Sprint triathlon | 4 months to go training plan
The following programme is part of a six-month training regime for a sprint triathlon. See the full programme here.
With four months to go you should have a solid base of fitness and training, so this month should start to introduce speed. Sprint triathlons are a good starting point for an amateur triathlete due to the shorter distance and can be a great challenge for the more seasoned athlete trying to improve on their record.
Tip for the month
This month you should train as you will race. Wearing the clothes that you will race in ensures that you will be comfortable on the day. By trying different combinations of clothing for varied weather conditions you will have the confidence that you are prepared for the event and our British weather.
By the end of this month you should...
Be able to swim 400m, bike for 55 minutes and run for 35 minutes.
Training plan
Throughout this plan challenge yourself with speed where indicated. Where it indicates a 'Brick' session complete these back to back with no break.
Week 1
| Day 1 | Swim 16mins - speed | Bike 40mins - endurance |
| Day 2 | Strength | - |
| Day 3 | Run 15mins - speed | Swim 22mins - endurance |
| Day 4 | Bike 42mins - endurance | Strength |
| Day 5 | Run 23mins - endurance | - |
| Day 6 | - | - |
| Day 7 (Brick) | Bike 35mins - endurance | Run 8mins - speed |
Strength exercises:
For swimming - Straight-arm pull downs, tricep kickbacks
For cycling - Barbell calf raises, Romanian deadlift
For running - Plank, lunge
Week 2
| Day 1 | Swim 23mins - endurance | Bike 25mins - speed |
| Day 2 | Strength | - |
| Day 3 | Run 24mins - endurance | Swim 16mins - speed |
| Day 4 | Bike 42mins - endurance | Strength |
| Day 5 | Run 15mins - speed | - |
| Day 6 | - | - |
| Day 7 (Brick) | Bike 28mins - endurance | Run 18mins - endurance |
Strength exercises:
For swimming - Straight-arm pull downs, cable rotational pull
For cycling - Barbell calf raises, dumbbell squat press
For running - Swiss ball forward rollout, lunge
Week 3
| Day 1 | Swim 16mins - speed | Bike 44mins - endurance |
| Day 2 | Strength | - |
| Day 3 | Run 16mins - speed | Swim 24mins - endurance |
| Day 4 | Bike 50mins - endurance | Strength |
| Day 5 | Run 28mins - endurance | - |
| Day 6 | - | - |
| Day 7 (Brick) | Bike 45mins - endurance | Run 18mins - endurance |
Strength exercises:
For swimming - Straight-arm pull downs, Swiss ball jackknifes
For cycling - Dumbbell chest press, Romanian deadlift
For running - Plank, dumbbell squat jump
Week 4
| Day 1 | Swim 17mins - speed | Bike 45mins - endurance |
| Day 2 | Strength | - |
| Day 3 | Run 30mins - endurance | Swim 25mins - endurance |
| Day 4 | Bike 30mins - speed | Strength |
| Day 5 | Run 27mins - endurance | - |
| Day 6 | - | - |
| Day 7 (Brick) | Bike 41mins - endurance | Run 10mins - speed |
Strength exercises:
For swimming - Swiss ball jackknifes, triceps kickback
For cycling - Dumbbell chest press, barbell calf raises
For running - Swiss ball forward rollout, single-leg deadlift
Week 5
| Day 1 | Swim 18mins - speed | Bike 48mins - endurance |
| Day 2 | Strength | - |
| Day 3 | Run 20mins - speed | Swim 25mins - endurance |
| Day 4 | Bike 32mins - speed | Strength |
| Day 5 | Run 28mins - endurance | - |
| Day 6 | - | - |
| Day 7 (Brick) | Bike 30mins - speed | Run 20mins - speed |
Strength exercises:
For swimming - Straight-arm pull downs, Swiss ball jackknifes
For cycling - Dumbbell chest press, Romanian deadlift
For running - Plank, dumbbell squat jump
Last updated Monday 11 April 2016
First published on Monday 11 April 2016