By Craig Lindberg

“The Skinny” is a Fitness column by Craig Lindberg, CPT and Founder/Co-owner of Optimal Performance Center in Shrewsbury (www.opcfitness.com). If you have a question about training, nutrition, bodybuilding, or anything else that falls under the topic of Fitness, please send it to craig@opcfitness.com. Craig will answer one or two questions each month, so check here as soon as a new issue of Pulse hits the streets to see if he’s chosen yours!

This month’s question, sent in by Jared M., will help highlight the importance of diversity within your training program.

Q: I’m a 27-year-old male and I’ve been swimming since before I could walk. I’m a very strong swimmer and can go for miles/hours without really getting winded. Recently, a friend convinced me to start training for triathlons (swim, bike, run). Swimming and some cardio have been my sole workouts forever, so with the triathlons as a goal, what kind of exercises should I start adding in?

A: What makes a triathlon so strenuous is the diversity of the competition itself. Being a swimmer all your life will help you with what most consider the hardest part of the three; however, if you want to do well in the other parts of the race I suggest you start running. After you’ve done some running, then…run some more. Now, when that running is starting to feel good…run some more.

Closed chain training, such as running, is a completely different animal from open-chain training. In swimming or biking, you aren’t creating any impact on your muscles or joints. This manner of training is beneficial to joint preservation and is also very good at developing cardiovascular endurance. However, the shock to your muscles created by the simple impact of your feet on the pavement will give you a challenge you might find surprising.

No matter how well you have mastered your workout of choice or how fit you may be, your body will adapt to that particular mode of training. Even if you continue to challenge yourself and see gains from your workouts, you will be amazed at what a change of pace will do for you and your body.

Just a couple miles a day, even if you have to start on a treadmill, will jumpstart your training. Increased muscle use…especially if it’s your legs…equals increased blood flow to the aforementioned muscles and increased blood flow equals increased cardiovascular strength and endurance. Diversity in your training will help break through your plateaus and keep you one step ahead of the other competitors who are just doing the same old same old.