As all triathlon enthusiasts will appreciate, success in competition requires a significant time commitment. In fact, many participants deprive themselves of other important aspects of their lives, such as work and time for family and friends, in order to put in all those important training hours. I myself have slaved away up to 14 hour weeks just to be competitive in triathlon and Olympic distance races, and have had to sacrifice other enjoyable aspects of my life to achieve it. In addition, injuries consistent with intense triathlon training programs, such as chondromalacia patellar (runner’s knee, also common in cyclists), Achilles tendonitis, and swimmer’s shoulder, pose a constant threat to keen triathletes following a traditional training routine.
It is therefore not surprising that an increasing number of endurance athletes are beginning to search for an alternative method of achieving optimal fitness without the time-consuming, labor-intensive, and life-ruling features of traditional resistance training; A method that can not only allow them to reduce the time they spend training, but can also strengthen, condition and protect them from injury in a way that swimming, cycling and running cannot; Maybe even a training method that is anything but monotonous and therefore keeps motivation and adherence at a premium.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the kettlebell!
There is no other training method that builds strength, stamina, and cardiovascular fitness quite like kettlebells. Its ability to provide unparalleled conditioning and turbocharged fitness has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, with world-class athletes and celebrities such as Lance Armstrong, Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz swinging, snatching and pushing their way into shape. incredible.
The kettlebell resembles a cannonball with a handle, and the training is based on five basic exercises, all of which have the ability to simultaneously improve performance in all three phases of the triathlon. The exercises are all multi-lever movements that target major muscle groups, providing an intense and challenging strength and cardio workout in one. A dynamic full-body movement, the swing teaches your hips, glutes, and hamstrings to fire hard and efficiently, which directly translates to efficiency when running and biking. Cleans also encourage power generation from hip drive while relaxing the shoulders; critical during a grueling multi-sport race. Snatches help rewire the central nervous system, thus strengthening the mind-body connection and adding overall efficiency to each phase. Military presses, meanwhile, stabilize the inherently unstable shoulder joint, strengthening the surrounding muscles and overriding the freestyle’s continuous internal rotation that so often causes the collection of bothersome symptoms that fall under the ‘swimmer’s shoulder’ umbrella. Each and every kettlebell exercise has the benefit of encouraging the body to work as a synergistic unit, resulting in optimal efficiency and providing a hugely advantageous transfer to triathlon and any other sport.
To give you an idea of the incredible cardiovascular conditioning you can get from just using a single kettlebell, let me briefly recount my preparation for my first half marathon in Windsor in 2008, as an example. Due to my busy schedule as a personal trainer, the time I had available to train was restricted and certainly not enough to follow a traditional half marathon training regimen. So instead of admitting defeat and giving up on one of my personal goals for the year, I decided to run a little experiment and prepare for my career primarily with kettlebells. While I wouldn’t recommend racking up significant running distance without at least some running preparation, I was interested to see how well fitness developed primarily from kettlebell training could transfer to running endurance. My preparation for the half marathon incorporated five workouts of 60 minutes or less per week, for eight weeks. Instead of a traditional running build, I devised a varied kettlebell-based regimen consisting of high-rep snatches (about 500 in 45 minutes), total-body strength training using heavier kettlebells to increase my power and resistance to injuries, and multiple sets of 5 or 6 exercises, such as deadlifts, Russian twists, squats, and presses, to build endurance and muscular conditioning. I ran on the treadmill once or twice a week for as long as I lasted, gradually increasing to a maximum distance of 8 miles in the next to last week, before tapering off.
As I lined up at the starting line, I admitted I was a little anxious at the prospect of running 13 miles with very little actual race mileage, but as I settled into the race I felt surprisingly comfortable. I finished the race in a dead two hours, which, considering the heat and demanding hills on the route, was respectable for a ‘natural sprinter’ first attempt. More importantly, I pushed myself to the max and although I had considerable lactic acid buildup as you would expect at the end of the race, my recovery was exceptionally quick and two days later I felt fully recovered, barring a few blisters.
Considering that I had also suffered a severe prolapsed disc in my back and was barely able to move just five months earlier, my half marathon attempt was a testament to the incredible core conditioning capabilities of the kettlebell. Every lift or dynamic movement you can perform with this versatile, diminutive piece of equipment requires extraordinary core muscle strength, which is essential for peak performance. The core provides a solid foundation through which power can be transferred from one region of the body to another, so for any athlete looking to improve their race day results, in addition to helping prevent injury, developing a Strong core is essential and is one aspect of training that simply cannot be overlooked.
So there you have it. If you’re looking to reduce the amount of time you spend preparing for race days, while also increasing your resistance to common resistance training-related injuries AND improving your overall efficiency, and therefore speed, look for a well qualified kettlebell trainer and find out the challenge. , fun and results associated with this remarkable training tool. Kettlebell training can be done virtually anywhere and takes up very little space, so even when you’re short on time, you can get a massive cardio workout without even leaving your home.