Cross Training for Fitness and Fatloss
Cross Training is a type of fitness training that typically involves alternating between two or more different types of physical exercise. All types of Cross Training are high intensity and offer a potential way to improve your overall fitness and to control your weight.
The exercises performed can be as simple as running for one minute, then walking for 1 minute, repeated for 20 minutes. Or they may alternate between similar exercises such as swimming and cycling, two popular forms of cross-training among endurance athletes who train outdoors in cold weather. And they can also include a variety of activities ranging from sports like basketball or soccer to martial arts and self-defense classes.
Cross Training can be done indoors or outdoors, at any time of day, and in any weather. It can be done as often as you like and for as long as you wish. And it gives your body the same benefits of both great aerobic exercise and strength training in one activity.
Unlike most traditional forms of fitness training that force you into doing the same exercise over and over again with little variation, Cross Training allows for some creativity in selecting different exercises to perform simultaneously. To do this, simply choose activities that complement each other such as running on a treadmill for 1 minute, then walking for 1 minute, followed immediately by cycling on a stationary bike for 1 minute; repeat 20 times. Or choose activities that are similar, such as swimming and cycling. Cross Training can be done in your own home or in a club environment with the inclusion of other participants.
Performing Cross Training allows you to get both the aerobic and strength training benefits in one activity with virtually no boredom and without affecting your progress in either area. As a simple example, think about how little variation you see among marathoners when they train indoors on treadmills during the winter months. Those same people tend to become quickly bored with their routines when they switch to exclusively running outdoors even though it is a much more enjoyable activity for most people.
By doing both types of exercise at the same time, the intensity and effort levels can be increased. For example, you may swim for 1 minute, then cycle for 1 minute before swimming again. Or you can swim and cycle for 3 minutes before spending 30 seconds on a stationary bike. Or you could swim laps for 30 minutes and then spend 45 seconds cycling to cool off before going back into the pool. As long as you maintain a high pace (i.e., pushing yourself continuously), it won't take as long to complete as the time spent exercising would at a slower pace since most Cross Training activities are short in duration anyway.
Exercises can be repeated in a circuit fashion to give you the benefit of extra intensity from doing the exercises so rapidly. For example, cycling for 1 minute followed by 30 seconds on a treadmill, then back to the cycle for 1 minute (or as long as you can manage) will add intensity to your workout. It is important in Cross-Training that you maintain a high level of intensity throughout your workout, especially if you are just starting out or haven't exercised in some time.
Cross Training also gives your body tremendous variety and changes your routine regularly which will keep you more interested and committed by giving you a new experience every time.
Here are a few examples of Cross Training activities you may want to try:
SWIMMING
Cycling (stationary or upright) Treadmill Running Cycling Swimming Indoor rowing Cycling Running Walking Cycling Water aerobics Rowing and/or swimming Swimming and cycling Aerobic workout with running and cross-training Triathlon training Cross-training circuit Triathlon training without running Cross-Training circuit with long sets of short exercises Triathlon training with strength training (pushups, situps, pullups, dips, etc. done during cycling)
MARTIAL ARTS
Yoga Pilates Boot camp circuit training Circuit training with sprints Body pump (weight training) aerobics Kickboxing/Bag punching Swimming Hatha Yoga (gentle yoga focusing on breathing and stretching) Kick boxing/shadow boxing Stretching Yoga Tai Chi Tae Kwon Do Aerobic dance classes Boxing/kickboxing circuit training Circuit Training with karate Cross-Training circuit with martial arts Self-defense classes Circuit Training with self-defense Martial arts running Cross-training with martial arts Martial arts and body pump exercises Running, kickboxing, or swimming circuit workout Martial arts, calisthenics, and aerobic dance classes Boxing/kickboxing circuit training Boxing/kickboxing. circuit training circuit training with kickboxing/Kung-fu Circuit training with karate Martial arts and body pump (weight training) circuit training
SELF DEFENSE
Cross Training circuit (with self-defense) Circuit Training with self defense Cross-Training circuit (defense) Kickboxing, Judo, Karate, or Scuba Diving Kickboxing/Circuit Training Body Pump Workout Circuit Training (Self defense) Boxing, Kung Fu, Ju jitsu Kickboxing/Circuit Training Circuit workout Cross training exercise: Self Defense Yoga Aerobics with weights Dance class with weights Circuit exercise: Self Defense Kung Fu Tai Chi Hindo Yowch Karatestheft Krav Maga Salsa Dancing Karate Judo Bagu. Kickboxing Karate Kickboxing, kickboxing/BJJ, or sparing Circuit Training Kickboxing Circuit training Cross-Training circuit (with self-defense) Cross-Training exercise: kickboxing running circuit training with scuba diving Circuit workout with self defense circuit training Cross-Training exercise: karate martial arts boxing circuit training running Scuba Diving Self Defense Karate Self Defense Yoga Body Pump Aerobics (weights and aerobics) Tai Chi Belly Dancing Karate Self Defense Self Defense Running circuit workout with scuba diving Kickboxing/kickboxing/martial arts circuits Kung Fu Running, kickboxing and martial arts classes
SPORTS
Cross Training for sports will allow you to do the same things you normally would in your sport. For example, if you are a runner, you may try to do laps in your toughest race, or spend 30-45 seconds doing pullups or squats to warm-up before running. You will feel the same pain and desire as is normally felt during a race because you are performing the same exercise at the same intensity but now for slightly longer.
Cardiovascular exercise is often best done on an exercise machine such as a treadmill or stair stepper. If you don't have access to these at home, look for what is available in local businesses.
Conclusion
The benefits of Cross Training are numerous; I've only covered a small portion in this article. I hope it has given you some ideas on how to incorporate cross-training into your daily routine.
Be creative and open to new ideas. You can do almost anything that's part of your sport and be safe doing those activities that are not part of your sport. For example, if you are a marathon runner, you can do kickboxing or rhythm type aerobics classes 3 or 4 times a week without ruining any adaptations you may have made specifically for running. Try different things yourself and get in touch with what you enjoy doing.