Starting Strength- Stability and Mobility
As with the whole approach at Tribal, the focus is upon first developing health with the view to developing performance. When it comes to strength development, that means great preperation for every session and balancing the postural and muscular effort demands of everyday life and the three disciplines.
The following specific dynamic warm ups and strength sessions aim to be as time efficient as possible to help you integrate strength training into your training week.
Swim Specific Dynamic Warm Ups and Basic Strength
When swimming the effort is heavily about your shoulders and trunk, specifically around internal rotation at the shoulder and body weight support in the hand. The following dynamic warm up aims to prepare the shoulder for this sort of demand.
Dynamics Shoulder Warm Up
Dynamics Neck Warm Up
The strength exercises detailed in the video below will keep your shoulders healthy as well as improving your ability to support your body weight in the water.
Swim Dynamic Warm Up
Strength – Swim Specific
Bike Specific Dynamic Warm Ups and Basic Strength
Cyclists getting pain is as common as runners getting injured, the reason? Posture whilst riding a bike is horrendous and failing to prepare to be in such a compromised position for extended periods of time will eventually lead to discomfort. The following dynamic warm up aims to prepare you for the ride ahead. include the same dynamics used for shoulder and neck that you can view above.
Bike Dynamic Warm Up
Specific strength training for cycling includes resetting your posterior chain so that you are back standing tall as soon as possible post ride. The same strength exercises you are completing here can be used to oppose a day sitting at your desk or driving your car, this is great stuff for when you are travelling to events and having to endure long hours sitting.
Strength – Bike Specific
Run Specific Dynamic Warm Ups and Basic Strength
85% of runners get injured every year, the lack of specific preparation for each run is a critical element to this statistic- The following dynamic warm up targets your lower leg and hips. Avoid short cutting this essential area for continuity and health.
Run Dynamic Warm Up
The stability of your hips and the reactive strength of your hamstring and lower leg are essential elements to your running continuity and performance. The following brief strength session begins your progression to developing healthy legs for running.
Strength – Run Specific
Accessory Strength and Preparation Training
Pilates and Optimum Posture Introduction – Pilates puts emphasis on spinal and pelvic alignment, breathing, and developing a strong core or trunk, and improving coordination and balance. Your strength development should always start with joint stability and progress from this platform, also, Pilates can be a great foil to a hard racing season, promoting recovery and strength without a great training load.
The pursuit of Optimum Posture is very much a lifelong quest and an all day, everyday task. A triathlete needs to be aware of their day-today static equilibrium in both standing and seated posture as well as their training and racing dynamic posture to enhance performance; we cover the ideal postures for swim, bike and run later.
Massage – Self-Myofascial Release (SMFR) is a self-administered soft tissue therapy for the treatment of skeletal muscle immobility and pain. The therapy relaxes contracted muscles, improves blood and lymphatic circulation, and stimulates the stretch reflex in muscles.
It is worth including and learning these techniques early on in your triathlon development. You should take a developmental view of your myofascial health and spending a bit of time with a roller or massage ball on a daily basis will really help with your movement development, in the interest of Kaizen, ensure you record your current reality using the scoring chart and then work on the sorest areas. Regularly, check, manipulate and recheck your progress.
Stretches – Stretching as a great complement to your training is best completed at the end of your workout. Pre-workout, prioritise Dynamic Mobility and SMFR as a way of promoting exercise readiness. If you have outstanding mobility issues to work on avoid activities that are likely to compound the problem, instead, choose to work on your specific issue for a while- your long term continuity and health will be the greatest reward for your time commitment.