Strength Training For Triathletes + The 10 Best Exercises
Strength training is one of the most underrated components of triathlon training.
Many triathletes believe that as long as they swim, bike, and run enough, lifting weights is unnecessary — or worse, harmful.
Some worry it will make them bulky, slow, or too fatigued for endurance training.
The truth is the opposite.
Well-structured strength training makes triathletes more efficient, more resilient, and faster — without adding unnecessary muscle mass.
Whether you’re training for your first sprint triathlon or trying to shave minutes off your Olympic-distance PR, strength training can be a powerful addition to your plan.
Why Strength Training Matters for Triathletes
Triathlon places a unique demand on the body.
You’re not just repeating one movement pattern — you’re switching between three disciplines, each stressing different muscles and joints.
- Swimming challenges shoulder stability and upper-body endurance
- Cycling demands sustained power from the legs
- Running loads the body with thousands of impact cycles
Endurance training alone improves cardiovascular fitness, but it does not fully prepare your muscles, tendons, and joints for these combined demands.
Strength training fills that gap.
Muscle Fiber Types Explained (And Why Triathletes Need Both)
At a basic level, skeletal muscles are made up of two main fiber types:
Slow-Twitch (Type I) Fibers
These fibers produce less force but are highly fatigue-resistant. They dominate long, steady efforts like endurance swimming, aerobic cycling, and long runs.
Fast-Twitch (Type II) Fibers
These fibers generate more force and power but fatigue more quickly. They are crucial for:
- Accelerations
- Hills
- Sprint finishes
- Maintaining form under fatigue
Every athlete has a genetically determined mix of these fibers. You can’t completely change that mix — but you can train fast-twitch fibers to become more fatigue-resistant and slow-twitch fibers to produce force more efficiently.
Strength training helps bridge the gap between power and endurance, which is exactly what triathlon demands.
Strength vs Endurance: It’s Not Either-Or
A common misconception is that strength training and endurance training compete with each other.
In reality, they complement each other.
Research shows that combining endurance and strength training improves:
- Movement economy
- Fatigue resistance
- Power output
- Injury resilience
A meta-analysis by Yamamoto et al. (2008) found that strength training significantly improved endurance performance without increasing body mass when properly programmed.
Benefits of Strength Training for Triathletes
1. Injury Prevention
Triathlon involves repetitive movements performed thousands of times per week. Over time, this can overload joints and connective tissue.
Strength training helps by:
- Improving joint stability
- Strengthening tendons and ligaments
- Correcting muscular imbalances
Studies show that strength training can reduce sports injury risk by up to 66% (Lauersen et al., 2014).
2. Improved Efficiency
Stronger muscles require less relative effort to produce the same movement.
That means:
- Better running economy
- More efficient pedaling
- Less energy wasted late in the race
A study by Paavolainen et al. (1999) showed improved running economy and performance after strength and power training — without changes in VO₂max.
3. Better Endurance Under Fatigue
Strength doesn’t replace endurance — it supports it.
When muscles are strong enough to handle the workload, the cardiovascular system doesn’t have to compensate for muscular weakness.
This allows you to hold pace longer, especially in the final third of a race.
4. Speed, Power & Climbing Ability
Strength training improves:
- Sprint ability
- Hill climbing
- Final kick speed
This is especially important in draft-legal races, hilly courses, or technical bike sections.
Strength Training Basics for Triathletes
Free Weights vs Machines
Free weights
- Improve balance and coordination
- Activate stabilizing muscles
- Higher technical demand
Machines
- Safer for beginners
- Allow targeted muscle loading
- Useful during race season
Best approach: Use both, depending on experience and training phase.
Sets, Reps & Volume
For triathletes, strength training is about quality, not maximum muscle size.
General guideline:
- 2–4 sets per exercise
- 6–12 repetitions
- Moderate to heavy load
- Focus on clean technique
You don’t need to overthink volume — consistency matters more than perfection.
Rest Intervals (What Science Says)
Rest between sets is often underestimated.
Research by Schoenfeld et al. (2016) and Grgic et al. (2017) shows that:
- Rest intervals of 2–5 minutes lead to greater strength and power gains
- Longer rest allows higher training volume and better technique
For compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, lunges), prioritize adequate recovery over feeling exhausted.
Safety & Spotters
For heavy or complex lifts:
- Use a spotter
- Ask gym staff for form feedback
- Reduce load if technique breaks down
Good strength training should leave you feeling strong, not wrecked.
Basics of Strength Training
Free Weights and Machines
When you use free weights, you need to hold the weights in your hands and balance them. Balancing the loads helps to improve the strength of small and underlying muscles. But the downside is that these exercises are a lot riskier.
When working with machines, the movements are guided, but that means you need little to no balance for it, and the underlying muscles are not strengthened.
They are less risky and much more suitable for beginners, as the risk of injury is minimized.
Sets and Reps
During strength training, you complete multiple sets with several repetitions. For example, 3 Sets with 8-12 Repetitions. The Volume (the amount of sets you perform for one muscle group per week) depends on your goals. But for triathletes, it’s not crucial to rack your brains over the ideal volume.
Recovery time/breaks
It is important to take breaks between sets!
Your body needs the time to recover and get ready for the next set. For exercises like bicep curls where you only use your arms, you need less recovery time 1-to 2 Minutes would be enough already.
But when it comes to compound movements (Those are multi-joint exercises) you need a longer time to recover between the sets. I would take at LEAST 2 minutes, but I would tend more to 3 to 5.
Note that there are a lot of studies on the optimal rest time, depending on your goals your rest time could vary, these tips are just what I noticed that worked best for me and my goals.
The ultimate goal here is to recover enough to perform the next set with good form.
Additionally here are the findings of a Study:
The findings suggest that longer rest intervals may be more beneficial for strength and power adaptations compared to shorter ones. Specifically, rest intervals of 1.5 to 3 minutes were found to result in greater muscle hypertrophy, strength, and power adaptations compared to intervals of 0.5 to 1 minute.
Additionally, 2.5 to 5-minute rest intervals allowed for a greater volume of work, the ability to train with heavier loads, and produced strength increases compared to 0.5 to 2-minute intervals.
The study recommends implementing rest intervals of 2 to 5 minutes when training to improve strength and power characteristics. However, it’s important to note that the ideal rest interval length may vary depending on factors such as the prescribed training loads, an athlete’s training age, fiber type, and genetics. Overall, longer rest intervals appear to be more effective for enhancing strength and power during training.
Spotter
Having a spotter is very important for some exercises, especially those involving heavy weights or complex movements. A spotter provides an additional layer of safety by assisting you in case you struggle to complete a rep, preventing potential injuries.
Find a spotter that motivates you and provides guidance on the proper form to achieve optimal results from a workout.
Exercises for you to try
In your strength training, you should try to imitate the movements of your disciplines as closely as possible.
Squats: Great for strengthening the quadriceps and glutes, essential for cycling and running.
Bulgarian Split Squats: Another great squat variation (They hurt like hell but are super effective, I promise).
Deadlifts: Great for working your hamstrings and glutes. But it may not be the best exercise for beginners as they tend to use their backs for the movement.
Push-ups: Strengthen the chest and shoulders, which are necessary for a powerful swim.
Planks: Fantastic for core strength, enhancing your stability during all three phases.
Leg Press: Focuses on the quadriceps, important for cycling and running.
Pull-ups: Build upper body strength for better control in the water.
Dumbbell Lunges: Work on your balance and leg strength.
Step-ups: Also really good for strengthening your quadriceps.
Leg Curls: The purpose of leg curls is to prevent injuries to the hamstrings resulting from an imbalance between them and the quadriceps.
Wrapping up
Triathlons require not just endurance from swimming, cycling, and running but also strength training for optimal performance. Athletes have a mix of slow-working endurance fibers and fast-working power fibers, both of which are critical for triathlon success. Incorporating strength training offers benefits like injury prevention, increased efficiency, endurance enhancement, and a boost in speed and power. It’s ideal to integrate strength training 2-3 times weekly.
So try this strength training for triathletes to get ahead of your competition!
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I include strength training in my triathlon training routine?
Strength training should ideally be included 2-3 times a week, depending on your level of experience and your race schedule.
Will strength training make me bulk up?
No, strength training for triathletes is about building functional strength, not excessive muscle mass. It will enhance your performance without adding bulk.
Can I do bodyweight exercises instead of lifting weights?
Yes, bodyweight exercises can be effective, especially for beginners triathletes. However, as you progress, adding weights can further improve your strength.
When should I do my strength training workouts?
Ideally, you should schedule your strength training on days when you have lighter or no endurance workouts. This ensures that you’re not fatigued for your main triathlon training sessions.
Do I need a personal trainer for strength training?
A personal trainer can be beneficial, but there is nothing wrong with planning your own strength training. It’s important to learn proper form to prevent injuries. Maybe ask a friend to check your form otherwise the staff of your gym will be happy to help as well (I hope).
