One day Weight Training?

I lift one day a week and feel that this works in well to my overall schedule of swimming, biking, and running.  I probably shouldn't do this, but I consider my lifting day my rest day, so I don't feel like I'm taking away from the other three.  I do a full body workout hitting all of the major muscle groups.  I then supplement this by doing push ups, pull ups, and dips at least one other day of the week.

Does it help with my triathlons?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  It makes me feel better to do it than to skip it all together.  Plus, I do look better in my tri suit. 

I only do upper body strength training, and then I only use the machines and do the 3 sets of 10 reps thing.  No HIIT stuff.  Just straight lifting.

I figure it's the only strength work my arms and upper body is going to get outside of swimming.  Plus, I'm trying to tone my arms and build some muscle to help get my BF down.

I have learned, though, that it's not a good idea to do a hard weight session on the same day as Masters Class.    I'm still sore. 

That's why I noted "Depends on your priorities and what you want to accomplish."  I'm not against lifting for those who enjoy it or its benefits.  I just don't support it as a way for most to become better triathletes.

Let's put it this way, let's say you have X avg hrs a week for training to get ready for IM and qualify for Kona. (Some weeks will be more hrs and some other less). You will keep some hrs for weight training and the rest for s/b/r while and 2nd athlete with identical skills than you focus entirely on s/b/r. Since the biggest limiter for 99% of athletes is base training, I would say that the 2nd guy will have better chances at accomplish the goal although genes will also play an important role   

And yes you can build up specific strength just s/b/r and no, you don’t need WL to avoid injuries. To do that you have to build up slow, train smart, train enough that you can do it day after day and rest when you need to.

Again, if many enjoy weight lifting for other reasons such as personal looks, you like it, it makes you feel good, or it makes you believe it enhances your tri training, that’s a valid reason to do it, but understand how things work and how one thing might affect another, that's all...

I'd say athlete (b) could be hitting his 20 hours harder since he has 2-3 hours of additional recovery.  So everything else equal I'd take athlete (b).

Every time you weigh in on this subject that voice in the back of my head reminds me "He doesn't like to lift, he doesn't like to lift, he doesn't like to lift" and that makes me wonder if I/we should get advice on lifting from you? Sort of like getting advice about applying for an advanced degree in economics from the kitchen help at Chevy's.

I've done (and continue to do) my research on lifting to benefit triathlons.  You're free to take or leave that advice, but I consider it well grounded. 

I don't (and won't) weigh-in when people ask for specific help in setting up a weight program (for whatever reason) or how they should lift, etc. because then you would clearly be right in ignoring me.

I would pick B based on what JK posted. Training is about stressing our bodies and allows enough recovery time to absorb the workload to push our fitness level up. However I would pick A if he already pretty much reached his fitness potential and by adding some extra stress on the form of ST might help.