Cross-Training

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.

Gianni

Gianni has left the building.

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Teocalli says:

Mar 3 2015 at 9:57 am

@ChrisO

@Ccos

@Teocalli

>@Ccos

, @Ken Ho is wrong on the science. Yes cycling lowers bone density,

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.

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.

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.

.......and that's without his comment about drilling through it!
Ccos says:

Mar 3 2015 at 10:00 am

@Teocalli

@Ccos

@Teocalli

>@Ccos

, @Ken Ho is wrong on the science. Yes cycling lowers bone density,

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.

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.

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.

Master's level is only an age based classification (>35). When the pros have been studied, the results are horrifying.
Ccos says:

Mar 3 2015 at 10:07 am

@Teocalli

Damn IPhone. Anyway, I'm not saying don't cycle (Merckx preserve me), I'm saying there's a real risk of bone loss with competitive cycling. But it can be offset by plyometrics (or any real jumping; no one has determined just how much though). Regardless, as a group we live longer than the sedentary masses and do so looking WAY better in the process.
Teocalli says:

Mar 3 2015 at 10:20 am

@Ccos

@Teocalli

Damn IPhone. Anyway, I’m not saying don’t cycle (Merckx preserve me), I’m saying there’s a real risk of bone loss with competitive cycling. But it can be offset by plyometrics (or any real jumping; no one has determined just how much though). Regardless, as a group we live longer than the sedentary masses and do so looking WAY better in the process.

So we should ride gravel more to get the vibro impact equivalent of jumping? Cool. Need to put that to the VMW for n+1...............

Also with that classification of Masters I'm well past it and should be like a piece of broken pottery.................
DeKerr says:

Mar 3 2015 at 10:21 am

Well, it appears that Mr. Ho is alive and well and still a bit of a twatwaffle. I seem to recall him starting a similar fire around here a year or two ago with a sanctimonious post of his bike lit up like a Christmas tree... with fenders... it was fucking terrible (but I could be wrong... about the poster of the photo, not its hideousness).

@frank a quick deduction on the issue of flames directed to Mr. Ho ending up going to @Ken it seems that having a _space_ in a handle breaks the auto-link.

@Sparty save that shit for Tinder/Grinder.
ChrisO says:

Mar 3 2015 at 10:23 am

@Teocalli

…….and that’s without his comment about drilling through it!

Oh god yes I'd forgotten that - the surgeon who drilled my femur commented the next day about how hard my bone was.

Sample of one I know but I don't think we're talking major risk factors here, even if cyclists as a group have lower density than those who do impact sports. And probably outweighed by other factors - longevity of activity as well life span.
PeakInTwoYears says:

Mar 3 2015 at 10:30 am

"...tiiiiny bubbles..."
SamV says:

Mar 3 2015 at 10:54 am

I'm one of the one's who makes promises of cross training every off season and it never happens. My wife is all too happy to remind me of that. She did, however (let it be known that I'm only sharing this in a good-natured, self-effacing way), convince me to try spinning...it was terrible. It's not a bike, it's a bike-shaped torture device. I hated every minute of it. It does provide a substantial workout (as has been reluctantly noted before), but probably with minimal bone-density improvement. Merckx forgive me, I'm trying it again on Saturday...
Gianni says:

Mar 3 2015 at 10:54 am

@the Engine

Why are you using a picture of my mum to illustrate the article?

Funny lad. The fresh air obviously does her good.
Gianni says:

Mar 3 2015 at 11:03 am

@RVester

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.

Beautiful, yes, we do share a lot with rowers. It's mostly legs and cardio/VO2 for both. I was actually on my bike when a car pulled up and invited me to join a rowing club, just because I was a dedicated cyclist.

And I do appreciate other sports with long glorious histories and their thinly veiled contempt for all other sports.