Off Season Triathlon Training
April 28, 2012 by admin
Filed under Strength Training
Developing greater muscular strength during the off-season should be a priority for almost every triathlete. Incorporating strength training will improve efficiency in all three sports, improve workout recovery, and reduce the frequency and severity of injuries. Next week”s article will provide details on the optimal off-season strength training program for triathletes.
Improve Technique
To perform better next year, most athletes need to make a significant change in technique and off season triathlon training. Despite what many athletes believe, simply training more than you did this year isn”t really the key to success next year. Many athletes, even advanced ones, should significantly alter technique to perform more efficiently. Right now, early in the off-season, is the optimal time to undertake changes to technique.
During the racing season, the pressure of racing well prevents athletes from successfully making major changes. Adjustments in technique almost always cause a check-mark shaped change in performance. Immediately following the change, performance usually declines in the short term. Mastering a new skill requires time and frequently emphasizes different muscles, which may not be conditioned for optimal performance. After the athlete has had time to fully master the new skill and his muscles have been trained using the new technique, performance improves significantly. Making such a change early in the off-season gives the athlete months to perfect the new techniques before they will be tested in competition.
Making technique changes early in the off-season also decreases the risk of injury. Putting new stresses on the body”s tissues during periods of high volume and/or high intensity training is asking for trouble. This time of year, most endurance athletes have reduced training mileage considerably and training intensity is the lowest of the year. By the time training volume and intensity are increased for pre-season training, the tissues will have adapted to the new techniques.
