David Evans' Strength Workout, 2012

Practicing balance is increasingly important. 

 

When I was younger, I never thought about maintaining strength. Indoor workouts were anathema; those who lifted were from a different species. Back then, strength was a natural result of doing all the things you'd ordinarily do, including the swimming, biking and running that defined my mid 20s.  I had plenty of strength and never really gave serious thought to where it came from.  Strength just was.

Fast forward two and a half decades and life is decidedly different.  For one, the strength I had then, especially the explosive, faster-twitch variety, began ebbing at least a decade ago.  For another, I now live in an extremely hot environment, one where workouts, if they are done at all, are very often done indoors.  Add to this mix the desire to remain healthy and strong and competitive and, well, you're headed to some changes in habits and attitudes.

No longer do I think of strength workouts as something alien and unnecessary.  In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that without a regular regimen of strength training, an Ironman triathlete in middle age is operating on borrowed time.  It could even be that once endurance is firmly established by one's 20s, that fitness components like strength, technique and coordination gain primacy.

I do this spinal rotation stretch in the morning and before every workout.  I love it and consider it to be my own private mini-chiropractic adjustment!  For maximal benefit, be sure to breath deeply and relax.

Keep front lower leg perpendicular.  15 lbs/hand.

 When training for Ironman, my usual strength workout regimen included three strength workouts per week.  These lasted about 35 - 45 minutes each and focused on the muscle groups you see highlighted in this entry's pictures.  The more intensely I trained, the more I began to realize the crucial role played by strength training.  Concerted hours swimming, biking and especially running have meant a body weight in the 150 - 153 lbs. range.  As an Ironman approaches and volume begins peaking, my body weight can dip below 150, at which point I'm more susceptible to injury.  Perhaps equally important, a lower body weight can lead to a lack of strength down the stretch in the marathon.  A pure marathoner is lighter than a triathlete doing a marathon, and because the Ironman triathlete's competitive day is a lot longer, holding onto strength in the latter stages of the race is key.  This is where strength training can reap huge dividends.  

Exhale during contraction.  Slower is better with lifting.

Before strength training, be sure you are warmed up and that your muscles are ready for the flexions and extensions demanded by the workout.  Avoid jumping right into a strength workout without taking at least a few minutes getting the major muscle groups warmed up and ready to go. 

By the same token, be careful about tackling a strength workout after your muscles are tired.  Especially middle age, tired muscles can be less flexible and therefore less capable of delivering the energy loads and ranges of motion the workout demands.

25 lbs./hand.  Don't drop arms below this level.

 In general, use free weights if you can.  Free weights force the body to be more coordinated, and allow you to see if there are any asymmetries to your strength development. 

Focus on lighter weights at higher repetitions.  To the right, I'm doing these military presses with 25 lbs. in each arm, 15 reps at a time, two times per workout. 

Warm up with legs together on this one.

 In 1989 I was the top Manhattan finisher in the NYC Marathon, running a 2:29 PR which provided aspirations of running even faster at Boston the next spring.  Unfortunately, though perhaps predictably, I was also in my late 20s - the perfect time for tired connective tissue to make itself known.

Suddenly, my Achilles tendons were sore and tight, and the pain seemed to not want to go away.  In retrospect, I now see that I was lacking a coherent system of strength and flexibility training.  The years of running (by then 20,000+ miles in total) had taken a toll and, well, the Greeks had it right with my chain's weakest link.

Mostly by giving up on marathoning in '91 and getting involved with Nordic skiing and other non-percussive sports, I eventually made peace with my Achilles.  However, getting back into the Ironman meant that my now-even-older Achilles tendons needed TLC.  This exercise (above left) helps maintain strength and flexibility.  15 reps/side, fully up and down, with weight on ball of foot.  In part due to the dictates of weather, I also did about 85% of my total running mileage on the treadmill, which seems to be a much more forgiving running surface for the Achilles than pavement. 

Have the free arm pivot through 180 degrees.

Good spinal rotation forms the basis of much health and is the linchpin to a strong freestyle swim stroke.  This exercise (right) starts with the load-bearing hand fully extended forward, the feet placed about three feet apart.  I do 15 reps on both sides, 35 lbs. at a time.

This is a great core workout, especially if you focus on driving the rotation with your abdominal obliques and your thoracic carriage muscles.  A bit like pull-starting a lawn mower engine, this exercise gives a full-body workout.

Focus on the full range of motion; however, be careful not to retract the pulling arm to far behind the body.  

The free arm (hidden) pivots around body during rotation/contraction.

 I go from one station to another in fairly rapid succession during a strength workout.  Remember, you are an endurance athlete who should be very comfortable with an elevated pulse, so don't be afraid to march through the workout.

On the other hand, once there, slower is better than faster.  Focus on full ranges of steady motion, less weight rather than more, more reps rather than fewer.

Done well, this is harder than it looks. 

This abdominal workout is becoming one of my favorites.  For one, it really focuses on the core.  Yet it also demands balance and timing, and the bonus is that it helps loosen up and realign the back if you do it correctly!

Find a flat, stable bench.  I use a ball weighing anywhere from 6 - 8 lbs, placing it centered against the chest.  Extend the elbows out to the side, legs up, with lower legs at or near horizontal.

Focus on full rotation of the upper torso, all the while keeping your lower body still and in the position noted.

 

Keep feet together and still.  Focus on full rotation.

As with all good strengthening exercises, balance is key with this one.  Again, I do 15 reps (back and forth being one rep) twice during the entire workout. 

These little medicine balls are great for strength growth in general.  I sometimes throw it up in the air and catch it as a means of improving general strength.  Can also be done with a buddy.

I rarely do "traditional" sit-ups anymore but, thanks to this kind of strengthening, feel that my abdominal muscles  remain strong and flexible.

Breath out on the way up.  Strive for symmetry in the arms.

The bench press used to be the be all end all of lifting when I was a kid.  I'm sure its importance was overstated then, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be a component of your overall strength workout when you're beginning your sixth decade of life.

I've got 25 lbs. in each arm, and I'm focusing on slow, steady, and symmetric movements as I go from (left) full extension to (below) contraction.


Some studies have shown that once you reach 40 you begin losing about 1% of your muscle mass per year.  Many adults begin noting that metabolism drops off about this age, and that they can't eat as much without weight gain.  By strengthening your body and maintaining your muscle mass, metabolism gets a boost.

Don't let your upper arms drop below horizontal.

Avoid holding your breath on this one.

 This (right) is quite a difficult exercise and must be done carefully.  Here are the keys:

• Don't let your butt drop below a slight elevation, as shown.
• Place feet about a foot apart.
• Rotate elbows in circular motion while keeping them in position shown. 
• Exercise ball should be slightly under-inflated and not too big.
• Keep breathing!

Strength comes from the core.  This is a good one.

This is a variation on the theme of the sideways plank, with a greater emphasis on balance.  Here is what to focus on:

• Keep extended arm above the body and in the plane of the legs and lower arm.
• Don't let the hips drop.
• The weight-bearing upper arm needs to be perpendicular to your body.
• Find your balance and get the body still before beginning your reps.

• You can do a regular plank with upper leg resting on lower leg.
• Or you can raise the upper leg a bit and create an isometric contraction, highlighting abductors.  
• Best of all, this is a great way to gain range of motion and strength by raising and lowering upper leg through the full range.
• I have ball rest against the wall, but if you're brave you can have ball be free...
• Again, body position is important, so use mirrors or others' feedback to keep you honest.  

Bend at the hips, keep legs straight.

This one is my most recent addition.  It's a dead lift, with straight legs, that focuses on the legs of the back leg, particularly the upper hamstrings and gluts.  After a few hours of the bike leg's TT position this exercise helps maintain strength and power.