Cross-Training: How to Stay in Shape in the Off-Season
By Melinda Burris Willms
August is here and this year’s track season has come to an end. During the interim between the season break and the beginning of fall training for the 2018 season, hurdlers need to focus on ways to stay in shape by engaging in other activities outside of track and field that will help them maintain their current level of fitness. In fact, by choosing outside activities wisely, hurdlers can improve their performance by participating in sports and exercises that concentrate on athletic conditioning that is not always focused on in hurdling, but that reinforces skills which translate to make them better hurdlers and more accomplished athletes overall.
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Advantages of Cross-Training for Hurdlers
When a hurdler trains by incorporating another form of physical activity into their routine, this is referred to as cross-training. Numerous forms of physical exercise offer benefits to supplement traditional hurdler training, including: team sports such as basketball and football, swimming, cycling, and weight training.[1] Cross-training or circuit training (as this multidisciplinary approach to training is sometimes referred to) is beneficial to all athletes because by participating in different sports, the body works muscles it usually does not in the primary sport. Along with strengthening new sets of muscles, participation in new sports improves flexibility; this in turn “[corrects] muscular imbalances” which makes the athlete more finely tuned and less likely to suffer injury.[2]
Cross-training has numerous benefits, both physically and mentally. Taking part in other physical activities sharpens your fitness level and flexibility, making it less likely that you will suffer an injury, and more likely that if you are injured, you will recover faster. Psychologically, cross-training is an excellent way to change up your routine so you maintain enthusiasm for staying fit, rather than becoming bored with the same old routine. Hurdlers must have certain strengths: “power, endurance, [and] tenacity” to enable them to run at the high rate of speed the sport demands.[3] Unfortunately, hurdlers often have weaknesses as well. It is not uncommon for track athletes to develop “quads that overpower [the] hamstrings, neglected upper bodies, and poor flexibility” all of which are issues that can hinder performance and cause injuries to occur.[4]
Benefits of Non-Impact Workouts
Renowned track and field star and triathlete, Allan Webb, who gained fame at the Nike Prefontaine Classic in June 2004 after running a mile in a world record setting time of 3:50.85, listed pool running and dynamic stretching and strength training as some of the cross-training activities he participated in that reinforced his training as a runner. Webb summed up the need for a multidisciplinary approach to training in this way, “You can only run so much . . . You have to find other creative ways to improve.”[5]
Famed coach and three-time winner of the New York City Marathon, Alberto Salazar, advocates non-impact cardio workouts, asserting this type of exercise “allow[s] you to get extra training volume without the leg pounding.”[6] Athletes who train with Salazar do a variety of “running-specific nonimpact” workouts using stair climbers and elliptical trainers, and engaging in activities such as pool running and inline skating. Pool running is particularly beneficial because it allows athletes to maintain their speed and overall conditioning while exercising in a manner that is extremely low-risk, minimizing any fears of injury.[7]
Weight Training
The Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (IATCCC) emphasizes the importance of weight training during the off season so athletes can maintain and build their strength. Specifically, the IATCC recommends lifting heavy weights with a low number of repetitions, three times per week.[8]
Location, Location, Location
Track coach Jay Follett makes a compelling argument that simply getting off the track and onto the grass, shaking up the normal routine with a change in scenery, can do wonders for an athlete’s “mind, body and spirit.”[9] Trading the pavement for grass alleviates risk of injury to the shins while aiding the athlete in recapturing the physiological and psychological capabilities needed to adjust to working on the track when the new season begins.[10] The nimbleness, stamina, and explosiveness required on the track are also key elements to victory in other sports, including: basketball, football, wrestling, and cross county.[11]
The Benefits of Going “Zen” with Yoga
Yoga is used by amateur and professional athletes alike to address flexibility and range of motion needs. Not only does yoga increase your athleticism and make you a more flexible athlete, the increased range of motion yoga offers lowers your chance of injury and/or muscle strain.[12] The increased range of motion practicing yoga offers can assist athletes in performing more effectually. For example, hurdlers who practice yoga will see improved elasticity, resulting in more efficient performances on the track.[13] Practicing yoga is an excellent method for strengthening your body’s core, as well as your back muscles, both areas that must be strong for optimal performance in essentially all physical activities. In addition, yoga enhances balance and lessens stress.[14] Yoga also helps with things we think of as involuntary, such as breathing. It is a fact that many athletes forget to breath in the heat of the moment, due to their focus on winning or placing first. A primary tenet of yoga is the focus on proper and conscious breathing: “Once you master your mind your body will follow.”[15]
So, during this off season, be open-minded and try new sports and/or add new methods of exercise to your workout routine to encompass all your needs—the physical, physiological, and psychological—to prepare for optimal performance on the field next season.
Notes
[1]. “Cross-Training,” Runner’s World, accessed August 7, 2017. https://www.runnersworld.com/cross-training
[2]. Ibid.
[3]. Ibid.
[4]. Ibid.
[5]. Ibid.
[6]. Martin Fitzgerald, “The X Factor: Not just for injured athletes, cross-training gives runners an extra edge.” Runner’s World, December 2, 2004, accessed Aug 7, 2017. https://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/the-x-factor
[7]. Ibid,
[8]. Jeff Martin, “Training for the Short and Long Hurdles,” Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches, IATCC.org, 2015. http://www.iatccc.org/notes/HurdleTrainingMartin.htm
[9]. Jake Furr, “Track Benefits Make for Great Multi-Sport Athletes,” Telegraph-Forum, May 8, 2015. http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/05/08/track-benefits-make-great-multi-sport-athletes/27016879/
[10]. Ibid.
[11]. Ibid.
[12]. Ibid.
[13]. Ibid.
[14]. Trip Albagdadi, “The Top Five Benefits of Yoga for All Athletes,” iM Sports, December 5, 2014. http://blog.imsportsteam.com/top-five-benefits-yoga-for-all-athletes/
[15]. Ibid.
Bibliography
Albagdadi, Trip. “The Top Five Benefits of Yoga for All Athletes.” iM Sports. December 5, 2014. http://blog.imsportsteam.com/top-five-benefits-yoga-for-all-athletes/
“Cross-Training.” Runner’s World. Accessed 7, 2017.
https://www.runnersworld.com/cross-training
Fitzgerald, Matt. “The X Factor: Not just for injured athletes, cross-training gives runners an extra edge.” Runner’s World. December 2, 2004. https://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/the-x-factor
Furr, Jake. “Track Benefits Make for Great Multi-Sport Athletes,” Telegraph-Forum, May 8, 2015. http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/05/08/track- benefits-make-great-multi-sport-athletes/27016879/
Martin, Jeff. “Training for the Short and Long Hurdles.” IATCC.org. 2015. http://www.iatccc.org/notes/HurdleTrainingMartin.htm
Phenomenal Off-Season Training for Track & Field: 5 Keys to Success.” Just Fly Sports. September 17, 2015. https://www.just-fly-sports.com/phenomenal-off-season-training/
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