6 Corrective Exercises Triathletes Should Do Everyday
Triathletes need to build balance throughout their entire body. They need core, hip and shoulder stability and ankle, hip and thoracic mobility. The stronger your structure becomes, the less you become injured and the higher your performance will soar. These six corrective exercises can big a huge assistance to correcting some major issues I see all the time in, not just triathletes, but a majority of athletes. These movements need to be part of a regular routine so you can reduce build a balance body, increase your flexibility and mobility and decrease your chance of injury. Remember when you get hurt you can not train and when you can not train you can not get better. Be smart and do what you have to do to stay healthy.
1. Plank/Side Plank – This might be the most important exercise for triathletes. We need stability and stiffness in our lower lumbar region. If we are unstable our low back will get unwanted movement, thus causing low back pain. There are many repetitive movements in swimming, biking and running. You are continually doing the same thing over and over. Having a stable core means that your body will release power throughout your hips and shoulders more efficiently. The plank is a very simple but efficient exercise. You do not have to hold a plank longer than 45 seconds for it to be effective. Start out by holding a plank or side plank for 15 seconds and perform two sets. Build to 3 sets of 30 seconds. Once you have mastered this progression, elevate your feet on a bench or box. You must maintain a perfectly straight body, braced abdominal region, and stiffness through the exercise. Keep your elbows tucked into your sides and keep your forearms straight out in front of you.
2. Y’s/T’s/W’s/L’s – Whether you are swimming, biking or running, triathletes need strong stability and posture of the upper back. If you have a weak posterior upper body your body will learn to compensate through unwanted stress of the lower back, shoulders, hips and knees. These simple exercises will enhance shoulder stability, rotator cuff strength, and scapular control. The scapula area (shoulder blades, rhomboids, rotator cuff, middle trapezius, posterior deltoid and subscapularis) are all stabilizing muscles of the upper back. If we lack strength in these small stabilizing muscles our posture will suffer thus causing stress and pain in other areas. You need to be in a good athletic position while performing these exercises. Knees should be slightly bent and you should be bent over 45 degrees towards the ground. Remain strong and tight in the trunk area.
3. Mini-band Lateral Walks – Most triathletes have very strong quadriceps and hamstrings but very weak hip stabilizers. The glute medius is a very important muscle for stabilizing the hip joint. If you have weak hip stabilizers your hip joint will move all over the place which can cause hip, knee and low back pain. Running and biking are unilateral movements. You are always using one leg or the other during these sports. If you can not stabilize on one leg because of inadequate hip stabilizers you will get injured very fast. This exercise, done daily, will strengthen your glute medius and will assist in stabilizing your hip joint. The more stability you have in your hips the more we can swim, bike and run more efficiently. When performing this exercise, think of having a book on top of your head with great core stability. Do not wobble all over the place. Remain tight and balanced. Your toes should be pointed inward to get more recruitment of the glute medius. Start off by doing 10 small steps to your left and 10 small steps to your right. Build to 30 small steps to your right and left.
4. Deep Squat to Hamstring stretch – This is a powerful exercise. This will help loosen up your ankles, open up your hips and stretch your hamstrings. Triathletes get very tight in their hips and hamstrings from constant biking and running. This exercise done everyday will enhance ankle mobility, hamstring flexibility and hip mobility. Make sure to keep chest up and back flat, keep heels on the floor and keep your elbows inside of your knees during the squat. As you go into the hamstring stretch, push your hips up and keep a straight back until your feel the stretch in your hamstrings. Start off by doing five full repetitions of this movement.
5. Lateral/Straight Leg swings – This dynamic exercise is performed to increase hip mobility. This is a mandatory movement in your daily workout routine. If you lack mobility in your hips your low back will eventually start to hurt. These exercises will open your hips in a frontal and saggital plane of motion. World renowned strength coach Michael Boyle says, “The problem is that the hip is built for mobility and the lumbar spine for stability. When the supposedly mobile joint becomes immobile, the stable joint is forced to move in compensation, becoming less stable and subsequently painful.” During lateral leg swings keep your back stable and let your hips do the movement. Cross the center line of your body and do not le your toes externally rotate out. Keep your toes facing the wall. With straight leg swings maintain a tall and stable trunk. Swing your leg up as high as you can go without bending your knee. Keep your toes flexed back.
6. Thoracic Rotation – Again, another simple but effective exercise. Too many triathletes suffer from low back pain. These issues are most likely caused from tight hips or an immobile thoracic spine. Our thoracic spine is the 12 vertebrae located in the middle of the spine. You need active mobility in this region. If you lack mobility in this area you are likely to move at the low spine and cause back pain. Also, because of lack of mobility in this area you could spark serious neck and shoulder issues. When sitting, your thoracic spine is in a locked position and its true function (extension, flexion and rotation) is turned off. This can lead to poor posture mechanics which can send a chained signal to the rest of the body to compensate. Compensation is what leads to injury. When one part of the body is turned off or non-functional then another area will try and pick up the load and this will lead to an injury. This exercise is done on all fours. Your body must remain straight and in good position. Put one hand on top of your head, rotate down and touch your other shoulder and then rotate up as far as you can. Try and look up to the ceiling when rotating up. You will feel the stretch between your shoulder blades. Start off by performing 8 a side and build to 15 a side.
As a bonus, here are three exercises triathletes should never do again:
1. Crunches - The movement of crunching puts the spine into flexion. The spine does not want this load. The function of the spine is meant to remain stable. When we move at the spine we cause low back pain. Read any of Stuart Mcgill’s research and you will see why spinal flexion, extension and rotation are a recipe for a blown low back disc.
2. Leg Curl Machine – This machine is a very non-functional “strength training” exercise. First of all it is a machine. Machines do not build function. Your movement is constricted on an exercise machine. This exercise will work the hamstrings without engaging the hips and the glutes. When you do that it will lead to over dominant hamstrings, thus leading to weak glutes and hips, which can lead to injury. These two muscle groups need to work together. Try the stability ball leg curl instead. This will allow your hips to work with your hamstrings and this will create balance and a strong posterior lower body.
3. Low Back Hyperextension – Just like crunching this is another recipe for low back pain. Again the low spine is meant to remain stable. When you put unwanted load on the spine it will cause serious back issues. It might not happen the 1st, 3rd or 50th time you perform this exercise but every time you perform spinal flexion, extension or rotation you are setting yourself up for disaster. Stay away from this exercise.
