How to Prepare for Success in Your First Triathlon

I first got interested in triathlon way back when I was finishing high school. That year, Dave Scott and Mark Allen raced in the infamous Iron War race. They battled shoulder-to-shoulder for nearly the entire 140.3 miles of the course. Allen finally broke away near the line to win and break his losing streak at the big island. 

  

 

Stop Making Excuses

Not long after that, an Aussie named Greg Welch broke through in Kona to win, and that put triathlon on the map in a big way in Australia. Suddenly we had some of the best talent and racing in the world right on our doorstep, with multiple world champions like Emma Carney, Jackie Fairweather, Michellie Jones, Greg Welch, Brad Bevan, Miles Stewart, and Chris McCormack. 

 

"Like many, I had all kinds of delusions about what was and wasn’t needed for triathlons and kept second-guessing myself every time I signed up to do a race."

Triathlon became so popular that our domestic race series was telecast live on commercial television like other major sports events. (And it’s way more exciting than cricket, by the way.)

 

But despite following the sport, it took me years to jump in and do a triathlon myself. Like many, I had all kinds of delusions about what was and wasn’t needed for triathlons and kept second-guessing myself every time I signed up to do a race. I had all the usual excuses - work getting in the way, not having anyone to train with, and not being able to afford it.
 

So here’s my advice for the best way to get started in triathlon, or any new hobby for that matter. 

 

Join a Club

Because I start work at 6:00am when most squads train, I am forced to do the vast majority of my training solo. That’s not a bad thing, as I actually enjoy the time spent on my own, but there are days when even I don’t want to train. Having others there to talk you into the work will help you enormously.

For example, last weekend I was standing at the start line of a half-Ironman and it was just miserable. Cold, rainy, windy, and generally shitty, with a forecast for huge winds on the bike course. If I had gone to that race on my own, I wouldn’t have even started. But because I went with my girlfriend, who was determined to finish, I felt obliged. On top of that, I ran into friends who were also 100% focused on finishing no matter what. So I started - and once I was swimming everything wasn’t so bad.

"[I] actually enjoy the time spent on my own, but there are days when even I don’t want to train. Having others there to talk you into the work will help you enormously.

That kind of peer pressure is a good thing when it comes to the hard times in training. There are days I’ve been so exhausted before even riding that I’ve literally prayed to God (and I’m an atheist) that I would get hit by a car so I didn’t have to train. The fatigue can be that bad. But when you have training buddies to lean on during these times, it makes it so much easier.

 

The other aspect to joining a club is that they’ll usually be able to get you discounts for gear (more on that later) and there will be people with experience for you to learn from. 

 

You Don’t Need All That Gear

Even though you see professionals using bikes that cost as much as most people’s cars, you don’t need one of those bikes. The same goes for an aerodynamic helmet. For proof, go watch Chrissie Wellington win in Kona multiple times with a standard helmet on a Cervelo P2, which is a far cry from their top-of-the-line P3 (at the time) and current P5.
 

I’ve seen people at local events riding mountain bikes with the knobby dirt tires. The reality is that a local sprint triathlon is only a 20km ride, and if you’re just seeing if you will enjoy the sport or not, you just need a bike, any bike, and you’ll be fine. 

 

Chrissie Wellington

 

The gear you really do need makes for quite a small list:

 

1. You’ll need a bike and helmet that fits. 
2. You need running shoes. 

 

You don’t need a tri suit or a two-piece combination with shorts and a top, but you will be substantially more comfortable in them than any other gear you may want to wear. Ignore the idea of wearing a cycling top because it is also Lycra. These jerseys normally have three large pockets on the back, which will act as a parachute while you’re swimming. 

 

The same goes for most brands of compression wear. Most have a seam that runs directly through your crotch. Without wishing to be indelicate, if you’re unused to sitting on a bike seat for a period of time, you will likely already feel like you’re going to rub a hole in yourself. Don’t make that worse by adding a seam to cut you in half, too. Trust me on this. 

 

"If you’re a beginner triathlete, I will guess the swim isn’t your best leg. The extra buoyancy offered by a wetsuit is well worth the small investment to rent."

The one exception regarding equipment is a wetsuit. Many companies and shops offer rental deals now and I highly recommend you do this. If you’re a beginner triathlete, I will guess the swim isn’t your best leg. The extra buoyancy offered by a wetsuit is well worth the small investment to rent. Do not try to use a surfing or water-skiing wetsuit as an alternative. They’re a different kind of rubber, are designed differently, and will actually make swimming harder, not easier. 

 

Most wetsuits have multiple sizes that are all close to each other. Using 2XU as an example, I can fit into three different sizes, and also a fourth that fits me perfectly. Take the time to get your size right and make sure the person helping you understands the suits and how to make them fit correctly. 

 

When put on properly, a wetsuit won’t have any restriction in the shoulders or rubbing around your neck where the zipper closes. A poor-fitting suit will leave you fatigued and chafed, so don’t be shy about making sure this is absolutely correct - especially if you decide to buy, as they are a big investment. 

 

Learn to Swim

For nearly everyone who starts triathlon, and even for regular competitors, the swim is the discipline that holds the most fear. It’s easy to understand why, especially in Australia. The swims are open-water swims where you can’t see the bottom and the water can be quite cloudy. Down under, that means people worry about sharks. 

 

 

This fear is compounded during wave starts where you have a hundred or more people starting together in a small space. (An Ironman swim will have 1,800-2,000 people all starting together and it’s like being in a wet mosh pit.) This leads to jostling, occasional punches and kicks to the head, and then a panic that starts to set in. Adding fear of deadly creatures surfacing from the dark depths to eat you and the swim can really set people on edge. 

 

"It’s very different having to lift your head to sight, having to deal with waves and other people, and not being able to see the bottom"

If you’re not a confident swimmer, then the experience can be confronting even for short distances like those in sprint triathlons. So spend some time in the water prior to your race, and in open water, if you can. It’s very different having to lift your head to sight, having to deal with waves and other people, and not being able to see the bottom. I’d even suggest a few lessons from a reputable swim coach just so you develop some confidence and learn to relax when things get bumpy. 

 

This is another great part about being in a training group, as you’ll be able to join in on swim squads. These groups often work on these exact elements so that you’re relaxed swimming in close proximity to others on race day. 

 

All Are Welcome

Triathlon is one of the most open sports I’ve seen. From absolute beginner to top professional, everyone races on the same course and all are welcome. 

 

The distances for sprint triathlons are only an 800m swim, 20km ride, and 5km run. For most people, that will take between an hour to an hour and a half. If you can survive a Spin class and a short run after, then you’re fit enough to do a sprint triathlon.

Your IT Band is Not the Enemy (But Maybe Your Foam Roller Is)

Foam rollers seem to be all the rage these days and often for good reason. They’ve been demonstrated to restore lost range of motion at certain joints and many of us swear by their ability to help massage away soreness and speed recovery. Chances are high that if you’ve ever used a roller, you’ve used it to roll out your iliotibial band (IT band), and likely at the recommendation of a trainer or one of your runner friends. It’s okay. We’ve all been there. 

 

But now do me a favour. Stop abusing your IT band. It is your friend, and you haven’t been treating it like one. 

 

Initially, the logic behind rolling your IT band seems fairly sound. Foam rollers increase range of motion and reduce pain. My IT bands are tight and my knees hurt. Therefore I should apply the roller to my IT bands to solve these problems, right? Unfortunately, more often than not the answer to this question is a resounding “no.” It’s quite possible you’re actually doing more harm than help and further stretching an already abused and over-elongated piece of tissue.

 

In order to understand why rolling your IT band isn’t always a good idea, you first need tounderstand the anatomy of your hips and thighs and the issues that most commonly lead to IT band pain in the first place.

 

Kinesiology Lesson Time

 

On the sides of our hips we have a couple of muscles responsible for the motion known as hip abduction, the movement of your leg away from the centerline of your body. Basically, if you’re standing up and you lift your leg out to the side without rotating your foot or leaning your upper body in the opposite direction (which would be cheating) you’ve just abducted your hip. Congratulation, that’s step one in understanding the problem.

 

Step two is understanding what hip abduction is mainly responsible for. It is meant to allow for dynamic stabilization of your knee during movement, particularly walking and running. Our knees have a tendency to shift medially, or laterally, during movement and our bodies use hip abduction as a way to mitigate this issue. 

 

Step three is understanding the muscles that produce this motion. Your IT band is attached to a smallish muscle called your tensor fascia latae (TFL), which is meant to stabilize your knee and assist in abduction, but the prime mover is actually your gluteus medius, one of the muscles in your buttocks (found, perhaps unsurprisingly on the upper part of the lateral aspect of your glutes). I would say that in 90% of the cases that present with IT band issues it is the gluteus medius (or glute med if you want to speak in sophisticated PT lingo) that is actually the culprit behind the pain.

 

When the Glute Med Goes on Vacation

 

The issue is often that the glute med either isn’t firing correctly or just straight up isn’t firing at all. The human body is an incredible machine and will adapt to just about any demand placed on it. When one of your primary movers is too weak to perform the movement on it’s own, some of the stabilizers and assistive muscles will kick in to help. While this isn’t such a big deal if it happens once or twice as a result of absolute fatigue of the prime mover, when your body becomes neurologically programmed to always initiate movement with the smaller assistive muscles, then you’re setting yourself up for an injury.

 

What typically happens is something like the following scenario. Our glute med isn’t firing correctly for any number of reasons. Generally speaking, the glute med is one of the weakest muscles I test on a regular basis, even in monster athletes. When the glute med is weak, it can’t do much to stabilize your knee so the TFL kicks in. Now your TFL isn’t quite as big or powerful as the glute med so it can’t dynamically stabilize your knee nearly as well. It is, however, attached to this big thick piece of tissue (your IT band) that it can tighten up to help stabilize the knee statically. The problem with this is that you’re now statically using a structure to achieve dynamic stabilization. That’s kind of like responding to the shocks on your car being too loose by tightening them up so much that they can’t move.

 

As a result of this compensation an enormous and unnatural stress is placed on the IT band, which leads to tightness, inflammation, pain, and (frequently) foam rolling. The problem then is that we are attempting to treat an over-stretched, inflamed tissue by further stretching and beating the heck out of it. While it may feel nice for a little while after your leg goes numb, you aren’t really doing anything to affect any kind of permanent change and in some cases you may be pushing the issue further. 

 

How to Test for Glute Med Weakness

 

The truth is that glut med weakness is an incredibly common issue. If you have IT band pain and want to test for glute med weakness in yourself you’ll probably need a friend to help. Lay down on your side in a straight line and make sure your hips are stacked on top of one another. Now with your legs out straight bring your top leg, whichever it may be, back a bit so that your toe is touching the heel of your bottom foot. Now flex your ankle and try to raise your leg. 

 

Many people have trouble even performing this leg lift without rolling backwards (which allows you to cheat with your hip flexors), turning the foot outwards (which allows you to cheat with your external rotators) or letting the leg shift forwards (which lets you use your hip flexors again). So if you’re able to do this you’re already ahead of roughly 50% of the population. 

 

Now have your friend attempt to push your leg down gently at first and then with slightly increasing force. If you can maintain the height of your leg without your body position shifting, then congratulations, your hip abduction is actually quite strong. For most of us, we will either resort to cheating or simply be unable to maintain the leg raise.

 

 

The nice thing about this issue is that it can be fixed rather easily. The same leg lift you used as a test can be used as an initial exercise to reteach your glute med to fire. You simply need to pay close attention to avoid cheating and make sure you feel the muscle pulling from the upper region of the lateral aspect of your buttock (where the glute med is located). If you start to feel the pull on the front of your hip, then take a break and adjust your position because you’re cheating. 

 

As with most movement disorders the true solution is mindfulness of your body position and mindfulness of your movements. Weak hip abduction is an insidious because it can cause all sorts of issues. Luckily, it’s rather easy to identify and deal with. Get your glutes firing again and maintain mindfulness of their proper use while working out. Yeah, it really is that simple. Now get out there and get moving.

A 5-Step Approach to Training During Adolescent Growth Spurts

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We have all seen the awkwardness that accompanies a period of growth for youth athletes. Some of us have even experienced it. The fastest runner on the team begins tripping over his or her feet. The once graceful dancer is all arms and legs. The number-four batter moves down in the lineup because he or she can’t get the timing right. 

Adolescent Growth Spurts (AGS)

According to the book Bright Futures in Practice: Physical Activity, published by Georgetown University, a temporary decline in coordination and balance may occur during puberty because of rapid growth. In many cases, this decline is not only demonstrated through sports performance, but also in regular physical activity. This experience can be frustrating for coaches, trainers, youth athletes, and parents, particularly if this decrease in athleticism is interpreted as a lack of skill or effort.

"Based on sports fundamentals, AGS training should focus on movement-based strength, overall fitness, speed and agility, plyometric work, and instilling confidence."

Knowing that adolescent growth spurts (AGS) and the accompanying athletic awkwardness are normal in this phase of puberty does not make it any easier for the youth athlete. As well as physically affecting sports performance, AGS can also affect athletes socially and mentally. It can also have detrimental effects on core strength, postural control, and performance - including skill, speed, coordination, and agility - as athletes struggle to adjust to their rapidly growing and changing bodies. 

Youth athletes need to know they are not alone in experiencing a lack of coordination and balance during and after growth spurts. In her article, Hockey Training During the Adolescent Growth Spurt, Kelly Anton explains:

At their fastest, boys grow by four inches a year and girls by two-and-a-half inches a year. As height increases, the center of gravity lifts. This happens so quickly that the brain does not get a chance to calculate the new rules for balance. On average, boys grow fastest between 14 and 15 and girls grow fastest between 12 and 13. Girls finish their growth spurt at 18 while boys need another two years before they finish growing at about 20.

Adolescent coaches and trainers recognize the physical changes that occur during AGS can decrease overall skills, speed, coordination, and agility. Coaches, trainers, parents, and athletes must also be aware of the athlete’s susceptibility to training injuries, especially during and after AGS.

How to Deal With AGS

The good news is that coaches and trainers who are aware of AGS can help alleviate and reduce athletic awkwardness by incorporating specific aspects of training into practices and training sessions. The Soccer Speed & Agility Clinic ebook, published by the Soccer Fit Academy, addresses these particulars of training. Although this book is geared specifically to soccer players, the common-sense approach of training through AGS is applicable to youth athletes of every sport.

Based on sports fundamentals, AGS training should focus on the following five factors:

1. Movement-based strength
2. Overall fitness
3. Speed and agility
4. Plyometric work
5. Confidence

It is important to note that while AGS is considered phased training, the fundamentals may be used separately or may be merged. The emphasis in AGS training, as opposed to a regular training session, is that particular attention is paid to the execution of proper biomechanics through all aspects of training for a growing athlete.  

Progressing from this point, coaches and trainers can start to increase the load and intensity of the drills as athletes become stronger and more confident in the movements.

1. Movement-Based Strength

Beginning with movement-based strength, coaches and trainers should look at the basic movements of the specific sport. Across the board, most movements will center on running, squatting, jumping, lunging, pivoting, and rotating. The object in this phase of training is to make these movements more rhythmic in nature through repetition, through recruiting correct movement patterns, and through building confidence in movement strength.

After these movement patterns are mastered, speed is added, with specific attention paid to performing drills without losing form. Progressing from this point, coaches and trainers can start to increase the load and intensity of the drills as athletes become stronger and more confident in the movements.

RELATED: Foundational Training for Youth Athletes: Are You Doing It?

2. Overall Fitness

The second phase of AGS training is overall fitness, which is defined as the level of play that allows an athlete to perform optimally. Pre-season conditioning is largely responsible for the overall fitness of an athlete, the focus of which should be optimal athletic performance late in the game and late in the season. In addition, fitness largely contributes to decreasing sports injuries.

3. Speed and Agility

In off-season training, building a strong speed and agility base follows closely with the first two goals of training through AGS. As athletes progress through growth spurts, they must relearn how to control their bodies in direction changes, changes of pace, and acceleration situations. They must relearn their balance points and readjust their center of gravity. Again, stressing the repetition of correct movement patterns, with a gradual increase of speed and intensity, is key to developing speed during and after AGS.

"The athlete must believe in his or her training, his or her abilities and skills, and his or her past experiences in order to prepare for and perform well in an event."

4. Plyometrics

Plyometric exercises are the final physical phase of AGS training. As discussed earlier, this area can be merged into other areas of training, especially with strength training, to help develop explosive strength, speed, and agility.

5. Confidence

Confidence is taught and worked on throughout all phases of AGS training. The athlete must have confidence in the hours spent mentally and physically preparing for the event - the repetitions, the workouts, and the coaching.The athlete must believe in his or her training, his or her abilities and skills, and his or her past experiences in order to prepare for and perform well in an event.

Take Time to Work the Basics

Speed and agility, as well as other sports skills, don’t just reappear after growth has slowed or stopped. That means coaches and trainers must understand how to retrain athletes in their movement patterns. To do this, the training program must emphasize movement, rhythm, and coordination over strength, fitness, and power.

RELATED: 5-Phase Adolescent Strength Program for Creating Good Movers

This is not to say that strength, fitness, and power are not important. They are absolutely essential to an athlete’s optimal performance, but in relation to sports performance and AGS, they must come after the athlete’s mastery of movement, rhythm, and coordination.

By implementing a training program that accommodates AGS, coaches and trainers canalleviate coordination and balance issues, decrease athletic awkwardness and injuries, and help young athletes reach optimal performance levels.

How to Adjust Sets and Reps to Fit Your Training Goal

The way we describe a workout is by breaking it down into exercises, sets, and repetitions. All of your workout can be explained in only a few lines and all will understand what those numbers and multiplication signs mean.

The Importance of Number of Repetitions

Early on, you learned about repetitions. You learned the number of reps you do depends upon your training goal. You do singles, doubles, and triples for power; sets of four, five, or six for strength; eight to twelve reps for hypertrophy; and sets of fifteen or more for endurance.

(As an aside after all the many years I have spent around gyms I have never seen any trainee doing sevens. Ditto on thirteens and fourteens. I guess we just like to work with round or familiar numbers.)

How to Categorize Sets For Lifters and Bodybuilders

The way you categorize sets is somewhat different than reps. They, too, depend on your training goals, but they also depend on where you are at in your workout. Most trainees regardless of discipline use between three to eight work sets. These are the down-and-dirty sets that help you work toward accomplishing your goals.

It stands to reason that the higher the intensity and the lower your reps per set, the more sets you will have to do. For strength and muscle building, the name of the game is to achieve a certain volume of work in training sessions. For weightlifters or powerlifters, you will not be able to lift more than one rep at 100% intensity, so you will have to do more sets of those singles to get enough work in. Conversely, if you are doing a bodybuilding-type of routine, then three sets is the norm. Due to the high reps, bodybuilders only need to do three sets in order to achieve sufficient training effect.

Approach the Warm Up With Caution

The number of warm-up sets done on the way to work-set territory can vary. Many beginners make the mistake of taking too narrow a step between each set. By the time they get to their work sets, they are showing signs of fatigue and cannot perform at their best. Excess warm up can be a sign of lack of confidence. This is especially seen to be true in competition settings where stress is high and those extra sets pile up quickly.

With practice you can get to the point where you will need few heavier warm-up sets. In that case, a new problem emerges - the psychological difficulty of going from very light to quite heavy all at once. This is like jumping out of a nice warm bed into a cold shower.

The solution is a little thing we call an approach set. This is a weight only a plate or so lighter than the first work set and done for only a single or double. The sole purpose of approach sets is to mentally prepare the lifter for the heavier work weights to come. It is just too much of a shock to the system, especially that mysterious system between the ears, to go from a light warm up to a heavy work set in one jump. The approach set will warn the body and the mind that they are now going to be lifting something a little heavier. After the approach set the first work set will feel a lot better and the lifter will feel more confident.

Ramped Up or Straight Across

Eventually you get to your work sets. The number of reps and sets will depend on your training goals. Special attention should be given to the repetition regimen in your work sets.By that I mean, will sets be ramped up or straight-across?

Ramped up means the weight used in each set increases. A lifter might do 135x5, 155x5, 175x5, 185x5, and top out at 195x5. This approach is generally used by novices who have not yet developed the capacity for many sets at high intensity. This is great for getting newbies into shape and also for anyone coming back after a layoff or injury. As a lifter gets in better shape and more experienced, he or she will need more intensity.

That is where the straight-across sets come into play. At some point our lifter will want to do 195x5 for all five sets (or 195/5x5 as our shorthand puts it). Intermediate and more experienced athletes will need this extra work to produce a training effect. This venerable 5x5 regimen is commonly used in powerlifting, football, and general strength training. It was popularized by Mark Berry in the 1930s and revived by Bill Starr in the 1970s. The only reason such an antiquated routine is still used is simple - it works.

Intensity Versus Volume

Olympic lifters don't use quite as many reps, instead concentrating on singles, doubles, and triples. As you might guess, when you are peaking for competition, the number of reps goes down but the number of sets will have to go up to compensate somewhat.

I say “somewhat” because you cannot substitute intensity for volume perfectly. For example, if you want to move from a 5X5 regimen to one with singles, you cannot do 25 singles at 95-100% intensity. Even Bulgarians will tire well before that. Eight to twelve such lifts are pretty much the maximum. At that point volume will drop off considerably, to the point it may be inadequate to maintain strength in the long run. So, what to do?

Enter the concept of the back-off set. This is where the bar is unloaded by a certain amount that will enable more reps and more sets to be done at a high enough weight to stimulate improvement, but not so much weight that fatigue happens too quickly. Back off sets are often done straight-across until a lifter is satisfied that enough work has been done. Others prefer a sort of reverse pyramid situation where the weight is lowered gradually over several sets. Each set will be a little bit lighter and easier than the last.

Variations on the Classic Rep and Set Schemes

There are other regimens out there, but the ones mentioned are the ones most commonly used today. But they are often done with some variation.

The old pyramid regimen has been around for ages. Often lifters will only pyramid upwards, but sometimes they extend the workout by pyramiding back down again. Still other lifters like to warm up really well, then start at the top and pyramid downwards Whichever way they pyramid they usually end up doing more work than they have to.

There are also hybrid schemes where three sets across at one weight are done and then three more may be done across at a higher weight. This is often done when transitioning from ramping up to straight-across sets. At first the lifter is only capable of one set at the maximum. As the lifter gets in better condition, he or she can do two sets, then three, still ramping up the earlier sets. Eventually, the lifter can do all five sets and ramping up can be forgotten.

A Summary Approach

That’s about it for rep and set basics. An exercise will open with straight-across warm-up sets, then some ramping warm-up sets, an approach set, several work sets, and then maybe finish with some straight-across back-up sets.

The key is to know what each is for and don’t do more than you have to.

Why Heavy Lifting Is the Best Winter Activity for Cyclists?

As winter approaches, this particular cyclist is looking forward to spending time in the gym doing some heavy lifts. I can almost feel some quizzical looks from my fellow sportsmen with that statement. Yes, I said that I am going into the gym to do some heavy lifting this winter and it is going to benefit my cycling. 

 

 

Heavy Lifting Improves Oxygen Efficiency

I have found numerous studies that support this statement. The first study, published in 2010 in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, took a group of sixteen cyclists and splits them into two groups. The study group performed half-squats for four sets of four rep maximums three times per week in addition to endurance training. The control group continued with their endurance training. 

 

The result was an increase in time to exhaustion at their pre-study aerobic maximum power by 17.2%, as well as improvements in cycling economy and efficiency with no increase in VO2 max or body weight. So, by working on strength rather than muscle volume or hypertrophy, I am unlikely to add significant amounts of power-sapping body weight.

 

I have written about VO2 maximums before. Since maximal oxygen consumption is limited by your lung volume and how fast you can breathe in and out, there are limited opportunities to make significant improvements. Although having a big pair of lungs to start with (thanks to family genetics) will generally be a benefit to your performance. So, lifting heavy seems a good way of improving your performance and efficiency of using the oxygen that you can get into your system.

 

Heavy Lifting Improves Peak Power Output

The second study, published in 2005 in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, took seven untrained males and had them perform four sets of five repetitions of hack squats at 85% of their 1RM. A barbell hack squat is performed holding the barbell behind the legs. As alternative you could use two kettlebells. As you might expect, the subjects’ lifting performances improved as did their cycling peak power output.

 

 

Heavy Lifting Improves Cycling Performance

The third study, published in 2010 in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, has been mentioned in a previous article concerning in-season strength training. The regimen tested was composed of a twelve-week preparatory period of heavy strength training twice per week. The study reported improved cycling performance more than a control group performing only endurance training.

 

High-Resistance Work Improves Performance

The fourth study, again published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, but this time in 2009, was slightly different in that it studied the effect of lower cadence interval training on cycling performance. This sounds like high-resistance work using the cycle on a turbo or ergometer, or even outside with hill climbs. 

 

In the study, eighteen cyclists performed explosive single-leg jumps combined with either low or high speed intervals. The lower cadence interval group improved performance more than the higher cadence group.

 

A Break From the Norm

The evidence from research articles indicates that some heavy lifting is beneficial. In the coming months it will be a welcome break for me from cycling in poor weather or becoming bored with turbo training. Working in the gym will also allow me to work on other aspects of my fitness.

 

As all these studies used heavy loads, you do need to take care. Make sure you warm up properly. If lifting in the gym is new to you, then start off gently and obtain the help of a coach or trainer who can instruct you on the right way to lift without injuring yourself. 

 

 

How to Incorporate Heavy Lifting Into Your Cycling Routine

One way would be to start with a preparatory period of three to four weeks of lighter weights and basic movements. Include squats, upper body presses and pulls, and core work, followed by a regeneration week. 

 

This could be followed by a second period of three to four weeks of building up the weights for a heavier lifting period. Concentrate more on movements that mimic cycling activities like lunges, steps, and squats. Reduce the number of repetitions and increase the effort while maintaining the same effort on the upper body. Have someone spotting you when you’re lifting heavy weights, for your own safety.

 

The third period could bring cycling activities back into program by combining resistance sessions with endurance. Work on the bike with a lower cadence and more resistance, such as hill climbs or harder resistance intervals, combined with explosive efforts like the single-leg jumps mentioned in the fourth study. Follow this again with a regeneration week.

 

That’s three periods of four to five weeks training each outlined over twelve to fifteen weeks, working on combining lifts with cycle training. If this is how you spend your winter, you’ll be in a great position to start 2015.

The 6X6 Brutality Workout

Do you think you're tough? Do you think you're invincible and have faced your greatest workout challenge? If those are true, congratulations - you're the woman or man. If not - or you seek another challenge - I've got something for you. It's an ass-kicker, provided you follow it properly.

It's my 6 x 6 Brutality Workout.

Like all workouts should be, it is simple to understand but difficult to do. In this case it is extremely difficult to do. Give it a shot and let me know your results.

How You Do It

Perform six rounds of six exercises (36 total bouts) taken to volitional muscular fatigue at approximately 10 repetitions. That is - work to the point where no more perfect repetitions are possible. Don't simply stop at ten reps if you can squeeze out a few more, safely. There should be minimal rest between exercises and rounds. The ultimate goal is to complete the entire workout using proper exercise form in the least amount of time.

Two different exercise sequences are used for the 6-exercise rounds, each consisting of two different upper body multi-joint push, upper body multi-joint pull, and multi-joint lower body exercises performed in the following order:

1. Upper body push exercise A
2. Upper body pull exercise A
3. Lower body exercise A
4. Upper body push exercise B
5. Upper body pull exercise B
6. Lower body exercise B

Example: Sequence 1

1. Dumbbell chest press
2. Seated row
3. Plate-load leg press
4. Machine overhead press
5. Close grip pulldown
6. Barbell squat

Example: Sequence 2

1. Barbell incline press
2. Low pulley upright row
3. Romanian dead lift
4. Parallel bar dips
5. Plate-load bent-over row
6. Dumbbell squat

The 6-exercise rounds are performed by alternating sequence 1 and sequence 2 three times each - sequence 1 > sequence 2 > sequence 1 > sequence 2 > sequence 1 > sequence 2.

Another example of a possible pair of sequences:

1. Barbell standing press
2. Wide grip pulldown
3. Trap bar dead lift
4. Machine chest press
5. Dumbbell bent-over row
6. Machine leg press

1. Dumbbell incline press
2. Chin up
3. Squat machine
4. Barbell bench press
5. Low row
6. Barbell lunge

You choose the exercises based on your equipment availability/training facility.Any free-weight, machine, or bodyweight exercise can be used provided it meets the 10-repetitions to volitional fatigue goal.

Use the attached workout recording form to document the exercises used, repetitions achieved, 6-exercise sequence time, and overall workout time. Partner timing is recommended. Start a stopwatch to begin the workout. At the conclusion of each 6-exercise round, record the watch time in the space provided, but do not stop the watch.

Your first time attempting this endeavor will require some estimation regarding the appropriate resistances to use throughout the workout. Because you will be moving quickly between exercises and experiencing extreme fatigue, the resistances used to match the proposed 10 reps at volitional muscular fatigue will require adjustments. That is, you will need to reduce the resistances that you would normally use in a less-fatigued state. This is why it is paramount to record your workout data so adjustments can be made accordingly.

One last time:

Six exercises for six rounds (36 total sets). Follow the workout recording form. Each set performed should be taken to the point of volitional muscular fatigue. The last repetition - whether it's more or less than 10 - must be brutally difficult. Be smart, use controlled lifting form, and secure a training partner to keep it safe. The rest between exercises should only be the time it takes you to move from the previous exercise to the next. If you have to gather yourself and rest, that's allowed. But remember, you're on the clock. Don't be ashamed if at some point you need to assume the fetal position to regain your composure. Again, you're on the clock, but you may need that to complete the workout.

How long should it take you to complete the 6 x 6 Brutality Workout?

• Very fit – 30 minutes or less.
• Decent shape – 30 to 40 minutes.
• In poor condition – good luck.