Opinions on Group Workouts

author : acbadger

comments : 0

Individuals are just that, individuals and need individual programs. However, with a group the size of yours, it may be difficult for your coaches to do 25 individual workouts.

Question:

What are your feelings/opinions about having a single workout planned for a diverse group of athletes (i.e. varying levels of fitness/experience)??

Answer:

I’m glad you asked this question. I have mixed feelings about applying a single workout to individuals of varying fitness levels and exercise experience…whether it is a triathlon you are training for or a general weekly strength-training workout.  Individuals are just that, individuals and need individual programs. However, with a group the size of yours, it may be difficult for your coaches to do 25 individual workouts. That being said, there needs to be modifications made for the varying levels of fitness.

For example…those athletes newer to triathlon-ing may need to work on more drills during swim practices than a more advanced swimmers. By drills I mean, bilateral breathing exercises, stroke work, kick sets, etc.

My advice to you, in this situation, is cut the workout the coach has planned for the advanced triathletes in half. As you get stronger and become more comfortable on the swim, bike and run, start adding minutes/mileage/yardage to your workouts. That way you are not feeling completely wiped out for the rest of your day/night. You want to feel refreshed and invigorated after a workout, not DEAD tired. This tactic will also give you a baseline to work from and you can see the progress you are making throughout your training season.

Another idea to help you gauge your own workouts is to journal ALL of your training sessions. Write down how many yards you are able to swim in 30 minutes, how many miles you can run in a regular workout, how many miles you are getting in on the bike, what drills you did and for how long. Also, document how you feel before and after each workout. This will help you mentally prepare and recover for/from harder workouts. You’ll see (and can refer back to) your dropping times; you’ll feel stronger and be more mentally motivated when you can SEE your documented progress!!

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date: January 1, 2006