Triathletes/runners: How do you balance...

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Celo24
Celo24 Posts: 566 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How do you guys balance all the cardio work for your races with strength training? I've been doing a TON of cardio to get myself ready for my tri in April with zero strength training. Now, I KNOW I need to add the weights but since I am already doing 6X a week of workouts between that vary from 45 minutes to 2 hours, how the hell do I fit it in??? Any tips would be VERY much appreciated!!

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  • mapnerd2005
    mapnerd2005 Posts: 363
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    I added resistance to my swimming workouts by using webbed gloves and vortex paddles. I've seen a definite improvement to the definition in my arms. But...I still needed to work in some more strength training, so I just added in 15 minutes daily, alternating days of upper body and lower body.
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
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    @Celo...Major struggle for me I have a craving for Strength training and I know I need it but just cant justify sacrificing the distance and cardio training. Maybe Im wrong.... Plus now I have a knee problem so maybe Ill have all the time in the world!


    Its hard!
  • brityn
    brityn Posts: 443 Member
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    I'm not a triathlete (haven't mastered the swimming part yet) but I've found that I WILL get injured if I don't keep up on my strength training. Right now I'm running 20-25 miles a week (2-3 short runs during the week and one long run on sundays) I still meet with my trainer mon, wed, fri for an hour of strength training. I've trained for 3 marathons in the past ten years, but only made it to the 15 mile mark all three times. It was either my knee, achilles, hips..something always gave out. This is the longest I've gone without an injury (18 months and counting) I know it's due to the circuit/strength training.
  • alliecore
    alliecore Posts: 446 Member
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    My 10k mud run is coming up in May, so I've been trying to balance training for the cardio aspect as well as the strength it's going to take to complete all the obstacles. I also work out 6 days/ week; and 3 of those days I focus specifically on cardio. The other 3 days I start out with strength training, then finish with just 20 minutes of HIIT (I use running), which compliments my long cardio days. I get a break from my long runs, but I'm working at a higher intensity, which in turn has given me more stamina on my long runs.

    Um....I guess that's enough rambling for now. You know where to find me!:happy:
  • coronalime
    coronalime Posts: 583 Member
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    You have to end up doing 2 a days..So on Tuesdays and Thursdays I swim or run in the am and I do yoga at night..I sometimes take a strength class or kettle ball class after work instead of yoga..So I am at the gym at 5am and then later around 6 or 7 depending on what is going on..I only strength train for my shorter Tri's when I get into 1/2 iron man training it all goes out the window and I just train for the tri.
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
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    Not even the coaches agree on whether to incorporate strength training throughout a training plan all year or not.

    When I was Ironman training my coach asked me to stop strength training once we were in season. Towards the end I got injured. Other coaches I have spoken to since disagreed with his approach and said I should have been strength training throughout, but when you have a swim/bike/run training load of 15 hours a week alone and you're already doubling up 3 days a week minimum then things get a bit hairy....

    I don't have any answers really. I guess people with perfect mechanical efficiency can just knock out the miles and develop strength from hill reps etc (this is how my man trains, he only strength trains a bit off season, i.e. in winter). However, I've learned that when I don't strength train I develop mechanical weaknesses that turn into injuries... So I'm forced to sacrifice the distance now and selttle for shorter races like Olys and 1/2 IMs max.
  • mboone4541
    mboone4541 Posts: 14 Member
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    It's a great question. For me I focus on the combination movements (Squats, lunges etc) more so than isolation movements, and I stick to 1-2 sets of most exercises, since I feel that the initial sets are where the bigger gains are made. I try to make up a whole body routine I can do in about an hour, and do that 1 or 2 times per week. During the season sometimes I will drop strength training altogether depending on how long the event I am training for is. But it's not optimal and no matter what, I think all that cardio will limit how much you can gain with the strength exercises.
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
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    I've heard plyos being promoted for strength straining for triathletes as an alternative to weight training per se, looking at focussed plyometric movements to gain power. Makes sense I guess...
  • NitaCB
    NitaCB Posts: 532 Member
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    It can be quite a juggling act can't it? I had got into a good habit of doing 2 pump classes a week, which I found really good. But my city was hit by a huge earthquake and my gym (although ok) is in a 'no-go' zone for what may be even 8 months. I'm not quite sure how to combat that... There are some outdoor group exercise classes I'll do, and I've ordered the '30 Day Shred' which I figure is something that I should be able to fit in without too much trouble. I'm training for a marathon so I know the training for that will get pretty heavy.
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
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    It can be quite a juggling act can't it? I had got into a good habit of doing 2 pump classes a week, which I found really good. But my city was hit by a huge earthquake and my gym (although ok) is in a 'no-go' zone for what may be even 8 months. I'm not quite sure how to combat that... There are some outdoor group exercise classes I'll do, and I've ordered the '30 Day Shred' which I figure is something that I should be able to fit in without too much trouble. I'm training for a marathon so I know the training for that will get pretty heavy.

    Have you checked out Plyos? You can do those without equipment as they are body weight exercises that you can make specific to the muscle groups most used in tri.

    http://www.brianmac.co.uk/plymo.htm
  • Celo24
    Celo24 Posts: 566 Member
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    Thanks for all the great info and suggestions everyone. I guess there just is no easy way to balance it, but where there's a will, there's a way, right? :smile:

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