Strength Training for Triathletes: Coach Chris Lee

D3 Coach Mike Ricci Interviews Chris Lee of Kinesis Integrated Performance. Chris has a long history of working with Olympic level triathletes, Ironman athletes, Ultra runners, and podium finishers of the Boston Marathon. We discuss how much and how often a triathlete should strength train along with how to train around a race, and the key exercises every triathlete should be doing! Takeaways Strength training is important for endurance athletes and can help improve performance. The minimum effective dose for strength training is two times a week, but three times a week can be beneficial for some athletes. Strength tapering should start around eight weeks before a race, with a gradual decrease in volume and intensity. During tapering, the focus is on maintaining base strength, modifying as needed, and mitigating injuries. Strength training can be beneficial for recovery after a race, but the volume and intensity should be reduced to avoid muscle soreness and damage. Strength training is crucial for both long-distance and short-distance endurance athletes. During race season, it is important to focus on strength retention and maintain a balance between training and recovery. As we age, strength training becomes even more important for maintaining mobility, strength, and bone health. The app discussed in the conversation aims to make strength training more accessible and personalized for endurance athletes. Sound Bites "I can get faster at this, right?" "People still don't understand how important strength training is" "We're playing with the endocrine system more so than anything else." "There is too strong. You don't need to be that strong." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 06:54 Effective Strength Training Frequency for Endurance Athletes 14:55 Tapering Strength Training for Race Preparation 30:31 Introducing an App for Personalized Strength Training Exercises all triathletes should do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmHO9ztKu7U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GftYHNNA3ls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1BO7ynQJmI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyjf5zusMUs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE0M-t56_EE