This is the first of an eight part series on what to focus on at the start of your season. For those of us lucky enough to be living in Hawaii, that is now. This is not the time for epic, all-day marathon efforts. Focus instead on force production, skills, and things like bike fit and diet improvement, things that often get swept aside once the season gets underway.
You should do strength training all season, but the preseason and early base periods are when you want to “lift heavy.” Hit the gym three times a week. Focus on sport-specific movements including the leg press, hamstring curl, leg extension, seated row, and lat pulldown. Two more beneficial exercises are leg abduction and leg adduction. This is the time for high loads and low reps. Start with moderately high loads and increase a little each day until you find loads that are just doable with three repetitions. A typical set will be:
8 reps at light load
4 reps at moderate load
Rest 1-2 minutes
3 reps at heavy load
Skilled lifters can augment these exercises with free weights, such as barbell squats and kettlebell swings. Few cyclists or triathletes are experienced gym rats and should stick with the safer, controlled movements of the machines.
This is also a good time to work on ballistic exercises. This can be no more complicated than box jumping. Be sure to start small, with no box, to avoid tripping and falling. Skipping is another good ballistic exercise. Check out the A-skip, B-skip, and C-skip, best done out on the track or park than in the gym. Jump rope is another great ballistic workout, but it tends to be very aerobic and triathletes get plenty of that from their primary training.