Strength Essentials

Plyometrics, In-Sport Strength and Traditional Gym Work

Gordo in his home gym

Our Goal: To cover everything required for your strength program:

1. Traditional Strength Exercises

2. Plyometrics & Circuit Training

3. Strength Periodization

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Your Task: Take time to write down the answers to following questions:

• Strong for what?

  • What is your #1 goal this coming season, as well as the next five years.

  • The “strength” required for a personal best 5K run differs from…

    • a 400m swim…

    • a Gran Fondo bike…

    • an ultra-distance triathlon.

• Strong when?

  • Just like the balance between training fatigue and race performance, there is a trade-off between strength and endurance.

    • In the winter, we want to peak absolute strength and anabolic adaptations.

    • In the summer, we want the maintain our strength to support race-specific training.

• How do I stack up relative to my peers?

  • Energy spent on strength training is not available for other aspects of our program.

  • Understanding if we are relatively strong can inform our training prescription.

• What are my future goals?

  • Maintenance of lean body mass is essential for athletic performance across our lifespan.

• Are there strength limitations preventing me from reaching my potential?

  • Put another way, is a lack of “force creation capacity” limiting the ability to produce velocity.

• Do I have sufficient muscle mass to see me through to the end of my athletic career?

  • Applied consistently, this chapter will reduce the rate of muscle loss by aging.

• What is my strength reserve for everyday living?

  • Separate from athletic performance, am I strong enough for activities of daily living?

• Do I have the ability to absorb impacts inherent in my sport?

  • Consider: bone strength, connective tissue strength and overall resilience to impact.

  • For example, the whole-body strength of a multisport athlete can reduce injury severity during a fall or bike crash.

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How to use this chapter:

• Try everything.

• Become technically proficient with the exercises and movement patterns.

• Take your time. We are going to be training for the rest of our lives.

  • If you are new to a topic, or exercise, then adding a small dose will be enough to generate positive adaptations.

  • If you are experienced then consider adding new approaches and changing your habitual routine.

• Going from “zero to some” creates the greatest benefits.

  • The first 15-20 minutes of a strength session have the greatest return on time.

  • When time is tight, or endurance training takes priority, a short session remains valuable within your program.

A little goes a long way and makes it easier to ramp up at the appropriate time of the year.

This is a big chapter. Be on the lookout for a video summarizing the key aspects for you to implement. You can subscribe to our video channel here.