Triathlon Training for Beginners

Presented by:

Off-Season Triathlon Trainingfor Beginners

Agenda

Duration: 40 minutes

• Build your base level of fitness

• How does heart rate training work and how can it help you improve

• Off season training tips

• Beginner triathlete Q&A

• Enter for a chance to win!

Sign up for Iron Girl Event

Select Training Program

What’s next?

Off-Season Triathlon Training

What’s next?

Start your training now!

Off-season training can help improve your performance

next year

Off-Season Triathlon Training

Build your base level of fitness

Recommendation:

Troy Jacobson 12 week triathlon training programs

Emphasizes training consistently over the winter focusing on 3 areas:

Heart rate training is core to improving all 3 aspects

Build your base level of fitness

• Takes the guess work out of your training

• Gauges your intensity:

*Key for off season is to not over train, but recover from

the season and stay fresh

• Structures your weight training workouts more effectively (Combine resistance and aerobic training)

• Helps you try new activities

• Helps get you through periods of increased calorie intake with minimum effect

• Critical for the last phase when you start your

base building for the season

Why heart rate training during the off-season

• Calculates your Target Zone, a heart rate range that is based on a percentage of your Maximum Heart Rate and your age

Training in each Target Zone has a different effect

Training Computer

Blue Zone•60-70% of maximum heart rate•Recovery workouts, fat burning, endurance building

Gray Zone •70-80% of maximum heart rate• Improves cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and endurance

Red Zone •>80% of maximum heart rate• Interval training and maximum speed development

Why do I need to train with heart rate?

Target Zone training is incorporated into Coach Troy Jacobson’s training plan

Key words to follow:

Aerobic: Blue Zone Tempo: Gray Zone

Blue Zone• 60-70% of maximum heart rate• Recovery workouts, fat burning, endurance building

Gray Zone • 70-80% of maximum heart rate• Improves cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and

endurance

Red Zone • >80% of maximum heart rate• Interval training and maximum speed development

Example:

Wednesday Bike 45 minutes in your aerobic zone (60%-70% of maximum heart rate) then run for 20 minutes in your aerobic zone. Brick means do these two workouts consecutively.

Blue Zone• 60-70% of maximum heart rate• Recovery workouts, fat burning, endurance building

Gray Zone • 70-80% of maximum heart rate• Improves cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and endurance

Red Zone • >80% of maximum heart rate• Interval training and maximum speed development

Structuring your Off-Season Plan

Keys to structuring your workouts

• Strengthen your weaknesses-Technique and fitness

• Try new activities

• Pay attention to intensity:

-Nothing in the red zone will benefit you during off-season, but it can hurt you for next season

• Allow yourself ample time for base building

Technique Development

Assess your weaknesses and focus on techniques to improve:

Swimming: practice stroke and breathing technique: Bi-lateral breathing, kicking drills, stroke drills with pull buoy

Cycling: pedaling drills to improve cycling technique r/l balance (large circles), climbing (out of saddle, increasing

cadence)

Running: more efficient striding Increasing your cadence

(trail running, treadmill elevation to flat workout)

Full Body Strength Training

- Strength training should focus on whole body with focus on your weak areas

example: shoulders, upper back for swimming

core for all activitiesquads and hamstrings for cycling

calves for running

..but stay flexible…that means dynamic stretching…and foam roller

- Weight train 2-3 times a week

KEY…vary your workouts and reps to build strength,

but also muscle endurance

Full Body Strength Training cont.

- Combine resistance and aerobic training in one…

example:

Supersets where the first movement is resistance…followed by 50 rope jumps…Use your Polar heart rate monitor to determine when to start the next set…drop 20 beats or when heart rate stops dropping

NOTE: Make sure your doctor has cleared you for any weight lifting

workouts that you may undertake..and always use good form.

Full Body Strength Training cont.

Do a resistance movement, then follow with one of these..let your heart rate recover 20 beats and start again

Steps up. 6-10 each side

Ball Slams 8-15 Side jumps..over and back is 18-20

Dynamic lunges 6-10

Burpees 8-10 Basic Jump Rope 50 jumps after each strength set

Full Body Strength Training cont.

Focus on resistance movements that are multiple muscle focus, and close to simulating a movement that you use…

examples:

Squat Press-legs, shoulders, core

Triceps on balltris, core, balance

Walking lunges with rotationLegs, shoulders, chest

Reverse wood chops-core, great for swimming stroke

Aerobic Training

Pre-base work

• Key is to stay active and maintain your aerobic fitness so you are ready for base training

– Choose new activities or ones you just like to do..if they simulate one of the 3 Tri events, that’s even better

– Intensity should not reach the red zone

– This is truly maintenance time, you are not building aerobic fitness for the season yet

Aerobic Training

Pre-base work

Alternative activity choices

Swimming: Strap on some gloves and punch a heavy bag at your face level or above…simulate a fight with 1 minute rounds and use your Polar hrm to dictate the next round. Make sure you alternate. 1 round right foot forward, the next left foot forward.

Cycling: In line skating, cross country skiing

Running: Snow shoeing, pool running, pull your child on a sled

Aerobic base work- Laying down your foundation. Train at a

comfortable, sustainable pace. Focus on time not distance. The distance will come.

- Monitor your heart rate and stay in blue zone (60% - 70%)

- If you are new to running walk/run first to stay in zone

- If you are an experienced runner, you may also have to do some walking to stay in your zone…IT’S OK…it will pay dividends later.

Don’t let ego get in the way…it’s ok to walk!

Don’t train too hard

• The purpose of off season training is to build base, maintain fitness and remember why you do this..hopefully for FUN!

• Workouts in the first 2 Zones..use your Polar training computer to keep you on track…especially you TYPE A personalities…You know who you are

• Prepare yourself for the training

to come…

Training Tips Recap:

Training Tips Recap:

• With a Polar rate monitor, you can track your fitness during any activity:

– Cross country skiing

– Hiking

– Racquetball

– Kickboxing classes

Keep your training fresh with alternative workouts

Stay Motivated and Don’t Burn Out

Heart rate training provides weekly workout summaries

and tracks your progress to keep you motivated

Additional Training Tips:

- Continuous Heart Rate- 2 training zones- Calorie Burn

- Continuous Heart Rate- 2 training zones- Calorie Burn- Energy Pointer- Polarpersonaltrainer.com

- Continuous Heart Rate- 3 training zones- Calorie Burn- Speed and Distance Options- Polarpersonaltrainer.com

- Continuous Heart Rate- Calorie Burn- Sport Zone Training - Speed and Distance

Options- Polarpersonaltrainer.com

FT4 FT7 FT60RS300X

• Track your calories “out”

• Polar training computers include a soft, comfortable fabric chest strap that means calorie information is accurate….. Because it comes directly from the source of that kind of information…your heart.

• Visit Polar’s facebook page and the

Iron Girl facebook discussion forum for support.

Additional Training Tips:

Stay close to your training weight during the holidays