Fitness
6 core exercises for triathlon greatness
Triathlon coach Nick Busca imparts the workout tips that could give you a real edge for the swim, bike and run.
If you’re a keen triathlete, you will already know that a strong core is crucial for swim, bike and run – that’s just a fact. What may have escaped your attention until now, however, is that with a few tweaks and targeted calibration to your training, you can reinforce your core like never before, providing a real edge ahead of your big day.
And by "core" we don’t mean only abdominal muscles, but all the muscles of the trunk. These muscles are divided into three areas: the deep muscles of the spine, the middle muscle layer or inner unit, and the outer muscle layer or outer unit.
Having strong trunk muscles makes the core stable. As a result, your core will be able to support the effort and force from your arms and legs, but also help your joints perform in their safest, strongest and most effective positions – not to mention that your spine will be less vulnerable to chronic dysfunction.
Here are some of the best ways to work on your core...
1. Super Planks
Plank exercises (both front and the lateral ones, but also the back plank) are a way to get real short-term benefits on your obliques and abs. There are many variations of the plank: the easier one is executed on your forearms, while a harder version is performed on your hands. Super planks (going from the former to the latter position continuously) or walking planks are for those in the hunt for a real challenge. The key here is to maintain a neutral spine and not to collapse with the back. You want to create a straight line from head to toe.
2. Clam Shells
When I did this exercise for the very first time, I thought it was a joke. However, it didn’t take much time to really appreciate its benefits for your hip muscles. The focus might be more stabilisation than pure strength, but strengthening the glutes and abductors is crucial to maintaining power and avoiding injuries on the run and the bike.
Keep the heels touching each other, and raise your knee toward the wall by squeezing the glutes. Make sure that you’re not arching your back during the execution. Do the same number of reps on both sides. To make it harder, you can use resistance bands.
3. Glute Bridge
The glute bridge can be done unilaterally (one leg only) or bilaterally (both legs) and will mainly strengthen the glutes, but also the hamstrings. Lie on your back with hands by your sides, knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Engage the abdominals when raising your hips to create a straight line from the knees to the shoulders (also, squeeze the glute muscles at the top and do not over-extend your back). Lower the hips down and repeat the movement.
4. Pointer
A more technical one, this, the pointer reinforces the lower back muscles and glutes. It’s important that you engage the abdominals and keep a neutral spine position throughout the whole exercise to avoid any back problems and small injuries.
Start with hands and knees touching the ground (hands under the shoulders and knees under the hips) from a prone position. Brace the ab muscles and raise the opposite arm and leg until they're parallel to the ground, keeping the other two on the ground. Hold the position for a couple of seconds and try not to lose your balance, then return to the starting position and perform on the other side. Remember to breathe in and out throughout.
5. Swiss Ball V Sits
Yep, V Sits can already be super hard depending on how many sets and reps you do, so adding the use of a Swiss ball might sound sadistic. But this workout is super beneficial and fun too – if you’re getting it right. The idea is to perform a normal V Sit (with arms and legs straightened) and pass the Swiss ball from arms to legs and back when they meet at the mid-point. This workout is perfect for abs, but try not to perform it with stress and rigidity in your neck and back. If it's too hard, you can execute a normal V Sit without the ball, or even a single-leg V Sit (raise just one leg and both hands).
6. I's, Y’s, T’s with Swiss ball
This is primarily a stability exercise rather than a strengthening one, but never underestimate the complexity and difficulty of these kind of workouts. The longer the reps, the tougher it gets. Sit on the Swiss ball by positioning your abs and hips on it and extend the legs underneath it. Execute a small circuit of arm movements by starting with arms extended in front and palms facing in. Engage the core, retract the scapula and extend the arms (letter I), then extend the arms at 45 degrees with the thumbs facing up (letter Y) and finish by widening the angle of a further 45 degrees (letter T, thumbs always up). Return to the starting position and repeat.
