The Top 3 Priorities For Triathletes In The Off-Season
You did it! You have completed a full cycle of racing, and now you have entered into the off season in your periodization cycle (cycle that is used to break up your training regime). So what do you do during this time? I want you to keep in mind the three big goals during this time are to rest, build strength, and maintain your aerobic fitness in order to get ready for the next race cycle.
1. Rest and recovery
Rest can look very different for everyone depending on how fatigued you are feeling. Use this time to take a break from a structured training schedule, and focus on activities that bring enjoyment. This can be anything from taking nature walks, meditative activities, yoga, or if you must you can enjoy relaxed swims, bike rides, or runs. The key here is to take it easy and focus on recharging the body both physically and mentally and priority is set on getting sufficient sleep, stress management, and nutrition. Listen to your body!
2. Building strength
The focus here is to build a solid strength foundation in order to minimize injuries during the season. It too serves as a performance booster by increasing power, and efficiency. The program should be geared towards addressing the whole body with emphasis on lower intensity and higher volume (i.e. 3 sets of 8-12 reps with exercises) with a set frequency of either 2-3/week. For example,
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|
Upper body Rows, face pulls, push ups |
Rest |
Lower body Squats, deadlifts, calf raises |
Rest |
Core Bird dog, dead bug, planks/ side planks |
Rest | Rest |
3. Maintaining aerobic fitness
The key to this is to maintain your aerobic fitness at lower intensities (60-75% of max HR) for longer durations. This is a good time to focus on your form since you are decreasing the intensity. For example, in swimming honing in on stroke efficiency, and breath work. For running, incorporating some drill work and stride work to improve running form, and for cycling improving on gear shifting, cadence work, etc.
Overall, take it easy, and make sure you are not pushing too much during this phase. This is also the best time to work with a physical therapist to address any aches or pains you may have had recurring or have been pushing off because of lack of time. A physical therapist can help identify any underlying weaknesses and design a program unique to you to help address these weaknesses. See below for an example of an overall structured program incorporating both strength and aerobic activities.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|
Upper body Light swim |
Rest or light walk, swim or yoga |
Lower body Light run 45-60 min |
Rest or cross train |
Core Bike ride 60-90 min easy |
Long run | Long bike ride |
Happy rest period! You have earned it, breathe and enjoy this time to set yourself up for success for the next race cycle!
If you need help putting together an off-season strength training program to get you race ready for next season, call/text us at 973-310-2678! We put off season programs together for athletes all the time and would be happy to help you set up with the right exercises, the right weight, sets and reps to set you up for success!
Call us at 973-310-2678 and let our team know you are interested in an off season strength training program and we’ll get you set up!
Authored by:
Dr. Anakaren Lopez, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS
Doctor of Physical Therapy