WINTER IS COMING
If the inevitable big chill threatens to bring your winter to a standstill, cross-training provides an injection of fun and variety – and will make you a stronger cyclist without turning the pedals
Greg LeMond enjoyed cross-country skiing. Richie Porte likes to swim. For pros and amateurs alike, after a long season of cycling, the winter months are a chance to do something different. But this idea – cross-training – needn’t be the preserve of the off-season. You could be at the end of a hard spell of training, recovering from an injury, or want to improve your allround conditioning throughout the season. It’s just that winter is the most opportune moment to do so, with few events on the horizon and weather conditions lacking appeal.
It’s not about doing something that will magically enhance your cycling. It’s about having the opportunity to recover from the rigours of a tough sport and trying an activity that is similar but not the same. It’s the differences that make the difference.
“Cross-training can be helpful by allowing body and mind to recover following a long, hard block of training and racing, while preventing a big decline in general fitness,” explains Simon Jobson, professor of sport and exercise physiology at the University of Winchester.
Cross-training can be fun and challenging. LeMond, the three-time Tour de France champion, wasn’t exactly coasting with cross-country (XC) skiing, a sport that vies with cycling for where the highest V02 max values are found. If you think a bike sprint is hard, check out the race finishes from the Mark Cavendish of the XC skiing world, Petter Northug.
It was a break from the grind of LeMond’s season, so in that respect it was regenerative. In XC skiing, similar muscle groups are worked but in different ways, allowing you to retain a level of fitness but resting from your bread and butter, building motivation for the new season.
As well as being recuperative, crosstraining can be transformative. Doing nothing but ride your bike will create body imbalances, which can lead to over-use injuries in the long-term.
“Most riders will benefit from a psychological rest at one or two points in the year, but most will be keen to limit the fitness losses that result from inactivity,” says Jobson. “The old adage ‘a change is as good as a rest’ comes into play, with crosstraining removing the relentless focus and, in many cases, stress required for regular structured bike training.”
“AFTER A LONG SEASON OF CYCLING, THE WINTER MONTHS ARE A CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT”
01 / CROSSCOUNTRY SKIING
For many cyclists enduring snowy winters, this is the sport to maintain – and enhance – off-season bike fitness. A fusion of aerobic conditioning, core strength, power, balance and coordination, it’s the ultimate alt-sport for roadies, with famous practitioners including Edvald Boasson Hagen and Fabian Cancellara. It uses the same muscle groups (quads, hamstrings, glutes, back and core) in fresh ways, requires good but not brilliant upper-body strength, is low impact and asks for similar balance and awareness as on fast descents.
There are two different types: ‘classic’ sees skiers glide in groomed, parallel tracks, with a grip wax on the centre of the ski used for propulsion. According to Ed Nicoll, a cycling enthusiast and former British professional XC skier, this is the “easiest and most accessible introduction to the sport. Anyone who can hike in the hills for a few hours could do it”.
‘Skating’ is a relatively newer development and involves shorter skis but longer poles, with more support for the ankles in the shoes. Technically, it’s more difficult, being devoid of classic’s parallel lines of movement, involving a synchronised movement of arms and legs, and requiring more upper-body strength. The surfaces are groomed, except on the downhills, and give you more freedom to change direction. Wax is again used, this time on the whole ski. At the highest level, choosing the right wax for the conditions is a ‘dark art’ – according to Nicoll – and often determines the winner.
WHY?
Like cycling, XC skiing will stress your aerobic system, but works the whole body like no other sport. It’s pretty low risk, too. Cancellara’s teams allowed him to do it, even though downhill and many other sports were banned.
WHY NOT?
It’s not exactly accessible in the UK, and there’s a lot to learn to become competent. Roller skiing is a good substitute at home to learn the basics before you head onto the snow. Our photographer, Henry Iddon, can often be found on the promenade at Cleveleys doing just that ( rollerski.co.uk).
GETTING STARTED...
Try XC skiing out for a morning on your next ski holiday. It’s cheaper than downhill skiing. In Gstaad, where Cycling Plus tried it out (see opposite page), it cost 33 Swiss Francs compared to 51 for a day pass. It’s also worth paying for an instructor to show you the ropes. Be patient – skating on skis, in particular, is a hard skill and might not come quickly.
“A FUSION OF CONDITIONING, CORE STRENGTH, POWER AND CO-ORDINATION, IT’S THE ULTIMATE ALT-SPORT”
“IT’S LOW IMPACT, IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY, AND WORKS AS A CYCLING-SUBSTITUTE CARDIO WORKOUT”
02 / SWIMMING
Another whole-body exercise and one that will maintain the endurance needed for cycling. “I usually recommend activities like swimming as they feel, psychologically, a million miles away from cycling,” says Simon Jobson. “These activities provide the best chance of a full cycling mental detox. It’s very difficult to find non-cycling activities that stimulate the body in a way that maintains cycling-specific fitness. Therefore, I usually suggest activities that will maintain the physiological foundation of most cycling: endurance, aka V02 max.”
Despite an increase in the number of pools in the UK over the past decade, there was a drop of almost 520,000 swimming activities to 4.2m in 2019 compared to the year before, according to Sport England’s 2019 Active People’s Survey that looked at people taking part in an activity at least twice in the previous 28 days.
For cycling enthusiasts, it needn’t be one or the other, because swimming is one of the best off-the-bike activities we can do. It’s low impact, improves flexibility, works as a cycling-substitute cardio workout and offers light resistance in every plane of movement. It’s also a good means of off-bike rehab; Trek– Segafredo pro Richie Porte swims to improve his recovery (see p14).
WHY?
“Swimming is the best sport you can do as a cyclist,” says triathlon coach and former pro cyclist Spencer Smith. “It just doesn’t beat you up like, say, running does. It engages the core and makes you work, but you can do it for half an hour and not feel like you’ve done 12 rounds with Mike Tyson.”
WHY NOT?
A warning, though: not all swimming strokes will suit everyone. “If you have neck problems the hyperextended position of breaststroke with your head out of the water can worsen your problem,” writes Jo McRae in Ridestrong: Essential Conditioning for Cyclists (Bloomsbury). “If you have instability in your lower back, or knee problems, you might find the hyperextension of the lower back with the breaststroke kick problematic.”
GETTING STARTED...
John Wood, of Tri-Coaching, says:
“If you can’t swim these distances comfortably, shorten the distances to fit your swimming ability – try 25, 50 or 75m swim intervals instead."
10 minutes easy swim
3x100m (usually 4 lengths), with
30 secs recovery, at steady pace
3x100m with 20 secs recovery
3x100m with 10 secs recovery
10 minutes easy swim
03 / RUNNING
Perhaps the most popular cross-training activity for cyclists – and also the riskiest. If you have a weak core, poor flexibility or muscle imbalances – all common traits of cyclists who only ride their bike – then running, with its impact forces, as a cross-training exercise might not initially be for you, and certainly not in large quantities. Even experienced runners, returning to it after time away, have to be careful not to throw themselves in too hard, too quickly. Spencer Smith used to compete professionally in that sport, and for one season rode for the Linda McCartney cycling team: “I’d decided to turn pro in cycling in September the year before, and in December I went out for a run as a bit of cross-training – for about an hour, which, if I’m honest, should have been shorter. I woke up the next day
“THE KEY IS NOT TO OVERDO IT. YOU DON’T WANT TO HURT YOUR CYCLING”
and felt like I’d been hit by a truck. The key is not to overdo it, you don’t want to hurt your cycling.”
WHY?
The impact forces of running are a good thing, if you let your body adapt slowly, and can improve bone health. “Because of the lack of impact forces, cyclists are at risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis,” says Simon Jobson. “Adding some walking and/or running to the routine will likely offset some of this risk.”
Being a competent runner also opens up the opportunity for other cross-training sports that require it, such as tennis. And with all your cash tied up in the money-eating world of cycling, running makes a refreshing change. You need a pair of trainers and, er, that’s it.
WHY NOT?
Running might prove a refreshing addition to your training schedule, but the physiological benefits are limited, according to Jobson. “Experience tells me that there is only limited fitness cross-over. If you’re just going for general endurance conditioning, a more ‘whole body’ exercise will provide a bit more bang for your buck”.
GETTING STARTED...
“I’d suggest 20-30 minutes,” says seasoned triathlete Spencer Smith, “but broken down. Do 3 minutes on, 2 minutes walking. The ‘on’ minutes shouldn’t be too hard, around 60-70 per cent effort.”
04 / PILATES
Anyone who’s ever tried pilates – this writer being one of them – might initially wonder where the benefit for cycling is, such is its often passive, gentle nature, particularly at the novice stage. Developed in the early 20th century by a German physical trainer by the name of Joseph Pilates, it involves stretching and manipulating your body into positions that can improve flexibility, strength and control through the body, particularly the core, with a big focus on breathing. It can be done in either a fitness setting or a clinical one as part of physiotherapy rehab. You’ll practice repetitive exercises, standing or on the mat, with pilates aids including elastic bands and foam pads.
WHY?
It’s almost as beneficial as a form of mindfulness than a tool for physical improvement, which as a break from chasing cycling goals makes for a nice change. And its “isolated, focused exercises where movement is slow and deliberate can be easier to follow for cyclists whose overall movement skill can be low,” says Jo McRae.
WHY NOT?
That positive could also be a negative for cyclists, who might find the slow, calm progress a turn-off. It can also be expensive to join a class, which is essential to be able to follow an instructor’s movements.
GETTING STARTED...
Join a class. Gyms (fitness) and physios (clinical) offer classes. In the former, you’ll sit in front of an instructor who’ll guide you through movements and breathing. With the latter, you might get prescribed exercises specific to your needs.
“AS BENEFICIAL AS A FORM OF MINDFULNESS THAN A TOOL FOR PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENT”