- Strength and conditioning exercises can not only
make you stronger, but also help keep you injury-free
and therefore, make you a better athlete,
so we've put together a few simple exercises
you could fit around your day.
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This exercise predominantly works your glute muscles
and helps get them firing and functioning properly.
Now, your glutes are needed for cycling and swimming,
but they can be prone to switching off slightly
and your hamstrings overcompensating for that weakness.
Now, basically, all you need is some floor space,
you can do it whilst watching the television, for example.
Now, whilst lying on your back with your knees bent,
you need to make sure you start by squeezing your glutes
and then, just lift your hips up towards the ceiling,
keeping your glutes firing the whole way through
and then, lower down again gently.
If you find that really easy and you're ready to progress,
you can take it to doing it with one leg,
make sure your hips stay level as you go up
and then, lowering back down again.
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This is a simple exercise and, as a result,
can be done pretty much anywhere.
So, you could multitask, maybe doing it whilst
you're doing the washing up or on the train
on your commute to work.
To progress it slightly, you can maybe hold at the top
to really get those calves firing
and then, lower down really slowly
or even move it up to one leg at a time
and then, if you did want to increase the range of movement,
maybe do it on the edge of a step so you can drop your heel
down that much lower.
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This is another exercise you can do in front of the TV
and all you need is a bench or a chair
with a firm edge and a little bit of space for your legs.
Now, as the exercise says, it predominantly works
you triceps, but also uses the rest
of your shoulder muscles.
Basically, all you need to do is lower your body down
with your elbows pointing backwards.
To make it easier, you can do it with your knees bent.
If you want to make it harder, just move your feet
slightly further away and have your knees straight.
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This is an easy exercise to fit into your day.
You can maybe do it whilst lying in bed in the morning,
having a cup of tea, or just before you go to sleep.
You need to be lying on your side with your hips
parallel to the wall in front of you
with your knees roughly to a 90 degree bend
and then, keeping your feet touching,
all you need to do is lift your knee up towards the ceiling,
keeping your hips level, and then, lowering it back down.
It's particularly good for activating glute mead,
which sometimes can be prone to switching off
or having an imbalance.
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If you're prone to having shin splints
or injuries that result from weak ankles,
then this is the exercise for you.
All you need is a TheraBand
and then, something to attach it to at ground level.
From this position, you just need to move your foot inwards
toward the other in a motion like this
and then, turn around, face the other way,
so you're moving your foot outwards
like you would with that one.
Just make sure you do the same with both ankles.
It's a great exercise to be able to multitask,
for example, you're sat still, you could maybe
be on the phone whilst doing this.
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This exercise is pretty specific to swimming
and it's great for strengthening,
but you can also use it for a warmup if you're
about to head to the pool.
All you need is a TheraBand and then,
something to attach it to.
Just try and find something that's roughly at hip height.
If you do want to do a door handle,
just make sure there's no one else around
or on the other side and then, from this,
you just need to find a position that gives you
the right amount of resistance on the band
and you can work on the front part of your stroke,
the middle part of your stroke,
or the final back part of your stroke.
If you've got a really loose band,
you might be able to do it with both hands.
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The squat is a key exercise and it's one that targets
the major leg muscle groups, such as your glutes,
your quads, and your hamstrings.
Doing a double leg squat is useful,
but if you can progress it to a single leg squat,
then it becomes even more specific
to helping you with your running.
Now, the key being making sure you keep your hips level
and you have really good alignment whilst doing
a single leg squat, so trying to do it in front
of a mirror is a great help.
This is an exercise that's useful to do every day,
if possible, so maybe try and do it when you're
cleaning your teeth, something that you can
just fit into your daily routine.
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Working your core is essential, as having a strong core
will make you more efficient in all three sports.
Now, there are several exercises out there,
but the plank is straightforward.
Basically, to start, all you need to do
is have your forearms on the ground and your toes
and lift your hips up, concentrating on keeping
a straight line from your head and shoulders
through to your heels.
Now, in this position, you can always use it
to catch of on things on your phone, reading some emails,
and it's a good distraction when you start to shake.
If you find this easy and you want to progress it,
you can move to taking one foot off the ground and a time
or even moving into a side plank.
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You don't need to do all of these exercises every day,
just pick on the few that work on your weaknesses
and remember, just concentrate on having good form.
A little bit of time invested now
should help you see a longterm benefit
in your overall performance.
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and if you want to watch a video on triathlon training tips,
just click over here,
and for a video on how to balance working
with triathlon training by professional triathlete,
Peter Hemrick, click down here.