A strength program for triathletes should take two short sessions a week, sit away from your key swim, bike and run workouts, and change through the season. Here is how we structure it for age-group triathletes over 30.

Most age-groupers already train 8 to 12 hours a week. The last thing they want is more. So the strength work has to earn its place.

Done well, it does. Stronger legs hold their shape late in the run. A stronger upper back holds your position in the water and on the aero bars. And strong tendons put up with the mileage.

When strength fits in a triathlon week

Put strength on the same day as an easy session, or on a day after your hardest session, not before it. You want to arrive at your key bike and run sets fresh.

A common week looks like this: strength after an easy swim on Monday, and again after an easy spin on Thursday. Thirty to forty minutes each.

A strength program for triathletes, season by season

Off-season (8 to 12 weeks): a healthy person. This is where you fix things. Single-leg control, hip strength, calf capacity, upper-back mobility. Moderate loads, more volume.

Base and build: a healthy athlete. Heavier, fewer reps. Squat or split squat, deadlift variations, step-ups, pull-ups or rows. This is where strength actually goes up.

Race season: a healthy triathlete. One or two short sessions a week to hold what you built. Lighter, crisp, and dropped completely in race week.

The exercises we use most

• Rear-foot elevated split squat. Single-leg strength for the run and the bike.
• Romanian deadlift. Hamstrings and glutes, the engine for hills and late-race running.
• Step-up. Simple, specific and hard to do badly.
• Single-leg calf raise. Bent and straight knee. Your calves take a pounding on the run.
• Pull-up or single-arm row. The pull phase of your stroke.
• Pallof press and side plank. A trunk that does not twist when you are tired.

Our posts on masters athlete training and hip mobility drills go deeper on the over-40 side of this.

Common mistakes

Too light for too long. Endless sets of 20 build endurance you already have. Heavier sets of 4 to 8 build what you are missing.

Going too hard in race season. Strength should leave you feeling better, not wrecked for your Saturday long ride.

Skipping the run side. If running is where you fall apart, our running strength program is a good companion.

Have your program written for you

We write your strength program around your race calendar, your training hours and any old injuries, then adjust it through the season. Fill out the form below to get started, or see all our online fitness programs.