Triathlon Athlete Workout with Filip Szymonik

What do you look for in a training session?

What I primarily look for in training is simply to make it according to the goals I've set. I do not like the remorse of failing to complete a task.

It has long been my passion to acquire and achieve better results. I treat training as a duty and mission.

During the training, I focus entirely on the task and turn off the external stimuli, which makes me feel free.

Triathlon Athlete Workout with Filip Szymonik

How often do you train?

I usually do 11 to 16 training sessions a week. This means that for my workouts I spend between 13 and 26 hours during the week. It all depends on the period I am currently in. If it’s building an oxygen base balance, I devote a lot more time to training than in the start-up period, when I focus mainly on specialised training.

In addition to my trainings, I also run around 40 personal training sessions at the Holmes Place pool during one week, the Holmes Place Marathon Club, Holmes Place Open Water Swimming and during the winter Holmes Place Ice Swimming. I am also a Gym Manager at Holmes Place Premium Marriott.

Do you have a particular set of exercises for Marathon running? And for open water swimming?

The model training that I perform and that usually agree with club’s members is:

Marathon running:

4 weeks before the start of the marathon 15x1km with a 3-minute break in the 1st / 2nd pace zone (where we strive to drop the heart rate to the I BC1 range).

The pace of kilometres is the average pace that we want to achieve at the marathon.

Open water swimming

When it comes to model exercises in open water swimming, I emphasise navigation methods:

• Non-breathing navigation (Crocodile) – for long distances

• Respiration navigation (Looping) – for medium and short distances

In addition to navigation, we also modify the buoy passing techniques and, of course, the leg reduction system – thanks to which open water swimming becomes more economical.

Is there any activity you shy away from?

There is currently no physical activity that I would fear. I like challenges, of course the triathlon is currently a priority for me. I have always been afraid of cold, which is why I created Holmes Place Ice Swimming. I treat it as a challenge, but I also try to show our Club members that swimming in open water is interesting, and the cold-water swimming can be done by almost every healthy person.

Can you tell us what your usual workout routine looks like?

Four times a week

(Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday)

Cycling training that lasts from 1 h 30 mins to 2 h 15 mins.

Four times a week

(Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday)

Running training, which lasts from 1 hour to 2 hours 15 mins. Wednesday is reserved for the most intense and specialised training. The remaining activities are in the aerobic range and aim to build an oxygen base.

Four times a week

(Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday)

Swimming training. It’s a specialised and overload training. The other exercises help me to build an oxygen base.

Twice a week (Tuesday and Saturday)

Strength training, where I focus on building maximum strength. I am doing one of these sessions under the watchful eye of Holmes Place's Personal Trainer – Jakub Tokajuk. Our goal is mainly motor preparation.

Here are some examples of exercises that I do at the gym. Perform 4 series of each exercise:

• Cycling squad: 3–5 reps – set your feet close to each other, the weight equal to the weight of your body

• Pull-ups: 3–5 reps with a load of 12k

• Dolphin, swimming gums: 20 reps

• Cycling: 1.5 minutes, 340 watt, 70–75 RPM with a break of 1.5 minutes, 140 watt, 90–95 RPM

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