I'VE GOT YER FECKIN' CROSS-TRAINING RIGHT HERE!
Cross-training: words that strikes fear and boredom into my heart. My cycling library is contaminated with training books I’ve collected over the years. Each one is purchased knowing, yes, this is the one. Each one has a chapter on off-the-bike training. I recently bought Tom Danielson’s cross-training book, read some of it, have not done any of it. I’ve looked on Craig’s List for weights to set up a squatting station, none have met my strict requirements for some reason. I don’t run, period. I mostly hate walking and hiking. That’s why I ride a bike, FFS. Zumba, line-dancing, tai-chi…shoot me in the face, I’d rather develop a proper drug habit.
When I lived in a university town, despite their half-assed football program, they had a big stadium. Running those stadium steps was as close to enjoying cross-training as I will ever get. A full on boogie up to the top of the stadium, lope back down to the bottom, repeat until nauseous, repeat more. The top third of the steps were steeper, just to make it fun. It mimicked the mindless suffering and exhaustion us cyclists savor. It was intense enough that each session was over in under an hour. One would leave the stadium totally blown out and relaxed, again, like one would feel after a proper ride.
I used to go in the gym during the cold, unridable winter and do some horrid step treadmill and lift weights. Oh right, that was called youth and an over abundance of hormones. Now, that is just not going to happen. Shouldn’t living in Hawaii mean you never have to enter a gym again? Yes it does. I like to think my ineptitude in water-sports and the resultant near-drownings should provide some cross-training: elevated heart rate, thrashing of arms, seeing the all-embracing light at the end of the tunnel.
I could actually join CrossFit™. No, that would be unwise. Running seems to be an integral part of the regime, tattoos might be required and all that tractor tire wrestling would either ruin my back or bulk me up.
Aren’t we slighty proud of our chicken-chested scrawny upper bodies? Too much CrossFit could ruin a lifetime of chicken-chest development. And if we get good at running and swimming we might get crazy ideas.
Obviously, these are the complaints of a lazy cyclist who likes to ride his bike, end of discussion. There are no Rules to be quoted for off season cross-training except Rule #5. It is a universal Rule. There is no off season for Rule #5, but now it’s March, Milano-Sanremo looms. The off-season is off. I can safely put away my Tommy D book for another year.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
I cross train when the grade gets too steep :-(
Using my well developed powers of self excusing, I consider these incidents as proof that I am riding properly hard gearsets and/or properly hard hills. Thus, I say, I am a properly hard man, in my imagination if not in my legs.
Since the 1st of January I do a 2 minutes plank on my elbows, that's my best cross training ever...
Isn't this cross training?
@GogglesPizano
5 lbs of muscle… be careful what you wish for. During the winter I cross train two to three days per week and ride at least 5 days. My week looks like this: Mon. off the bike core and full body weight training circuit. Tues. ride. Wed. 30 min core in the late morning followed by a afternoon ride. Thurs. ride. Fri. 45 min. run then core and full body weight training. Sat and Sun ride. I schedule a run during the week for the weight bearing benefits (bone density). During the competitive season my weight is 64Kg (141-142lbs). Cross training has pushed me up to 67Kg or 149lbs. That extra weight does include a little fat, but I build upper body mass very easily. Too easily actually. If I don't keep my reps high while lifting, I put on too much upper body muscle. It will come off slowly as the longer spring rides enter the picture, but my forte (climbing) will suffer for at least two weeks. This is me at 67Kg. My power on the bike has increased, but that extra muscle does suck up a lot of oxygen and I can feel it during harder efforts. Too heavy for the KOM title? My coach says I'll be fine once my Spring training begins in two weeks.
Abs selfie
" And if we get good at running and swimming we might get crazy ideas "
Yep, local tri down here this weekend, may have to slip down and watch those silly people park perfectly good bikes on steel racks and run away from them only to do a big loop and come back to where the bike was left. Makes no sense to me.
I try to get a core/plank routine going. It never seems to stick, despite the obvious benefits of it.
Last week my 7 year old skied me into the ground on the slopes. Little nipper is unstoppable until the lifts stop. I have now met the man with the hammer on account of descending.
@brett
This is all classic. I love it. Cheers Gianni. >>> I've got yer feckin' cross training...<<< Classic. Thank goodness the clocks are changing and there's daylight in the evenings soon. Yep, put the books away.
@Ron @gilly... the wife beater string vest 3 for a tenner no discernible difference... what a hoot.
@Barracuda... park perfectly good bikes on steel rack and run away from them... another hoot.
@unversio
I did a push-up 30 years ago. Still recovering.
@Tobin
That's my boy. The Freddy Maertens school of off-season training. I just made that up but since he was big on the champagne during the season I figure he was no monk during the bleak Belgian winter.
Make sure to use the left too, don't want to get an imbalance in the biceps.