We're often asked how to add more kettlebell workouts per week into a training plan. The answer depends on the time of year.
DURING THE RACE SEASON
You can only add one kettlebell strength workout into your schedule during race season because your body is already sustaining a tremendous amount of pounding from the swim, bike, and run training as you lead up to your events.
This is not the time to try to build strength! Not only can you slow or even halt your endurance progress by adding too much strength during race season, adding more than one strength session at this time puts an athlete at risk for an over-training injury.
Also, the high level of endurance training during race season will mean the body is not able to properly rebuild from the strength sessions either, meaning the extra strength work will likely be futile and not lead to any gains.
The type of strength sessions we prescribe during the season are light and mobility focused; they're expressly designed to help your body move optimally to support the endurance training you're doing, to keep you healthy.
IN THE OFF SEASON
You are able to add up to three kettlebell strength sessions per week in the off-season. The off-season is the ideal time to build strength! The pounding from your endurance training is significantly diminished, meaning the body is in prime shape to recover from strength sessions and allow you to build strength.
HOW TO ADD KETTLEBELL WORKOUTS TO YOUR PLAN
The number of hours per week you've chosen to train will dictate whether you are automatically given kettlebell strength workouts in your plan or not.
If you currently don't have any in your plan, you can add them via the following method:
- Click SCHEDULE in the left-hand menu on desktop, or in the tabs on mobile.
- Click one of the blue + symbols on a day you'd like to add strength, and scroll through the dropdown to the strength/mobility section.
- Click any available strength sessions to add to your plan.
- Click the "Update Training Plan" button to save your plan.