Sprint triathlon | 5 months to go training plan

The following programme is part of a six-month training regime for a sprint triathlon. See the full programme here.

With five months to go you should have a basic level of fitness and training in this month should enhance that in preparation for hard work ahead. Sprint triathlons are a good starting point for an amateur triathlete due to the shorter distance and can be a great challenge for the more seasoned athlete trying to improve on their record.

Tip for the month

This month you should start to consider suitable clothing for the race. Although Lycra may not be the most flattering clothing, it can be worn for swim, bike and run. Not having to change clothes between disciplines is a great advantage.

By the end of this month you should...

Be able to swim 300m, bike for 45 minutes and run for 25 minutes.

Training plan

Throughout this plan maintain a constant easy pace. Where it indicates a 'Brick' session complete these back to back with no break.

Week 1

Strength exercises:
For swimming - Straight-arm pull downs, tricep kickbacks
For cycling - Barbell calf raises, Romanian deadlift
For running - Plank, lunge

Week 2

Strength exercises:
For swimming - Straight-arm pull downs, cable rotational pull
For cycling - Barbell calf raises, dumbbell squat press
For running - Swiss ball forward rollout, lunge

Week 3

Strength exercises:
For swimming - Straight-arm pull downs, Swiss ball jackknifes
For cycling - Dumbbell chest press, Romanian deadlift
For running - Plank, dumbbell squat jump

Week 4

Strength exercises:
For swimming - Swiss ball jackknifes, triceps kickback
For cycling - Dumbbell chest press, barbell calf raises
For running - Swiss ball forward rollout, single-leg deadlift

Week 5

Strength exercises:
For swimming - Straight-arm pull downs, Swiss ball jackknifes 
For cycling - Dumbbell chesst press, Romanian deadlift     
For running - Plank, dumbbell squat jump

Last updated Wednesday 28 March 2018

First published on Tuesday 29 March 2016