What is all the talk of cross training? –And why would I bother, I walk 5 Kilometres a day, my fitness routine is regular as clockwork!

Well that could be your comeback – Cross training is an important component to any fitness regime. Consistency in training is important but variety and continuing to challenge the body is just as important.

Take a look at the Average 40 + brickie as an apprentice he was as fit as a fiddle, worked his way up to laying a thousand bricks a day, and has continued to do so for the next 20 or so years – but look at him now 15 – 20 kilo’s over weight!

How did that happen?? Still doing the same amount of work but not impacting the body. What happed?

Well the body adapts very quickly to routine or habit – (studies suggest to do something 21 times is enough to create a habit)
How the body adapts to it workload in layman’s terms -

• the brain receives the message –that there are muscles that are being put under stress and that they need more help
• The brain then sends more workers in the form of muscle cells to the area and increases the blood supply and oxygen through more capillaries.

So once this process has taken place the body will have developed the required muscles to complete its daily tasks – in this case lay bricks.

Getting a brickie to do any exercise below shoulder height like upright rowing is an easy task for him – But get them to do a Military press above their head and they’ll struggle. As for any aerobic activity it’s a no go zone as the body hasn’t been required to develop this system when laying bricks.

20 minutes on the rower -”As if!!”

Same with our Ladies that walk 5 km every day – The body gets used to it, develops the correct amount of engines to drive the chassis, and in no time the calorie burning that was occurring has decreased as the activity has now become easy enough to have a laugh and chat all the way if you’re doing it with a friend.

Cross training is a term used to describe doing something different from your usual routine, if you’re a swimmer try running, a Boxer go cycling, a Martial arts person do some strength training. It’s doing something not directly aligned to your chosen recreation, sport, and activity of speciality. Or add into your existing routine a varying amount of effort to also shock the body and cause a reaction from it if your a walker for instance try a new track with hills or walk the deep sand at the beach put on a back pack with some extra weight even ............ run for short fast stints. (Dare I say it)