Cross Training

Many beginners to sport and training will automatically train using cross training methods, their training routines will involve a mixture of aerobic exercises followed by strength routines and hopefully bounded by warm up and cool down stretching exercises. But for the more experienced athletes (whether in the track & field arena or bodybuilding and strength sports) cross training is sometimes ignored in favour of the more direct training regimes required for these sports.

So What is it ?

Cross training is about combining the multiple training disciplines to develop the muscle structures, flexibility and the body's aerobic capacities to help in an ancillary capacity to the mainstream chosen sport.

For example a racing cyclist will train predominantly with 'on the bike' road work, covering hundreds of training miles per week, which is fine for targeting the specific muscle groups required for such a sport and for increasing the aerobic capacity needed for such a stressful sport, but, in order to gain overall body strength and maximize the risk of injuries this should be supplemented with weights work and stretching/flexibility exercises, especially in the winter/off season. A noticeable improvement can be attained in sprint strength and endurance if this sort of regime is followed.

Cross training is also about maximizing the time available to you, you may not have time to go for that 1 hour gym workout when perhaps you do have time for a 20 minute hard run. And being able to mix these disciplines is the key to successful cross training.

As already stated Cross Training is not just for the experienced athlete, beginners to sport can benefit immensely by adopting cross training routines. It is essential that a mechanical balance be maintained in the muscle structures of the body, and although you may not train specifically to maintain this balance, cross training can go some way to helping. For example, many men will train only the muscles that 'show', the chest, biceps and front & side shoulders. To continue this sort of training program will make these areas susceptible to imbalance type injuries.
The shoulder joint is not a normal 'ball & socket' joint, it is held in place by the muscles and tendons that surround it. If the concentration of training effort is directed towards the chest, biceps and front to upper shoulder areas to the neglect of the rear shoulder area the shoulder joint will be 'pulled' subtly out of its natural position. It is then that stress injuries will occur, and are usually identifiable by shoulder pains when performing any of the shoulder movement exercises. If however the programme of training had been more balanced these types of injuries may never occur.
A balanced way of achieving this could be by the inclusion of the highly aerobic indoor rowing machines. Which will not only provide the heart and lungs with a workout but will be an aid to developing the rear of the shoulder girdle and maintaining a balance in the muscle structures of the shoulder. As you can imagine this not only helps maintain the balance but also introduces a beneficial form of exercise to the routine making it a Cross Training routine. All that remains is the inclusion of stretching which should be performed before (as part of the warm up) and after (as part of the cool down).

The Importance of Stretching.

Stretching also plays a part as a routine on its own, and the inclusion of regular stretching is essential to maintain and increase the elasticity of the muscles and to help prevent injury. As we get older our muscles lose the elasticity we once enjoyed as youngsters, but regular stretching sessions will prolong the onset of that tight muscle feeling we all get first thing in the morning. The muscles and tendons cannot continually go through the heavy contraction routines associated with most sports and gym sessions, and must be stretched. If you find yourself without the time to train then a stretching session can be easily adopted in the time you have available, it is not necessary to stretch all muscle groups at one go, but merely to 'hit' a certain area for 5 minutes will do.

Each of the disciplines outlined above, strength, cardiovascular and stretching are covered in more detail elsewhere on the Totalefit site, you may follow the links to them to gain a greater understanding of your bodies requirements before, during and after exercise.

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