The only 4 strength and conditioning winter workouts you need as a triathlete
Try these four strength and conditioning routines alongside your winter triathlon training.
As the current triathlon season comes to a close, you’re likely reflecting on your race achievements and in which areas you can improve. Enter, strength training. The only way to safely build your speed, power, and overall performance is combining your weekly swim/bike/run sessions with regular strength training.
We’ve roped in the help of experienced triathlon and S&C coach Dermott Hayes for his advice on the best exercises triathletes can so to bulletproof their performance during the winter build phase of training. Rather than getting lost in a maze of exercises, reps, and iterations, here are four ready-made workouts to integrate into your training that cover all bases.
These workouts can be used with any training plan, but are devised especially to go alongside the free 8-week training plan also written by coach Dermott Hayes.
All these sessions use the following abbreviations:
- BW = Bodyweight
- SB = Swiss ball
- WGT = Weights
Strength and conditioning workout #1
Blast those legs and glutes with these seven exercises with repetitions and finish with an ab killer at the end.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Squats (BW) | 3 | 10 | |
| Calf raises (WGT) | 3 | 15 | |
| Glute Bridges | 3 | 10 | |
| Hamstring Curls (SB and BW) | 3 | 12 | |
| Forward lunges | 2 (each leg) | 10 | |
| Plank (30-40 sec hold) | — | 3 | |
| Ab crunches | 6 | 10 |
Strength and conditioning workout #2
This upper workout strengthens your shoulders, arms and side ab muscles.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Shoulder Taps in Press Up stance | 3 | 10 | |
| Bicep Curls (WGT) | 3 | 10 | |
| Side Bends (WGT) | 2 (each side) | 10 | |
| Shoulder Press (WGT) | 3 | 10 | |
| Dorsal Raise | 3 | 10 | |
| Side Plank (30 sec hold) | — | 2 each side | |
| Ab crunches | 6 | 10 |
Strength and conditioning workout #3
Another lower workout to blast those glutes and abs, along with some single leg work.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Side Squats (BW) | 2 (each leg) | 15 | |
| Single leg balance | 3 | 30 sec each | |
| Glute Bridges | 3 | 15 | |
| Squat Jumps | 3 | 15 | |
| Single Leg Calf Raise (WGT) | 2 (each leg) | 15 | |
| Plank (45-60 sec hold) | — | 3 | |
| Ab crunches | 5 | 15 |
Strength and conditioning workout #4
Core, arms, and back exercises for overall strength and conditioning.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
| Incline Press Ups (BW) | 3 | 15 | |
| Lateral Raise (WGT) | 3 | 15 | |
| Side Bends (WGT) | 2 | 15 | |
| Upright Row (WGT) | 3 | 15 | |
| Tricep Dips (BW) | 3 | 15 | |
| Side Plank (45 sec hold) | — | 2 | |
| Ab crunches | 5 | 15 |
For more training plans, check out our huge collection of expert-made plans for all distances and goals.
Dermott Hayes
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