Training for a triathlon, how do I retain muscle mass?

[Vultira]

Hey guys. I'm thinking about trying to train for a triathlon, but obviously it wouldn't be feasible to continue trying to gain muscle mass while I'm running 30 miles a week, biking 50, and swimming 3x a week.

What is the key to retaining my current muscle mass and making sure that my body isn't using my muscle as fuel? Pre and Postworkout nutrition is probably step one, so carbs before I train? Is the key keeping my protein intake high and reducing lifting to just a few times a week? All help would be appreciated! Thanks all.

-V

[Vultira]

anyone have any insight?

[amyfit]

I've trained for everything from sprint tri's to an Ironman. While it is hard to retain muscle, and you'll probably lose a little, you can keep most of what you've worked for.
Preworkout - Slow and fast burning carbs, a little fat, and protein. My favorite was pb and honey on whole wheat bread with a protein shake. Take this 1.5-2 hrs before.
Workout - Get perpetum (sp?) by Hammer Nutrition or something similar. Endurox I believe is one. If you get the one by Hammer mix it with Gatorade otherwise it tastes horrible!
Post workout - Protein shake with a frozen banana made with skim milk.

This also works during the race. Once the workouts get longer you'll need to alternate drinking perpetum with either gatorade by itself or taking a GU and downing it with water.

So what distance are you training for?? 1/2 IM??

Also, don't give up weight training. Get it in at least 2x/week.

Amy

[mattyoung92]

Pretty much what amy said as long as your keeping your glycogen replenished and your amino's flowing through your blood stream at all the times there should be no reason for your body to want to become catabolic on itself, The only problem is fast twitch muscle fibres can become slow twitch if your body feels its in need of them more predominantly but keep up your explosive lifting and you shouldn't really lose anything.

[whatevergirl]

I'm training for one, to take place in the florida keys next year. Just wanted to pop in because the title of the thread caught my eye. I wish you well and great success!

I also hope to learn from others in here...because I bike, and run now...haven't added swimming just yet, I have time. But curious as to the body building aspect of it.

What one are you thinking of entering?

[whatevergirl]

I've trained for everything from sprint tri's to an Ironman. While it is hard to retain muscle, and you'll probably lose a little, you can keep most of what you've worked for.
Preworkout - Slow and fast burning carbs, a little fat, and protein. My favorite was pb and honey on whole wheat bread with a protein shake. Take this 1.5-2 hrs before.
Workout - Get perpetum (sp?) by Hammer Nutrition or something similar. Endurox I believe is one. If you get the one by Hammer mix it with Gatorade otherwise it tastes horrible!
Post workout - Protein shake with a frozen banana made with skim milk.

This also works during the race. Once the workouts get longer you'll need to alternate drinking perpetum with either gatorade by itself or taking a GU and downing it with water.

So what distance are you training for?? 1/2 IM??

Also, don't give up weight training. Get it in at least 2x/week.

Amy

Ironman? How awesome!

[amyfit]

Thanks!! It was a great experience!!

[whatevergirl]

Thanks!! It was a great experience!!

I can imagine. (I will only imagine haha)
Training for a tri is so different than anything I've done...keeps things exciting, never get bored. I am going to join a local Y to get the swimming in soon.

Just a quick question (sorry to hijack your thread OP! forgive me) ...when I add swimming in, would you say it's necessary to equally focus on all three sports, or would you say to focus on the one you're weakest in? For me, swimming and cycling, I'm strong...running, due to coming back from an injury, I'm weakest in...so I tend to focus on that, now. Thanks in advance for any advice you might have to share.

[amyfit]

If you weren't coming off an injury, I would have said put a little more focus on the run. But because it's an injury related weakness, I'm going to say focus on all three equally. Even baby yourself a little on the run. If you feel pain coming back while you're training (and in the race) WALK!!! I was stupid and didn't listen to my body. Now I can only run once or twice a week and even then it's a walk/run. Been to countless doctors. Surgery is only a 50/50 shot at fixing me. So, I now take it easy and listen to my body. LOL!!!
Good luck!!!

[Vultira]

I'm looking to do a sprint distance triathlon. The problems I'm facing are:

1. I'm unsure if I want to postpone my physique goals in place of running and training for said triathlon. Training basically puts a stop to any mass gains I can make, and while the triathlon would be a goal in itself, I'm trying to weigh its priority relative to BBing.

2. Lack of info. I don't know very much about the sport of triathlon and can't find a training log or any kind of split guidance from someone relative to my ability level. Most logs I've found are either people who were overweight and thus are starting from a much lower place than me, or the logs are from professionals who are training for distances much greater than a sprint tri.

[Vultira]

BTW Amy, I don't know if you know the answer to this. But I do have a tiny bit of flab that I wouldn't mind burning off as a result of tri training. By following the above pre, during, and post workout plans, am I still going to be in a fat burning mode? That's the problem I am currently having...I'm doing workouts and things, but I'm not doing slow fat-burning stuff, and it's not quite high intensity enough to be considered HIIT. I'm warming up for 15 minutes (HR at about 145-150) then I'm doing 12-16 400m repeats at 78 second pace, then cooling down for 15 minutes. I wouldn't mind these workouts going towards burning some of that fat, but after a month and a half, and eating better than I have ever have, the fat really hasn't budged.

[amyfit]

I completely understand your dilemma with the two very different goals. However, with this being a sprint tri, you're more likely to be able to do both quite well.
As for training - A book that I have followed and liked very much is Training Plans for Multisport Athletes by Gale Bernhart. She covers everything from sprint to IM's and even duathlon training.
As for the flab you want to get rid of. If it was something over an Olympic distance, I'd say you probably won't, but with sprint tri's, oh yeah, you can burn some serious fat. Why? Because with sprints it's actually a little better to do interval training for the most part instead of LISS. Trust me, your HR will be very high through out a sprint. So HITT and Intervals are imperative!! Plus you'll actually burn more fat using these. You won't and shouldn't use them everytime you train, but at least one session a week in each disipline.
Also with the sprints, carb intake won't be as important either. You will still need some, but depending on how fast you are your race will be over in an hour to an hour and a half. You'll need to eat the way you want to race. Fill up on the carbs pre workout/race like I suggested. Since it's a sprint you won't need the perpetum. Too many carbs for that. A bottle of gatorade and a bottle of water for the bike should do you fine. Just alternate sipping the two every 15 min. As for the run, if you feel you need the extra carbs by all means take a GU or a a couple oz gatorade. Then just do water during the run. When doing only run training though, water only. If you're bricking a bike/run or swim/run, then you may feel the need for carbs. Post workout/race, do the protein shake with a banana. You need that potassium! You're choice on wether or not to include the skim milk.
I'm not a coach or an expert so feel free to take all this with a grain of salt. But I'd be happy to help you figure out a training plan if you want. Or check into that book.
Hope I helped ya' some!!
Amy

[jjdiddy182]

I'm looking to do a sprint distance triathlon. The problems I'm facing are:

1. I'm unsure if I want to postpone my physique goals in place of running and training for said triathlon. Training basically puts a stop to any mass gains I can make, and while the triathlon would be a goal in itself, I'm trying to weigh its priority relative to BBing.

2. Lack of info. I don't know very much about the sport of triathlon and can't find a training log or any kind of split guidance from someone relative to my ability level. Most logs I've found are either people who were overweight and thus are starting from a much lower place than me, or the logs are from professionals who are training for distances much greater than a sprint tri.

I literally am in the same situation. I've been an athlete my whole life but the sports I played involve fast twitch muscles and power training like volleyball, football, and baseball. So I have a dilemma, I want to train for a sprint triathlon, while maintaining my muscle mass bc i would hate to see it go. However, I do have a little extra in the mid section that I wouldn't mind getting rid of. I want to do well in the sprint tri...which would be my first ever distance race for any sport, but I don't want to lose my mass and be a skinny endurance man (no offense to those who are). I'm in the process of trying to figure it out. Maybe do a bunch more cross-fit type training to retain muscle mass and include that with the swim, bike, run training.