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.

So what type of strength training should you be doing?

Let me state the obvious: The fitness world is oversaturated with fad training methods that are unnecessary and often can be counterproductive for endurance athletes.

So instead, focus on fundamental movements

Hip Hinge (examples: deadlift, kettlebell swing, Romanian deadlift, good morning)

My # 1 pick, without a doubt, is the single leg Romanian deadlift (RDL). RDL movement starts with eccentric contraction, which means that our glutes and hamstrings are lengthening under tension. The ascending portion of the exercise requires the muscles to contract yet again, this time during shortening. This pattern works our central nervous system and the elastic properties of the muscle. It's a huge gain for triathletes who are constantly overloading the quads (heavily dominant while cycling and running) which results in hamstring muscles being tight and weak - a combination that may lead to strains and tears.

Hip Extension (examples: squat, lunge, Bulgarian squat, split squat)

Here I've got two picks: reverse lunge with rotation and Bulgarian split squat.Both are unilateral which is more sport specific for both triathletes and runners. We recommend reverse lunges with rotation for the mobility days or warm ups and Bulgarian split squats for the days when you're ready to hit the gym harder.

Push (vertical or horizontal), (examples: standing overhead press, push ups, bench press)

My choice - narrow push up works multiple groups of muscles: anterior deltoids, pectoralis major and triceps.I favor this "push" exercise because it emphasizes triceps which is the prime mover during the elbow extension and can also give you that extra push at the end of your freestyle stroke.

Pull (vertical or horizontal), (examples: seated row, inverted row, pull up, pull down)

My choice - TRX high row.High row targets the mid section of the trapezius, rhomboids and posterior deltoids (among others), all of which are very important in keeping a tall posture. Too many triathletes finish their races with hunched shoulders - an alignment that compromises breathing.

Anti-rotation (examples: pallof press, plank with shoulder tap, bird dogs)

My choice - plank pull through.This exercise directly benefits both running and freestyle swimming, since the objective is to keep your hips stable while allowing your limbs not only to move but also to work against the resistance.

Hip Abduction and Adduction (examples: clam shells, lateral band walk, side shuffle)

My choice - lateral lunge.The lateral lunge works both hip abductors and adductors. Athletic side to side movements (frontal plane) are essential for joint health and dynamic stability of triathletes.

Overall, strength training programming should be viewed through a number of different lenses, the main ones being:

Compatibility: Often I see "recovery days" packed with compound lifts that are taxing on the central nervous system, which for most triathletes is more challenging than running, swimming, and cycling. Strength training should play a supplemental role and, although it should be challenging, it shouldn’t compromise the rest of the training week

Periodization: Depending on which phase of the racing season (or off-season) you’re in, it will have an effect on the number of sets, reps, tempo as well as exercise selection.

Based on my experience in strength and conditioning, I am convinced the aforementioned exercises will significantly benefit “the average triathlete”. And while I hope you’ll find them helpful, given that you’re not the average triathlete, I strongly suggest you capitalize on your limited time in the gym by trying to find the areas of biggest opportunity specific to you (in other words your weakest link). That should help guide you to a strength training plan that will best take you through this beautiful but harsh 140.6 miles journey!

Jarek has a personal training business in Silicon Valley, he can be reached at [email protected], and be sure to check out his website, www.seamlesstrides.com