STRENGTH TRAINING

BY AARON BUCHAN

Triathlon is definitely a performance sport but if the foundation principles are not laid down first it ’ s only a matter of time before something goes wrong .

MOTIVATION

Motivation is the first key point when preparing for your next big race . What ’ s your purpose and what outcome do you want ?

It ’ s important to set up your Annual Training Plan (” ATP ”) for your A , B and C races but what I also recommend is setting specific goals that you want to achieve . Add to this , a time by which you want to reach this goal .

Think about how you ’ d feel if you achieved this ... It ’ s an awesome feeling isn ’ t it ? Now , think of 5 points that will help you succeed with your main goal . Once you have these ideas , it ’ s time to write them down on paper .

If you ’ re still not sure , here is an example : “ I want to qualify for a World Series Event next year .”

Once you have documented your agreement to yourself , sign it and pin it up somewhere where you can see it every day . Start to visualise what you want .

What you think , you create !

BREATHING

Breathing is the key to optimising your health for so many different reasons . First though , you need to know how to breath correctly . 90 % of athletes I see on a daily basis are breathing incorrectly , through the chest and not using their diaphragm . This leads to postural imbalances , decreased food digestion , poor quality sleep , decreased energy levels and VO2 max . To reverse this you need to re-train your body to breathe efficiently through the diaphragm .

This is best practiced in mornings before getting out of bed and at night just before bed when lying down . All you need is 3 minutes at a time :

1 . Place one hand on your stomach and the other hand on your chest .

2 . Breathe in through the nose while pushing your stomach out like a big full belly ( do not let the chest rise here ).

3 . Exhale . Let your belly button sink into your spine .

These 6 steps will help improve your performance , prevent any injuries and help you recover faster .

Aaron Buchan - international athlete , motivational speaker , wellness advocate with over 10 yrs experience , Aaron ’ s well known for his strength and condition skills along with a long list of qualifications in nutrition and mind coaching . Aaron is now transferring his knowledge & motivation into triathletes of all levels ; from beginners to elites with his proven and self tested triathlon coaching systems . Aaron is a selfdriven passionate athlete that wants to help any individual improve their health and fitness along with working towards his goal of bringing 100 new people in to the sport of triathlon for the 2018 / 19 season .

Do this regularly and it will become your body ' s new pattern for breathing . You will feel the difference in your general feeling of well-being and your performances .

HYDRATION

Hydration is crucial for so many reasons . Dehydration leads to fatigue , excessive hunger / weight gain , burn out easier , but more frequently PAIN which often leads to injuries .

When you are dehydrated , you seem to be hungrier . Well , guess what ? It ’ s not food you ’ re craving , it ’ s water . Drinking 2-3 litres of water per day is best , and it needs to be quality high mineral / alkaline water . I recommend drinking PH8 as it ’ s one of the best quality waters with the right amount of minerals in it .

SLEEP

Sleeping less than 8 hrs / night and catching up on sleep on the weekend is not going to cut it if you ’ re looking quality training sessions ! It is absolutely crucial that you are sleeping 10pm to 6am to align your circadian rhythm and get the physical and mental repair you need to recover from training , work , stress , life etc .

Not getting sleep between your circadian rhythms times ( physical repair 10pm-2am , mental / emotional repair 2am-6am ) can disrupt your cortisol and melatonin levels which will lead to sugar cravings , increased eating and excessive fat storage . The reality of fitting in life with training means that many athletes ( especially those on the Iron man circuit ) are up at 4:30am to hit their 120km before arriving at work by 8:30am . This is OK short term ( 12 wks ) provided you ’ re in bed before 10pm but is definitely not recommended long term as it will lead to overloaded mental / emotional stress .

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