple areas that need addressing then try making a mini circuit and do it as its own session.

How to build your own strength plan for the off-season

1. Start with a template

My Templates for 2 day Tri Strong Program

Day 1

A1: Power - horizontal

A2: Plyo

B1: Hinge B2: Horzontal Push

C1: Lunge/Split Squat

C2: Vertical Pull

C3: Hamstrings

Day 2

A1: Vertical power (loaded)

A2: Plyos

B1: Squat

B2: Horizontal Pull

C1: Bridge/hinge

C2: Vertical Push

C3: Accessory

This makes sure you cover all the right movements and regions. It checks off our goals of plyos, main movement patterns and hot spots.

2. Fill in any hot spot regions

Speaking of hot spots, during the offseason you want to prioritize:

• injury sites
• hot spots
• common niggles

Find a way to load that area.

Here are some examples

• Calf try single leg calf raises
• Hamstring try a hamstring bridge
• Glutes try a side plank with clamshell holds
• Core/back on bike try a bear press
• Shoulders try banded/cable rotations

3. Pick heavy enough loads

Building strength requires load.

It needs to be a mod-heavy load, with enough reps and weight to induce some fatigue in the muscles.

Use the 2-rep rule as a guide.

If at the end of your last set you have maybe 2 more reps left you’re at a good weight. If you can do a whole extra set, then you need to go up.

Don’t be afraid of the weights.

Use the bigger KB, use the barbell, use machines to load it up.

Pick an option that is safe and feels comfortable for you.

4. Time it around your SBR training

By now you should have a workout to perform, let’s figure out when to do it.

Here are some options that have worked well with my athletes:

• same day as a harder interval session
• same day as a swim if pool + gym are together
• the day after a long session (gives the most time before next key session)

Find a schedule that works for you and doesn't compromise traithlon training.

5. Perform full body sessions 2-3 times per week

We see the best gains when strength is performed 2-3 times per week (more could be better but for triathletes start here).

If you build a good block of strength here, you can taper off later in the season and maintain strength while focusing on racing.

This will lessen some of the impact on overall fatigue for the muscles and nervous system when key sessions become more important.

Need some help?

If you use the templates in this email, use YouTube to find some exercises and try the tips I gave:

You will build strength this off-season.

If you want to skip a few steps and use my program instead I put together a base season strength training plan on TrainHeroic.

It uses the same templates, gives you all the exercises and gives you the option to chat with me directly if you need help.

​Start building your off-season strength now.​

That’s all for today!

Chandler

Thanks for being here! If you're new here I'm Chandler an endurance coach and physiotherapist. Each week I send a letter about sustainable endurance training or triathlon rehab.

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