You’ve probably heard of cross training in the context of exercise, as this training method has become popular with elite and recreational athletes alike. Cross training involves incorporating different types of exercise into an exercise routine. So instead of running one of the best treadmills (opens in a new tab) every day, an athlete could mix it with rowing (opens in a new tab)HIIT classes and pilates (opens in a new tab).
To learn more about the benefits of cross training and how to incorporate it into an exercise routine, WordsSideKick.com spoke with Benjamin Rose, exercise physiologist and fitness trainer at Trainer Academy.
What is cross training?
“Cross training is an exercise program that combines a variety of activities to help you reach your fitness goals,” Rose said, speaking to Live Science. “Cross-training can help you perform better overall, avoid injury, and stay on track by mixing up your daily aerobics and including strength training in your weekly run/walk regimen.”
benjamin rose
Ben is the co-founder of TrainerAcademy.org. He is an exercise physiologist and fitness trainer with over 10 years of experience in the fitness industry. Among other disciplines, he is an expert in sports conditioning and strength training.
In short, cross training means incorporating different types of movement into an exercise routine, rather than concentrating on one exercise. This has numerous benefits.
For example, performing different types of movements (biking, rowing, lifting weights) subjects muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissues to different stresses, loads, and movements. This helps prevent muscle imbalances and overuse injuries.
Each type of exercise also has slightly different demands, so cross training can ensure that a person trains on the different fitness components (opens in a new tab) (train things like flexibility and mobility, as well as endurance and cardiovascular strength).
Rose also explained that while sticking to a particular exercise could help an athlete achieve a “personal best,” it could limit their overall physical progress.
“After repeating the same exercise for months, your body becomes adept at performing such actions. While that’s great for competition, it restricts your overall fitness level and decreases the actual conditioning you receive during training,” Rose said. “You just maintain a particular level of fitness instead of always improving.”
How to choose a cross training exercise
Cross training can be thought of as any exercise modality that is not a person’s primary sporting activity. For example, runners can try activities like biking, swimming, cross-country skiing, hiking, jumping rope, weight lifting, yoga, Zumba, roller skating, and tennis.
“It’s a good idea to choose a cross-training exercise that targets one or two of the five fitness components you’re not already focusing on,” Rose said.
These five health-related components of fitness include muscular endurance, muscular strength, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and body composition.
A person who primarily runs or bikes, which primarily trains cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance, might want to add cross-training exercises that build muscular strength or flexibility.
Are there any downsides?
Rose said there are no downsides to cross-training, other than the fact that it can take time away from a person’s “core” sport. The other thing to be careful of is overdoing it.
“While incredibly helpful, cross-training can sometimes burn athletes out,” said Rose, who points out that this happens when a person adds too much volume or intensity to their cross-training.
How to start
Rose said it’s entirely up to the user how intense they want their cross-training workouts to be, and it’s usually helpful to think of them in the context of an overall training program.
The goal of adding cross training to an exercise program is to improve fitness, add balance and variety, and improve areas of fitness that have been neglected. For example, if a person normally does relatively long endurance training, perhaps riding a bike or spinning bike, at a moderate intensity, they should ideally do short, vigorous cross-training such as HIIT training, using plyometrics such as jumping jacks. rope, burpees and jump squats.
With this in mind, Rose advised: “Keep cross-training sessions short, frequent, and intense. Limit cross-training to twice a week, for no more than an hour.”
As with any type of change in an exercise routine or the introduction of a new type of exercise, increase the frequency, intensity, and duration slowly to be safe.
This article is not intended to offer medical advice, and readers should consult their physician or health care professional before adopting any diet or exercise regimen.
