Cross-Training Fitness Tips for Beginners
If you’re looking to really take your fitness levels and training up a gear, it might be worth while looking into the possibility of cross-training. Cross-training, not to be confused with CrossFit, is one of the most effective ways of building up your fitness levels and keeping your workouts fresh and exciting at the same time. If you’re new to cross-training however, there is quite a lot to get your head around, which is why we’re going to help you out. In today’s article, we’re going to list a series of cross-training fitness tips for beginners in a bid to help you get more from your fitness training. Check out the following tips and see how many you can start practicing today.
Make sure you add variety to your training
Cross-training typically consists of exercises performed on a rowing machine, cycling, the elliptical machine, and even swimming. If you really want to get the most out of your cross-training fitness workouts, it is always recommended that you perform a series of different exercises. Don’t just focus on swimming for example, instead, try swimming one day, cycling the next, running the next, and so on. Variety will keep your training sessions fresh and exciting and will also help you to work on the different muscle groups in your body.
Train with weights
If you really want to get more out of your workouts however, you may want to incorporate some weight and resistance training into your routine. Performing exercises such as barbell squats for example, helps to build more fast-twitch muscle fibres, which in turn help the muscles to generate more explosive speed. For the running or cycling aspects of your cross-training workouts, this is beneficial as it will make you more productive. Studies have found that resistance training as part of a running regime will result in improved running economy so that you can run quicker, while using less oxygen. The less oxygen you use, the more energy your cells will have.
Make your workouts fun
When you’re working out, you need to make sure that you are enjoying yourself and having fun. Because of this, try and take the time to focus on making your cross-training fitness workouts fun and enjoyable. Try competing with yourself on the rowing machine and try to best your previous time, or set yourself a realistic distance to cover in a certain period of time. Get outdoors and go running, or even walking, over a variety of different terrains. The most important thing you need to remember when it comes to cross-training, is that you must make sure you are having fun. If you’re not, stop what you’re doing and look for something different instead.
Always warm up
This goes not only for cross-training, but for any form of physical exercise. Before you begin working out you should always take the time to warm up and stretch your muscles. Warming up prevents injury, it boosts circulation, and it helps improve athletic performance.