Cycling Big Gear Training
Strength Endurance – For Triathletes And Triathlons
The fastest triathletes are not bodybuilders but expert three-sport exponents. Building strength can be achieved in the gym, but eventually it needs to be translated into swim, bike and run. Strength is important, so do you need to juggle your gym time?
Resistance training
Whether you need to add weight training (resistance training) to your plan depends on your reasons and priorities. It may be for rehab, cross-training and health or just for personal aesthetics. However, people who spend lots of time in the gym, such as strong weight trainers and body builders, cannot often swim 75m or run 5km. Their bikes may also creak under their excess muscle mass which is not necessary to complete a triathlon.
You may need to develop greater speed once you have completed events and wish to compete. However, this often does not require greater muscle mass but merely better coordinated muscles that have had suitable base training and the right mixture of resistance and anaerobic work.
Swimming
Water is 1000 times denser than air and a very hard medium in which to go fast. Even the best swimmers only just creep over 4mph when swimming a mile. The rest of us are most likely to swim at 1-2 mph, possibly 3mph. Even using two swimsuits or drag shorts quickly makes for specific resistance training. You get to make the water feel harder work before peeling off and then swimming faster.
Cycling
On a bike, the opposing forces providing resistance can be hills, wind or rear-wheel resistance from an indoor trainer. On an easy day, pick flatter outdoor routes and use easier gears. Fast cyclists are strong and can spin big gears when hills approach. To get stronger, climb inclines in a gear one or two teeth harder than normal; if you climb in 39 x 21 normally, do it in 39 x 19 at a lower cadence to impose resistance. For many starting out, hills themselves will present enough resistance. Don’t work too hard too often – remember the 80:20 rule (see tip below).
Running
This imposes varying resistance with hills, treadmill incline, steps or pool running. Moving your weight uphill makes any rise in altitude require more effort than flat running. Shorter efforts can emphasize good form, e.g 10 x 50m uphill with a jog recovery back down. Rolling terrain or long hills can produce strength through repeated effort against gravity.
Top Tip In order to improve at the optimum level, 80 per cent of your weekly training time should be easy to moderate effort. The remaining 20 per cent can be at moderate to high intensity. You don’t have to work hard if you don’t wish to; 100 per cent easy to steady training effort will still get great results.
About the Author
A farmer in the week and an internet marketer at the weekend.
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