Strength and conditioning has significantly improved my triathlon performance over the past few years. After competing in the sport for about a decade, I started incorporating S&C into my training in my early 40s—and the results have been noticeable. I’m now regularly hitting all-time peak power outputs across efforts ranging from 5 seconds to 5 hours and achieving PB’s in races I’ve done for years. Beyond increasing my power and endurance, strength training has helped me stay injury-free—something I previously struggled with, especially in running and long-distance events.
Shane O’Donovan – National Triathlon amateur athlete
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Can strength and conditioning still make a difference after ten years of competing in triathlon?
Shane had been racing triathlon for about a decade before he added S&C to his training in his early forties, and the difference was noticeable straight away. It shows that experienced endurance athletes still have real gains on the table once proper strength work enters the programme.
What results came from adding strength training to an established triathlon programme?
Shane is now hitting all time peak power outputs across efforts ranging from five seconds right up to five hours, and setting personal bests in races he has done for years. That range matters, it means the strength work carried over to his sprint efforts and his long course racing alike.
Does strength training help prevent injury in endurance athletes?
Yes, and for Shane that was one of the biggest wins. He had struggled with injuries before, particularly in running and long distance events, and strength training has helped keep him injury free where he previously found that hardest to manage.
Is it too late to start strength training as an endurance athlete in your forties?
Shane started in his early forties after a decade of racing without it, and it transformed his performance. Age is not the deciding factor, consistency and the right programme are.
How does strength training benefit both power and endurance for a triathlete?
For Shane it improved both ends of the spectrum at once, peak power over short efforts and sustained output over long ones. Building strength underneath an existing endurance base tends to lift the whole performance curve, not just one part of it.
