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.
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@frank
To compound his douchbaggedness, @Ken Ho is wrong on the science. Yes cycling lowers bone density, but weight lifters do not have increased bone density when compared to sedentary people. Unless of course they life really heavy weights or perform some sort of jumping in their weight lifting routine. It is the abrupt bowing of bones (through jumping, running, etc) that stimulates osteoblast activity and thus bone growth. This evidently does not happen through routine weight lifting.
That said cyclists, despite our penchant to demineralize ourselves (as endurance athletes), live longer than everyone else. In order of survival it goes: endurance athletes > "mixed" sports athletes (soccer, basketball) > weight lifters > sedentary people > body builders > American Football players.
So just jump around (those so called plyometrics) after your ride and all's good. (Don't know the "dose" yet, but nothing happens bone density-wise after 100 times).
So to recap: Douchebag, jump a bit, keep riding, live longer.
@RobSandy
Wait... you guys got that email too?
*sigh*... I thought I'd finally been noticed by a younger woman...
@Ccos
How high?
(Someone had to ask...)
You could try rowing. It's hard, it looks good if you're good at it, it hurts and you need to put in the grind to get something out of it. Also, rowers appreciate history.
Needless to say, this has lead to a lot off cross pollination http://cyclingtips.com.au/2011/11/why-rowers-are-exceptional-cyclists/
Also, rowers regard paddling the same way cyclists regard running. With utter disdain and thinly veiled contempt.
@Ccos
This is classic - compared to what? Bad science is full of such statements that are not connected to a control population. Compared to astronauts cycling wins, compared to sitting in an armchair cycling wins. I'd have thought strenuous cycling would put some skeletal strain that would be at least good as walking (I'd actually hedge on betting better). However any picture should not be limited to such a sweeping single statement. For instance you have the impact wear and tear of say running on the joints that you don't have in cycling and as for the effect of heavy weights on joints and cartilage.
@Teocalli
Cyclists have lower bone density than sedentary people. It's well established and the only mark against our beloved sport. The order of bone density goes: jumping sports (running, etc) > weight lifters sedentary >= sedentary people > master level cyclists. So no, sitting in a chair is better than cycling in reference to bone density.
@RVester
Well a representative sample of 1 - Rebecca Romero made a pretty good transition.
Hey @frank
Just for your info, all the comments directed at @Ken Ho have all come to me (@ken with no connection to @Ken Ho) as notifications in my email inbox. A little disconcerting to pick up emails notifying me of being mentioned in unfavourable terms on your fine site .... until I realised it was someone else you were referring to, so "no wukkas" of course.
But, I thought I'd let you know (in case it can be fixed) that the software that sends the email notification is being confused by the space between Ken and Ho and just sending it to ken. Because, if you are going to call someone a "fucking creep" I'd rather it was him rather than me ;-)
@Ccos
Well in light of recent events I did have cause to question my bone density, given that hip fractures generally only happen to elderly people with osteoporosis.
Secretly I was hoping my orthopaedic consultant might agree it was in my long term interests to promote more bone density and the internet had told me that testosterone was a good way to do that. So win-win as far as I was concerned - legal doping and less chance of fucking up my hip in future.
Sadly he dismissed it out of hand and said, I quote, that I had "lovely bones". I guess he sees quite a few in various states so he's probably a decent judge.
So if an orthopaedic consultant isn't the slightest bit concerned about the bone density of a 48 year old cyclist who's just fractured his hip and fully intends to carry on cycling, I really don't think there is a lot for any of us to worry about.
@Ccos
Well put it that way I would still say that "master level cyclists" is a far leap to saying cycling is bad for your bone density. There are lies, damn lies and statistics. So lets offset slightly lowered bone density (assuming we are anywhere near a master level cyclist - which I am certainly not) vs all the other health benefits of cycling. It's almost like saying that eating causes obesity so eating is bad for you so you should stop or more people die in bed than anywhere else so beds are dangerous.