What Is a Brick Workout — and Why Do Triathletes Swear by It?
Triathlon isn’t just about swimming, biking, and running — it’s about stringing them together smoothly. If you’ve ever tried running right after hopping off the bike, you know how strange your legs can feel. That’s where brick workouts come in.
What Is a Brick Workout?
A brick workout is simply two triathlon disciplines done back-to-back with little or no break.
- The most common version is bike-to-run (often referred to as run-off-the-bike), since this is usually the toughest transition on race day.
- You might also see swim-to-bike or swim-to-run bricks, though these are less common.
Think of bricks as mini race simulations that teach your body and mind how to switch gears.
Why Are Brick Workouts Important?
Brick workouts are one of the most effective ways for triathletes to prepare for race day. They offer several key benefits:
- Adaptation: Running off the bike leaves your legs feeling heavy and awkward. Bricks train your muscles, nervous system, and coordination to handle that shift.
- Neuromuscular coordination and balance: By practicing the bike-to-run change regularly, your body learns the movement patterns, making the transition smoother and more efficient.
- Race-day pacing: Bricks help you dial in the right run pace off the bike so you don’t blow up in the first mile.
- Nutrition practice: They’re a perfect opportunity to rehearse race fuelling strategies — making sure you can tolerate gels, drinks, or chews while shifting disciplines.
- Transition practice: Bricks let you refine your setup and transitions without race-day pressure.
- Mental strength: Running on tired legs isn’t fun at first. Bricks toughen you up mentally and teach you to stay calm when it feels uncomfortable.
How to Do a Brick Workout
Brick workouts don’t need to be long or complicated. Start small and build up:
- Beginner brick: 45-minute bike + 15-minute run.
- Intermediate brick: 90-minute bike + 20–30-minute run.
- Advanced brick: 2–3 hour bike + 30–60-minute run.
The key is to head straight into the run after your ride — no lounging around. Even a quick shoe change is enough to simulate the race-day feeling.
When training for longer events, like 70.3s and full-distance triathlons, the best way to incorporate brick workouts into your training is by adding a short run immediately following your weekly long bike session.
How Often Should You Do Brick Workouts?
Most triathletes aim for one brick session per week. If you’re just starting out, every two weeks is plenty until you’re comfortable with the training load. Weekly bricks become especially important during your race build, but it’s worth keeping a few things in mind:
- Timing matters: Bricks are most valuable in the final 8–12 weeks before your goal race. Earlier in the season, you can keep them shorter and less frequent.
- Race simulation bricks: As race day approaches, you might include a “mini triathlon” brick (swim-bike-run) to rehearse the full flow.
- They get easier: The more you practice bricks, the quicker your body adapts — that heavy-leg feeling off the bike won’t last forever.
- Caution: Bricks are tough. Don’t overdo them — focus on quality, not quantity, and try to schedule them before a rest or recovery day.
My Experience with Brick Training
During Ironman training, I’ve always included a 20–40 minute run every Saturday after my long ride. At first, these runs were brutal — my legs felt heavy, my body was tired, and I couldn’t wait to finish so I could shower, eat, and relax.
But after a year of training this way, I now look forward to my brick runs. My body has adapted to running on tired legs, and these sessions often feel fantastic. For me, they’re the perfect way to shake out after a tough ride — almost like an active cooldown.
FAQs
There are a few theories behind the name. Some say it’s because your legs feel like “bricks” when you start running off the bike. Others point to the tongue-in-cheek “Bike-Run-ICK” explanation.
But there’s more to it: the term is also credited to Dr. Matt Brick, a duathlete and triathlete who popularized brick workouts in triathlon in the 1980s. And perhaps the most logical reason of all — these workouts are essentially “stacked” sessions, just like bricks in a wall.
Not at all. Short bricks are just as effective for training your body to adapt to the bike-to-run transition. A 15–20 minute run after your bike session is often enough to build adaptation, especially if you practice them regularly.
No — duathletes (run-bike-run races) also rely on them to prepare for fast transitions between disciplines.
Most triathletes aim for one brick per week, especially during the race build phase. Beginners may only need one every 1–2 weeks. Quality matters more than quantity — overdoing bricks can leave you fatigued and compromise your other training.
Indirectly, yes. Bricks don’t make you faster in the traditional sense, but they teach your body to run more efficiently off the bike. That efficiency can translate into stronger run splits on race day.
Yes, though bike-to-run bricks are far more common. Swim-to-bike bricks can be helpful if you’re new to open-water swimming, as they prepare you for the wobbly, unsteady feeling of hopping on the bike after a long swim.
The Bottom Line
Brick workouts are one of the best ways to prepare for triathlon transitions. They don’t need to be complicated — even a short run off the bike can make a huge difference. Practice them consistently, and you’ll feel smoother, stronger, and more confident on race day.
