Protected: How to Reduce VO2max Decline for Older Male and Female Triathletes
Heart Rate Training for Senior Triathletes: How to Optimize Performance
by Kurt Madden, Director of Coach Development, TriDot, and Senior Triathlete
Triathlons can be enjoyable yet grueling tests of endurance, combining swimming, biking, and running at varying distances. For senior athletes, understanding and utilizing heart rate zones is key to tailoring training effectively, maximizing both safety and performance. This article presents insights into heart rate training that will be especially beneficial for senior triathletes, guiding you through important practices for swimming, biking, and running.
Understanding Heart Rate Training
Heart rate training leverages the heart’s response to exercise, allowing athletes to gauge their intensity during different training sessions effectively. One of the primary advantages of this method is the personalized training plan it offers based on individual fitness levels rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. For senior athletes, this individualized focus is especially crucial, as fitness levels, recovery times, and health considerations will vary more significantly among older triathletes.
Determining Heart Rate Zones
Before diving into specific training practices, it’s essential to establish your heart rate zones. Most sports scientists identify five primary zones:
Zone 1: Very Light (50-60% of maximum heart rate)
Zone 2: Light (60-70% of maximum heart rate)
Zone 3: Moderate (70-80% of maximum heart rate)
Zone 4: Hard (80-90% of maximum heart rate)
Zone 5: Maximum (90-100% of maximum heart rate)
To find your maximum heart rate, you can use the formula: 220 minus your age. For example, a 65-year-old would have a maximum heart rate of about 155 bpm (220 – 65). For more accurate measurements, consider conducting a maximal exercise test or utilizing a field test under appropriate supervision.
TriDot, a sophisticated online training platform, conducts regular assessments—such as a 400-yard swim, a 20-minute bike ride to gauge power, and a 5K run—allowing you to determine average heart rates in various situations.
Environmental Factors
It’s important to understand that environmental conditions and fatigue can significantly influence heart rate responses. For instance, running in the heat of midday in Florida versus in the cool mornings of Colorado will produce different heart rate outcomes. This variance is another reason why an adaptable system like TriDot can be very beneficial. It can adjust your heart rate zones based on local conditions and your physical responses.
Related post: Should Senior Triathletes Track Heart Rate Variability?
Heart Rate Training in Swimming
Swimming poses unique challenges for heart rate monitoring due to water buoyancy and evaporation cooling. Studies, like those published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, highlight that swimming tends to require higher effort for lower heart rates, primarily because of breathing techniques and the need for adjustment to water resistance.
Key Practices for Heart Rate Training in Swimming
Warm-Up: Begin every swim with a dynamic warm-up. Gradually aim to elevate your heart rate into Zone 2 before you tackle your main sets.
Interval Training: Use interval training focusing on shorter high-intensity efforts. For instance, swim 100 meters at a strong pace to reach Zone 4, then recovery at Zone 2 for a designated period.
Monitor Recovery: Utilize the cooldown phase to observe how rapidly your heart rate returns to either Zone 1 or Zone 2. Faster recovery rates often indicate better cardiovascular fitness.
Breathing Patterns: Practice bilateral breathing (breathing alternately on both sides) to regulate exertion levels and maintain a more stable heart rate.
Heart Rate Training in Biking
Bicycle training can substantially improve endurance and performance for senior triathletes. An article from Bicycling Magazine illustrates that effective heart rate training allows cyclists to sustain higher intensities over longer periods while minimizing fatigue.
Key Practices for Heart Rate Training in Biking
Threshold Training: Identify your lactate threshold utilizing heart rate. Training below and above this threshold will enhance your body’s efficiency in handling lactic acid. Intense efforts typically reside in Zone 4 .
Long Rides in Zone 2: Integrate extended rides in Zone 2 to boost aerobic capacity; these slower-paced workouts will build endurance without overstressing the body.
Hill Workouts: Climbing steep grades can quickly elevate your heart rate. Engage in hill repeats where you push hard into Zone 4 during the ascent and allow yourself to recover in Zone 2 while descending.
Long Steady State Rides: Schedule long rides that maintain moderate heart rate zones to stress your cardiovascular system without risking injury.
Heart Rate Training in Running
Runner’s World emphasizes the advantages of heart rate training in running, highlighting that a well-maintained heart rate can optimize both speed and endurance—critical factors for success in triathlons.
Key Practices for Heart Rate Training in Running
Easy Runs in Zone 2: Establish a routine of easy runs that ideally stay within Zone 2. This pace supports aerobic capacity and allows for needed recovery while still contributing to your overall training volume.
Tempo Runs: Integrate tempo runs into your training that push your heart rate into Zone 3 or low Zone 4. For example, after an adequate warm-up, aim to sustain a hard effort in Zone 3 for about 20 minutes before cooling down. This practice develops your lactate threshold, improving your ability to maintain a faster pace over longer durations.
Interval Sessions: Incorporate short bursts of high intensity in your running regimen. An example is sprinting for one minute to reach Zone 4, followed by a recovery jog in Zone 2 for a couple of minutes. This oscillation between high and lower intensity will help improve both speed and cardiovascular efficiency.
Fartlek Training: Fartlek, which translates to “speed play” from Swedish, offers a fun way to improve heart rate training. By varying your pace and intensity throughout a run—like alternating between faster efforts in Zone 4 and moderate efforts in Zone 2 —you simulate race conditions, which can improve performance during competitions.
Putting It All Together
Combining heart rate training across swimming, biking, and running requires meticulous planning and execution. Here are practical tips for executing a heart rate training program that includes all three disciplines:
- Consistent Monitoring
Utilize a heart rate monitor across all training sessions to maintain accuracy. Factors like hydration, nutrition, and fatigue can significantly impact heart rate responses, so being mindful of these elements is crucial.
- Seasonal Planning
Structure your training year to include cyclic phases that focus on base training, building strength, peaking for events, and allowing for recovery. Early in the year, emphasize building your aerobic base in Zone 2, while later phases accommodate higher-intensity efforts in Zones 4-5.
- Recovery Days
Plan for recovery sessions that land within Zones 1-2. These are essential for allowing the body to repair and strengthen, helping reduce fatigue and risk of injury.
- Testing and Reassessing
Regularly reassess your fitness levels every few months through structured workouts, like time trials or clinical tests. This will assist in adjusting your heart rate zones based on improvements and changes in your fitness level.
- Consider Individual Preferences
Everyone is unique. Pay attention to personal responses to heart rate training. Different athletes may thrive on varying styles of workouts (e.g., short intervals vs. longer sustained efforts).
- Leveraging TriDot
TriDot provides an exceptional platform for senior triathletes. This innovative training technology optimizes training sessions based on effort, allows for precise recovery, and considers environmental factors to help reduce injury risks while maximizing performance potential.
Related post: Leveraging TriDot to Optimize Your Training at Any Age
Conclusion
Heart rate training emerges as an essential tool for senior triathletes aiming to enhance their performance across swimming, biking, and running. Applying these heart rate training principles can lead to improved endurance, faster recovery, and greater overall race results. By strategically employing heart rate zones in your training plan, senior athletes can personalize their approach, minimize injury risks, and achieve their triathlon objectives.
Remember, whether you’re tackling challenging workouts or focusing on recovery days, being aware of your heart rate is key to achieving triathlon success. With these insights and strategies under your belt, you are now ready to elevate your triathlon training experience and embrace the journey ahead with confidence and enthusiasm. Happy training, and let’s make every heartbeat count!
Have Questions for Our Coaches?
Post your questions about heart rate zones or comments about your experience using this approach for your training below.
Comments: Please note that I review all comments before they are posted. You will be notified by email when your comment is approved. Even if you do not submit a comment, you may subscribe to be notified when a comment is published.
Review – Train to Tri: Your First Triathlon
Looking to complete your first triathlon? Want to inspire and motivate your children, grandchildren, parents, friends, or co-workers?
If so, Train To Tri: Your First Triathlon by Linda Cleveland and Kris Swarthout is for you. This 246-page guide provides the essential information needed to prepare for your first triathlon.
Authors: Linda Cleveland and Kris Swarthout, both USA Triathlon Level 2 coaches with lots of experience competing in triathlon and coaching triathletes.
Publisher: Human Kinetics
Who is this book for?
Train To Tri is written primarily for those considering or already committed to completing their first sprint or standard (formerly called Olympic) distance triathlon.
Even though it is aimed at first-timers, it is not just for those doing their first triathlon. While I have completed over 40 sprint triathlons, I found several useful training tips. I have already put some of them to use.
What does the book cover?
The book opens with a 24-question Triathlon Readiness Assessment. Results of the self-assessment help the future triathlete identify with one of three categories – bronze, silver, or gold – and select the training plan included later in the book. This initial section also provides guidelines for choosing the specific race for your first triathlon.
I like the basic strategy of the first triathlon training plan laid out by the authors – to focus most of the training effort on your weakest leg.
You should focus the most time and effort on [your third strongest sport] to develop strength and endurance as well as improve technique. (page 9)
Gear
Once you decide to do a triathlon, you will quickly learn about the incredible amount of clothing and equipment (called ‘gear’ in the triathlon world) surrounding the sport. Since not all the gear is necessary for your first triathlon, the authors distinguish between the ‘necessary’ and the ‘nice to have’ or ‘you can wait and decide after your first race’ gear.
Your Triathlon Support Group
Training with a group can provide the extra motivation needed to push through a training program and reap the rewards of completing your first triathlon. A group can also help you to improve your technique more quickly.
In this chapter, the authors suggest ways to create a support network for your training in swimming, biking, and running that includes various clubs and your family, friends, and co-workers.
You may have various support group options. For example, if you live in a retirement community, such as The Villages, Florida, you have a built-in support group in The Villages Triathlon Club. Members train and race together with encouragement galore.
If you are working in an area without a triathlon training club in the area, you can create your own support group through a local fitness center, community pool, bike shop, and running store. This provides flexibility to follow your specific training plan while enlisting the support of instructors and others with experience from which you can benefit.
Swim
The chapter on swimming covers the basic elements of an efficient stroke with illustrations for a proper freestyle technique. I appreciated the suggestion for traveling and swimming, especially the advice for making use of the typical small hotel pool.
Interestingly, many triathletes find swimming to be their weakest sport. If you are in that group, get comfortable being in the water and with swimming with other people as you will experience on race day. Whether swimming in a pool or in open water, you will inevitably come close to, if not in contact with, other swimmers. Staying calm is the key to finishing the swim.
If the race you choose includes an open water swim, you will want to practice swimming in open water to become familiar with ‘sighting’. For safety reasons, I recommend adding the ISHOF Safe Swimmer (see also below) to your list of gear.
Bike
Most of us know how to ride a bicycle. However, many have never ridden in a large group at speeds associated with a triathlon.
Therefore, the focus of this chapter is safety. According to the authors, safety in biking begins with a review of the various components of the bicycle to make sure that they are each in good working order. They also describe the most important cycling skills and suggestions on how to hone these, both individually and in group rides.
When riding on the road in traffic, you need to follow the rules of the road as if you were driving a car. (page 78)
Run
We all know how to run. Right? Well, not necessarily in a way that is the most efficient or that minimizes the possibility for injuries. About half of this chapter is dedicated to proper cadence (steps per minute) and body form. The rest of the chapter introduces training with a heart rate monitor and training involving the three-run types included in the weekly training plans.
If you take one thing from this chapter, remember to progress slowly (the ‘10% per week’ rule) to minimize the likelihood of injury. Unfortunately, we need to be reminded of this every so often.
Strength and Flexibility
Building strength and increasing flexibility are two keys to increasing your performance in triathlon. For many of us who spend a lot of time sitting during their workday, lack of flexibility can be the major root cause of injury. The authors show that a relatively small amount of time spent in strength training and stretching can lead to better performance and fewer injuries. Plus, these are another way to ‘mix it up’ and keep the training interesting and fresh.
Nutrition and Rest
If we all know how to run, most of us are even better at fueling (aka eating). The challenge is to eat properly. It becomes even more complicated when we are exercising, burning more calories, trying to build muscle, and recovering from the stress of training.
Triathlon training can be a great way to shed pounds and improve your health. Eating the right foods in the right amount and at the right time is the focus of this chapter. The authors are clear: “Although your daily caloric burn will certainly increase based on your training volume, you don’t have a license to hit the buffet for every meal”.
The chapter begins by showing us how to calculate two important numbers related to exercise – resting metabolic rate (RMR) and caloric burn rate. The authors discuss how to eat (or ‘fuel’ as they define it) throughout the day. This includes eating before, during, and after workouts. Sample menus for triathlon training days help to illustrate the principles of proper fueling.
The chapter concludes with a discussion about the importance of rest within a process known as periodization. The authors even provide a simple test to help us determine when our body is telling us to take a day of rest.
If you do not get adequate rest, the muscles will fatigue and eventually fail, resulting in injury. (page 139)
Training plans
It’s now time to put the information from the previous chapters together and begin to train for your first triathlon. Sample 8-week training plans are provided for bronze-, silver-, and gold-level athletes for both sprint and standard distance triathlons. I appreciate that the authors show readers how to tailor the plans to meet their particular strengths and weaknesses and their individual schedules.
Preparing to race
I love this section. Here, the authors take the new triathlete down the ‘home stretch’ to completing their first race.
Filled with practical advice, the authors walk us through the two weeks leading up to the race. With greater detail for race day, you can feel the thrill that begins upon waking and includes crossing the finish line and heading to the refreshment area for a cold drink and banana.
Related post: How to Choose Your Next Triathlon
Why get this book?
Train To Tri is pragmatic and focused. It includes essential information for each of the sports of triathlon. The authors season the information with the nuances of practicing them within a triathlon.
You can trust the USAT-certified coaches with this ‘no-nonsense’ guide.
Let us know what you think of Train To Tri
Share your experience with this book in the Comments below.
Comments: Please note that I review all comments before they are posted. You will be notified by email when your comment is approved. Even if you do not submit a comment, you may subscribe to be notified when a comment is published.
Disclaimer: Please note that SeniorTriathletes.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This is an affiliate advertising program that provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees. They do this by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. As an affiliate, I will receive a small commission for any purchases of this product that you make through Amazon.
This post was originally published on January 21, 2018. It was updated on September 5, 2025.
My Experience with Mark Allen’s Strength Training for Triathletes
This post, which documents the approach I have used for strength training for triathlon over the past several years, was first published on March 14, 2019. The latest update was published on August 21, 2025.
Credible Endorsements for Strength Training
After competing in sprint triathlons for eight years, my training had become sloppy. I had lost the discipline of the early years. I had nearly stopped strength training, focusing instead on cardio and endurance training. And to top it off, my performance was poorer. I was slower than ever and struggling with knee pain while running.
The article entitled Mark Allen’s 12 Best Strength Exercises jumped out at me as I skimmed my emails one winter morning. Having read about triathlon for over eight years, I knew of Mark Allen and considered him a credible source of information. I became even more interested in the plan once I realized that this strength training plan had also been a turning point for Mark. In the first full season after following this program, Mark won three international multi-sport endurance events, including the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona-Kailua, Hawaii.
Soon after, I read about Judy Cole, a 73-year-old ultra runner. Judy had started running every day during her early 30s. However, early on, she had problems with her knees. Following the advice of her running partner to strengthen her quads and hamstrings “became a game changer.”
I had also been struggling with knee pain, something I had not faced for several years. Judy’s experience sounded oh-so-familiar, so I committed to Mark’s plan.
Introducing Mark Allen’s Strength Training Program
This post is part introduction to and part journal of my experience with Mark Allen’s strength training program.
The table below lists the twelve exercises in this program along with the triathlon event(s) most impacted by the exercise. While I vary the order in which they are performed, these are the same exercises I do two days per week, except when I do not have access to the equipment.
Mark’s original article includes videos that show how to perform each of them correctly. I urge you to watch the videos before starting the program. And, if you are anything like me, you will find it helpful to watch periodically to make sure your form and breathing are correct.
| Exercise | Helps Most With |
|---|---|
| Lateral Pull-Down | Swim |
| Leg Extension | Run |
| Leg Curl | Bike, Run |
| Bench Press | Swim |
| Squat | Bike, Run |
| Lateral Dumbbell Raise | Swim |
| Calf Raise | Run |
| Dumbbell Pullover | Swim |
| Backward Lunge | Run |
| Bicep Curl | Swim, Bike |
| Tricep Extension | Swim |
| Leg Press | Bike, Run |
Starting with my first time using Mark’s routine, I have recorded the number of repetitions and weights for each exercise in a Google Sheet. I have also noted when I could use a heavier weight in the next session and any pain or soreness I felt during or after the session.
If you would like to follow Mark Allen’s strength training program, comment below or email me at seniortriathletes@gmail.com. I will share the Google Sheet I use to record my results and progress.
Strength Training Modified: Custom Warm-Up
Like most training, warming up the muscles is helpful, and may prevent injury. Over the years, I have varied the warmup,
I now start each session, no matter the Phase, with a series of bodyweight and band exercises that serve as a whole-body warm-up. I began the hip, shoulder, arms, and back exercises through physical therapy, first to address pain in my right glute and later to eliminate upper back spasms.
When done properly, I end this 20-minute period having broken a sweat and feeling loose. The table below provides more detail on this part of what is a 70-minute routine, two days each week.
| Warm-Up Target | Details |
|---|---|
| Hips | All-4s side leg lift (“fire hydrants”) – 30 each side Side-lying hip abduction with internal rotation – 30 each side Side-lying leg lift – 30 each side |
| Shoulders, Arms, Upper Back | Shoulder external rotation with scapular retraction – 2 x 15 Shoulder single-arm cross body extension – 2 x 15 Shoulder horizontal abduction – 2 x 15 Standing shoulder row with anchored band resistance – 2 x 15 Shoulder extension with band resistance – 2 x 15 |
| Core | Boat pose – 1 minute Bridge – 1 minute Side plank – 1 minute each side Plank – 1 minute |
Related post: ‘At the Core’ – Strength Training to Help Seniors Perform Better and Avoid Injury
After some sessions (depending on time available), I complete another 10–15 minutes of cardio. I finish with static stretches and/or foam rolling of my hamstrings, quads, calves, and upper and lower back.
Periodically, I re-read the original article and watch the videos to make certain I perform each exercise using the correct form and breathing.
Endurance Strength Training – Phase 2
In my initial use of this program, I moved to Phase 2 after a few weeks with the Phase 1. The main difference between these two phases is that Phase 2 involves two sets of 12–15 repetitions of each exercise with 90 seconds rest between sets, rather than one set in Phase 1. As in Phase 1, I completed two sessions per week with at least one day, but usually three days, between them.
During Phase 1, I selected weights for each of the exercises for which I could complete 15 repetitions with good form. For some, I was able to increase the weight slightly during the four weeks.
In transitioning into Phase 2, I used the same weights as at the end of Phase 1. However, in the first two sessions, I completed only 12 (rather than 15) repetitions in each of the two sets (except for squats, for which I completed 15). I did this following the principle of preventing injury by increasing intensity gradually.
Continuing with this principle, I increased the number of repetitions to 15 for the first set in week 2, while the second set still involved 12. In week 3 and beyond of Phase 2, I completed 15 repetitions for both sets.
“Increasing the intensity, time, or type of activity too quickly is one common reason for a sports injury. To prevent this, many fitness experts recommend that both novice and expert athletes follow the ten percent rule, which sets a limit on increases in weekly training. This guideline simply states that you should increase your activity no more than 10 percent per week. That includes distance, intensity, weight lifted, and length of your exercise session.” – Very Well Fit
Lessons from Strength Training for Triathletes
I have learned some important lessons while using this plan:
- Be patient – the results may seem to come slowly, but they will come.
- Become familiar with the specific equipment you will use in the program. In addition to watching the videos in Mark Allen’s article, I watched others, especially those working with a personal trainer.
- Add weight only after a few sessions (minimum two) when the weight feels easy while maintaining good form.
What If You Don’t Have Access to a Gym?
There are many reasons for us not having access to weights or weight machines used in Mark Allen’s program. If you don’t have gym equipment, consider the approaches described by two other sources.
Training for the Run
In a Stryd For the Love of Running webinar, Dr. Jinger Gottschall presented six at-home exercises for a strong core and improved run mechanics.
The six include three bodyweight moves aimed at improving run mechanics:
- Squats (at 16:17 in the video) – also useful for bike training.
- Lunges (at 19:00 in the video).
- Abductor movements (at 23:58 in the video) using an elastic band.
Dr. Gottschall recommends performing 100 repetitions (50 on each side for lunges and abductors). I have reached 50 reps per session twice per week. If you want more challenge, add weight. If you don’t have free weights, use a water bottle or milk jug. (Water weighs 8.3 lbs per gallon / 1 kg per liter.)
The second part of Jinger’s session includes three core exercises (front plank, side plank, glute bridge). These overlap with the five core exercises (front plank, side plank each side, glute bridge, and boat pose) that I perform.
Training for the Swim
During the 2020 quarantine around COVID-19, I joined Tri Swim Success Online Triathlon Swim Training Program. As part of the membership, I received access to video training with dry-land resistance band exercises for swim fitness.
Let us know in the Comments what alternates to training in the gym with weights and machines you have found.
New to Strength Training?
If you are getting started with triathlon training and/or strength training, here are two must-read posts:
- Strength Training for Senior Endurance Athletes with senior triathlete and triathlon coach Tony Washington
- ‘At the Core’ – Strength Training to Help Seniors Perform Better and Avoid Injury
You may be interested in this article from Silver Sneakers with advice on how to begin a strength training program.
What is Your Approach to Strength Training?
Let us know below what you have learned from your strength training? Have you found any “must-do” exercises or targets? Have you found exercises in yoga or other sports to be effective? Please share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Comments: Please note that I review all comments before they are posted. You will be notified by email when your comment is approved. Even if you do not submit a comment, you may subscribe to be notified when a comment is published.
