Brick Workouts Explained: Why and How You Should Incorporate Them
If you're a triathlete—or even just considering becoming one—you’ve likely heard about the dreaded “brick workout.” It’s one of those buzzwords tossed around by seasoned triathletes with a knowing smile, and for good reason: brick workouts are essential to multisport training. But what exactly is a brick workout, why are they so important, and how can you incorporate them into your training for optimal results? Let’s break it all down, so you can start stacking your own workout bricks with confidence.
What Is a Brick Workout?
A brick workout combines two disciplines back-to-back, typically the bike and run portions of a triathlon. The idea is to simulate race conditions and prepare your body for the transition between these two legs, so your muscles learn to adapt quickly and efficiently. The most common form of a brick workout involves cycling followed immediately by running, but you can also combine swimming and biking for a swim-to-bike brick.
You might be wondering why it’s called a “brick” workout. Is it because your legs feel like bricks afterward? Absolutely. But more importantly, it’s because you’re “stacking” two different workouts like bricks in a wall, layering fitness and preparing for the unique challenges of multisport racing.
Why Are Brick Workouts Important?
The transitions between disciplines in a triathlon are one of the most challenging aspects of the race. You can’t simply coast through the change from biking to running; your body needs to adapt quickly. Brick workouts train your muscles and nervous system to handle these rapid transitions, helping you move from one discipline to the next without losing momentum or energy.
Here’s why brick workouts are crucial:
1. Train Your Legs for the Bike-to-Run Transition
If you’ve ever hopped off your bike during a triathlon and felt like your legs were made of gelatin, you’re not alone. This sensation, often called “jelly legs,” happens because your muscles have just spent a significant amount of time cycling and are suddenly asked to switch to a completely different movement pattern for running. Brick workouts train your legs to handle this transition more smoothly, reducing the jarring sensation and allowing you to find your running rhythm faster.
2. Improve Mental Endurance
Bricks are not just physical training—they’re mental training, too. The challenge of shifting gears (literally and figuratively) from one sport to another helps build mental toughness. When you’re tired from the bike ride and your body is begging you to take a break, pushing through a run develops grit and confidence that will serve you well on race day.
3. Test Your Gear and Nutrition Strategy
Brick workouts offer an excellent opportunity to test out your race-day equipment and nutrition plan. Whether it’s figuring out how your triathlon shoes feel after a long bike ride or experimenting with gels and hydration during your workout, bricks let you troubleshoot potential problems ahead of time so that nothing comes as a surprise on race day.
4. Simulate Race Conditions
One of the best ways to prepare for a triathlon is to replicate race conditions as closely as possible. Brick workouts give you the chance to experience the fatigue and physical demands of race day, so you can practice staying focused and maintaining good form when your energy starts to fade.
How to Incorporate Brick Workouts Into Your Training
Now that we’ve established why brick workouts are so beneficial, the next step is learning how to incorporate them effectively into your training plan. Here’s how you can build brick workouts into your routine without burning out.
1. Start Small and Build Up
If you’re new to brick workouts, there’s no need to jump straight into a two-hour ride followed by a 10K run. Start with shorter bricks to ease your body into the idea. For example, try a 30-minute bike ride followed by a 15-minute run. As you become more comfortable with the transitions, gradually increase the length of each discipline.
Pro Tip: For beginners, start with one brick workout every two weeks, and as your fitness improves, aim to include one per week.
2. Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
When it comes to brick workouts, it’s not about racking up miles but about improving your ability to transition smoothly and maintain good form when fatigued. Don’t be afraid to shorten the duration of your workouts if it allows you to focus on executing the transition more efficiently.
A simple, effective brick workout might look like this:
Bike: 45 minutes at a moderate pace, focusing on maintaining a steady cadence.
Run: 20 minutes at a race pace or slightly faster to simulate race conditions.
The goal is to train your legs to adapt to the run while they’re still feeling the effects of the bike ride.
3. Vary the Intensity
Not all brick workouts need to be all-out efforts. Varying the intensity of your bricks will help develop different aspects of your fitness and prevent overtraining. Some days, focus on endurance by riding and running at a moderate pace. On other days, incorporate interval work on both the bike and run to build speed and power.
Example Interval Brick:
Bike: 10-minute warm-up, then alternate 2 minutes at a hard effort with 2 minutes easy for a total of 30 minutes.
Run: 15 minutes alternating 1-minute hard, 1-minute easy.
This type of workout helps your body adapt to rapid changes in pace, which is useful for race day when you might need to surge to overtake other athletes or maintain momentum on a hill.
4. Practice Transitions
A big part of what makes a brick workout effective is practicing the transition from one sport to another. This doesn’t just mean hopping off your bike and immediately starting your run—it means practicing the logistics of transitioning, too. Set up a mini transition area where you can practice switching from bike shoes to running shoes, grabbing a quick sip of water, or adjusting your race belt. The more comfortable you become with these transitions in training, the less time you’ll waste on race day.
Pro Tip: Time yourself during transitions to get a sense of how long it takes you. You can even challenge yourself to shave seconds off each time you practice!
5. Incorporate Swim-to-Bike Bricks
While bike-to-run bricks get most of the attention, don’t neglect the swim-to-bike transition. Practicing a swim-to-bike brick is essential for getting used to the feeling of moving from the water to land and then onto the bike. The transition from swimming to biking presents its own set of challenges, like regaining your balance after being horizontal in the water and managing your heart rate as you switch from a horizontal to a vertical position.
A simple swim-to-bike brick might look like this:
Swim: 800-1000 meters at a steady pace.
Bike: 45 minutes at a moderate intensity.
This workout will help you feel more comfortable transitioning from the swim to the bike, especially if you practice exiting the water and quickly getting onto your bike.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
While brick workouts are a fantastic training tool, there are a few common mistakes that athletes should avoid:
Going Too Hard Too Soon: If you go all out on the bike leg of your brick, you’ll have nothing left for the run. Focus on maintaining a sustainable pace during the bike leg so that you can complete the run at a good effort.
Neglecting Recovery: Brick workouts are demanding on your body, so make sure to give yourself adequate recovery time. Follow up your brick with a proper cool-down, stretch, and refuel with a balanced meal to help your muscles recover.
Ignoring Transitions: Brick workouts are all about transitions. Don’t just hop off the bike, throw on your running shoes, and call it a day. Pay attention to your form during the transition and make a conscious effort to practice the logistics of moving from one discipline to the next.
Final Thoughts: Building a Solid Foundation with Bricks
Brick workouts are an essential component of any triathlon training plan, helping you to adapt both physically and mentally to the rigors of race day. By practicing the bike-to-run and swim-to-bike transitions regularly, you’ll train your muscles to handle these shifts more efficiently, and you’ll reduce the likelihood of hitting that dreaded “jelly legs” feeling. Start incorporating brick workouts into your routine today, and you’ll be well on your way to triathlon success—one brick at a time.