3 x 1 Hour Triathlon Workouts with Pedal Cover
Optimize your training plan with Pedal Cover
Triathletes are some of the busiest people in the world trying to fit triathlon training for three sports into one. Once you add in work and a soon to return social life around your training commitments you can often be pressed for time, but this is no excuse for your training to be compromised. We have put together a few of the best triathlon workouts that you can smash out in under an hour here so that even the time-starved can improve their results.
Bike
A super-fast indoor bike workout for triathletes
Trying to squeeze a bike session into an hour can seem like an impossible task, especially for those of us who are used to endurance kilometres and specialising in longer formats of racing. There are plenty of benefits to squeezing a quick session in though, even for those competing in the gruelling full Ironman. A simple one-hour home trainer workout might not seem like a key part or your prep for a 180km time trial, but it is often these sessions where you build speed for race day.
When it comes to time-constricted training, the home trainer can be your best friend. If you are not surrounded by world-class roads, the turbo allows you to really get some quality work in a controlled environment. And obviously, for those confined to quarters for the foreseeable future, the home trainer is really the only option.
The following aerobic ramp set is possible using either a heart rate or a power meter. The aim is to build up from 55% of your max effort all the way to 90% with minimum recovery in-between efforts. This will build your top-end power and train your body to recover quicker. With minimum recovery and a short warm-up and cool down, you will manage to get a solid 40 minutes of riding in an hour session. Not a bad bang for your buck!
Aerobic ramp set
5 minutes warm-up (building HR)
Main set
8×5 minute efforts*
1 minute recovery
*First 5 minutes effort at 55% of maximum HR/FTP power and then each effort increases by 5%: 55%–60%–65%–70%–75%–80%–85%–90%.
5 minute cool down
Total: 1 hour
Swim
A short but effective workout for the swim leg
A threshold swim is the best way to simulate race day pace in a controlled environment. These swims involve a number of short efforts at high intensity and will aid you at the start of races when the pace is high. Always start swims with a short warm-up to get the muscles flowing and decrease the risk of injury. A warm-up will also allow you to get a better “feel” for the water and improve your stroke that will in turn make you quicker for the fast stuff.
Don’t be afraid to throw in a couple of drills and different strokes for your warm-up. Backstroke is a great way to work a different muscle group and change things up from the lethargic nature of freestyle. Drills can range from anything from sidestroke to freestyle fists. These will improve your core as well as your stroke style. The warm-up can also be used on race day to ensure you are firing from the gun.
