The Bar Method for Triathletes

The Bar Method is an excellent complement to your triathlon program because of its focus on posture, strength, and mobility. It makes your body capable of improved performance because your muscles are in better repair, and your body is more properly aligned. Looking to incorporate a few moves into your regimen? Get warmed up, and then challenge yourself with the workout below.

Plank Bent Knee Presses to Warm Up Your Core

1. Place your forearms on the floor with your palms facing toward each other.
2. Open your legs to hip width apart and raise your hips in line with your shoulders.
3. Grip your glutes and tuck under. Lift your head in line with your spine.
4. Pull in your abs and exhale sharply.
5. Pull your shoulders down and flatten your back.
6. Hold for about 20 seconds.
7. Lift your right leg and bend your knee as much you can, keeping your hips in line with your shoulders.
8. Press your knee up in 1″ increments (20 times).
9. Change sides and repeat.

Note: For more challenge, come down to your knees or the balls of your feet.

Downward Dog to Stretch Your Hamstrings and Shoulders

1. Come onto your hands and knees (after plank).
2. Place your hands and feet flat on the floor as your press your seat up towards the ceiling.
3. Straighten your legs.
4. Anchor your heels down to increase your hamstring stretch.
5. Press your chest towards your thighs as much as you can.
6. Soften your knees, walk your hands closer to your feet, and round up to a standing position.

One Weight Lifts to Stretch and Strengthen Your Shoulders

1. Take one light weight or filled water bottle in your right hand.
2. Stand with your feet hip width apart and parallel to each other.
3. Step your right foot back about 1 ½ feet and 2″ to the side.
4. Turn your back foot slightly out and press your heel firmly into the floor.
5. Place your left hand on your mid/upper thigh and hinge forward with a straight back as you bend your front knee.
6. Raise your straightened right arm up above your hip and press your arm into your body.
7. Draw your shoulder blades down and lengthen your neck.
8. Use the back of your shoulder to lift your arm up, then hold. Continue to lift and hold as you can.
9. If it’s comfortable, turn your palm to face the floor and continue.
10. Vary your tempo as desired, about one minute total. Change sides.

Lat Pulls to Strengthen Your Mid Back and Open Your Chest

1. Take a light set of weights or filled water bottles.
2. Stand with your feet hip width apart and parallel to each other.
3. Soften your knees, grip your glutes, and pull in your abs.
4. Lift your chest and bend slightly forward at your waist.
5. Bend both elbows to 90 degrees at your sides with your palms facing toward each other.
6. Rotate your lower arms outwards as much as you can so that they are pointing right and left with your weights and elbows in line with each other.
7. Draw your arms behind your waist.
8. Press your elbows inward toward each other and hold them there, as if you were trying to touch your elbows together, for about 10 seconds.
9. Keep your neck long, your chest open, and your shoulders down.
10. Begin drawing your elbows towards each other. Vary your tempo as desired, about one minute total.

Stretch Your Back and Triceps

1. Keep holding on to your weight or water bottle (after one weight lifts).
2. Open your feet to hip width apart and parallel.
3. Soften your knees, grip your glutes, and pull in your abs to protect your low back.
4. Raise your weight overhead and lower it between your shoulder blades.
5. Press your elbows into your ears and point your elbows up.
6. Lift your chin and bend slightly forward at your waist.

Strengthen Your Calves and Knees with Heel Lifts

1. Stand a half-arm’s length away from the back of a stable desk or kitchen chair, facing it and hold lightly.
2. Open your feet to hip width apart and parallel.
3. Straighten your legs, tuck under, bend slightly forward at your waist, and pull your shoulders back and down.
4. Lift and lower your heels up, down, up, down, up, down, etc.

Lengthen Your Calves

1. Press your hands into the back of a stable desk or kitchen chair, facing it. Step your right foot behind you.
2. Press your heel firmly into the carpet and turn both sets of toes forward.
3. Bend your front knee and tuck your hips under. Point your elbows towards the floor and look straight ahead.
4. Change sides.

Fire Up Your Quads with Thigh Work

1 ½ – 2 minutes per set

1. Stand a half-arm’s length away from the back of a stable desk or kitchen chair, facing it. Hold lightly.
2. Open your feet to hip width apart and parallel.
3. Lift your heels as high as is comfortable for you.
4. Bend your knees and come about a third of the way down.
5. Upright your spine and look straight ahead.
6. Relax your seat and maintain a light grip on the back of the chair.
7. Press down an inch, up an inch, down an inch, etc.
8. Vary your tempo and include static holds as desired.

Lengthen Your Quads

1. Stand a half-arm’s length away from the back of a stable desk or kitchen chair, facing it, and hold lightly.
2. Reach back and take hold of your right foot with your right hand.
3. Soften your standing knee.
4. Tuck your hips under and bend slightly forward at your waist.
5. Draw your right knee under your hip.
6. Change sides.

Strengthen Your Glutes

2 ½ – 3 minutes per side

1. Stand a full-arm’s length away from the back of a stable desk or kitchen chair, facing it. Hold lightly.
2. Place your feet parallel and hip width apart. Soften your knees.
3. Hinge forward until your back is horizontal.
4. Separate your hands wider than your shoulders and angle your elbows diagonally downward.
5. Pick your foot up and rest it on the floor behind you while you exhale deeply a few times.
6. Raise your leg up to seat height.
7. Use the base of your seat where your glutes and hamstrings meet to lift your leg up one inch and down one inch, up one inch and down one inch, etc.
8. Vary your tempo and include static holds as desired.
9. Work both sides evenly.

Release Your Back, Glutes, and Hamstrings

1. Walk back away from the back of the chair for a stretch into an upside down L shape.
2. Place your feet a few inches apart or all the way together if you have flexible hamstrings.
3. Soften your knees.
4. If your hands can comfortably reach the floor, you may bring them down to the carpet.
5. Bend one knee and straighten the other. Plant both heels firmly down.
6. You may walk your hands slightly over towards the bent knee side, within the frame of your body.
7. Feel your glutes and hamstrings release as you press your opposite hip upward.
8. Change sides.

Carve Your Abs with Low Curl

1-2 minutes per set

1. Come down onto a carpeted floor (or exercise mat).
2. Position your elbows underneath your shoulders and place your feet parallel and hip width.
3. Grip your glutes and press your low back down.
4. Hold onto the back of your thighs and bend your elbows to the side. If you feel yourself falling backwards with more than your low back down, place a throw pillow as needed underneath your mid ribs for support.
5. Use your biceps to pull yourself forward about an inch more than you were when your elbows were down.
6. Pull your shoulders down and back and feel your upper back muscles support you from the back side. Exhale.
7. Let go of your legs for more challenge and reset by holding back on about every 30 seconds.
8. Repeat.