Follow the same training methodology that has guided Olympic and World Champions for all levels of ability

"My philosophy is very simple. There is no difference between a pro and an age grouper. It's just the time one has to train, and the speed at which one goes. Everything else is the same"

- BRETT SUTTON

This Trisutto Stimulus program is a ONE WEEK program which gives focus to the run discipline whilst maintaining fitness in the swim and bike. It has 3.5 hours of swim over 5 workouts, 3.25 hours of bike and 3.5 hours of run.

It is typically repeated for 3 to 4 weeks before athletes return to their normal training schedule or triathlon program for 4 weeks. This cycle of 3 to 4 weeks of stimulus followed by balanced training can be repeated once or twice more for maximum benefit.

Stimulus weeks are great for the off season to improve a weakness, but can also be incorporated during the year if we want to focus on a specific discipline for a short period.

This program is suitable for age group triathletes training for Sprint or Olympic distance of triathlon who have approximately 10 hours per week available for training. There is typically one workout per day.

It can be started on any day of the week however it is designed with the longest workout day as Day 6 (which corresponds to a Saturday should the program be started on a Monday). For age grouper athletes who work a typical Mon-Fri work week, we would recommend starting the program on a Monday.

This plan uses perceived exertion / effort to gauge intensity. We refer to this as 'Sutto's 3 M's' -

SUTTO'S THREE M'S
We like to keep things simple. While others espouse heart rate and power zones we find that these are a cause of confusion, distraction and worry. Instead we prefer the following perceived exertion levels -
Easy (under 60%), Moderate (60-75%), Medium (75-85%), Mad (85-95%).

* A complete description of intensity levels used in workouts is included with this training plan.

Equipment required:
Swim - paddles and buoy
Bike - a turbo trainer is not required, but is effective (and safe) if you have access to one
Run - access to a treadmill is not required, but is effective if you have access to one

Assumptions:
This 'Age Group Swim Stimulus Program - 10 hours per week' is provided under the assumption that the participant has a basic level of fitness, has been actively training recently, is injury free and can accomplish the following:
SWIM: Complete 500m of swimming without stopping.
CYCLING: Complete 60 minutes of cycling without stopping.
RUN: Complete 40 minutes of running without stopping.