Strength Training?

A hybrid of a distance running and swim specific program would be suit you better.

You will probably find swim/bike/run more useful for weight loss, tri performance, and general fitness, but strength training can be useful for improving muscle tone and resilience against injuries. My coach often has me do workouts from this lady:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxKcc1J5gBY

I haven't actually done these videos, but similar workouts that I get in PDF form. A lot (but not all) is body weight work that can be done at home; for almost everything else, you just need basic free weights. They are oriented toward functional strength that is useful for different sports, not body-building.

For something a bit more brutal, try Jay Johnson's website. It's aimed at runners--lots of core and glute work. Again, the goal is to build functional strength and resilience, not massive muscle. (I'm 5'7" and less than 120 pounds dripping wet--clearly these workouts don't build muscle!) Start with the less advanced routines--some of the moves are very difficult, and I have actually pulled muscles attempting them.

If muscle-building is a goal, I would consult a trainer, and let him/her know your goals and motivation. A qualified trainer can adjust according to the client's needs and fitness. No need to always work out with them, just long enough to get a general program put together and know how to do the exercises correctly. You can watch it on Youtube, but sometimes it really helps to have someone check and correct your form in person, especially with barbell exercises like squats and deadlifts that, if done incorrectly, can put your back and knees at risk of injury.

Basically you want to work the posterior chain. Squats and deadlifts, along with some planks, and single leg exercises will take you a long way in the strength department.

Is the "Starting Strength" program an ok place to start?

I was just worried with all the squats, running would be an issue on off days?

TG is spot on with the posterior chain and single leg movements. However, having personally worked with many endurance athletes in 1-1 gym settings I can tell you very few know how to squat and deadlift correctly without loading the body incorrectly. This is imperative for successful strength work. No offense to endurance athletes, but they are notorious for not being well in basic movement patterns and/or balance. Adding external load to this equation without learning to move well first can be a recipe for disaster.

The Starting Strength site, and Rippetoe are a great way to learn how to perform these movements correctly. That said, working with someone first to at least from a basic standpoint of understanding the basics of strength initially would be of great benefit. Look at coaches background, results, and successes to find someone locally that could help.

I would categorize what most need in such as this....

Squat
Hinge
Push
Pull
Lunge
Carry

Core (outside of Squats, Deadlifts or RDL's)
Anti-Extension
Anti-Rotation
Anti-Lateral Flexion

Learn to produce power, but absorb power first.

Edited by bcagle25 2017-04-06 10:03 PM

I've always been under the impression that weight training is beneficial to weight loss as muscle requires more "sustaining" calories than does fat. At any rate, I weight train regularly along w/tri training in part for "aesthetics" and because I feel it helps retard muscle loss (again, I could be wrong on the latter).

The "Body Sculpting Bible" is how I got started and, to this day (it's an old book) I rely on those principles.

Best of luck.

I like to include strength training after my runs or swimming. I do a fast paced workout with no rest between sets. For example: A set of dumbbell bench presses and then a set of ab work. Repeat 3 sets. I do about 45 minutes of weights with core work. Good way to burn fat and keep body in shape.

I usually do Arms on one day, then chest and then back. I don't do legs because I run and bike so much. I also have good leg strength from past weight training.

The thing is it is not so much about lifting big weights. The real point is to work on muscle activation and range of motion. This can be accomplished by relatively little amount of weight. My bread and butter is squats with 15kg plates on the bar. I do this before and after treadmill workouts and when I am at the gym. Lifting heavy weights will fatigue you and build unnecessary muscle that you likely don't need. What you are trying to do is use the muscles you do have better and more efficiently.

I picked up 'Strength and Conditioning for Triathlon'by Mark Jarvis ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strength-Conditioning-Triathlon-4th-Discipl... ) and have found it pretty good, but I can't really compare it with anything else.

Only a guess on my part, Thomas, but I'd think people trying to lose weight would look at it differently. The functional movement exercises you (and I) do are great for triathlon. I'm not so sure (I write this, looking to shed 10#'s) they're the best recipe for weight loss, though. I hope I'm working the happy medium, but I don't know for sure. Ideally, I suppose, the "heavy lifting" would be done in an off-season block to GET you to ideal weight.....then the functional movement stuff would be ideal.

I can tell I'm getting stronger (strength 2X/wk). I don't know how to measure (in triathlon metrics) what it's doing for me, though. Being 52.5....I hope it's slowing down me slowing down.

If your goals are to lose weight resistance training will best accommodate that.

You will burn more calories while aerobic training, but few after in a 24 hour period

You will burn less calories while resistance training, but far more after in a 24 hour period.

Do you want to burn a few more calories in one hour and far less overall in 24 hours? Or do you want to burn a few less calories in one hour and far more overall in 24 hours?

in simple basic english terms. The amount of calories you will burn to function in 24 hours will be heightened with resistance training versus aerobic training. This in turn will have you expend more energy and burn more calories and assist in bringing your weight down. That does come with the big caveat that in the other 23 hours of the day you are in control of your caloric intake on what your body needs, not necessarily what your body wants.

From an loading and intensity standpoint. You need to incorporate progressive overload to keep the stimulus going. For example...if you squat you can increase the stimulus by weight, reps, sets, time under tension, rest periods, depth, speed of bar, etc. This is getting more into detail and the specifics, but hopefully ti gives you some guidance.

Edited by bcagle25 2017-04-21 3:56 PM

I love doing strength training exercises which includes goblet squat, dumbbell row, push-up and lateral squat.

I have incorporated one or two resistance training workouts into my weekly routine. I find that it greatly improves my overall muscle tone and core strength over s/b/r workouts alone.