How to Add Cross-Training into Cycling Training Routine

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Cross-training is something that every single cyclist should consider incorporating into their routine. Cross-training helps you become a more well-rounded athlete while addressing imbalances. Leveling-up as a cyclist means addressing performance limiters, protecting yourself from injury, and making yourself better.

The Caveats of Cycling

When you ride your bike frequently, you open the door to a lot of wonderful opportunities. Cycling on a regular basis improves your cardiovascular health, builds muscle strength, increases your aerobic endurance, and is beneficial to your overall health and well-being. In the long run, it may even be beneficial to your mental health by lowering your levels of stress and increasing the positive feelings you experience. Cycling, like any other activity, does not come without its drawbacks.

Cycling, which is a low-impact exercise that focuses on developing very specific muscle groups, does not contribute significantly to the development of functional core and upper body strength, general mobility, or bone density. Although these may not seem like skills that are absolutely necessary for cycling, they can have a significant impact on how well a cyclist performs. It is even possible for one to sustain injuries as a result of ignoring these areas. Cross-training, also known as circuit training, is a form of exercise that involves performing multiple different types of workouts in a single session. This helps increase the intensity and variety of your workouts. Cross-training is when you participate in one sport or activity for its training benefits while also participating in another sport or activity for its training benefits. This helps you improve your abilities in your primary sport.

The Advantages that Cyclists Gain from Cross-Training

When you cross-train as a cyclist, the actual benefits you reap will vary according to the activities you choose to add to your exercise regime. In general, activities that train key physical abilities in a way that cycling does not will provide you with the greatest return on investment. For instance, increasing your core strength is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your cycling. You will be more effective, more powerful, and more resistant to injury if you have a strong core because it provides stability. Your core is the epicenter of all movement. However, cycling on its own is not an effective method of building core strength. Strength training, yoga, and cross-country skiing are all examples of activities that place stress on the core and can be used to effectively build core strength for increased control and stability when riding a bike.

Increasing the functional strength of muscles that are used less frequently is another effective method for addressing the muscle imbalances that are caused by cycling. Cycling, as might be expected, does not contribute significantly to the development of functional strength in the back, core, or upper body. The consistent motion of pushing on the pedals does not work all of the muscles in the legs, so some of those muscles are not being used at all. When some muscles are weak, others are tight, and others are strong, an imbalance is created in the body. This imbalance can lead to discomfort, pain, and, if left unchecked, even injury.

The stronger you get, the more obvious muscle imbalances will become in your body. As your cycling skills improve, your body will become more adept at activating the muscles it requires and deactivating those it does not. This will allow you to get the most out of your workouts. Although this is a great way to improve your cycling economy, the growing disparity between your strong and weak muscles may have some unfavorable side effects. By participating in an activity other than cycling that challenges, stretches, and ultimately strengthens the muscle groups that are not utilized during cycling, you can build up your overall strength to achieve greater control, comfort, and stability while riding a bicycle.

Certain activities that are considered cross-training have the additional benefit of increasing bone density, in addition to their ability to improve strength and mobility. Cycling’s low-impact nature is a benefit for many different types of athletes. Athletes who struggle with joint-based injuries may find it difficult to participate in high-impact activities because these types of exercise are known to place a significant amount of stress on the joints. If, on the other hand, you never engage in any activities that involve impact, your bones will not get stronger on their own. This puts you at an increased risk of suffering serious injuries over time, particularly in the event of a collision. Even if you are only able to participate in low-impact activities on a limited basis, the bone density in your body will still benefit from some form of impact, which will help protect you from more severe injuries. Outside of cycling, some excellent ways to build bone density include weightlifting, running, and hiking.

Cyclist Cross-Training

When it comes to accomplishing these targets, strength training is one of the most beneficial exercises for cyclists to engage in because of its all-around benefits. Strength training will help you build functional core and upper body strength, increase power, address muscle imbalances, and build bone density. It is the ideal complement to cycling as a form of recreation. Because there are so many advantages for cyclists, there is also a substantial amount of material available that can help you get started and incorporate it into your normal routine of exercise. The resources that are listed below can help you get a head start on your cross-training if you are interested in strength training.

Guides to Strength-Training Programs and Resources

Although strength training is a fantastic all-around activity for cyclists, it is not the only option available to you! Any activity that addresses at least one of the limitations of cycling training is an excellent option. A good choice would be any activity that does this. Cross-training activities such as running, hiking, yoga, cross-country skiing, swimming, and pilates are all excellent ways for cyclists to improve their fitness. Having said that, it is essential to keep in mind that some of these drills do not cover every aspect of the topic at hand. Swimming, for instance, is an excellent way to develop functional core and upper body strength, but it won’t help to build bone density. Another good example is running. In light of the aforementioned, it should be noted that engaging in any type of cross-training is preferable to not engaging in any, and that engaging in cross-training that can be maintained is superior to engaging in cross-training that cannot be maintained. If you want to see results from your cycling training, you need to be consistent with it. If you want to see benefits from your cross-training, you also need to be consistent with it. If you only do a little bit of cross-training here and there without making any progress, you will probably find that you are more sore than you get stronger.

When Should You Cross-Train?

The off-seasons of running and cycling are ideal for switching up your workout routine. You are already taking time away from cycling during the off-season to rest from your season, which gives you plenty of time and energy to take on a new form of training stress, recover properly in between workouts, and improve your technique and abilities in the sport that you choose to compete in. Cross-training allows you to reap many of the benefits that it has to offer while also allowing you to make significant improvements to your performance limitations over the course of a few months’ time.

Cycling Season Cross-Training

If you take a thorough approach to cross-training during the off-season, you can put yourself in a position to be able to complete some maintenance activities while you are riding during the season. You won’t have as much leeway in your schedule to incorporate activities that count as cross-training when the cycling season is in full swing. You don’t want to add any additional training stress while you’re following a cycling training plan because it could prevent you from completing your cycling workouts. If you cross-train during the off-season, however, you may be able to maintain some of the benefits of cross-training while you are cycling during the season.

For instance, you can continue to reap the benefits of strength training even when the cycling season is in full swing by following a basic maintenance routine. There is a good chance that you won’t be able to follow a strength training routine without it interfering with your cycling training if you haven’t developed the physical and technical abilities that are necessary to maintain a low-maintenance routine. Getting started with strength training during the off-season allows you to build up your skills and abilities in advance, which puts you in a better position to carry out some fundamental strength training maintenance activities while you are cycling during the season.

When it comes to cross-training during the cycling season, you should try to limit yourself to moderate forms of exercise if you have the time and capacity to do so. You can continue to reap the benefits of cross-training well into your cycling season by incorporating activities such as yoga, walking, and maintenance strength training into your routine. Doing so will enhance your cycling training plan not detract from it.