A Triathletes Home Equipment Guide for Functional Strength Training
It’s no secret, strength training isn’t an option. Purple Patch training is grounded in a strong foundation of functional strength training, elevating the swim, bike, and run found in endurance sport. We’ve shown the importance of year-round strength training and how it needs to become a habit in your regular training schedule. The good news is you don’t need an expensive gym membership to achieve your strength goals. With just a handful of essential at-home strength equipment pieces specific for functional triathlon strength training, you can build a dream at-home gym. We’ve got the guide to help develop that functional at-home gym without cluttering up your home, as well as some bonus triathlon strength exercises.
Here’s the guide:
The Best Equipment for your Home Gym
Here it is, the Purple Patch list of the essential strength equipment we recommend for you to complete our annualized strength training program. As you can see, you don’t need large space filling equipment. This equipment is efficient and effective for the time-starved athlete.
Monster Bands
These are some of the most efficient and versatile pieces of equipment you can have in your arsenal, and they take up less space than a pair of racing flats. For our purposes, you won't need anything over a #4 resistance. We recommend the ‘Pull Up Package #2’ that comes with 1, 2, and 3 bands. The Purple Patch Recommended Monster Bands:
The Purple Patch Recommended Monster Bands:Rogue Monster Bands
● Great for adding resistance to any movement. Overhead press, pushups, front squats, deadlifts, and rotational twists, to name a few.
● Allows you to add assistance to harder suspended exercises like the pull-up from a bar.
● They can also work well through specific ranges of motion and be useful for mobility exercises.
Example Exercises:
● Band Pull Aparts, Overhead Press, Donkey Kick Hip Extension
Kettlebells
Another versatile piece of equipment to keep around is an array of kettlebells. We love kettlebells as a great body-loading tool, but they are also helpful for mobility and self-care when you learn their complete range. I recommend everyone has three weight varieties; 1-2 for lighter and more mobility-based exercise,1-2 for moderate or higher rep exercises with some resistance, and 1-2 heavier kettlebells for big lifts such as deadlifts, swings, and presses.
Our weight recommendations:
● Men’s Light 12-16lbs; Moderate 25-30lbs; Heavy 45-55+lbs
● Women’s Light 8-12lbs; Moderate 15-25lbs; Heavy 30-45+lbs
Example Exercises:
● Woodchops, Single-Leg Deadlift, Thoracic twists
Mini-Bands
These are a staple every endurance athlete needs in their gym bag. Fabulous for pre-workout / race activations, core workouts, and balance/stability exercises crucial for health and performance. You might as well get the complete kit and start with lighter bands and move to the heavier ones as your body progresses.
The Purple Patch Recommended Mini-Bands: Perform Better Mini-Bands
● Commit to starting your critical runs with a quick 10-minute dynamic warm-up set..
● Bring them to every strength workout to practice some extra core and hip exercises.
● Great for warm-ups in a race environment that is space-restricted.
Example Exercises:
● High Knee March, Hip Adduction / Abduction, Monster Walks
TRX or Suspension Training System
The TRX is a classic piece of workout equipment that we integrate periodically. It is more of a nice to have item that is not required to complete the Purple Patch strength program.
That said, there are many useful ways to integrate a TRX into basic bodyweight movements to:
● Increase the complexity or load of an exercise using gravity.
● Decrease the load/stress on your body in specific activities by giving assistance and good form cueing.
● Comfortably increase your range of motion in movements that might not be entirely comfortable yet.
Example Exercises:
● Alternating High Knee March, Pistol Squat, and Body Weight Rows
Foam Roller and Trigger Point Balls
Strength training means more to us than just hammering the weights and trying to build muscle. It is also useful for keeping your muscles loose, elastic, and supple. Every endurance athlete needs to have a few tools to help practice and maximize self-care following workouts and have a weekly routine they go through.
The Purple Patch Recommended Mobility Pack: Trigger Point Mobility Pack
This product is the perfect combo foam roller and includes a Trigger Point ball to reach those tougher spots around the body, and to work the feet.
Example Exercises:
● Posterior Chain Rolling, Plantar Fascia Rolling / ART, Thoracic Spine Mobility
Strength training can enable a great racing season if done right. You will set your body up to properly absorb training with lowered risk of injury. You will also be able to more effectively respond to sport-specific stimulus. Strength training is optimized by following a progressive, phase-based program that changes according to the different demands of racing and training throughout the year. By following Purple Patch’s comprehensive and effective strength training program, and using our recommended strength training equipment, you will become a more resilient, and ultimately, better, athlete.