Overview
This session targets the key muscle groups and movement patterns that underpin performance across all three triathlon disciplines. Every exercise is chosen for a specific reason — to make you more resilient, more efficient, and more durable. Athletes who train strength consistently get injured less, recover faster, and maintain better form when fatigue sets in late in a race.
Mobility
The session opens with mobility work to prepare the body and address the restrictions that accumulate across a week of swim, bike, and run training. Focus is placed on the hips, thoracic spine, and ankles — the three areas most commonly restricted in triathletes.
Foot dexterity
Before loading the lower body, this session includes targeted foot dexterity work. The foot is the first point of contact with the ground on every run stride and plays a fundamental role in force absorption, propulsion, and balance. A foot that lacks intrinsic strength leads to compensations that show up as knee pain, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and calf issues. Training foot dexterity builds the neuromuscular control that supports every stride you take.
The exercises
Step ups — single leg hip stability, glute strength, and knee control under load. Focus on a slow, controlled descent.
Plank variations — develops the anti-extension core strength that keeps your body position efficient in the water, upright on the run, and powerful on the bike under fatigue.
Overhead press or press ups — shoulder strength, rotator cuff control, and the postural strength that supports an efficient swim stroke and tall run posture.
Hamstring bridge variations — develops posterior chain strength, glute activation, and hip extension — critical to running economy, cycling power, and protecting the knee and lower back.
Resistance dead bugs — deep core stability that holds your body position together under the repetitive demands of triathlon. Slow and controlled execution is everything.
Crab walks — targets the hip abductors and external rotators responsible for pelvic stability with every run stride and knee tracking on the bike. Weakness here is a common contributor to IT band issues, knee pain, and hip drop in running.
A note on execution
The value of this session is in quality of movement, not volume or load. Move with control, prioritise range of motion and stability, and treat this as the work that makes everything else better.
Medical disclaimer
This session is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any new strength training programme, particularly if you have pre-existing injuries or health conditions. The Tri Project accepts no liability for injury or adverse outcomes. You train at your own risk.
Hello! I’m Bex, an endurance coach specialising in triathlon, with over a decade of experience coaching in high performance environments.
During my years at British and Triathlon Scotland I coached multiple athletes and teams to Paralympic and Commonwealth medals. Alongside that I have coached multiple pro and age group athletes to 70.3 and Ironman podiums. My mission is to support endurance athletes to reach their physical potential in sport and enjoy the process along the way.