Cycling cross-training involves incorporating different forms of exercise to enhance your on-bike workouts. Activities such as strength training, hiking, running, and cross-country skiing help improve muscle balance, boost endurance, and prevent overuse injuries. 

This approach not only improves overall fitness and performance but also supports long-term progression in the saddle. Cross-training provides a mental break from cycling-specific routines, making your training more enjoyable and sustainable. 

Whether you're dealing with winter weather or just want to vary your routine, cross-training should be a key part of your year-round fitness strategy.

In this article, we share our top cross-training activities, along with explanations of why they're effective and, most importantly, tips on how to incorporate them.

What is Cycling Cross Training?

Cross-training for cycling involves incorporating various forms of exercise beyond cycling, such as hiking, running, strength training, and even walking. This approach improves overall fitness, reduces the risk of overuse injuries, improves muscle imbalances, and boosts cycling performance through various activities.  

Cross-training is an effective approach to enhancing cycling performance by incorporating a variety of activities. This method targets different muscle groups and fosters a more comprehensive fitness foundation. 

These are the most common cross-training exercises that will significantly boost your performance in the saddle. 

Strength Training

Strength training is essential for building muscular power, particularly in the core, legs, and upper body. Improved strength enhances bike handling and increases endurance.

Core Strengthening

Performing exercises such as planks and various crunches significantly improves core stability, which is crucial for maintaining proper cycling posture and control.

Running

As a weight-bearing activity, running boosts cardiovascular fitness and strengthens bones, contributing to overall athletic resilience.

Hiking or Skiing

These activities add variety to your routine and activate stabilizing muscles that may not be heavily engaged during cycling sessions.

Additionally, cross-training offers several advantages. It provides opportunities to stay active during off-seasons, helps prevent burnout, and supports recovery from overtraining while maintaining fitness levels.

Do Pro Cyclists Cross Train?

Pro cyclists often include cross-training in their routines, adjusting the type and intensity based on their specific discipline, like road, cyclocross, or mountain, as well as their training phase. Cross-training offers several advantages, such as improved fitness, injury prevention, and mental recharge.

Cross-training can also help professional cyclists address:

• Muscle imbalances

• Improve aerobic capacity and

• Facilitate recovery.

For example, cyclocross riders might incorporate running to improve their transitions. Although cross-training is less emphasized during peak racing periods, it is critical for building resilience and supporting long-term performance.

The Benefits of Cross Training

Cross training can offer you multiple benefits, enhancing your primary training and overall performance, recovery, and long-term fitness. Here's why you should consider adding it to your routine.

Injury Prevention

Cycling involves repetitive motions which can lead to overuse injuries. Cross-training introduces different movements that engage various muscle groups and improve joint stability, reducing the risk of injury. Activities like swimming or yoga are particularly effective for low-impact recovery and improving flexibility.  

Improved Strength and Power

While cycling mainly targets the lower body, incorporating strength exercises through cross-training can build core and upper body strength. This additional strength improves:

• Bike handling

• Posture

• Climbing power, and

• Sprinting efficiency, creating a more well-rounded athlete.  

Enhanced Aerobic Capacity

Including other endurance activities, such as hiking or running, helps maintain or even increase cardiovascular fitness while allowing cycling-specific muscles to recover. This approach is particularly beneficial during the off-season or recovery periods.  

Mental Refreshment

Engaging in a variety of activities helps break the monotony of a strict cycling routine. This mental reset can prevent burnout, making training more enjoyable and sustainable over time.  

Functional Fitness Development 

Cross-training promotes overall athleticism by addressing areas that cycling doesn't focus on, such as:

• Flexibility

• Balance, and

• Agility. 

Additionally, stretching exercises like in Yoga or Pilates improve flexibility and core stability, while activities like hiking engage in stabilizing muscles.  

Support for Specific Disciplines 

Cyclists who specialize in certain disciplines, such as cyclocross, can use cross-training for functional benefits. For example, running helps with race transitions, while skiing provides excellent off-season conditioning.  

By incorporating cross-training into your routine, you'll be able to improve performance, reduce the risk of injury, and build a more versatile and sustainable fitness foundation.

Best Cross-Training Disciplines for Cyclists

The best cross-training activities for cyclists include running, hiking, walking, strength training, and core exercises. These activities boost cardiovascular fitness, improve muscle strength and stability, and target areas that cycling does not. 

Together, they help reduce the risk of injury, improve performance, and provide a balanced approach to long-term cycling success.  

Running

Running strengthens bones and engages different muscle groups, providing a weight-bearing activity that complements cycling's low-impact nature. Running is also especially beneficial for cyclocross riders who require transition skills. 

Recommended frequency: 1–2 sessions per week, lasting 20–45 minutes at an easy to moderate pace.  

Strength 

Strength training builds muscular power and stability, particularly in the core, glutes, and upper body, which are critical for effective pedaling and bike handling.

Recommended frequency: 2–3 sessions per week, focusing on lower body and core exercises like squats, lunges, and planks. 

Core Strength Exercises 

Core exercises improve stability, posture, and power transfer on the bike while also helping to prevent lower back pain during long rides. 

Recommended frequency: 3–4 times per week, with exercises like planks, Russian twists, and bridges.  

Hiking and Walking 

Hiking builds endurance and strengthens stabilizing muscles in the legs and core. The varied terrain also offers balance and agility benefits, making it a great off-season activity. 

Recommended frequency: 1–2 sessions per week, lasting 1–3 hours, depending on intensity.   

Walking is low-impact, improves circulation, and serves as an excellent form of active recovery. It's ideal for recovery days or periods of high cycling volume. 

Recommended frequency: 3–4 times per week, for 20–30 minutes per session at a comfortable pace.  

Bonus: Swimming

Swimming provides a full-body, low-impact workout that improves cardiovascular fitness while promoting recovery. It's particularly beneficial if you're a triathlete or undergoing rehabilitation from injury. 

Recommended frequency: 1–2 sessions per week, for 30–60 minutes at a steady pace.  

Engaging in these cross-training activities not only improves cycling performance but also makes you stronger, more resilient, and ready to tackle upcoming events.

Winter Cross Training

During the winter months, you can take advantage of various cross-training activities to maintain your fitness, build strength, and prepare for the upcoming season. These winter-friendly options provide a break from cycling-specific routines while keeping you active and engaged.

Indoor Strength Training

Winter is an ideal time to build strength through gym or home workouts. Focus on compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, and core exercises to enhance power and stability. Strength training helps prevent injuries and improves overall cycling efficiency.

Frequency: 2–3 sessions per week.  

Yoga or Pilates  

Yoga and pilates improve flexibility, core stability, and mental focus. Additionally, yoga can help relieve tension and improve posture, which is particularly beneficial if you're prone to tight hips and hamstrings.  

Frequency: 1–3 sessions per week.  

Cross-Country Skiing

Cross-country skiing is one of the best winter workouts for cyclists. It offers a high-intensity, full-body cardio activity that develops endurance, strength, and coordination while engaging both the upper and lower body.  

Frequency: 1–2 sessions per week, 1–2 hours depending on fitness level.  

Note: Make sure you take the necessary safety measures before heading out.

Hiking or Snowshoeing 

These outdoor activities provide endurance training while engaging stabilizing muscles. Hiking or snowshoeing over varied terrain mimics the demands of climbing on a bike while improving overall balance and strength.  

Frequency: 1–2 sessions per week, 1–3 hours depending on intensity.  

Note: Make sure you take the necessary safety measures before heading out.

Running

Running during winter, especially on trails or with appropriate gear, is a great way to maintain cardiovascular fitness and engage different muscles than those used in cycling. As we've suggested earlier, cyclocross riders, in particular, can greatly benefit from running.  

Frequency: 1–2 sessions per week, 20–45 minutes at an easy to moderate pace.  

Indoor Cycling

When outdoor rides are limited, indoor cycling provides high-intensity, structured workouts to maintain cycling-specific fitness and improve strength and endurance. At JOIN, we have over 400 workouts to choose from to boost your cycling performance during the winter months. 

Frequency: 2–4 sessions per week, depending on training goals.  

Rowing

Using a rowing machine is one of my favorite cross-training activities, as it offers a full-body workout that builds cardiovascular fitness, upper-body strength, and endurance, qualities essential for cyclists.  

Frequency: 2–3 sessions per week, 20–40 minutes per session.  

By integrating these winter cross-training activities, you can stay fit, address muscle imbalances, and return to riding in the spring with renewed strength and endurance.

Integrate your Training into your Schedule

Balancing cross-training with cycling can be challenging. Finding the right mix to avoid overtraining, prevent injuries, and still make progress on the bike requires careful planning. JOIN can help with this.

At JOIN, we offer dynamic training plans that adapt to your unique needs, seamlessly fitting into your schedule and fitness goals. By tracking your perceived exertion and considering factors like muscle soreness and fatigue, JOIN automatically adjusts your training plan to help you perform at your best. 

Try JOIN for free now.