Should triathletes do strength training?

Yes. A 2017 meta-analysis in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that concurrent strength and endurance training improved triathlon performance more than endurance training alone. The benefit is strongest on running economy — the energy cost of maintaining a given pace in the back half of the run.

How often should a triathlete strength train during an Ironman build?

Two sessions per week in the base and build phases, reducing to one during peak weeks and race week. The goal is maintaining strength stimulus without compromising endurance training recovery. Sessions of 45-60 minutes are sufficient.

What strength exercises are best for triathletes?

Hip hinges (deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts) for run power, single-leg work (split squats, Bulgarian split squats) for run economy, horizontal push and pull for swim and aero position maintenance, and core stability for both. Heavy compound movements produce more transfer than machine isolation work.

Is Gate 14 good for triathletes?

Yes. The coached class format provides programmed strength work without requiring athletes to design their own sessions on top of an already complex tri training plan. The 60-minute format fits within a busy triathlon training schedule.

Training for Ironman 70.3 Oceanside: How Gate 14 Fits Into a South Bay Tri Build

If you're building for Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, you already know the swim-bike-run volume that fills your week. What most South Bay triathletes underinvest in is strength — and it's the piece that separates athletes who hold their run form at mile 11 from those who don't.

Gate 14 at 130 E. Grand Ave, El Segundo is 15 minutes from most Hermosa Beach and South Bay training bases. Two sessions per week during base and build phases is enough to deliver the strength adaptation that triathlon training alone cannot.

What strength training adds to a 70.3 build

Endurance training develops cardiovascular capacity and sport-specific neuromuscular patterns. What it does not develop well: maximum strength, hip stability, and the posterior chain resilience that keeps run mechanics intact when fatigued.

A 2017 meta-analysis published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports reviewed concurrent strength and endurance training in triathletes. Athletes who added structured strength training improved performance outcomes more than those who trained endurance only. The strongest effect was on running economy.

Running economy matters most in the back half of a 70.3, when accumulated fatigue compromises form. Strength training builds the hip and posterior chain strength that maintains mechanics under fatigue — specifically the part of the race where the run is decided.

The strength work that transfers to triathlon

Not all strength work transfers equally to swim-bike-run. Gate 14's programming emphasizes the movements with the highest return for endurance athletes:

For the run: Hip hinges (deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts), single-leg squat variations (Bulgarian split squats, step-ups), and hamstring work build the hip extension strength and stability that drive run economy and reduce injury risk.

For the bike: Bilateral squat patterns — back squat, goblet squat — develop the quad and glute strength that powers output on the bike. Hip hinge strength also protects the lower back in the aero position during long efforts.

For the swim: Horizontal pull patterns (dumbbell row, cable row), vertical pull (lat pulldown), and shoulder stability work build the pulling strength and shoulder endurance that maintain stroke mechanics across a 1.2-mile open water swim.

How to integrate Gate 14 into a tri training week

The integration formula for 70.3 prep:

Phase	Timing	Strength frequency
Base	20+ weeks out	2x/week, full sessions
Build	12-20 weeks out	2x/week, 45-minute sessions
Peak	6-12 weeks out	1-2x/week, reduced volume
Taper	4-6 weeks out	1x/week, maintenance only
Race week	Final week	No strength work

A coached class at Gate 14 is 60 minutes and programmed. The session design is handled — which matters most during tri training when mental bandwidth is consumed by the sport-specific workload.

The South Bay triathlon community

Hermosa Beach and the South Bay produce competitive age-group triathletes. The PCH bike route, the Strand running path, and proximity to ocean swim venues make the region one of the stronger amateur tri communities in Southern California.

Gate 14 in El Segundo is integrated into this community. Athletes from Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, and Redondo Beach train there alongside aerospace professionals and competitive age-groupers.

See strength training in the South Bay and Beach Cities for the broader S&C context. See Gate 14 membership options or contact Gate 14.