Changes In Training Variables Bring About Fitness Improvements

In this week's training column, Steve Fluet points out how important it is to make regular changes to your training regimen to ensure you get the best results from all your hard work.

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Day to day training for many triathletes is usually limited due to work and/or family obligations. We see week-to-week training hours vary from nine to 14 for most average age group athletes, while some manage as many as 16 to 20+ per week. With this in mind the question remains: "How can we continue to create fitness improvements that allow you to reach your target goals for the season?" The common response is usually more volume or more intensity. While these will improve an athlete's fitness level to some extent; changing variables and systematic progression are really required to continue making gains throughout the entire season.

 

There are many athletes out there who design and set up their own training program. They read articles, talk with other triathletes, experiment with their program, or at times just duplicate some one else's  training program. While this may work for the short term, at some point many athletes end up maintaining fitness rather than continue building fitness. That may not be the goal for the season, but  ends up replacing the original goal.

One critical component that everyone can include in their training is to change one or more variables in their week-to-week plans. 

 

Let's look at some examples of how many triathletes train day to day:

 

1. Ride or run on the same loop frequently at the same pace, effort, or focus.

 

2. No tracking of any variables week to week.

 

3. The long ride or run continues with the same format throughout the season.

 

4. Week to week volume stays pretty much the same or increases in a very large percentage.

 

5. No real recovery/regeneration weeks.

 

Let's look at what happens when you complete a training session that includes higher intensity work or extensive endurance with at least 50% climbing. In simple terms, you will break down muscle tissue during a workout like this. Over the next couple of days, the body will repair itself. If you simply duplicate  that training session each week, your muscles won't be stressed any more, and simply adapt to that intensity. When this happens you can't create progression in the training process. An example would be the weekly long run that you complete each week that uses the same course session after session. There is no change in pace, effort, terrain, or format to completing the session. Early in the year some fitness gains are made, but after four to six weeks the gains actually diminish until they just end up maintaining fitness or creating a plateau.

 

So what can you do to avoid this from happening to you? Changing variables within your training will help you to avoid hitting that plateau. For the swim you can change up rest intervals, pace, the number of repetitions and sets, and test yourself at least twice each month. On the bike you can modify your cadence (rpm), change gearing (we use big gear standing/seated, low gear standing/seated, time trial gearing) in every ride, terrain changes, utilize pace and speed marker sets twice each month, or make increases in the distance and/or amount of climbing you're doing. With your run training, you can make changes in the terrain you're covering, include changes in the pace and effort, or vary the day that you complete the session. Some of the more general variables would include:

 

1. Slight changes in heart rate (HR) or perceived exertion (PE).

 

2. Increase week to week in sets, reps, or duration.

 

3. Frequent course changes.

 

4. Testing to track gains that you are trying to create.

 

5. Building in recovery weeks.

 

6. Compare sessions that include a different format. For example you could do the same bike time trial loop but at a different rpm rate.

 

The possibilities are endless in terms of what you can do to keep things fresh. The ability to change allows your body to keep up with that variable which in turn produces better results.

 

If you have any questions please let me know - steve@davescottinc.com. If you are interested in personal training program with Velocity Coaching please check out our website  www.davescottinc.com

 

Steve Fluet has been coaching triathletes since 1992.  He is a partner with Dave Scott in their new business “Velocity Coaching”.  Steve has a degree in sports medicine and physical education and is a level 2 expert coach.

 

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