Three Exercises to Help with Triathlon
- Jade Elkind
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Here at Clinch Performance and Recovery, we are not only a Reno Physical Therapy clinic that works with endurance athletes, but we love the sport and consider ourselves endurance athletes! Reno is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada Mountains which lends itself to race opportunities in areas like Donner Lake and Lake Tahoe.
One endurance sport is triathlon. For those who are unsure, a triathlon is a swim, bike ride, and run which are all done back to back, as quickly as possible.
With this being said, incorporating rehab or strength in addition to training for three disciplines can be tough. This is why this discussion focuses on three exercises, one for each discipline. These exercises were chosen based on their benefit to the sport but also success with our patients (and ourselves!).
Note: This is for information purposes, only. If you have an issue, reach out to us so we can get you squared away!
So let's get started:
The Swim: Resisted Shoulder Internal Rotations
This muscle strengthens the subscapularis which is a part of the rotator cuff and internally rotates the shoulder. Having a strong and durable subscapularis will help with the pull of the stroke and also keep the shoulder joint stable and healthy and prevent pain. This is very important when we consider how many strokes we take when swimming in triathlon.
The Bike: Hip Bias Bulgarian Split Squats
Bulgarian split squats strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals. This is great for cycling because having strong legs helps us to recruit more muscle fibers, more efficiently, creating a more powerful pedal stroke (more watts!).
This variation biases the gluteals and hamstrings. A lot of cycling works the quadriceps, so it is a good supplement to that amount of quad work.
Strengthening these areas via heavy load, lower repetitions has also been shown to improved tendon strength and health. This is great news because a lot of pain and injuries show up in tendons, derailing the training plan.
The Run: Bent Knee Heel Raises
When it comes down to running, the calves cannot hide. They are responsible for about 50% of energy expenditure from the musculoskeletal system when it comes to running. This is why it is so important to have strong and healthy calf muscles and Achilles Tendons. Read our blog about preventing Achilles Tendinitis!
These heel raises help to strengthen the aforementioned areas, especially when load is added. It is good to start with bodyweight so the individual can perform the movement, correctly, without compensating. Rolling towards the outside of the foot is a common compensation. Because the knee is bent, it creates more dorsiflexion (bend) in the ankle joint. This dorsiflexion puts the Achilles and soleus muscle (part of the calf) on stretch, making them work, harder. Note: An insertional Achilles tendinitis (pain located at the heel), requires a different exercise, so we do not recommend starting out with this one.
So there we go, three exercises for triathlon. One for the swim, one for the bike, and one for the run.
These exercises can help to keep the joints healthy, strong, and capable of handling the training demands that is triathlon.
Clinch Performance and Recovery is a Reno Physical Therapy Clinic that helps people become better humans by getting their bodies capable of doing hard things.
If this is what you want from your Physical Therapist, then reach out to us and we would love to help you!
Thanks for reading.
Dr. Jade Elkind, PT, DPT
6x Ironman Finisher, ultramarathoner, and lover of endurance sports!
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