Strength training help please!! (newbie)

Whats most important is that you dont get hurt using the equipment, not knowing how to use it should be an excuse to bother the people that work there. Using the equipment properly can multiply results,also every piece of equipmnt can be minipulated by changing a grip or body position or movement to isolate different muscles. Since the information about workouts,types,reps,sets is overwhelming you may find the best avenue is to look into using a trainer for a few sessions, they would be in a better position to recommend a workout based on your needs and available equipment. I would start there,most memberships have a courtesy trainer session, doesnt hurt to ask!

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If you really need to improve your swimming then swimming is the best way to work on that.  The closer you get to mimicking the movments in the individual sport, the more likely there will be some benefit (versus doing nothing).  So some strength training exercises will be better than others, but still not as good as actually doing whatever it is you are trying to do.

So, the short answer is that you probably don't need to use your gym's strength training equipment at all for triathlons.  If you want to do strength training as part of your overall fitness regimen, then you should probably find someone to show you how to use the equipment properly and set up a balanced mix of exercises.

Personally, I'd recommend using none of the machines! All you need is a barbell, a bench, a power rack, and weights. Oh, and the book "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe. It's a fantastic book that discusses the core barbell exercises (Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Overhead Press, Pull-ups, and various assistance exercises) and how to do them with proper form. You can also go to Youtube and put in "Squat technique" or something like that to see the movement demonstrated.

If you can't do pull-ups or dips, you can always use the assisted pull-ups/dips machine until you get there.

Keep it simple!!!

Edit:  Oh, and I definitely agree with those that say the way to get better at swimming is to swim more, etc.

Edited by ScoopJackson 2009-09-17 2:39 PM

Hi!

It's easy to be overwhelmed by the variety of equipment at a gym.  There certainly is a lot.

I can give you my advice, but keep in mind, I'm new to triathlons as well.  My background is more in running then any of the other two sports.

First, think about the race.  1/3 is in the water, 1/3 is on a bike and 1/3 is running.  Now, think about what part of your body you're using on each leg.  Water - your core and your shoulders/back/arms.  Bike - Legs and core.  Running - Legs and core.  So, in terms of what is more important:

1. Core
2. Legs
3. Shoulders/Back/Arms.

You need to train all 3, but you probably want to approach your strength training with that in mind.

Twice a week is perfectly fine.

In terms of what exercises - this is what I do:  I plan my weight training so that I focus on the part of my body that I'm NOT going to be using for my endurance training.  For example, I'd try to avoid doing legs the day before a distance/interval run.

In terms of machines, I'd stick to free weights with the exceptions of lat pull down machine, assisted pull-up/dip machine, and cable machine.  The reason why is that most machines prevent your body from incorporating your core into the exercise.  There's a variety of reasons why this isn't desirable, but for the most part, it's just more efficient for someone who runs, swims, and bikes to exercise their core.

Here is what I would recommend to someone completely new strength training:

1.  Push-ups

2.  Planks/Crunches on the Swiss Ball/Bicycle Kicks

3.  Lunges and Walking Lunges.  Start out without weights and if you can complete a set without balance issues, pick up some dumbbells!

4.  Body Weight Squats - Your goal should be to move onto barbell squats at some point, but there is virtually no point in doing a barbell squat if your form isn't correct.  The nice thing about body weight squats is that they're still hard (try to do 30 in a row quickly without rest and you'll see what I mean) and it provides you an opportunity to perfect your form without the added risk of bearing additional weight.

5. Lat Pull Downs/Assisted Pull-Ups

6. Dumbbell Chest Presses  (Same as bench press, but with dumbbells)

Regarding your "working the same muscle question" that's probably too complicated for me to answer.  As I understand it, you GENERALLY want to start with exercises that incorporate multiple, larger muscles and then move onto exercise that isolate fewer and smaller muscles.  I also know that this approach also depends on the kind of weight training your doing.

For example - I start with plyometrics (when you see someone hopping around like a nut in the gym, they're probably doing these - don't worry about them for now) then squats - after a warm up set - then finally to walking lunges/split lunges.  I also occasionally end with this really, REALLY embarrassing waddle squat exercise.  Don't ask.  They're as fantastic as they're shaming.

Someone already mentioned the book, Starting Strength.  I would also recommend it.  I'd also recommend a trainer when you decide to move on to the more intimidating exercises like squats and deadlifts if you don't have a friend that knows about this stuff to help you.


Edited by Johners 2009-09-17 4:19 PM

This more than anything else.  Strength training will improve performance by making the muscles stronger, but to a certain extent swimming, biking, and running ARE weight baring exercises and you simply can't expect to become a better runner,swimmer, or biker without doing a lot of running, swimming, and biking.

That said, you STILL want to do some strength training.  One thing you'll notice, if you haven't already, is that endurance training leaves you hungry.  A lot and frequently.  You body turns into a calorie burning machine - which is why it's SO IMPORTANT TO EAT ENOUGH OF THE RIGHT KINDS OF FOOD.  However, even eating the appropriate amount of food, your body is still going to freak out whenever you do an endurance session.  When I do my intervals, I can burn anywhere between 400 to 800 calories or more.  That is a lot of energy to burn in a relatively short amount of time, and it has to come from somewhere.  Basically, your body decides that it needs energy, and it's going to get its energy from the best, most efficient source - your muscle.  (Does it bother anyone else that we are biologically predisposed to metabolize muscle before fat in 'crisis' situations?)

Endurance training without ancillary strength training can, and frequently will, result in muscle loss and this can be a problem if your goal is to lose fat.  Furthermore, there's going to point where you arrive at the maximum about of power your muscles can give you before you need to add more 'engine' to the equation.

Edited by Johners 2009-09-17 4:31 PM

Wow, you guys have been SOOO helpful!!!  I actually have a lot of experience with free weights and things like lunges, squats, pushups, planks, etc. from when I was a cheerleader in HS.  I'll just incorporate those things into my workouts and then just keep swimming, biking, and running to improve those areas.

Thanks again for all your help, I REALLY appreciate it!!!  : )

There is so much  mis-information here, I don't know where to start...

about the swimming is weight baring, or that muscles equal better performance,or that endurance training canabilizes muscle,or that..................

How embarrassing - particularly about swimming being weight barring. 

Thank you for identifying my errors.  I'd be interested where I can get the proper information.

Please disregard what I said, Leahsings, since I'm clearly not a reliable source of information.  I'll break out the chalk and write something to that effect 100 times.

Not to nitpick, but losing "unnecessary muscle" is still losing muscle. However, this is generally accurate. Another thing that happens with endurance training is that some of the faster twitch muscle fibers take on the characteristics of slow twitch fibers. The result is a loss in maximal strength but a gain in muscle endurance or endurance-strength as it is sometimes called. None of this is generally all that bad if the goal is better endurance performance. And any lost strength is regained fairly quickly, surprisingly so, if endurance training is dropped and pure strength training is resumed. I've noticed this in myself as I've taken a break from tris and have resumed hard strength training. But my understanding is that I'm still welcome around here because I give some pretty good insight for those who want to do strength training.



If calories expended > calories consumed, you have fat loss. It's that simple. It is possible, and very easily so, to out-eat your exercise program such that you end up gaining weight while exercising like an insane person. I hate counting calories as much as the next person, probably more so, but that is what is needed.



I'm an avid lifter (I'm taking a break from tris to do some Olympic lifting in the geezer, er, I mean, Masters leagues) and I'm also a geek, which means I read research studies and stuff like that on strength training (as opposed to the guy at the gym with the multiple tattoos and piercings who screams and yells). Based on my research and personal experience I can say with certainty that weight training may or may not improve endurance performance. How's that for an answer? The reality is, no one knows. But here's the thing - everyone who is able to do weight training should do weight training. There are many benefits to it. Now, if you're on the verge of winning your age group, then feel free to drop weight training and focus on swim/bike/run and get your age group medal. But if you're in this for "fun and health," then you should weight train.

Wow, Mike.  That was a long-winded way of basically agreeing with everything I wrote. 

At least until the "everyone should do weight training".  That is your opinion.  And I respect it, but disagree with it.