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Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued!
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Hi all

I am currently getting ready for a 70.3 triathlon and I was wondering how to optimize my workout in the gym for biking, running and swimming.
I have researched that twice a week should be more than enough. I have been working out for several years and therefore know the technique of the exercises.

My goal is to improve strength for triathlon - as well as a little bit of chest, therefore dips every workout. I might cut that one out later.

I have been training regularly for past 5 years or so, im at 160kg deadlift for 5 reps, squat 110kg 5 reps and dips bw+35kg for 5 reps. I have never really been running much, but I have been biking regularly throughout my life, but nothing more than 20km on most days, it was back and forth to work and various activities.

I started running and biking two weeks ago;
Fastest run is so far 11.77km in 1 hour and 4 minutes (10km in 53 min) with average heart rate of 160. Though it was raining and i didnt care too much about keep my heart rate down. Now I run and will build my indurance the next couple of months.
Fastest biking is so far 63 km in 2 hours and 18 minutes, average speed 27.2 km/h, pace 02.12 min/km, and average heart rate at 140.

What do you think about this workout? My sources have been from the folowing websites:
https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts81/
http://danjohn.net/...minimalist-training/

Monday
Deadlift
Dips
Bulgarian split squat
Lat pull down / Pull up
Calf-raises (alternating seated/standing each week)
Hyperextensions

Thursday
Squat
Dips
Romanian deadlift
Tricep pushdown/extension
Lat pull down / pull up
Step ups


Let me know what you think, I have put this together from researching around the internet and put the exercises on the days and in the order that made sense to me without thinking too much about it.

Looking forward to hearing from you

Best regards
Jonas
Last edited by: JonasDenmark: Jun 12, 20 7:42
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Re: Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued! [JonasDenmark] [ In reply to ]
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What are your goals from the gym? It makes a huge difference whether you want to build strength overall, build specific strength for triathlon, to just improve body aesthetics or to cross train.

I’m a middle of the pack athlete but went from being unable to run 400m to 70.3 in about 3 years. Part of getting there I had to build muscle to support the strain of starting running.

I started with StrongLifts (you can also go with ‘starter strength’ which is what StrongLifts was based on). After 6 months of that my knees felt like I could really rely on them. The downside is I’ve put on weight particularly in the legs... 78-80kg but wear XL cycling shorts and medium tops.

What I notice between StrongLifts and your program is that your volume is huge... StrongLifts is 3 exercises a day 3 times a week. Squats, Benchpress, Row one day, Squats, overhead press, deadlift the next (all 5x5). It takes ~1hr to complete.

I stopped StrongLifts a while ago and started doing CrossFit - my goal changed from building leg strength to more of an overall strength and conditioning (and a bit of aesthetics of course), my ‘box’ also does Olympic weightlifting classes. This has helped even further, but you do have to be careful not to get injured by trying to complete with everyone else.
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Re: Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued! [JonasDenmark] [ In reply to ]
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I would highly recommend the research you found on Scientific Triathlon. The website has a great podcast, too, with a handful of insightful episodes specifically about strength training.

There are quite a few pointers in those episodes that might help a tiny bit, like when to schedule lift sessions during the week, but the overwhelming and more important advice is to simply do it. Even once a week is better than none at all.

Good for you! I am doing a home/body weight circuit program from 80/20 Triathlon right now. Better than nothing, though I am excited for when gyms will open up again and I can go back to lifting heavier weight for fewer reps.

80/20 Endurance Ambassador
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Re: Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued! [barrec] [ In reply to ]
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Daemonoid wrote:
What are your goals from the gym? It makes a huge difference whether you want to build strength overall, build specific strength for triathlon, to just improve body aesthetics or to cross train.

I’m a middle of the pack athlete but went from being unable to run 400m to 70.3 in about 3 years. Part of getting there I had to build muscle to support the strain of starting running.

I started with StrongLifts (you can also go with ‘starter strength’ which is what StrongLifts was based on). After 6 months of that my knees felt like I could really rely on them. The downside is I’ve put on weight particularly in the legs... 78-80kg but wear XL cycling shorts and medium tops.

What I notice between StrongLifts and your program is that your volume is huge... StrongLifts is 3 exercises a day 3 times a week. Squats, Benchpress, Row one day, Squats, overhead press, deadlift the next (all 5x5). It takes ~1hr to complete.

I stopped StrongLifts a while ago and started doing CrossFit - my goal changed from building leg strength to more of an overall strength and conditioning (and a bit of aesthetics of course), my ‘box’ also does Olympic weightlifting classes. This has helped even further, but you do have to be careful not to get injured by trying to complete with everyone else.


I actually tried the stronglifts 5x5 many years ago, but last couple of years I have been running Fierce 5 beginning with novice and moved onto the intermadiate. They are very good programs imo.


barrec wrote:
I would highly recommend the research you found on Scientific Triathlon. The website has a great podcast, too, with a handful of insightful episodes specifically about strength training.

There are quite a few pointers in those episodes that might help a tiny bit, like when to schedule lift sessions during the week, but the overwhelming and more important advice is to simply do it. Even once a week is better than none at all.

Good for you! I am doing a home/body weight circuit program from 80/20 Triathlon right now. Better than nothing, though I am excited for when gyms will open up again and I can go back to lifting heavier weight for fewer reps.


My goal is to improve strength for triathlon - as well as a little bit of chest, therefore dips every workout. I might cut that one out later.

I have been training regularly for past 5 years or so, im at 160kg deadlift for 5 reps, squat 110kg 5 reps and dips bw+35kg for 5 reps. I have never really been running much, but I have been biking regularly throughout my life, but nothing more than 20km on most days, it was back and forth to work and various activities.

I started running and biking two weeks ago;
Fastest run is so far 11.77km in 1 hour and 4 minutes (10km in 53 min) with average heart rate of 160. Though it was raining and i didnt care too much about keep my heart rate down. Now I run and will build my indurance the next couple of months.
Fastest biking is so far 63 km in 2 hours and 18 minutes, average speed 27.2 km/h, pace 02.12 min/km, and average heart rate at 140.

(I will include these stats in the header)
Last edited by: JonasDenmark: Jun 12, 20 7:41
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Re: Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued! [JonasDenmark] [ In reply to ]
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Id like some more feedback
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Re: Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued! [JonasDenmark] [ In reply to ]
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JonasDenmark wrote:
Id like some more feedback


Age?

70.3 goals?

https://www.strava.com/...tes/zachary_mckinney
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Re: Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued! [plant_based] [ In reply to ]
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plant_based wrote:
JonasDenmark wrote:
Id like some more feedback



Age?

70.3 goals?

I am 31 and my goals is to improve my running, biking and swimming with the help of a strenth workout at the gym
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Re: Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued! [JonasDenmark] [ In reply to ]
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I think a lot of us a reluctant to get into a weight lifting discussion about becoming a faster triathlete. It's been rehashed many times here, you could use the search function to find some of those threads.

There are a lot of good reasons to lift weights but there is very little hard evidence that it will make you a faster triathlete. Assuming you have limits on your training time, time spent lifting would generally be more productive spent swimming, biking and running. That's why several here have asked what you are trying to accomplish with lifting.
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Re: Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued! [JonasDenmark] [ In reply to ]
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This is what I do, two days of

Squat
5x
5x
5x
5x
5x
Deadlift
5x
5x
5x
5x
5x
Bench
5x
5x
5x
5x
5x


Been out of the gym for a bit and just getting back into it. So weights not too high. But when we get deeper into what would be race portion of the season I drop volume by five reps and the change the scheme.


5x
4x
3x
2x
1x
5x

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.
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Re: Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued! [JonasDenmark] [ In reply to ]
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I'd suggest just swimming, biking and running if your goal is to get faster in those disciplines. If you have some muscle imbalances or weakness that is causing injury/pain then definitely work on those areas in the gym but other than that, I don't think there is much benefit for a beginner triathlete to spend much time lifting weights if the #1 goal is to get faster. If you are dead set on doing the gym work, I'd suggest taking a break from that while you let your body adapt to the triathlon training before adding the gym work back to your routine.
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Re: Decent gym-program for triathlon? Your opinion is valued! [hobbyjogger] [ In reply to ]
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I think the question is a little too vague.
The main thing IMHO is to focus your strength training during the "off season" with the plan to build strength to avoid injuries.
Once you get into triathlon training balance and core stuff is fine but if you're lifting heavy you won't recover to do the long or hard workouts in sbr.
For instance my race year (non 2020) starts in May with some sprint tris and time trials. So my strength work is during winter Nov to Feb. I don't think it makes me faster but I like the gym and its cold outside.
I might still go and do the odd workout for my beach muscles but really I should be running.
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