What do you think if we tell you that to improve cycling you don’t need to ride a bike? No, we are not crazy, this is possible thanks to cross training. The Cross Training or cross – training is complementary sports activities to achieve results in the core business. This means that if you combine other sports in your cycling training you can improve your performance as a cyclist.
Diversifying your training plans with other sports activities, apart from achieving greater motivation and breaking monotony, will help you have your entire body much more prepared for cycling. Additionally, cross training in cycling is also great for recovering from injuries. What if you are preparing an important race? Combining two sports in your training can also help you break records. Of course, you must choose the appropriate sports activity and exercises to improve the skills or abilities that interest you the most.
Sports activities to combine your cycling training
Cycling allows for the most varied combined workouts, you can choose sports activities that work the lower body to strengthen it or opt for activities and exercises that work less worked muscle groups in cycling. The most common activities added to the cycling cross training plan are:
- Cross-country skiing : it goes without saying that this activity works the lower body, but with cross-country skiing the arms are also worked with the poles and the core, very necessary to achieve a strong back and avoid injuries due to posture on the bike .
- Weight training: you can perform exercises to maintain and enhance the strength of the legs, improve the core and work the arms and back.
- Running: if you alternate cycling and running, you will maintain your aerobic capacity and maintain the muscles and power of your legs.
- Swimming: being so complete it can be included in almost all cross training plans. It is very effective to recover injuries and to be performed as an active rest.
- Pilates and Yoga: although they seem activities little related to cycling, the truth is that they will improve flexibility, resistance, strength and concentration on breathing.
Cross training plan for cycling
One of the easiest ways to start a cycling cross training plan and add your other sports activities as active rest. The days after a demanding bike workout you can do low-impact activities like swimming or Pilate’s sessions.
An example week of a combined cycling training plan would be as follows:
- Monday: Rest.
- Tuesday: Road cycling training.
- Wednesday: Swimming.
- Thursday: Weight training + cardio cycling.
- Friday: Rest.
- Saturday: Pilate’s session at home.
- Sunday: Road cycling training.
One of the most common cross training sessions for cycling and running, preparing for races and cycling and triathlons events are training sessions at the pool. These allow a transition between the water and the bike very easily. Here are some examples of this type of combined training:
- In the water: Complete training to develop the anaerobic threshold.
- Out of the water: on the roller, 5 soft minutes at 94-96 rpm + 5 min at 8 more pulses on average + 5 soft minutes.
- In the water: Smooth and complete training, between 2,500 and 3,500 meters.
- Out of the water: on the roller, 15 gentle minutes at a pedaling frequency between 94-96 rpm.
