fitbody
by Julie Kailus
cross
training
Workouts to complement a core sport.
You want to get faster, improve your swing, lengthen your stride, boost endurance … or
simply avoid boredom, while pounding the pavement for miles. Cross-training can do all that,
while helping you stay injury-free, so you can keep “just doing” the thing you love, whether
it’s running, cycling, hiking, swimming, tennis, golf or yoga.
W
hat kinds of cross-training best complement your
Swimmers – Strengthen Your Stroke
core sport? The experts we talked with say it de-
“If you want to get stronger, faster and more efficient at swim-
pends on your athletic goals, physical abilities and
ming, you have to spend time in the water—and when you
challenges and the physiology of the core sport. Here, they
swim, you use only swimming muscles,” advises Wendy Mad-
share their top tips.
er, a Masters swim and USA Triathlon Level II-certified coach
in Colorado. The co-founder and owner of t2coaching suggests
Go for Complementary Motion
that swimmers cross-train in ways that strengthen smaller, op-
“Football players do ballet because they want consistent core posing support muscles, through activities like cycling, running
strength and balance—to stay grounded, while also having or in-water strength training with resistance bands or cords.
to move in a variety of different ways,” says trainer Patricia She adds that swimmers tend to overtrain, and says cross-train-
Moreno, who develops classes for New York’s acclaimed ing can help prevent burnout in the off season.
Equinox Fitness Clubs and for her workout DVDs. BalanceBall or stability ball exercises and Pilates are
The point, she explains, is that the best way to cross- also ideal cross-training for swimmers, because they help
train for your favorite sport is to complement it with move- engage the core, or “powerhouse,” for a stronger stroke and
ment patterns that aren’t emphasized in that activity. Run- more power in the legs, says California personal trainer Tanja
ners, for instance, move in a repetitive, linear pattern, with- Djelevic, who has a DVD on the subject and is an expert in
out much lateral (side-to-side) or multidirectional movement. sport-specific functional training, as well as Pilates and yoga.
Moreno’s cross-training approaches include a dance Respected biomechanics expert and Cross-training for
cross-train routine that uses various pacing and dance styles Sports co-author Gary Moran, Ph.D., suggests that to comple-
to improve ability in targeted sports in specific ways. Fast, ment repetitive swimming movements, cross-training should
intricate steps improve coordination and agility in sports like include a well-rounded weight workout. This includes basics,
soccer and tennis; bigger, more fluid moves help lengthen like the lat pull-down, alternate knee situps, tricep pull-down
stride in running; and lateral and rotational movements or kickback and four-way hip exercises.
improve agility, flexibility and power for explosive moves in
sports like volleyball and racquetball.
Pilates Resource: Art of Control (see ad pg 30)
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Westchester/Putnam Counties
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