The top 10 triathlon workouts of 2018

Did you make a list of new year’s resolutions for 2019? Looking for some workout motivation for the upcoming season?

Related: 10 New Year’s resolutions for triathletes

Here are the top 10 workouts viewed on Triathlon Magazine Canada in 2018.

Strength Session in the Pool: Build strength by working on your pull

Time to engage those lats and concentrate on your pull. The following workout has a variety of sets in it where you will focus on your upper body.

How to train with a pull buoy: When and how should you use it?

A pull buoy and paddles should be used to help build strength in your stroke and it can give people the feeling of having their hips higher in the water, just as a wetsuit would. Pull sets should definitely be implemented into your weekly swim plan, but make sure it’s for a purpose and not just to make you go faster or to use less effort. Here is a workout that will serve you well.

Workout Wednesday: Race week training: Key swim, bike and run sessions to do before race day

With racing comes taper time, and who doesn’t love some extra rest leading into a race? One thing that is important to remember is that you want to keep the body moving and keep the muscles firing. You will want to incorporate some intervals into all three disciplines during race week and don’t be afraid to get your heart rate up and sweat a little. Here are a few possible swim, bike, and run workouts for race week.

An interval session for all abilities and paces: Burn more calories, keep the heart rate up and maintain aerobic fitness

The following workout uses easy, medium, and hard as your pacing. No matter what your current fitness level is, you will be able to find an easy, medium, and hard pace. This workout can be 45 minutes long or you can make it a ladder and go back down to make it over an hour.

Workout Wednesday: The perfect 2km lunch swim: Use your lunch break effectively

Do you need a quick 2k main set? This set definitely goes by quickly and if done right, will make you quite tired by the end. If you’re really pressed for time you can cut the reps in half for a 2km total set.

Morning Workout: Quick VO2 bike intervals: Start your day off with a bang

Short and hard intervals are a great way to improve your aerobic ability and help you to increase your power output on the bike. This is a great set that can be done in the morning before work, during a lunch break, or after work. It won’t take up much of your time, but it sure will get the job done and help you no matter what distance of triathlon you are training for.

Lunchtime swim workouts: Time-crunched?

When executed with a clear purpose and direction, short swim workouts can be highly effective for the time-crunched triathlete. Here are three lunchtime swim workouts.

The most underrated workout: Five reasons why you should add stairs into your training

A stairs workout by no means should outright replace a speed session on the track or hill workout. The stairs, however, provide a new stimulus that your body has to adapt to.

Get your sprint on with these bike intervals: Become fitter, faster and stronger

We are always looking for ways to get fitter, faster, and stronger, and interval sessions are one great way to do just that. There are a lot of different types of intervals that you can do on the bike and sprints are one of my favourites. Here is a bike workout that is 60 minutes long, so it can easily be done during the work week.

An off-season swim set: Great for those off-season training sessions when you want to add lots of variety

There is a time and a place for every type of workout, especially in swimming. One day might be an easy day that solely focuses on stroke technique, while another day involves a lot of sprinting. Another workout during your weekly swim training might be a strength day, while your final swim workout focuses on race pace. These are all important swim days that should be included in your training, but sometimes, especially during the off-season, it is nice to mix it up. Here is a workout that does just that.