Should You Be Cross Training?

It’s hard enough to commit to a regular workout program while staying consistent with the workouts that will help you reach your specific goals. Often this will call for the completion of the same types of workouts week after week. Although consistency and repetition is necessary for progress, there are times when we need to break up the regularity of our training programs to help reduce the risk of burnout, overuse injury, and regression. Programmed periods of rest and recovery are great, but it is still more beneficial to be active in some capacity. This is where cross training works wonders.

Cross training can be described as an exercise routine or program that involves several methods of training to develop one or more mechanisms of fitness. For example, if you are a regular participant in outdoor running to work on your cardiovascular fitness while burning calories to help with weight reduction, you may start to develop overtraining symptoms form the consistent pounding and repetitive motions of the running stride. Overloading your joints and muscles this way can have significant effects on your performance and long term ability to continue a running program. A great way to help avoid these issues is to incorporate cross training.

Programming your cross training is not difficult. All you need to do is stay on your regular workout schedule, but instead of competing your normal workout, you chose another form of exercise that will test your body in a similar way. For running workouts, you would need a kind an activity that can raise your heart rate to the same level, but without the same muscular and joint stress of the running motion. Ellipticals are a great choice for those looking to push their cardiovascular performance while giving their body a break from running. If you’re currently getting worn out from your running program, give this great low impact calorie burning elliptical workout a try!

Magnetic Elliptical Machine - Stride Zone

Cross training not only applies to replacing one form of cardio for another, you can also mix different training modalities together to create an effective total body training routine. For example, strength training exercises can help improve muscular strength, size, and endurance which will help reduce the risk for injury during other activities, and aid in weight loss by boosting the bodies metabolism. If you are looking for some great strength training routines to help you increase your total body fitness, check out our YouTube channel!

Probably the most significant reason you should look into adding cross training to your workout routine, is the fact that when you engage in different types of exercise, you are more likely to stick with your exercise program long term. While some people enjoy the routine of the same types of workouts performed week after week, many become bored of the monotony of repeated exercises. This can lead to a reduction in workout adherence and failure to achieve health and fitness goals. There are many different types of workouts out there, so it’s important do your research to find out which workouts and exercises will be the most enjoyable and effective for you to meet your goals in a timely manner. No matter what your goals are, cross training can help ensure that you continue to enjoy working out, while moving towards accomplishing your goals. Below you can find a few example cross training schedules to help you determine what kind of workout program may work best for your interest and physical abilities.

Cross Training Workout Schedule Examples:

Week	1	2	3
Sun	Elliptical	Rest	Bike
Mon	Row	Strength	Run
Tue	Run	Full Body Conditioning	Strength
Wed	Rest	Strength	Bike
Thur	Elliptical	Full Body Conditioning	Run
Fri	Row	Strength	Strength
Sat	Run	Full Body Conditioning	Rest