In the Internet era finding a training plan for those who want to start in the triathlon seems simple. Google shows more than 75,000 results for the search "Triathlon Training Plan". And if you type on YouTube "how to train a triathlon" what you get is more than 21,000 videos. "There are some plans and videos that are good, but many are not worth at all," says Haruki Shiraishi, physical trainer in
Sanus Vitae and national triathlon coach. "In general there is enough Internet poisoning."
How do you distinguish a good video of a bad one on exercises of exercises and training plans to prepare a triathlon on the Internet?
It is difficult because, although there are some that are very good, there are many more who are useless. There are people who watch a video of a training plan, go down and believe it is the best. Then he starts doing it and thinks that he is doing well when he really may be totally counterproductive even if the video is good.
How can a good training plan be counterproductive?
Because there are no training, but trained subjects. The phrase is not mine, but of González Badillo. A triathlon training plan is not equally adequate for a person that for another. And that costs a lot to make people understand. There are those who think that to prepare a marathon you have to do 80 or 90 kilometers a week. Or that an exercise of 15 series in a row of 100 meters to the maximum intensity is good because they have seen it to make a professional athlete. People forget that training must be individualized. Even in triathlon clubs there are coaches who use the same plan for everyone. There is no individualization.
What are the factors that must be taken into account when creating an individualized training plan?
You have to look at the previous experience that the subject has, the time it has been doing or without exercising, the age, the frequent injuries you have had, the available material you use to train the house or in the gym, the psychology of the athlete. ..
Psychology?
Yes. Before planning a training routine you have to take into account if that person accepts the intensive burden, see how he adapts to the work you put and if he has more or less capacity for suffering.
"Before defining a training plan, the subject's psychology must be taken into account: see how it adapts to the workload you put and if you have more or less capacity for suffering."
All this how is determined?
With a questionnaire and a subsequent analysis. I always ask what he does, what he would like to do, how he likes to train and ask them to send me an assessment of each training session to know how they feel and the level of demand. I also put test and measure the times. All of that is analyzed by some tables and from the graphics they generate you already know more or less what kind of athlete it is, although to know him well they can spend three months.
Do people are usually disciplined when following the training that a personal coach sets them?
It is complicated because in most cases you have to change the mentality of how to train. Many do not trust that the exercises you put will help them improve because when they finish a training they feel with strength to do more. People have a bad conception of training and tends to think that if it ends up, it is because they have done well because, in addition, they feel more satisfied. But the truth is that this is not doing the right thing. In training you have to stay wanting more. And that costs a lot to instill it because they prefer to feel hoarded.
"With an individualized and tailored training of the athlete, injuries are prevented."
What kind of training is that requires greater discipline?
The force. It is the most complicated because people think that strength training requires a lot of time and, if you have to skip training during the week, they remove the force before the resistance. However, if you neglect it, you can injure you because the muscle has to be strengthened.
Why is it preferable to prepare a triathlon with a personal coach rather than on your own?
Because it is very important that the training is individualized and tailored to each athletes to prevent injuries and do the work that best suits you. The problem is that there are people who are reluctant to pay for personal training thinking that they have it for free on the Internet. Or cheaper through monitors who have done a 6 -month course but are not really prepared.
