In Part I we introduced you to the notion that fitness is in the muscles, not the cardiovascular system. In Part II we discussed the principles of Specificity and Return on Investment, urging you to delete that 4th newsletter this month espousing the benefits of off-season strength training. Let’s put these together in an example that illustrates the Endurance Nation training method compared to traditional endurance training.

Congratulations. You've just finished a fun-filled, yet challenging triathlon season. Maybe you set a PR this year on your favorite course. Maybe your goal was to finish an Ironman distance race. Either way, it's that time of the year when all things triathlon begin to wind down. We like to call this the 'off-season'.

In Part I, we introduced you to the principle that performance fitness is in the muscles, not in the cardiovascular system.

As a gym rat for almost 15 years and strength and conditioning professional for the last ten, I have seen plenty fads come and go. From “Six Minute Abs” to “Exercise in a Bottle”, we have seen them all. Unfortunately, Functional Training (FT) is lumped into this category. However, functional training is more than just a fad.

We have bad news and good news for you. The bad news is that once you finish this article, you are going to want to cancel that winter schedule of base building, aerobic mileage-oriented, zone 1-2 training. The good news is that by the time you finish reading, you’ll be ready to set up your best triathlon season yet!

What if you could achieve the benefits of a 3 hour bike ride with just 30 minutes of training? What if you received the same endurance adaptations of an 18 mile run during a simple 20 minute session? No, I’m not talking about blood doping or ‘roids. I’m referring to HIT.

Recently, I’ve been plagued with an injury while preparing to race the Ironman World Championship of triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. The injury is called “IT Band Friction Syndrome” and requires low-impact or non-weight bearing exercise to maintain fitness until the knee is pain-free (alternative, highly non-attractive option is to run through the pain and destroy your knee forever).

Weight training has developed all types of stereotypes with triathletes. Many believe that weight training will bulk them up. Thus slowing them down by adding extra weight. This goes along with the stereotype that athletes such as body builders and explosive sport athletes are the only athletes that need or do weight training. Here is what research says

In a complete training program, the mind is as important as the body. Many top amateur and professional athletes know that mental fitness, as much or more than physical fitness, gives them an edge over their competitors. But just what is mental training and what is it not?

Recovery is quite important as we spend most of the day doing other activities other than training. Here are some useful ways to employ recovery tactics into your training.