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Cross Training
Cross Training
Cross-Training: Giving Yourself a Whole-Body Workout
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Exercise can provide a total-body tune-up. It can strengthen the heart,
bones, muscles, and joints. It can enhance cardiovascular (heart-related)
fitness, build muscle, reduce body fat, and aid in flexibility. But to see
all these gains, cross-training may be needed.
In cross-training, two or more types of exercise are performed in one
workout or used alternately in successive workouts. A distance runner in
training, for example, may also lift weights twice a week, perform daily
stretching exercises, and do high-intensity bicycle sprints every Tuesday.
Exercisers turn to cross-training to fight boredom, but also because no
single exercise can yield all the potential benefits of exercise outlined
above. Jogging, for example, enhances aerobic fitness (which improves
cardiovascular health and requires sustained use of large-muscle groups
like those in the legs). But jogging contributes little to developing
muscle mass, especially in the upper body. Weight training increases
muscle mass, but it does not promote flexibility.
Although cross-training seems to make perfect sense, not all experts agree
on its benefits. Cross-training contradicts the time-honored principle
that training should be limited in scope and closely aligned to the
performance you want to improve. This is known as task specificity, and it
means that if you want to be a good distance runner, you need to run
mainly long distances. According to this principle, nonspecific activities
for runners, like weight training or swimming laps, are a waste of effort
because they do not make one a better runner.
Many sports scientists, however, believe that cross-training may lead to
optimal effort, because peak performance in any physical activity usually
involves more than one physical attribute. A marathoner, for example, may
need a strong sprint to the finish line, and hence high levels of aerobic
and anaerobic fitness (the ability to perform intense bursts of activity).
Also, weight training can help reduce upper-body muscle fatigue while
running. Because little overlap exists among attributes like aerobic
fitness, anaerobic fitness, and strength, cross-training is required.
The Cross-Training Edge
Cross-training offers advantages for both competitive athletes and those
who train simply to keep in shape and manage their weight. Cross-training
helps you:
Add variety to your workouts to keep you interested. You can use
traditional training methods like running and swimming as well as
exercise on various machines or on in-line skates.
Develop your entire body, rather than specific parts or energy systems
(aerobic vs anaerobic).
Distribute the load of training among various body parts, thus reducing
the risk of injury.
Keep training while you are injured. When one body part is injured, you
can train using different muscles and joints.
Planning Your Program
A cross-training program usually involves a combination of different
exercises, each performed for a specific period. The exercises can all be
aerobic, for example, but they usually include other types
To improve aerobic fitness, for example, you can bike for 30 minutes. To
increase strength, you can lift weights for 30 minutes. You can do one
form of exercise each day, or both on the same day. If you do both on the
same day, you can change the order in which you do them.
Cross-training also can include diverse exercises in a single routine to
promote aerobic fitness, strength, and muscle endurance. For example, in
circuit training you do high-repetition, low-resistance weight training
and move quickly to the next exercise. Another example is step aerobics
using light dumbbells.
Week Activity Minutes
Monday Brisk walking with hand weights
Stretching
Upper-body weight training 20-30
5-10
30
Tuesday Jogging at a steady pace
Stretching
Lower-body weight training 20-30
5-10
30
Wednesday Swimming
Yoga 20-30
20-30
Thursday Bicycling, rowing, or cross-country skiing*
Stretching 20-30
5-10
Friday Brisk walking
Upper- and lower-body weight training or circuit weight
training** 20
20-30
Saturday Jogging at a varied pace
Stretching 30-45
5-10
Sunday*** Walking comfortably
Yoga 30-45
20-30
*Actual activity or machine simulator.
**High-repetition, low-resistance weight training with little rest
between exercises.
***Can be a complete rest day.
Remember: This information is not intended as a substitute for medical
treatment. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician.
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