Why strength training should become a triathletes fourth sport

It is hard to imagine making more room in your schedule for a fourth sport but the importance of strength training to a triathlete is invaluable. When some hear the words “strength training” they think about “bulking up.” But, strength training for a triathlete is more about building your core muscles and helping to prevent injury. Having strong core muscles is very important to a triathlete given the swim, bike and run all count on core strength to work effectively and efficiently.

Core muscles consist of the abdominal, obliques, and lower back muscles. During the swim, a strong core helps your body stay parallel in the water. On the bike, it helps you efficiently transfer power to your lower body. And, on the run, it helps keep your pelvis neutral which allows you to maintain a long stride. Without a strong core you aren’t able to perform to the best of your abilities.

There are many ways to obtain stronger core muscles and many resources on the Internet to show you exactly how to do that. For those who are new to strength training www.beginnertriathlete.com has some great articles with videos to show exactly how to position and move your body like this one: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=486 . Make sure you start slow but try to build your way to about two workouts per week.

Stay strong!

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