How cyclists can improve performance, reduce injury risk, and speed muscle recovery with alternative forms of training

Most of today’s elite cyclists, runners, and swimmers do more than just log countless miles (or meters) in their chosen endurance sport. They also lift weights and engage in alternative forms of cardiovascular conditioning. Why? Simple: Cross-training enhances performance in their primary sport, reduces their risk of injury, and helps promote proper muscle recovery.

You too can get these same performance and fitness benefits—and even maximize them—by choosing cross-training activities that best complement your main endurance sport. So which specific activities should you add to your training regimen to reap the most performance rewards if you are, say, a cyclist? What about if you’re a runner—or a swimmer?

That’s what this 3-Part Cross-Training Primer is all about. Here, in Part 1, we discuss the best cross-training activities and strategies for cyclists. Then we’ll post Part 2, which will cover cross-training advice for runners. Finally, in Part 3, we’ll focus on cross-training tips for swimmers. So, cyclists: Read on for your cross-training primer. Runners and swimmers: Stay tuned for future posts.

Learn from Lance

Lance Armstrong is a role model for cyclists in many ways, including his approach to cross-training. There are three types of cross-training that Armstrong relies on heavily to stay injury-free, fit, and motivated: strength training, flexibility work, and alternative aerobic activities.

• Strength training. Power-to-weight ratio—or the amount of sustained pedaling power a cyclist can produce relative to his or her size—is the key performance metric for cyclists. Strength training helps cyclists generate more power by increasing the strength of key muscles beyond the level that on-the-bike training does. Armstrong’s strength-training program focuses particularly on his core, because strong core muscles add power to the pedal stroke by enhancing the transfer of forces between the upper body and legs. Core muscle strengthening also reduces the risk of low-back injury, which is common among cyclists.

• Flexibility work. Tightness in particular muscles, such as the hip flexors, is a common problem for cyclists because of all the time spent in a forward-flexed position. When the hip flexors and other muscles become too tight they lose the ability to relax and stretch efficiently, which predisposes them to injury and inhibits the functioning of the muscles they oppose. (For example, tight hip flexors inhibit the hamstrings.) Lance Armstrong devotes time to stretching every day to keep his muscles in balance so that they work efficiently and are resistant to injury.

• Alternative aerobic activities. When he’s not focused on major cycling events such as the Tour de France, Armstrong mixes up his road bike training with mountain biking, running, and swimming. Why mountain biking? Mountain biking feels refreshingly different from road cycling and it’s just plain fun. It can be used to inject some variety into training in the off-season and the competitive season and keep motivation levels high. Why running? Running enables cyclists to get a great cardiovascular workout in less time than it takes on the bike. And as a high-impact, bodyweight exercise, running provides a stimulus for increased bone mineral density (BMD), which cycling does not. But because running fitness transfers over to cycling only to a limited extent, it is best to rely on running mostly during the off-season. Why swimming? Swimming combines an excellent upper-body workout (which cycling does not offer) with an aerobic challenge. And because swimming is gentle on the musculoskeletal system, many cyclists like to use it as an active recovery modality between rides. Plus, maintaining a base of swimming fitness gives you the flexibility to jump into a triathlon every now and then—as Lance Armstrong plans to do at the 2011 Hawaii Ironman!