Strength Training for Triathlons

strengthtrainingStrength training is a vitally important part of your training program when you are a triathlete. Maximizing the quality level of your workout is going to need to be a prime objective if you want to develop a strength training program that is going to help you improve your performance.

Today there are a wide variety of different tools that an athlete will be able to use in order to get stronger and benefit themselves in other ways. There are also a number of things that you can reasonably avoid because they will not help you maximize your gains in training for your triathlon. Most machines that you find in a gym, for example, are an example of this concept. Triathletes are going to need to learn how to support and coordinate their own body in an effective manner in order to maximize their gains come race day.

The best way for you to maximize your triathlon training capabilities is to simulate the conditions of the race as much as you can. There are plenty of machines as well as contraptions out there but none of them are going to effectively train you for your triathlon because they are not simulating the race or benefiting your race training in any way. Here are three things that you should be focusing on instead:

1 – First and foremost, as a triathlete your number one focus should be on multiple joint, whole body types of exercises. Multiple joint exercises mean that you should be getting more than just a single joint involved one at a time in every exercise movement that you make. Squats and lunges are both excellent examples of multiple joint exercises because they simultaneously work the knees, the ankles and the hips all together when movement is produced. Multiple joint movements are the best thing that triathletes can do to train because these are things that triathletes do when they swim, bike and run during competition.

2 – Bands and free weights tend to be much more practical for a triathlete in comparison to machine workouts. When it comes to using these tools for the purpose of strength training you should be stabilizing the movement of your body more than if you were using a work out machine. This, in turn, will build more strength specific to planning and preparing for race day.

3 – Supporting your entire body while you are doing the exercises should be one of your main focuses. Sitting on a stable surface such as a machine is going to take away from the specificity of training for race day rather than contributing to it. Keep this in mind when it comes to choosing strength training workout options and varieties for your needs.

Photo Credits: jonnystiles

Originally posted 2009-09-10 03:54:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Finding the Best Swimming Facilities in Your Area

Swim training can be a challenge when you do not have the right swimming facilities to train in. The good news is there are facilities available to you no matter where you live. Some will be more convenient to use than others. Finding the right place to train is important whether you are looking to train for a swim meet or for a triathlon. This is important so that you can get the training you need in the environment which you need it. This is the only way you will get the preparation you will need to compete at the right level.

Outdoor Swimming for Triathlon Training

It is not recommended you train for a triathlon by always swimming in indoor swimming facilities. This is because when you are swimming for your triathlon you will not be doing and flip turns. You need to train in an environment which will be similar to the environment you will be swimming in for your race. This is so you can get your cadence down. You should try to train at least once a week in an open area for a free swim. This can be a lake or in the ocean depending on where your event will be held.

Swimming Pools in Gyms

A very popular option for people looking for the right swimming facilities is to join a gym with a pool. This is because you will get the benefit of swimming in a 25 yard length pool. This allows you the ability to know how long you are doing specific exercises like kick board training, paddle board training and floater training. You will also have access to a large clock on the wall in which you can time your training and log your success in interval training or other styles of training.

Swimming Pools in Swim Clubs

For those looking for another level of swimming facilities to train in, there are swim clubs you can join. These have facilities which are nothing more than a pool which is warehoused in a natatorium. You will get the benefit of being able to train all year long. You will also get the advantage of great coaching advice from those who run the facility and the club. Remember, these types of clubs are usually used by those training for the Olympics and professionally.

Training at Home

If you have the money and cannot find the right swimming facilities for you, it is possible to build your own. A popular option which many people have been investing in is a swimming simulator. This is a pool of water which is no bigger than a hot tub. It has a water propulsion chamber which will create a flow of water at the speed you prefer. This will allow you to swim as long as you want to without having to build a full sized pool. You can even get units which are heated. This will allow you to train all year long right in your back yard.

Photo Credits: havenholidays

Originally posted 2010-03-21 03:01:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Effective Swim Workouts for Triathletes

Training for a triathlon is never an easy task. You not only push your body to the edge, you need to engage in specialized forms of training to get the performance you need. This is as true for swim workouts for triathletes as for any other section of the race. The reason why the exercises are so important is because you need to train your upper body to be strong enough to do the majority of the work. This way you will be able to save your leg muscles for the other two sections which are ahead.

Using Paddleboards

One of the many swim workouts for triathletes is to use paddleboards. These will help you to find the strengths and the weaknesses in your stroke. They will also help to develop the muscles you use to pull your body through the water. Because the paddleboard is a thin piece of hard plastic, you will recognize it immediately if you have your hand at the wrong angle. Your hand will slice through the water rather than meeting with great resistance. As long as you are using a good stroke, you will feel resistance the whole stroke. The more resistance, the more power you develop.

Using Floaters

Another effective method of swim workouts for triathletes is to use floaters. These are little more than cylindrical pieces of Styrofoam connected by tethers. What you do is clench the tethers between your legs. You then swim through the water without kicking your legs. You will have only your upper body to pull you through. The floater creates drag, but more importantly, it prevents your lower body from sinking towards the bottom of the pool. This prevents you from using your legs at all.

Closed Fist Training

One of the swim workouts for triathletes seldom heard about is the closed fist training drill. This is a method by which you will dig your fingers into your palms as you swim. This will force you to use your forearms as a paddle to move you through the water. This is a good exercise to use with floaters as you will not be going very fast. Do not use your legs and concentrate on how your arm is moving through the water. This will help to make sure your arm will combine with your hand to create a great force to propel you through the water.

High Intensity Interval Training

A training method used as swim workouts for triathletes among others is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This is a method which includes short intervals in which you are swimming as hard as you can for about a minute and then taking a thirty second break. This is used because a 15 minute workout will be more effective than a thirty minute workout. The level of workout will train your muscles to be more powerful for the big day. The secret is the fact your body will continue to be effected long after you get out of the pool.

Photo Credits: Grahambones

Originally posted 2010-03-20 03:55:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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