Now that the 2021 triathlon season is over, athletes are trying to figure out what to do! As Coach Alison stated in her blog last week, “I often encourage them to channel their time and energy into feeding their souls.” Along with feeding your souls, you can set yourself up for a great 2022 race season by incorporating an off-season strength program into your weekly activities.
There are many advantages to entering the season after a good off-season strength plan. In the not so distant past, many endurance athletes were hesitant to perform strength training out of fear that muscle hypertrophy would decrease triathlon performance. Well the science has proven that this theory is wrong. Strength training helps prevent injuries by strengthening muscles and connective tissues; it can increase bone density (which is especially important for female triathletes)and correct muscle imbalances; and it helps maintain muscle mass that is lost through the aging process. It can also make you faster!
The off-season is the ideal time to start strength training, as training volume is down and there is more free time to dedicate to the gym (or with bands if a gym is not available). Building a solid foundation during the winter months will allow you to better handle the pounding that endurance training puts on the body. Utilizing this time to increase strength, and in turn power, will pay dividends for the upcoming season.
If you have any questions about how to start an off-season strength program or what you should be doing, reach out to me at: john@axesperformancecoaching.com.