General Strength Makes Specific Strength Easier

Great article.  Thanks.  Think I'll post this over on another, non tri forum I'm a senior member of.  Pretty much full of bbers and plers but slowly making it's way into other disciplines. 

I would think maybe some hypertrophy training immediately after a tri season, followed by a solid strength based program, into a crossfit/explosive endurance type training would be a solid plan.

I suppose I should make some comments in anticipation of possible criticism. First, the article was written by a "kid" who just got out of high school (I will note that I thought the article was well-written and it gives me some hope that our future generations will be literate). Second, the article cites no studies, and is just based on the writer's experience and a brief talk with her coach, i.e., anecdotal evidence. As to the first objection, this "kid" has racked up some wins in her brief career, so she's worth listening to. As to the second objection, I will first note that actual scientific studies on weight training can be few and far between, many that are out there are poorly designed, and as a result, anecdotal information is all we have, but these anecdotes can sometimes be as valid, if not more valid, than some of the studies. Also, the CXC team is a pretty big player in the XC ski world, so it is worthwhile to know how they train their athletes. Finally, based on my own experiences, a "base" of strength really does help with specific strength. I myself like to XC ski and I noticed improvements in my ski technique after spending most of last fall doing lots of Olympic lifting and squatting. My endurance sucked because of the lack of aerobic training, but my technique felt solid. It just might be possible that some general strength will help bike-specific, run-specific, and swim-specific strength. I don't think you need to go crazy with the general strength, since I feel that the strength demands in XC skiing are greater than for triathlons. For example, classic XC skiers will double pole during a race except for hills, and a powerful double pole requires some good strength in the abs, lats, and triceps.