A Question of Strength

Many endurance athletes are against weight training as a part of the overall training plan, often quoting "Weights build muscle, therefore adds weight therefore slows you down" I AM NOT OF THIS SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

So this week saw me get back into the gym looking to improve my strength, power and body composition.

Strength is defined as the ability to coordinate and contract muscle fibres to overcome a resistance.

Power is defined as the ability to perform a movement with strength at speed. Power is the combination of speed and strength but needs to be trained regularly to get the best coordination between these two attributes.

Power is also useful in the stride phase (contact, push off) as well as when the athlete has to run up hill and downhill. Increased power results in better efficiency in running, cycling etc which can help overall race time.

Body Composition is the ratio of lean body mass to fat … i.e. I am looking to reduce my body fat levels

The form of weight training I have introduced is circuit training with an aim of strengthening my core and the muscle groups utilised (directly and indirectly) by my sport. The sorts of exercises perform are:

• Squat / lunge /step-up type exercises.
• Push up, bench press type exercises.
• Seated row, bent over row, chin type exercises.
• Mid section specific exercises

These exercises work many muscles/joints and lead to the best overall strength gains.

After warming up for 5mins on the x-trainer I move from one exercise to the next without pause, but switch muscle groups etc from one exercise to the next to ensure I get maximum workout density (the most from my time) this I do for 25-30mins aiming for a total body workout and finish off with 5mins or so of stretching


And as expected this first session left me a bit sore …. But that is to be expected and I’ll be back in the gym next week

IRONMAN GERMANY ... 296 DAYS AND COUNTING