Can I do just bodyweight training for triathlon?
As Coach Tim continues this series around Strength & Conditioning for Triathletes, he looks into what else you can do with limited gym equipment or space. He's already discussed the dilemma regarding strength training trying to schedule into the weekly plan. He has also discussed the benefits of adding strength work into your training regime and the benefits of better technique, injury reduction and ultimately faster racing. At the same time, many triathletes still find it hard to strike a perfect balance with strength training.
The answer? Bodyweight conditioning is a great way to build muscular strength without adding muscle mass. Read on to find out more.
Several easy bodyweight strength moves work different parts of the body and benefit your swimming, cycling and running. These exercises can be modified for different levels, and most are simple enough to perform anywhere – home, work and the gym.
As triathlon is three sports, which provides a wide variety of physiques, strengths and weaknesses, combined with different ages, genders and levels of experience, clearly a one-size-fits-all is never going to be effective. There are still some key principle movement patterns to be used as a guide, Push, Pull, Hinge, Squat, Press (overhead) and Rotary Stability. Then there is overload, progression, variety and variation and specificity.
How about Yoga or Pilates as an alternative?. The stability poses help work those small tendons and muscles that are essential for running. The flexibility poses help open the hips, back, and shoulders, which helps with recovery and injury prevention. Over time, intense triathlon training can cause imbalances in the body, resulting in injury if not addressed. Yoga can help by going beyond simple stretching to work the muscles and joints through all ranges of motion. Yoga creates balance, stability, core strength, and flexibility by working the body through all planes of motion.
Common injuries from running and cycling include the iliotibial band (ITB), knees, hamstrings, hip flexors, and shoulders. Running tightens and shortens the muscles and joints without a corresponding lengthening and flexibility. Cycling can result in overdeveloped quadriceps and tight hamstrings, pulling the hips out of alignment. Though swimming is less stressful on the joints and muscles, it can result in a tight back and shoulders. A well-rounded yoga or pilates program can help remedy these issues to underpin good form, such as mobility and posture, which can help develop good technique.
While we are considering bodyweight training, we must also look at other training methods or additional pieces of equipment that can be used to progress, develop or simply add variation. Suspension training systems, such as TRX (one of my favourite pieces of equipment), uses the athletes own body weight as a form of resistance. To increase or decrease the resistance, the angles of the position to the anchor point can be changed to use more or less of the athlete’s body weight. These exercises are a fantastic way to develop, as good performance requires complete control of your body, just like swim, bike or run.
Then there is also resistance bands; these can come in various sizes, lengths and thickness (resistance levels). The most common types of bands are tube bands with handles, loop bands and therapy bands. Like TRX, you can achieve a full-body workout with a bit of creativity. They can also ensure that the exercise you are performing is of great technique. When performing a Glute Bridge, tie a band around the knees to stop them drifting outwards and keep them tracking over the toes to concentrate on the glutes truly - give it a try!
Although there are literally 1000’s of different exercises and variations you could do, here are a few essential bodyweight conditioning moves to help get you started.
Plank – This is a movement you can always improve on – give yourself the challenge of adding 15 seconds to your plank hold each time you perform it. Be sure to keep your hips down and back flat. Putting your hands on an exercise ball while you plank will increase the difficulty for triathletes wanting an extra challenge!
Push-ups – Another great exercise to build arm strength for swimming and core stability. Most people don’t know how to perform a proper push-up. Hands should be just outside shoulder-width apart, and it’s crucial that your hips don’t sag. When you bring your chest down, make sure your elbows are at a 45-degree angle to your body; if you cannot get yourself low enough, practice bringing your chest right to the ground in a controlled effort. Push your way back up while making sure your lower back and hips stay straight like in a plank.
Jumps – Another great exercise with so many different variations, can be used as a foundation for many other power movements to focus on good technique with the ability to produce force correctly. It can be performed in isolation or as a series of jumps, vertically or forwards, single leg or double have fun and be creative.
Spider Plank – Start in the initial push-up position: parallel to the ground with your arms extended and hands shoulder-width apart, and engage your core to make a straight line from your head through your feet. Lift one leg and bring your knee to your elbow, and bring your foot back to start before switching sides.
Dead-Bugs – An excellent exercise for developing the ability to move one arm and the opposite leg while keeping the trunk stable. Isn’t that what we do in the swim, bike & run? Lie on your back, slight pelvic tilt to engage the abdominals, arms above shoulders and knees above hips with lower leg parallel to the ground. With slow controlled movements, lower opposite arm while pushing out heel first with the opposite leg, trying not to touch the ground.
Band Walks – Targets the glutei medius and is essential for keeping the knee stable and avoiding dropping in. Position the band just below the knees. Keep feet wide apart and move sideways by pushing the knee outwards. Stay tall; try not to sit down and back as this will change the pelvis position and emphasise the glutes.
Single-Leg Hip Bridge – Lie flat on your back with arms at your side. Bend your knees, place your feet flat on the floor and lift your hips until your body (from your knees to your shoulders) is in a straight line. Hold this position while straightening/extending out one leg, pause, and return the leg back to start with the knees bent.
Calf Raises – A muscle that gets used across the three disciplines. Developing strong, resistant muscles will help ward off tendon problems that many athletes suffer from. Stand close to a wall with fingers lightly touching the wall for balance. Raise up onto the toes, ensuring the knee is tracking over the big toe; this will engage the glutes, lower until the heel lightly touches the floor and push straight back up again, go for 25 reps on each leg.
Qualified as a coach in 2010, in 2014 began coaching with a local Triathlon Club, in 2018 completed BTF level 3 coaching course. Now he is still enjoying the training but now concentrating on the coaching. Tim takes a lot of time over his professional development and then aims to share this knowledge, helping and supporting athletes achieve the best they can be.
Since joining Tri Training Harder Tim has worked hard in helping mentoring other coaches and run training camps abroad.
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