Winter Cross Training

Cross training for cyclists
The success of triathlon, duathlon, and adventure racing has been largely due to athletes 'crossing over' from different sports and becoming involved in new or different sports activities.
Traditionally, cyclists have been very shy of practicing anything other than riding a bike, but triathletes (and their ilk) have found that rather than inhibit performance in their primary sport, training in others has enhanced it. Many successful runners now use cycling, water running, or swimming in their weekly training schedule.

What is cross training?

Cross training is exercising in several sports or activities to achieve a training goal.
Good sports and activities to complement cycling include:

• Weight training
• Running (especially if you are a mountain biker or cyclo-cross rider)
• Swimming
• Roller blading or speed skating
• Rowing
• Weight training
• Circuit training and aerobics.
• Cross country skiing is excellent too.
• Even alternative cycling disciplines can be beneficial.

Running, cycling, swimming, canoeing, rowing, weight training, circuits and aerobics add variety and help increase the amount of exercise that can be done, while minimizing the amount of stress on an athlete's body.

How can cross training improve my cycling?

• Reduce injury - When we exercise we place stress on our muscles, which damages the fibers. During rest, the muscles are regenerated and become stronger. If you cycling your only exercise, the same muscles are always stressed and in the same fashion. This increases the likelihood of the muscle actually being 'pushed' too hard and picking up an injury. By exercising with other activities, the stress on the muscles used in cycling is reduced and this reduces the likelihood of injury.
• Flexibility training such as pilates, yoga or a good stretching routine also reduces the chances of injury, as you develop a wider range of motion and such exercises can improve the blood flow to the muscles.
• Balanced fitness - By combining a variety of activities, different muscles are used and a more balanced overall fitness can be achieved. Cyclists are notorious for having very strong leg muscles (though often short, or tight hamstrings) but relatively weak upper body strength. For example instead of doing a long cycle ride, it may be better to do a shorter, more intense ride (perhaps on a turbo trainer) and spend more time weight training. Mountain bikers, cyclo-cross riders and anyone who has to ride up hill, will certainly benefit from more strength in their arms.
• Other activities such as aerobics or circuit training can be very useful to develop improved cardiovascular fitness in quite short sessions. Weight training too will show greater benefits as you can easily isolate particular muscle groups, control the exercises and adjust the load more easily than you can if you just ride a bike.
• Such exercises can also help to balance muscle usage to prevent problems. Since cycling is a very repetitive action, the big quadriceps muscles can become overdeveloped and may actually cause problems with the knee (or hamstrings sic). Alternative exercises off the bike can help to keep the opposing muscles in good condition and prevent many injury problems.
• Add variety - Training with more than one sport not only reduces stress and gives more rounded fitness but is great for motivation. With more variety in your program there is less of a routine to training, which is great to alleviate boredom and keep you motivated. Each time you come back to an activity it will feel 'fresh' and you'll be keen to work hard at it, rather than feeling you're stuck in a regular groove of repetitive activity.
• If you're a road rider, even just going mountain biking can be beneficial for variety, improved leg strength (because off road riding involves higher rolling resistance) and more upper body strength. Similarly, mountain bikers can benefit from road riding to improve their cadence and speed, and allow their bodies a bit of respite from the regular battering received from off road riding. Longer rides are also possible, which will help improve stamina.
• In addition, when training for longer distance events, adding variety to training by incorporating shorter, more intense sessions, you will keep and edge to your speed.

How should I choose my additional activities?

It is important to choose a sport that complements your cycling training. There is some debate that suggests less well-trained athletes have more to gain from cross training than elite riders and that elite riders should only concentrate their training on cycling. However, for reasons of variety, overall body balance and more efficient training, there is a great deal in favor of cross training. It's worth keeping to activities which prioritize cycling muscle usage though. Speed skating or roller blading are excellent, as is cross-country skiing (if you're in the right place at the right time). Out of season you can spend a bit more time on alternative activities such as weight training, aerobics and circuit training, but during the season it's best to concentrate your time on exercise which is more directly related to cycling. Track riders may spend some time weight training during the season, as might mountain bikers and cyclo-cross riders who would also benefit from some running training too. Swimming is a very good recovery exercise for cycling as it rests the usual cycling muscles, works the upper body and provides good cardiovascular benefits without having to be highly competitive or overly strenuous.

Some sports, contact sports like soccer and rugby, and those which involve a lot of twisting and turning like squash can pose a high risk of injury. You don't necessarily need to totally avoid them but you should be aware that if an injury occurs while participating in them, it could set back any progress you are making with your cycling.

Cross training and injury

While some injuries require a total break from any exercise, others require total rest from cycling only - particularly high intensity, strenuous or endurance riding. Research has proved the benefit of staying active even when injured. The injury heals more quickly (through improved blood flow) and you do not lose too much fitness - so you can regain your level of fitness more rapidly once the injury has healed.

For example, with a broken wrist or collarbone, you may be able to use a turbo trainer on which to exercise, or do some lower limb exercises in a gym.