It's time to get excited about strength training

I have a long history with strength training. I think back to my early years of competitive swimming when was around 12 yrs of age, in the gym (supervised by our coach), lifting weights with my swim team. Since then, I can't think of a time in my life when I wasn't strength training. In the later years of college, I interned with the Strength and Conditioning coach of the UK male and female basketball teams. I then went on to graduate school to study Exercise Physiology to become a Strength and Conditioning Coach. Although my career choice has changed since then, I still have a strong passion for Strength and Conditioning.

Although nothing beats the endorphin rush of cardio training, I love the feeling of feeling strong. You never realize how weak you are until you are forced to lift weight (or move your own body weight through specific exercise). While I have had my fair share of soft-tissue related injuries, I have never had a broken bone or stress fracture, and I'd like to think that strength training has helped with that statistic.

As an endurance athlete and triathlon coach, I could never imagine training for such an extreme cardio-sport without a structured strength training plan. From correcting imbalances and improving mobility and efficiency of movements to increasing muscle and connective tissue strength, strength training helps create a a strong, durable and resilient body.

Like any structured training plan, strength training should be periodized, structured and sport-specific. Because the same muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones that assist in movement in your sport must be conditionally strong, powerful, efficient and durable, strength training should compliment your cardio training - helping you perform better in your sport.

It's interesting how many athletes understand the importance of strength training and mobility work but don't make time for it. When the body and mind are tired, time is crunched or motivation is low, strength training is almost always the first thing to go in the athlete's daily/weekly training plan. But it isn't until an athlete gets injured or experiences a setback in training that the athlete will say "I should have kept up with strength training and mobility work."

The great thing about strength and mobility work is that you can get a lot out of a short session of just 20-40 minutes, a few times per week. However, strength training is one of those things were many athletes need guidance, accountability and direction.

To help get you excited about strength training, I want to introduce you to two experts that I have used for my own strength training and I also prescribe their services to my athletes. They are great resources and have a tremendous amount of respect for both of them as they are experts in what they do.

Chris Johnson, PT

Back in 2014, I came across Chris Johnson's strength training videos on YouTube and I told Karel "I need Chris in my life!" I reached out to Chris when he was in Kona (getting ready for the IM World Championship) and he responded to my email. I highly suggest to check out his website and videos. Since then, Chris has played an integral role in helping us as athletes and coaches. Chris will routinely speak to our athletes about running injuries, strength training, running form and busting popular running myths. He's a fantastic resource and all around great person (and athlete). Chris and his colleagues have written a comprehensive guide on all things strength training. While a great resource for practitioners and runners, any athlete/coach will benefit from this guide.

From the guide "Each chapter covers one exercise as well as the associated progressions and regressions to meet the needs of the runner. For every exercise, we discuss the following: the benefits and rationale, the objective, criteria for success and mastery, relevant cues, and common errors/compensations. Video links are also included to provide runners with a model of performance. While we encourage readers to work through each chapter systematically, one can also quickly jump to specific chapters if they want to focus on a particular exercise. Finally, at the end of the book, three sample programs are provided to give practitioners a window into how the loads between running and resistance training are managed across different demographics."

Chris is a wealth of knowledge and he knows what he is doing. If you run or work with runners, Chris is your go-to guy. If you are interested in his new Strength Training Guidebook, you can receive a 20% discount with the code: trimarni.

Erin Carson 

Triathlon is a challenging, time consuming, exhausting sport as you have to train for 3 different sports. Many triathletes neglect strength training because they;
1) Don't know what exercises are "functional" for the sport
2) Don't feel they have time for it
3) Feel overwhelmed by gym equipment and strength regimes
4) Lack the accountability to perform strength
5) Strength training isn't as fun as cardio training
6) Don't know how to fit it into a cardio-focused routine

Erin comes with a great understanding of how to strength train triathletes. She gets it. Not only does she have experience training many professional triathletes but she is extremely passionate about helping triathletes. Like Chris, she is an triathlete herself. Her knowledge and passion shine through in what she does.

Erin has done something that is revolutionary in the triathlon world - She has also made it very easy for athletes to perform strength (with accountability) with a strength training app. This app is easy to use and it's affordable. I've been using one of her programs (compliments of Erin to try it out) for the past two months and find it incredibly easy to use. I also feel like it targets the areas that I find get weak/sore throughout the season when volume/intensity increase (hip region).

I loved the app/program so much that I partnered with Erin and she is now the official Trimarni strength coach for our entire team. Our athletes are currently performing a 4-week demo program (compliments to Erin) that she has set up for our team. The app provides looped videos, suggested reps and sets and each program is designed to be completed as a compliment to your cardio training. There's also a PDF to explain how to use each program. She has also great mobility (Get the connection) exercises to keep your hips/glutes/back happy with all your swim/bike/run training.

I feel so lucky that we have Erin and Chris as resources for our athletes. I encourage you to consider either (or both) as you get excited about strength training. If you have any questions or would like me to make the connection to Erin or Chris, just send me an email.

As a final note, just because you call yourself an athlete, don't expect that you can simply rush into lifting heavy weights, join a cross fit class or try out a plyometric routine. Start slow as you may be an experienced athlete but you are probably a beginner at strength training.

6-month training check-in

Right now at this moment, how would you describe how you feel about your body in relation to your training/workout regime?

Do you use the words exhausted, fatigued, overwhelmed, mentally checked-out, drained, injured, frustrated, unhealthy, unhappy or weak?

Or do you use the words strong, healthy, clean, energized, fit or happy?

Now think back 2,3 or 6 months ago? Do you feel that you are now in a better place nutritionally, physically, mentally and emotionally with your active lifestyle compared to the past?

Between 2013-2014, my body completed 4 Ironman distance triathlons in 15 months. I am extremely grateful to my body for being so healthy and strong to allow me to live such an extreme active lifestyle. And in 6 months, I am so excited to be racing in my 4th Ironman World Championship and 10th Ironman with Karel in Kona, Hawaii.

After taking 6 weeks completely off training during my off-season from Sept - November, I knew that in order to keep my body healthy and make performance gains in endurance triathlon racing, I needed to make some changes. I am always excited to try new approaches to training, fueling and recovery and after a successful past two years of training and racing, I was ready for something better to happen.

When I think about my training, health and body on a daily basis, I find myself using the words healthy, strong, happy, over and over again. Sure, I have the occasional off day but it's rare for my body to feel "off" for more than 48 hours, for more than 5 times a year.
Now this is not worth bragging about because my body is not super human. I take extremely good care of my body and I focus on balance as an athlete, coach, wife, small business owner and doggy mommy.  My number one goal as an elite endurance athlete is to get the most training adaptations possible with the least amount of training stress, all while keeping my body in the best health possible.  Because I can't say that I have always felt this way about my body, here are a few factors/changes that I feel have helped me stay healthy, strong, injury-free (for almost 2 years) energized and happy over the past 6 months. 

1) COACHING Every coach needs a coach and Karel has been helping me develop my triathlon fitness over the past 5 years. Between my knowledge as an exercise physiologist and Karel's cycling background and ability to see the sport of triathlons with a global view, I have been incredibly grateful to have Karel and his support and belief in me. He really keeps me focused in the present moment and because I have so much trust in him, I never question his workouts or plan for me. We certainly work together on my periodized plan but I do appreciate how he can challenge me with workouts that I would not want to give myself. Additionally, with so many muscular injuries relating to my hips, I feel so lucky to have the best bike mechanic and RETUL bike fitter as my hubby. Although the root of my hip/glute/back issues was never resolved through almost a dozen doctor visits, MRI's, Xrays and many PT visits (and I have had some awesome PTs!), I am convinced that Karel helped me heal myself thanks to understanding how I was riding my bike. I was not sitting properly on my bike nor was I rotating my hips correctly when I was aero vs sitting up. I was not engaging the right muscle groups when I rode so regardless of how much hip/glute work I did in the weight room or at home, I was not able to activate key muscles to get them stronger and to keep them from fatiguing. And with training, I was not doing the right drills/workouts to help my pedaling and efficiency while riding. Karel recently refit me and although it is a new position for me to adapt to, it has been amazing to see how my cycling fitness has improved alongside how much stronger and consistently I can run with a strong and healthy body. 

2) PURPLE PATCHKarel and I have followed Matt Dixon with Purple Patch Fitness for several years and this year we have had the great opportunity to have Coach Matt as a mentor. We value his approach to training and also his passion and knowledge for developing age groupers and professional triathletes. If you have not read his book The Well-Built Triathlete, I highly recommend ordering it ASAP to learn more about recovery, nutrition, functional strength and a progressive triathlon program. Matt values keeping his athletes in good health and really focusing on good recovery. He does not give easy workouts but with he knows how to bring out the best in any athlete. He is a wealth of information and so experienced as a coach and athlete. We are so lucky to have Matt as a resource. 

3) CHRIS JOHNSON PTSpeaking of calling in the experts...I am so incredibly grateful to my PT from the West Coast, Chris Johnson.  From the moment I watched Chris's You Tube videos (which I came across while getting inspiration for our Transition Plan), I knew Chris needed to be part of my 2015 training journey. I actually contacted Chris when he was in Kona about to race the Ironman in October and sent him a super long email about my history and I wanted him to help me even though he lives on another coast. Chris took the time to email me and since then, he has been so valuable for my athletic development and a great resource for me as a coach to help my athletes stay injury free.
Although Karel and I have already qualified for the 2015 IM World Championship, I see every season as an opportunity to develop, grow and make myself the best athlete I can be. Many times, this means doing things that I have never done before and taking a different approach to training. So whereas in the past I would get faster before going longer, now I have focused many months of my base training (and off season) to getting stronger before trying to get faster. Although I have always placed an emphasis on strength training in my cardio focused training, I have learned SO much from Chris (after doing a series of tests via video to send him) and he gives me the confidence that I need with my run training. I continue to do strength training several times per week, all periodized with my training. Whereas Dr. G is my go-to girl when it comes to needed a dose of mental strength, Chris has the answer to everything and he makes understanding the injured body so simple. I trust him and most of all, he believes in me which I really appreciate. His strength training routines have been specific to me and my past and I can't thank him enough for working with me.

4) HEALTHY DIET/SPORT NUTRITION 
Lastly, I can't stress the importance of a smart training plan alongside proper daily nutrition and an appropriate sport nutrition regime. I consider myself an extremely metabolically efficient athlete as I know how to time my nutrition with training and my daily diet does not affect my training or ability to fuel before/during/after workouts. I have had my menstrual cycle for over 6 years, never missing a month. For the past 6 years, my weight has stayed between 108-117 lbs (5 feet tall) and I rarely weigh myself (like maybe three times a year). I am a 23 year vegetarian and I have not been sick with a cold or flu since 2007. I have never had a broken bone or stress fracture.
So why do I mention all of this?
As you know, I am a believer and proponent of prioritizing liquid calories to provide electrolytes, carbs/sugar and fluids while training (everything in a bottle - but not concentrated bottles) and as a sport RD, I am always interested in ways to fuel my body better around/during workouts. Restricting sport nutrition, carbs or any food group is just not how I choose to fuel my active lifestyle as a competitive athlete nor is this how I work with my athletes that consult me for nutrition help.
In order to keep my body in good health, my body needs to stay/maintain a healthy weight (not too much weight but not too lean), my diet should be balanced and nutrient dense, there should be extreme focus on sport nutrition and how I fuel before, during and after workouts (and not avoiding carbohydrates by any means!) to support metabolism and hormonal health, I always emphasize good sleep and I value a smart training plan.
My diet is entirely plant-based with adequate protein, iron-rich fortified and plant based foods, calcium (I drink milk and eat yogurt daily) and rich in real-food carbohydrates. I use sport nutrition products for all workouts and I eat before every workout. I do not take any special pills, herbs, medications or supplements. I don't have any rules with my diet and nothing is off limit. I know what works for me and I have a great relationship with food.
I know that with the intentional stress that I put on my body, it would be extremely irresponsible of me to not make an extra effort to focus heavily on how I eat throughout the day as well as around/during my workouts. As a sport RD, my career and life is focused on fueling a body in motion and I spend so much time researching, reading and understanding sport nutrition.

The human body is very complicated at rest but even more so during physical activity and this is why I find it so important that every athlete (specifically endurance athletes) takes an extra measure to make sure the daily diet AND fueling regime supports your training load. Additionally, athletes must focus on the many areas that can help boost performance, not just thinking that the only way to get faster is to train harder and longer.

Train smart and don't be afraid to involve a professional/expert to help you take away the guessing or to help you make a change that you can not make for yourself. 

Trimarni training plans - new and updated!!!!

At Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition, we realize that no two athletes are alike. We (as athletes) all have different health and fitness goals, we live different lifestyles (with different stressors, obligations and time constraints) and we all come from different athletic backgrounds.

When it comes to coaching an athlete, there is nothing like a personalized training plan with specific workouts and zones to support your individual athlete development. Even better is a training plan that caters to your every day life so that you never feel guilty about the 3 M's - missing workouts, modifying workouts and making-up workouts.

An experienced coach understands that preparing an athlete for a race is more than just being a great workout writer.
Depending on a coaches background or specialty area, coaches are often required to be experts in many areas or they bring in the other experts in for a "team" approach to coaching - sport RD, exercise physiologist, sport psychologist, counselor, motivational speaker and physical therapist.  As you can see, there is so much more to "coaching" an athlete than just giving workouts.

At Trimarni coaching and nutrition, we never want our athletes to feel as if training takes over their life or a nutrition journey is extreme, restricting or complicated. We want our athletes to feel prepared and confident with their training and nutrition so we love helping our athletes put in the work for positive results but not at the cost of poor health or sacrifices in life. 

What we feel is not effective in a quality training plan is a standard approach of training - simply having athletes check-off workouts just to get them done. We want athletes to get something valuable out of every workout. We never want our athletes to feel that a workout is only successful if a specific number of miles or minutes are achieved. 

We put great detail and attention into every workout and do our best to carefully monitor our athletes to help them stay balanced with training but also in life.  We also want to give you as much information (handouts) as possible so you understand the why's with your training. We place a lot of focus on strength training, daily and sport nutrition, proper pacing, race execution/planning, mental toughness, recovery and so much more and we want you to learn as you train so you can be a smarter athlete. 

The Trimarni training plans are designed for committed, passionate, performance-seeking athletes of all fitness levels. Yes - that's you!
Our training plans are designed to keep you in good health as you take your training to the next level. 

As a 4x Ironman World Championship qualifier and sport RD, I understand what it takes to train and fuel smart to excel as an endurance triathlete. Karel is a recent Ironman World Championship qualifier and with only 2 years as a triathlete (former cat 1 cyclist), he understands the importance of athlete development. Together, we have coached many athletes of all different levels and ages, who dream big just like us and are willing to work hard for short and long term goals. 

We feel confident that our training plans will take the guessing away from haphazard training and ensure consistent performance gains to help you feel physically and mentally "race ready". We want you to arrive to your race start line with your uninjured, strong and healthy body, feeling "hungry to race" and confident to do so!

If you are interested in a Trimarni training plan, here is what we currently offer to help you with your performance journey: 

Don’t miss our “spring training” special – receive 20% off a 1-hour phone (or skype/facetime) consultation with Marni and/or Karel with the purchase of your training plan now until March 31st!! This can be used to discuss all things related to training, nutrition, sport nutrition, gear or racing!

16-week Endurance plan - UPDATED

Half or Full Ironman

Training for an endurance event requires dedication and commitment. We can assure you that it is extremely helpful to have a training plan that will allow for gradual fitness progression and to help you reduce the risk for injury, burn out and sickness. With the help of our endurance training plan of your choice (half or full Ironman), we want to make sure that you absolutely love your upcoming training journey. And if this is not your first go-around with endurance racing, we are confident that you will enjoy the detailed, periodized workouts in our training plans with specific periodized strength training. No matter your fitness level, we can assure you that you will never get bored with our workouts and you will find yourself getting stronger, faster and fitter during your 16 week plan. 

Olympic Distance Triathlon Plan - UPDATED
Our 12-week plan includes periodized training with key workouts with specific main sets. We focus on all phases of training, including a proper build phase, followed by peaking, taper and race week. Just like in our endurance plan, you will receive a go-to guide to learn how we coach our athletes and how to use your gadgets properly. You will also receive a sport nutrition handou, foundation strength exercises, a swim technique handout, a Trimarni pace zone calculator – for determining pace and HR zones with testing and all workouts can be accomplished with RPE (ratings of perceived exertion) or you may use your GPS device with attached heart rate monitor. A GPS-device/HR monitor is highly recommended for better pacing and quality training. A power meter is not required for our training plans but can be used.

8-week transition plan - STILL AWESOME
Triathlon focused

The transition plan is designed specifically to help you develop the proper skills to progress smoothly throughout the year. Consider this the blueprint of building a strong house for your body.  Our transition plan comes with specific strength and skill workouts to help you get stronger before your more structured training. We do not want you to rush you into your structured training and have you training hard right from the beginning so this plan allows you to place some healthy stress on your body so you can properly adapt to your more specific race-focused training. If you follow the plan that you are given, you will realize that you have some weaknesses (we all do) and that is what we want to address before you advance with your training. Check out our website under the 8-week transition plan to learn more about what is included in your plan. 

Periodized Strength Training Plan - NEW!

For Triathletes, runners and coaches

No longer will you feel like strength training is a missing link in your training plan! Our periodized plan is designed for triathletes (and runners) to help you get stronger before you get faster so you can go longer.

Even though we know you love to train, we are not here to give you a strength training plan that is too advanced for your fitness or one that is haphazard and does not yield favorable swim, bike and run results. Our strength training plan is designed to help you build a strong foundation before you begin to add more speed and power in your training plan and then designed to help you become more powerful and stronger all the way until your A-race. We have personally created over 50 exercises AND videos featured in your strength training plan as well as dynamic warm-up exercises AND videos for swimming, biking and running. We also include specific glute/core/hip strength routines, specific routines for each of the 4 phases of training including recommendations for days performed, sets and reps and ALL strength training workouts are machine-free!
We do require a therapy band, stability ball and free weights (5, 10, 15 and 20 lbs) at minimum. If you have access to medicine balls, kettle bells,  plates and bars, you will have exercises that incorporate full body movements with the use of added weight. 

Don’t miss our “spring training” special – receive 20% off a 1-hour phone (or skype/facetime) consultation with Marni and/or Karel with the purchase of your  training plan now until March 31st!! This can be used to discuss all things related to training, nutrition, sport nutrition, gear or racing!

Our goal is to help athletes reach performance goals while keeping the body in the best health possible.
We train in a way that provides the most optimal performance gains with the least amount of training stress. 

Happy Training!

To learn more: Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Periodized strength training - say what?

source

"One of the most important functions of muscles and tendons in running is to store energy. Like a pogo stick, your body can store energy from impact and then release it to propel your body forward. As such, a large portion of your propulsive energy actually comes from the energy stored in your legs from impact previously made with the ground. This is why you can leap higher and longer if you do a “countermovement” before jumping, like swiftly bending your knees, which allows you to reach much higher into the air than slowly bending your knees.

While this “stretch-shortening cycle” has been known about for some time, standardized methods of training this reflex are fairly new. Improvements in your muscles’ ability to elastically store energy have obvious implications for runners, as more stored energy means you can maintain a given pace using less overall energy. In short, your efficiency would improve.

Plyometrics are exercises that aim to develop strength and speed by conditioning the neuromuscular and elastic characteristics of the muscle. The main objective of plyometric training for runners is to produce greater power by training the muscles to contract more quickly and forcefully from an actively pre-stretched position." - source

It's easy to understand the benefits of plyometrics and many athletes will discuss the need to strength train in a cardio-focused training plan. But if your ultimate goal is to be a fast and strong runner, triathlete, swimmer or cyclist, what's the best strategy for incorporating strength training into your periodized training plan so that you don't compromise your energy/time for your primary sport?

Well, the first part is actually making time to strength train and to be consistent with it on a weekly basis. The second part is knowing how to periodize your strength training with your cardio. The third part is making sure you keep good form and progress slowly as your two top priorities when you strength train. You wouldn't run 20 miles after 3 weeks of starting your marathon training plan so why do plyometrics when you haven't yet mastered standing on one leg while moving your arms back and forth?

As athletes, it's so easy to get so caught up in the end result that we often get stuck into the mentality  that the miles/hours we put into training are the only way to feel physically prepared for our upcoming event. But we all know that improving fitness and feeling race ready is much more than just putting in the miles and hours for your respected sport. Strength training improves performance and there is no denying this concept. You can swim, bike and run as much as you want, for hours and hours every day but strength training can improve your speed, power and endurance and the gains are often quick to receive without as much time needed for big results. 

I believe that the biggest reason that athletes do not strength train is that it takes up time and the athlete/coach doesn't feel it is necessary. Funny because athletes make the time to train 10+ hours a week and talk about being "strong" as it relates to improved fitness but can't squeeze in 90 minutes a week of strength training.

Another reason why I believe athletes don't strength train is because it is not fun or perhaps the knowledge isn't there how to strength train as a triathlete or runner or swimmer or cyclist. I realize there is no endorphin high when lifting weights and that can make strength training feel like a waste of time.

In my perfect world, all athletes and fitness enthusiasts would strength train - yes, I find it that important.

It's so important that I want you understand that strength training is more than being strong just for the fact of being strong. We strength train to improve the brain-muscle connection (or neuromuscular pathway) because that is how we produce movements. So many of the "functional" strength exercises that may seem so super simple and boring are quite imperative to "turning on" specific muscles to fire more effectively. For example, if you have ever been told that your glutes aren't working/firing or are "dead" it's not that your glutes aren't working (or else you would not be standing) but they are not receiving the correct signals to support the given exercise  like in running or cycling. Just think about how you feel after you warm-up or after the first few miles in a race compared to before you start - I'm sure you would agree that a warm-up or dynamic exercises can help you become less stiff and that is kinda similar to what strength training can do for your body - you are simply helping the muscles wake up and work better.

Think about the concept - just like a child learning how to ski for the first time, there are specific movements that are new and unfamiliar but also movements that require extreme balance and control. Also for any new skill, we must have the right strength to continue progressing our skills.  We can certainly just swim, bike and run more to get faster and stronger but eventually, a limit will be reached when you have no more time or energy to devote to getting stronger and faster and you may find yourself pushing so hard to improve that you get injured. This is why we must make sure we are taking the time to strength train so that the brains learns how to connect with the muscles in a way that produces efficient, powerful and fatigue-resistant movements. 

I highly suggest starting slow with your strength training. Just like anything that requires skills (learning how to swim, ride a bike, ski, play tennis, etc.), if you skip over steps, you will regret lacking patience down the road. Just like building a house, if you want a strong foundation, you have to follow a well-designed blue print and follow the right steps to build it slowly. 

 Strength training is a key component in your athlete development. 

Karel and I often do strength before our cardio workouts such as doing a 30 min strength or plyo session before an EZ form focused run or doing 10-20 minutes of glute/core/hip strength before a swim or doing 5 min of foam rolling + hip mobility before a bike workout. 
Sometimes we will do our cardio workout in the morning (swim, bike or run) and then do our strength session in the evening as our second workout of the day (instead of another swim, bike or run workout). 
We often do strength before a swim workout and a few times we will do strength after we swim since it is convenient to strength train where we swim. 

But regardless of when we strength train, we are not just strength training because we see "strength" on our workout plan. It is part of the entire weekly focus of training.
When we perform strength around a cardio workout, we see the workout as a whole (example strength + run or swim + strength or bike AM, strength PM) rather than just squeezing in a few exercises here or there and call it a completed strength session. 

The strength training is very specific has a purpose in our plan and the preceding or former cardio workout is designed to compliment the strength session (and vice versa).

This may all sounds confusing but the most important thing to remember is that strength training should enhance your cardio routine. To learn more, I highly recommend reading The Well-Built Triathlete by Coach Matt Dixon as he does a fantastic job explaining strength training in a cardio focused routine (among many other great topics that he discusses that will help you build great performances). 

So how should you periodize your strength trainingwith your cardio training? 

Here's how we do it at Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition.

First we start with our transition or foundation training which can be found in our 8-week transition plan.  Many of the cardio workouts in our foundation phase are also strength focused (ex. heavy gear work on the bike, band and paddle work in the pool and hill work for the run) in addition to specific isolated and simple, neuromuscular-focused strength workouts.

Exercises include: Step-ups, marching, bridge w/ alternating legs, stability ball work and dynamic warm-ups. 

Next we progress our athletes to endurance/power based strength. We make exercises more complex and explosive knowing that our athletes have put in a good 8-weeks of basic movements to help the brain/muscle/nerve relationship for more fluid movements.

Exercises include: squat jumps with bar, single leg deadlifts, push-ups, medicine and stability ball work and a series of basic plyometrics. 

After 8+10-12 weeks of progressing with strength, our athletes are super strong and no longer feel as if strength is taking away from their cardio fitness but instead, they understand (and can see) it is clearly enhancing their cardio fitness. So, essentially it is much easier for our athletes to continue with strength through their peak training and want to do it.  Additionally, since strength was periodized with their training, we know they advanced slowly so the risk of injury goes down so long as the athlete is continuing to train smart and does not mix intensity and volume and strength together, within a workout (in our training plans, we make sure our athletes get stronger before they get faster and then they go longer).

 We are currently finishing up the videos of our race specific phase of strength training for our athletes. All of our pre-built plans include the exercises that we and our athletes do in the first two phases of strength training (foundation and endurance/power).



Here are two advanced strength exercises in our race specific phase of strength training:

Advanced plyometric circuit

Chin-ups

Other race-specific exercises include: series of glute/hip warm-up exercises for every workout, medicine ball squats, single arm weight press, squat jump with bar and overhead lift, bench jumps, plank clams, wall squat with medicine ball overhead lift, pull-ups and single leg lunges with weight. 

Oh, and the best part about our strength training is that our athletes do not have to belong to a fancy gym because we include no machines in our functional strength routine. We do require the use of weights, weight bars, kettle bells, medicine balls, bars and steps but we provide options in the case that our athletes do not have all of these options. Simply put, all our Trimarni athletes (of all levels) do strength training  - at least 3 times per week. 

If you have any questions about strength training in your periodized training plan, just send me an email and we can set up a consultation to help you get stronger so you can take your fitness to that next level.

Have fun getting stronger before you get faster before you go longer!

For more informative strength videos, check out my web-based PT Chris Johnson HERE who has helped me tremendously with my hip/glute strength and helping me "turn" on my glutes. 

Strength training benefits - get stronger, get faster, go longer

When Karel and I were dating in 2006-2007, I remember the first time when I invited Karel to the gym with me to do my plyometric workout. As a cyclist, Karel didn't do much (if any) strength training as he didn't belong to a gym and didn't own any weights at home. All of Karel's training to get faster, stronger and more powerful was on the bike.

Although I met Karel with a fresh "Master of Science in Exercise Physiology" degree, my love for strength training (and knowledge) started when I was around 12 years old, when I started competitive swimming. Our coach wasted no time, even at a young age, for us all to belong to Gold's Gym where we would all do our 30 minute strength workout before heading back to the pool for our two-hour swim  workout. In High School, I continued to strength train and perform various plyometric and band work before workouts and then through college, the plyometric and strength routines became more complex as I found myself also swimming more yards each day/week than ever before.

The most important take away of this all is understanding that my swimming fitness came from a combination of being in the pool AND performing strength on dry land.

Here I am, 20 years later and I still value strength training as an endurance triathlete and it is an inaugural part of my cardio-focused training. 

When Karel did his first plyo session with me back in the day, he had very little balance and stability. Despite being super strong, anything he did on one leg or with a stability ball was extremely difficult for him. Also, he didn't have the upper body or core strength that matched his lower body strength so many of the exercises that required full body was rather difficult for him. Sure, he loved the intensity of the workout but the foundation wasn't there for him to really receive the benefits of plyometrics. I knew that I had to take Karel back a few notches before advancing with plyo's or else he would have gotten injured or experienced too much fatigue that the strength would not yield favorable results with his cycling performance and training.
(telling my crit-racing boyfriend that he needs to start at a beginner level was not easy!)

I realize that jumping off and on blocks or bounding on one or two feet can be a bit intimidating and it is isn't for everyone. But strength training is extremely valuable and it is one of the most effective ways to take your training to the next level all while reducing risk for injury. Considering that training for an event requires us to take risks to gain the competitive edge and injuries are quite high when you are pushing your body day after day, on the same environment (swimming = pool, cycling = trainer or outside, running = track, treadmill, trail, road), strength training is the easiest way to get fitter, faster and stronger with very minimal negative side-effects because you don't have to do it a lot in order to receive huge benefits. 

I often hear athletes saying that they don't have time to strength train despite doing over 10 hours of cardio every week. I hear athletes worrying about being sore from strength training but just love the soreness after a long run or brick session.  Sure, there is certainly a risk for injury if you are overambitious when trying any strength training for the first time and it's also easy to do too much if you are a lover of strength training so that is why it is important to periodize your strength training with your training plan. 

In my next blog I will share with you how we periodize strength in our training plans and show a few videos as well of our recent race-specific strength workouts. 

Athletes: 4 mistakes that you keep making

You were born to make mistakes. No one is perfect. Some of your greatest achievements will grow out of the mistakes that you made in your past. 

As an athlete, I like to think of mistakes as learning opportunities. There are no bad decisions but instead opportunities to adjust, learn and to improve.

When Karel raced his first IM in Lake Placid in 2013, he told me he made a few rookie mistakes. He grabbed his wrong transition bag from the hanging rack of bag as he was entering the T2 changing tent so he had to run back to the rack to exchange his goggles and wetsuit for his run shoes and visor.
On the bike, he took a swig of his gel flask and put the flask upside down in his tri top pocket...opened. A few miles later, his leg felt incredibly sticky with every pedal stroke. It wasn't until he reached back for his flask that he noticed that his entire flask emptied out in his tri pocket and essentially onto the side of his body. 

Now I wouldn't call this rookie mistakes as I feel even a veteran athlete is vulnerable to these mistakes but as athletes we must be able to reflect on races to learn from them to hopefully prevent the same mistake happening more than once. 

Thankfully, Karel has made it a habit to repeat in his head as to what color bag to grab before entering the changing tent in an Ironman and he always remembers to tightly close his gel flask and put it in his pocket right side up. 

If there is one thing that I have learned in endurance racing over the past 8 years it's that there is always something new to learn on race day. 

As athletes, we know that race day comes with a variety of uncontrollables so when it comes to focusing on how we prepare our bodies for race day, we want to direct a lot of energy to how we train for races. Unfortunately, for many athletes, the season starts with a high level of motivation and energy as well as good intentions so on paper, you look perfect. But I find that for many athletes, it takes a few seasons to learn some valuable lessons as to how to train smarter, reduce risk for injury and to keep the body in good health. 

As an athlete, the best investment you can make on your future success as an athlete is to be able to identify your own weaknesses. If you find it easy to put blame on yourself for making the same mistakes over and over but do not hold yourself accountable to making the necessary changes, you are not learning anything from your mistakes. 

As you know, life passes by very quickly when you are in the peak of your season and it's very hard to fill in the gaps when you did not do what you should have done when it needed to be done. Far too often I hear athletes saying the following statements when they recognize their weaknesses and this usually happens when an athlete gets injured or a few weeks out from a key race. 

"I need to stretch more."
"I need to do more strength training."
"I need to eat better."
"I should have recovered better."

As we enter a New Year, you have the opportunity to start a new season of making good habits AND sticking with them. Admit that you did not stretch enough last season, you stopped strength training after a few months, your healthy eating habits got pushed aside when your training volume increased and you pushed too hard on your easy days which caused you to feel tired on the days when you were expected to perform hard. 

It's ok to admit that you made some mistakes but I am here to make sure that you do not make those same  mistakes again in 2015. 

So here are your lessons learned for 2015:

1) Stretching Make stretching part of your daily routine. This includes dynamic warm-ups before all workouts, foam rolling/trigger point therapy to identify "hot" spots and active stretching to loosen-out the body post workout and in the evenings before bed. You can find 5 minutes a few times during the day to make stretching happen. 

2) Strength training
All athletes should follow a periodized strength training routine that addresses functional strength exercises that will transfer fitness gains in your sport. There must be a smooth progression of how you incorporate strength training in your routine as you do not want to risk injury as you try to prevent injury.
In the Trimarni 8-week transition plan, I have your first 8 weeks of foundation strength all laid out for you with corresponding swim,bike, run workouts as well. This is an easy way to not only help you build good foundation strength before you start incorporating more dynamic/complex, intense strength exercises into your strength routine but it is also a no-excuse way to kick-start your strength training routine. If anything, you can at least tell yourself that in 2015 you followed a well-designed strength training routine for 2 months which may be longer than you lasted last year. 

3) Healthy eating
What's eating better? Perhaps you define it differently than my definition but the bottom line is that you likely have a few key areas that you'd like to focus on that you feel are preventing you from reaching your health, performance and/or body composition goals. This doesn't mean you need to be extreme, restrictive or obsessive about eating in order to "eat better." But perhaps you need to make more time for meal planning and cooking. Maybe you find yourself overeating in the evenings because of poor eating choices throughout the day. Maybe you aren't spending enough time understanding your sport nutrition before, during and after workouts. Maybe you are just trying to get more fruits and veggies into your diet or eat more real food. Whatever eating better means to you, focus on making only a few small changes at a time or else you are destined for failure as you can't expect to change everything all at once and keep those new habits for the next 10-12 months.
If I can give you one tip it would be to recognize that your eating habits will change throughout the season accordance to your training plan. Be mindful of how an increased training load will affect your cravings, appetite and macronutrient distribution. Don't let this scare you if you feel like you don't know how to eat in a periodized training plan. My tip for you is to not start the year eating a plant-strong diet made of real food and then find yourself skipping meals, eating ice cream for dinner and passing on your pre-workout snacks when your training load increases. Put a great amount of energy on your daily diet and fueling regime throughout all phases of your training plan to get the most out of every workout. 

4) Recover harder

Athletes are notorious for making easy days too hard and hard days too easy. You must understand the purpose of rest days for they have a place in every athletes' training plan. Whether you choose to take them or not is certainly up to you but I highly encourage you to take advantage of your intentional rest days before you find yourself taking too many unintentional rest days with a tired, burnout or injured body.  Your goal as an athlete is to adapt to training stress. Yes, you may look like a really great exerciser but more so, you want to be a really great athlete. And really great athletes rest their bodies hard. 

Athletes strive for improvements in fitness and this is often the reason why athletes are scared to take a day off. Or even worse, an athlete makes the excuse "it's my recovery day" so the alarm goes off at 5am for an easy swim bike or run. Hello...when did sleep stop being a form of recovery??
As a suggestion, I often find that my age group athletes do really well with a day off (or at least a morning off from working out) later in the week as the season progresses (around 4-6 weeks out from taper) whereas Monday off or a true active recovery day (following waking up rested) is best applied in the beginning part of the season when athletes are more fresh and motivated to start a training plan but also slowly adapting to training stress so that continued stress as the week progresses is very important mentally and physically. Because the entire point of training is to place intentional stress on the body AND adapt to it, there is certainly going to be more to balance as the season progresses so there really isn't a time in your plan when rest isn't allowed. My suggestion is to take advantage of all of your rest days and active recovery days when they come and this includes taking care of yourself emotionally, nutritionally and spiritually when you aren't training on those days. Pay attention to red flags that your body needs a rest day or a change in the routine to ensure that you are training hard but recoverying harder. 

 You know the mistakes that you made last year and perhaps one or more of the mistakes listed above are on your list. So should you once again go into next season being more focused, disciplined and serious? 

I believe that part of the reason why athletes make these mistakes is because they are so performance focused. There is such great passion to all things related to training that the athlete starts the season with very high expectations as to what he/she can focus on to be a better athlete but then life happens and it seems like all of a sudden, there is less time to get everything done. So training takes priority and everything else that can help make you a better athlete gets pushed aside. 

Remember that your season success relies on your consistency with training. Rather than spending all of your energy on training harder or training longer and getting in the workouts, focus on training smarter. Believe me when I tell you that your sleep, recovery tactics, fueling, daily diet and stretching/strength training routine unlocks great performances. These mistakes that you keep making are possibly the keys that you have been forgetting to make a high priority in your daily training routine. 

I'm sure there are other mistakes that we  have all made that are not on this list but I find that season after season, I hear athletes making these same four mistakes over and over as the season progresses. 

Everyone makes mistakes. That's life. But the key is acknowledging that with a little more effort in 2015, you may find yourself preventing these mistakes from happening and setting yourself up for a great season of training and racing

Did you stretch yet today? :) 

Trimarni 8-week Triathlon Transition Plan - Available NOW!

Why do I need the Trimarni 8-week transition plan? 

To improve next year's performance by making good use of the transition phase between 'off season' and your first phase of triathlon specific training.  The transition plan is designed specifically to help you develop the proper skills to progress smoothly throughout the year. Consider this the blueprint of building a strong house for your body. 

What makes this plan different than my regular base building triathlon training plan? 

Transition plan highlights:

-The swim focus is on improving your aerobic threshold, drills, kicking, upper body strength and form and improving your aerobic capacity.

-For the bike workouts, you will see some high intensity intervals mixed with skills/drills and cadence work. You will be doing single-leg drills, heavy leg drills and a little higher volume bike training on the weekends to improve aerobic threshold.

-The run workouts in this phase will be focused on form and improving your economy and efficiency as a triathlete. The strength training will pay off greatly in running improvements.

-The strength training will be periodized throughout the plan to ensure that you are strengthening key muscles groups that will yield favorable gains in swim, bike, run fitness.

-Checkpoints are determined in week 7 to establish realistic, current zones.

-Your first week of specific triathlon training (with bricks) takes place in week 8 to help you transition to your more specific training plan.

Remind me again why I need the 8-week transition plan?

This plan is vital to your season success. Because we do not build a roof before building the foundation of a house, we want you to think of this phase as the bottom tier of your season pyramid of training. Out of every phase of training, this is the most important, yet overlooked phase. We are confident that this plan will pave the way for a great season ahead!

Will I see Campy in your exercise videos? 

Yes!! But this one didn't make the final cut....

What do I get when I purchase the 8-week Transition Plan?

GO-TO GUIDE:

No training detail is left out of this plan. We created this plan as if you were a one-on-one Trimarni athlete. In this 10-page document, you will get the inside details on how we train and educate all of our Trimarni athletes.

Most importantly, you will understand why we have our athletes strength train throughout the entire season and what type of strength exercises are most appropriate throughout each phase of the season.

You will not only be instructed on what equipment we use when we train our athletes but also how to set up your gadgets for proper, effective training.  You will also learn how we (and our athletes) use Training Peaks to monitor training progress (Training Peaks is a FREE software program to upload your workouts for review).

In this plan, there are specific training details for swim, bike and run workouts that will help you better understand how to train smarter not only in the transition plan but also throughout your entire season. You will learn a lot in this guide, not only specific to the 8-week transition plan. 

FOUNDATION STRENGTH & DYNAMIC WARM-UP EXERCISES: 

Every strength workout includes specific exercises, sets and reps to follow. This will occur throughout your entire 8-week plan. You will have access to over 20 videos (corresponding to the strength exercises in your plan) in which Marni is demonstrating the strength exercise and giving important tips. As a bonus, you will also receive a very basic stretching routine as well as 7-9 videos specific to dynamic warm-ups for swimming, biking and running. We want to make sure you know how to warm-up properly before all workouts as well as for race day. We hope you enjoy the videos!

NUTRITION GUIDE (optional addition to your transition plan)

We do not believe in being extreme with your eating or modifying the diet only for a number on the scale. We also do not believe in any extreme use of sport nutrition products (or lack thereof) but instead, to use sport nutrition properly to support training demands and to keep the immune system healthy.

We want you to fuel smart and eat smart to train smart!

For 12 weeks, you will be given specific suggestions as a way to create a balanced diet, to develop a healthy relationship with food and to learn how to eat for fuel and for health.

To help you learn how to eat for fuel and for health (or to improve your knowledge), use the information in this guide as a way to help you reach your health, performance and diet goals.

The information in this guide is not a replacement for medical advice.  Always consult with your primary physician and registered dietitian before starting/modifying an exercise or nutrition regime.  

This guide is the beginning of a new way of thinking about food and your body. It’s time to learn how to create and maintain a healthy relationship with food and your body. We want you to appreciate a more real food diet and to eat the right foods that are timed appropriately with your workouts and lifestyle. There are no meal plans or off limit food lists but instead, every week you will have something specific to focus on or to address when it comes to your daily diet/eating routine.

As a bonus in the nutrition guide, you will also get a 30 minute hip/core workout and 30 min core workout that you can do anytime.

Can I see a sample workout? 

Sure!
Here is a bike workout from our transition plan that was featured on Triathlete Magazine online:
Transition Phase One-Hour Bike Trainer Workout

Are you excited to start the plan?

More information HERE

Challenge your core - runners and triathletes

Running is  a great stress reliever but it also puts a lot of stress on the body. Without a strong core, your gait is likely to be negatively affected. Cycling is a great non-weight bearing sport but sitting on a bike and pedaling doesn't translate to a strong core. If you love to swim,bike, run to be faster, you also have to train to be stronger.

Get stronger before you go faster before you go longer.

Every time you land your foot on the ground while running or when you take a pedal stroke, you are relying on your pelvis, abdominal muscles, hips and lower back to work properly as you move your body in a forward motion. 

If you are currently training for an event and find yourself neglecting core/hip/glute strength work in your cardio training plan, it's time to carve out 10-20 minutes, a few times per week, to build a strong core. 

Sure, training swimming, biking and running may make you a faster triathlete but putting in the miles won't not necessarily give you a stronger core. And a weak core not only affects posture when you aren't training/working out but can also increase risk for injury when you get tired during an intense or long workout due to a change in form without proper core strength. 

Here's an example to show the importance of core strength (or perhaps to show how athletes can be a bit stubborn at times when it comes to the importance of training smart)

When your core is weak and form suffers, you get tight. And tight hamstrings, glutes and hip flexors make it hard to keep good form at the next workout. Because you are dedicated to your training routine and don't want to disappoint your coach, yourself or training buddies, you continue to put in the work with a tight body. As you know from a basic anatomy class, muscles that can not move through their full range of motion are not capable of producing optimal power or speed.
Eventually, overtime, those tight muscles tug at your pelvis and spine and then the entire kinetic chain gets thrown off. You begin to feel nagging aches and pains in your shoulder, lower back and even your feet and calves.
You now you notice that your not able to hit your intervals/zones like you did a few days/weeks ago and as your gait or pedaling or swim stroke becomes sloppy, you convince yourself that you just need to push harder. So, as a dedicated, hard working athlete, you refuse to throw in the towel so you continue to push on until it's too late.
 Now your body is completely out-of-whack and you aren't quite sure where to start to get yourself healthy again. 

And the first thing you tell yourself when you are booking a doc or PT apt "I should have stretched and strength trained more."

I hear it all the time from injured athletes "As soon as I get better, I will strength train more often and stretch more after workouts." 

Even though you know that core/hip/glute work will reduce the chance of injuries and will improve stability, balance, power and speed, cardio training typically takes precedence when athletes are training and strength training and stretching are the first two things to get pushed aside. 

Having a strong core doesn't mean you need to see a 6-pack but instead you should be able to do functional, isolated strength work (ex. planks) to improve abdominal and surrounding muscles to assist in your cardio training.

Here are a few of our favorite Trimarni core exercises if you are looking for an abdominal challenge.
Have fun getting stronger!

If you have any blood pressure or blood sugar issues or injuries, I do not recommend these exercises. Start slow and embrace the challenge of getting a stronger core over time.
 Always consult with your physician before trying a new or different exercise routine. 

For a basic move, hold a straight arm plank with medicine ball under feet to start.
Hold 3 x 30-60 seconds w/ rest as needed. Keep core tight and don't forget to breath. 

When you feel stronger with that move, perform a push-up with medicine ball under feet.
3 x  20-30 seconds w/ rest as needed. 

Push-up with two medicine balls under feet or basic plank. 

Same reps as above. 

Modified mountain climbers with medicine balls under feet.

Perform 3 x 20-40 sec mountain climbers w/ rest as needed

More advanced:
Push-ups with medicine ball under feet and medicine ball under one hand (then switch hands). You must have healthy shoulders/upper back to perform this exercise. 

3 x 10-20 sec push-ups on one hand, then switch. Then  rest as needed.

Trying out for the circus (most advanced)
Push-ups with medicine balls under feet and medicine balls under hands. 

3 x 10-20 sec push-ups then rest as needed. 

Decline bench crunch with medicine ball toss (choose a light weight ball to start).
You should be able to do 10 good-form crunches at a decline before trying this exercise. 

3 x 10-20 throws/crunches w/ rest as needed