checking in
dear coach
The Role of Strength Training Dear Coach, I just completed another season and had mixed results. I really want to take my performance to the next level in 2011, beginning with my offseason training. I have heard so many mixed opinions on the value of strength work in triathlon. Does it really help, or would I be sacrificing important training miles?
with matt dixon
triathlete.com | December 2010
pre-season is a perfect time to make functional strength your priority and to set you up for next year. Let’s begin our discussion on functional strength by identifying what it isn’t. A proper functional strength program does not entail hours and hours of heavy lifting at the gym with traditional exercises such as bench presses, leg presses and bicep curls. While these types of activities have a place in health and fitness, it is highly questionable as to how they relate to endurance performance, and the vast majority of athletes I work with can achieve proper stimulus and benefit by using their own body weight. Functional strength is not simply a series of static abdominal exercises and core work, such as crunches, which have value as preliminary exercises and rehab but will not provide optimal performance gains in endurance sports. To be truly effective, functional strength training should include these characteristics: ››
Matt Dixon: larry rosa
48
There is much confusion and conflict regarding the value of strength training as it applies to endurance sports, and to provide a valuable response I should clarify exactly what I think of when discussing strength training. I think there should be very little debate as to the value of strength training in improving endurance performance—this being specific exercises and movements that improve stability, mobility and functional strength that directly correlate to movements made in your core sport (swim, bike, run). Functional strength is one of the four pillars of performance I base my training philosophy on, with the other three being the core sport, recovery and nutrition. These four pillars are ranked equally in importance for every athlete and provide a balanced approach and platform from which to make gains. I would, therefore, argue that functional strength is critical throughout the season—not just in the off-season (or pre-season as I call it). The