Crossfit

I will leave my opinion of crossfit out because I don't want to start a flame war. But if your purpose is to become a better triathlete, skip it. Spend that time swimming, biking, and running. If you are doing it because it is fun, have fun, but just please be careful.

How does it help running?

You're going to need to get your own sled. It sounds like a cliché, but it's really true-- the only way to get better at sled pulling and pushing is to do more sled pulling and pushing.

how does it help cycling?

the steroids do help a lot for running and cycling too

{no sarcasm}

So instead of hill repeats or speed intervals for run/leg strength time would be better served doing crossfit?

{no sarcasm}

Or just go run. 

My thoughts exactly.

All we need now is a road bike vs. tri bike thread!

So you just want to kill the whole thread?

We call those form drills.  And yeah, if you swim a TON it will help you in all endurance endeavors.  It's why many kids in swim clubs can run way faster then their classmates.  Or why my 16 year old can run a 4:18 mile on less than 25 miles per week of running.....but the running he does is almost all very specific.   You can't get faster running by lifting weights or doing power skips without keeping your run volume up......you sure as hell can run faster by upping your swim volume to 40-50,000 yards of hard intervals per week even if you drop some of your junk run work.  Try both and report back. 

pssssst he's right

just put down a 2:10 Oly running less than volume than last year....and PR'd the run........

I'll make a blanket statement that I believe to be true: the average triathlete does not have the volume in their week where adding a strength workout wouldn't be a substitution of a sport specific workout.

That's right.  We've had the discussion before about how it would be ideal for triathlon training if people had time to swim the type of yardage that it takes to really be competitive in triathlon, and almost everybody says, "but I don't have that kind of time"....and I can see the point.  But then ask the same group if crossfit can help and some of the same people want to say that fitting in a strength or crossfit workout once or twice a week can really be helpful.  No it isn't.  If you want to do strength work than do strength work that is specific to swim/bike/run.  Add a hill repeat workout, or do some drills with paddles while swimming, etc. 

Crossfit is fine......it won't make you a faster triathlete, and it won't make you a faster runner or give you more bang for your buck in endurance training.  But it's fun to argue about.

Should I post a road bike or tri bike thread to complete the trifecta?