Cross Training 

by Doug Reese, TTNL 

Cross training programs are designed to enhance physical fitness, decrease injuries, and eliminate the monotony of single activity programs.

Cross training can combine both aerobic and non-aerobic activities such as moderate jogging, speed training, and strength training.

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Why Cross Training?

Cross training can produce better workouts than a single activity. For instance, jogging/running develops the lower body, and swimming builds the upper body. Rowing contributes to the upper body development, and cycling builds the legs. Combining activities such as these provides good overall conditioning, and at the same time helps to improve overall fitness. Cross training also offers an opportunity to develop skills, and yet enjoy different activities as a change of pace.

Developing Speed

Speed training is often coupled with cross training. Faster performance times in aerobic activities (running and cycling) are generated with speed or interval training. Athletes who want to improve their running times often run shorter intervals at faster speeds than the actual race pace. For example, an athlete wanting to run a 6:00 mile may train by running 4 x 400 meter intervals at a speed of 1:20 per interval. An active rest of a 400 meter walk/jog can become the recovery period.

Developing Strength

Strength training is used frequently with cross training. Strength training helps to condition the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. In all most activities improved strength and endurance enhances overall athletic performance. Research has shown that although road cyclists who trained with weights showed no improvement in aerobic capacity, but the cyclist had a 33 percent improvement in riding time to exhaustion when exercising at 75 percent of their maximal capacity.

Cross Training is for All Athletes

Regardless of what sport you participate in, cross training can be beneficial to increasing your total fitness, strength, and endurance - resulting in enhanced performance. In addition, cross training also makes training enjoyable by breaking up the "normal" training routine into fun new activities.