Author: Terry L. VanderWert

I am constantly hearing about the importance of strength training for seniors, especially senior endurance athletes. And, I don’t think it’s just because I have become sensitized to its importance.

According to the authors of Muscle tissue changes with aging, “One of the most striking effects of age is the involuntary loss of muscle mass, strength, and function, termed sarcopenia. Muscle mass decreases approximately 3–8% per decade after the age of 30 and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60.”

Senior Triathletes coach Tony Washington shared about strength training and its importance to senior triathletes and other multi-sport endurance athletes. According to Tony, senior triathletes and other multi-sport endurance athletes should prioritize strength training as the fourth discipline in triathlon.

Key Takeaways from Coach Tony Washington

• Strength training is the “fourth discipline” of triathlon—critical for performance late in races
• Most breakdowns are muscular, not cardiovascular, especially under fatigue
• Injury prevention is the primary goal, particularly in the lower legs
• Senior athletes need more strength work, not less, to offset age-related decline
• Think beyond strength: stability → mobility → strength
• Consistency matters most—do something every day

These points challenged how I had been thinking about strength training—and how I applied it in my own training.

Let’s look more closely at how these ideas apply specifically to senior endurance athletes.

Strength training is just one part of a complete training plan. See how it fits into a broader approach to triathlon training after 50.

Strength Training for Senior Multisport Endurance Athletes

Since publishing my experience with triathlon icon Mark Allen’s strength training program, the post has been among the top most read on SeniorTriathletes.com.

This is not surprising, given the intrinsic loss of strength with age. There is plenty of evidence to show that we may not stop this decline, but we can absolutely slow it down through consistent strength training. This includes some strength training every day, according to Tony Washington.

For a sedate person, starting at about age 40, they can lose as much as a percent of strength per year.

Tony Washington

Before you leave thinking you don’t have time to go to the gym seven days a week, listen to Tony’s approach to strength training and how you can supplement visits to the gym or weight room with strength training while going about your day.

My Conversation with Tony Washington

Milestones in our Conversation

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire conversation now, you can download it for later listening. You can also jump to a specific point within the conversation. Just remember, points later in the conversation often build on those Tony made earlier in it.

• 1:11 – Strength training is underappreciated in triathlon
• 3:07 – Key goal for strength training
• 5:15 – Ways strength training for seniors differs from that for our younger selves
• 8:25 – Three targets for strength training
• 13:37 – Changes in strength training for seniors as we age
• 18:41 – Differences in strength training between men and women
• 21:30 – Approaching strength training when transitioning from a single endurance sport to triathlon
• 24:55 – Influence of race distance on strength training
• 27:11 – Reader question about preventing injury when strength training for the bike
• 30:30 – Final advice: “Do some strength training every day.”

What Tony Washington Wants Senior Endurance Athletes To Remember

Three ideas stood out from my conversation with Tony Washington. First, strength training is not simply about lifting heavier weights. Second, senior athletes benefit from doing some form of strength work consistently, even if it is brief. Third, strength developed in isolation is not enough; we need strength we can use when swimming, biking, and running while tired.

1. Think Stability, Mobility, Then Strength

Tony describes strength training for senior endurance athletes as having three targets: stability, mobility, and strength. Stability helps us control movement and avoid injury. Mobility helps us remain strong through a useful range of motion. Strength helps us continue moving well, especially late in a workout or race.

This is especially important for runners and triathletes because running is, in Tony’s words, much like repeatedly hopping from one foot to the other. Each foot strike places significant force through the feet, ankles, calves, knees, hips, and back. A strong body that is also stable and mobile is better prepared to absorb and return that force.

2. Do Some Strength Training Every Day

This may be the most practical takeaway from our conversation—strength training does not need to be a separate workout to be effective. Tony isn’t suggesting that every senior athlete needs to go to the gym seven days a week. Instead, he encourages athletes to do something—a few simple movements added naturally to other movements—every day along with at least two structured strength sessions each week. These can include:

• Calf raises while waiting for coffee, the microwave, or an appointment.
• Standing on one foot while brushing your teeth.
• Bodyweight squats, lunges, or step-ups during a short break.
• Walking up steps two at a time, instead of one.

The point is consistency. Small movements repeated often can help make strength training part of an athlete’s lifestyle rather than one more item competing for time on the training calendar. In other words, strength training becomes something you do throughout the day—not just something you schedule.

One point Tony emphasized really stood out to me:

3. Prepare the Body To Perform While Tired

In triathlon, especially, we are rarely performing on fresh legs—the ability to maintain form while tired is what ultimately determines performance. Tony also mentioned using a series of intervals after harder efforts, especially biking and running, to simulate the feeling of longer-distance racing. This prevents overuse fatigue and injury, while still building endurance.

For senior athletes, this does not mean forcing hard workouts when exhausted. It means gradually and safely teaching the body to maintain good form when fatigue is present. Strength training helps support that goal by improving durability, balance, posture, and muscular endurance.

This is where many races are decided—not by fitness alone, but by how well we hold form when tired.

My Main Takeaway About Strength Training for Senior Triathletes

According to Tony Washington, strength training for senior triathletes is less about lifting weights and more about building a body that can handle the demands of swimming, biking, and running—especially when fatigued. For older athletes, this means focusing on stability, mobility, and strength, and finding simple ways to include these throughout the day. Done consistently, this approach not only improves performance but helps us continue swimming, biking, and running well into the later decades of life (see also Recovery After 50).

While strength training creates the stimulus for improvement, the actual adaptation happens during recovery—especially during sleep. Improving sleep quality is one of the simplest ways to get more out of your strength work and continue making progress over time.

Want to see how this works in practice? Here’s my experience following a structured strength program here: Strength Training for Triathletes: My Experience With Mark Allen’s Approach

What Do You Think?

How has Tony’s perspective changed your idea of strength training? What did you find most interesting or thought provoking? Post your comments below.

Comments: Join the conversation below — Click on “Subscribe” (located above the Comment box) if you’d like to be alerted to replies to your Comment. Even if you do not submit a comment, you may subscribe to be notified when a new comment is published. Please note that I review all comments before they are posted.

This post was originally published on April 18, 2023. I updated it on September 23, 2024 because of a keener sense of the importance of this topic for older athletes. The latest revision was on April 23, 2026.

Triathletes over age 50 struggle to find senior specific triathlon training plans. This is the major reason for partnering with Our Coaches, each who are also senior triathletes.

The genesis of this post and my conversation with Senior Triathletes coach Kurt Madden was a question from one of our readers. Linda, a female triathlete over age 60 wrote:

“How do you change a triathlon training program that is meant for everyone, to one that works for a female over 60?”

The Senior Triathletes’ Challenge – Finding An Age-Specific Training Program

Looking back over my time in triathlon, I appreciate the challenge of finding the right training plan. What part of a training plan found in a book or online is appropriate for an older athlete? More specifically, what is the best plan for training given my strengths and weaknesses?

This is especially true when the mainstream endurance sports writers consider a man or woman age 40 to be an “older athlete.”

As you will hear, Kurt knows firsthand how the needs of an athlete over age 50 differ from their younger self. In this conversation, he gives us principles to use in adapting generic training information and hints for preventing injury and maintaining an active life for the long term.

Stress plus rest equals growth.

Kurt Madden, “Over 60” triathlete coach and athlete

Coach Kurt Madden’s Advice on Making Triathlon Training Specific to the Older Endurance Athlete

In this conversation with coach Kurt Madden, we discuss how triathlon training should change as you age after age 50—from recovery and intensity to consistency and long-term progress.

Key Takeaways: Training for Triathlon After 50

• Recovery becomes more important with age, and older athletes need more time between training sessions to adapt and stay injury-free.
• There is no one-size-fits-all training plan—what works for others may not work for you, so it’s essential to listen to your body and adjust accordingly.
• Variety in training is critical. Combining swimming, cycling, strength training, and flexibility work (like yoga) helps reduce injury risk and improve overall fitness.
• Strength training and mobility work become increasingly important after 50, especially for maintaining balance, range of motion, and injury prevention.
• Avoid doing too much too soon. Gradual progression and managing intensity are key to long-term success.
• A sustainable training plan should fit your lifestyle, time availability, and personal preferences—not just what looks good on paper.
• Including some higher-intensity sessions—balanced with proper recovery—can improve cardiovascular fitness, even for athletes over 60.
• Injury prevention should be proactive, not reactive. Building strength (especially core and glutes) and addressing imbalances early can reduce breakdown later.
• Injury prevention should be proactive, not reactive. Building strength (especially core and glutes), addressing imbalances early, and supporting recovery—including sleep—can reduce breakdown later.
• Nutrition plays a critical role: prioritize protein, manage carbohydrate intake, and focus on simple, whole foods to support training and recovery.
• Consistency matters more than perfection. Building sustainable habits—starting small and progressing gradually—is the key to long-term success.

Listen: How Training Changes After 50

Jump to specific topics in the conversation:

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire conversation now, you can download it for later listening by pressing the three vertical dots to the right of the timeline. You can also jump to a specific point within the conversation.

• 1:02 – Kurt’s answer to Linda’s question begins with three principles for adapting general training and exercise programs.
• 3:58 – What to look for in generic training and exercise plans.
• 7:22 – Best ways for those over 60 to prevent injury when training.
• 10:51 – Nutrition: How to – and how not to – fuel your body during a training program.
• 15:09 – Alternatives to trial and error in adapting general training plans.
• 20:29 – How to develop a consistent, sustainable exercise program.
• 27:17 – Kurt’s tribute to three senior triathletes from age 78 to 92.

Want to go deeper? Explore related articles:

• Six Principles of Triathlon Training for Seniors
• Strength Training for Triathletes: My Experience With Mark Allen’s Approach
• Recovery After 50: What Every Triathlete Must Know

Related Links

Atomic Habits – Kurt mentioned this book, one I had previously reviewed from the perspective of a triathlete.

TriDot.com – This page shows the training plan options mentioned by Kurt Madden in the recording.

It’s Time for Your Questions and Comments

What questions do you have for Kurt?

Of Kurt’s advice, what did you find most interesting or thought provoking?

Based on his comments, how will your approach to generic training and exercise programs change?

Post your comments below. You may also contact Kurt Madden directly using the email address on his profile page.

Comments: Join the conversation below — Click on “Subscribe” (located above the Comment box) if you’d like to be alerted to replies to your Comment. Even if you do not submit a comment, you may subscribe to be notified when a new comment is published. Please note that I review all comments before they are posted.

This post was first published on May 17, 2023.