Strength Training You Need For a Breakthrough Ironman

Jaromir "Jarek" Szurlej has his masters in Physical Education, is certified in CSCS, is a Certified Personal Trainer, and an RRCA Long Distance Running Coach. In this article, he breaks down what he believes are the most important principles of strength training for an Ironman, and the excises that helped him qualify for Kona in his first year of training.

To fully realize how significant strength training is for long-distance triathletes, one needs to line up around mile 17 of the marathon during any of the Ironman races. The hillier the course, the better. It's not a pretty sight to behold!

There are many reasons why a triathlete’s form falls apart: fatigue, dehydration, and glycogen depletion. But the main reason is muscular imbalance. And the longer the race, the more obvious it becomes. Muscles that are not firing properly when participating in shorter events shut down completely during lM. And you end up hobbling to the finish line.

Like me, you may have heard that Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden don’t strength train. Well, this article isn't meant for them. And it’s not meant for those able to handle 35+ hours of training per week feeling peachy. But, it is meant for everyone else.

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