Basic Training

Training is simple. Whether your goal is triathlon, powerlifing, appearance, sport, etc., the basics don't change. According to Mike Mahler (and most coaches), you need to focus on five areas:

1) Strength: Focus on compound exercises that provide the most bang for your buck. There are five areas you need to cover: presses, pulls, hamstrings, quads, and core. An example of each... presses: standing military press; pulls: pull ups; hamstrings: Romanian Deadlifts; Quads: Barbell Squats; Core: Barbell Rollout. That should cover 80% of your strength work. The other 20% should address injuries and imbalances, such as rotator cuff training for your sore shoulder.

2) Cardio: For the triathlete, this is the meat and potatoes (or the tofu and quinoa, depending on taste preferences). It is covered ad naseum on most every triathlon resource, so I won't go into too much depth. However, I am of the 'periodization' training philosophy. That is, break 12 weeks into 3 seperate four week blocks. 1) Base 2) Sport Specific Strength 3) Speed.

3) Joint Mobility/Flexibility/Balance: I notice how incredibly loose elementary school students look as they bounce around the playground - high knees, long strides, quick cuts, light steps. Then, I notice how tight the average runner looks as they plod down the street - tight hips, hunched back, bent knees, heavy feet. The difference? Joint mobility, flexibility, balance. Want to learn for to improve these component of fitness? Go to your local yoga class, or check this out.

4) Nutrition: I have already written an entire article dedicated to Nutrition. I will reprint the whole thing here:

Here is what to eat:

1. Whole, real food such as vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean animal protein like small wild fish and poultry, and whole omega-3 eggs.
2. Small amounts of grass-fed, antibiotic- and hormone-free beef or lamb.
3. Only around training time, simple carbohydrates such as maltodextrin or bagels.

5) Restoration: Get a good massage ever week or atleast every month. Spend a lot of time with your foam roller and tennis ball. Sleep well and eat well. Most people spend a lot of time thinking about how to train, but you should also think about how you can recover. Restoration balances the equation.... Training beats you down and restoration builds you up. Master the art of restoration, and you'll get bigger, leaner, faster, or stronger, depending on your goals.

Master these basics. If you find yourself straying too far from what you see in this article, odds are you're doing something wrong.

Quote of the Week:

"Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."

-Yoda