Mistakes You’re {probably} Making in Your Cross Training — PART TWO

Last week, was the beginning of a list of mistakes that derby skaters make ALL. THE. TIME. when it comes to their cross training.

Without further ado, part two:

You get distracted by — SQUIRREL!

Ah! The “shiny object reaction”. This is the bane of any Intelligent Cross Training program. You’re plugging along, following your cross training plan and seeing some good increases in your strength, speed, and stamina. You’re on your way to meeting your goals. NICE WORK!

Then, your derby wife calls you up and tells you all about her new obsession with PiYo. (I seriously have no idea what this is and am not knocking it, but it’s been showing up on my Facebook feed an insane amount. It was just the first example that popped into my head. And I know how sensitive Cross Fitters can be, so…)

Oooo, PiYo? That sounds fun.

So you abandon your cross training program — which is working, by the way — to get PiYoing. Maybe this new “shiny object” helps you reach your goals, too. But maybe not.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t ever completely jump ship and try a totally new training regimen. But it means that, if you’ve got something that’s working (or just needs minor adjustments to get working), than you need to stick with it for awhile. I usually recommend 2-3 months, but that’s up to you. It’s your program.

You don’t {rest, eat, sleep} enough.

Rest (as in not working out EVERY DAY) is important. But rest is just a part of the trifecta:

You’re an athlete. In order to perform at your best on the track, in the gym, and in your life you need to take care of the machine that is your body. It requires food that isn’t just beer and liquid nacho cheese. It requires around 8 hours of sleep a night. And it needs to have days where the most strenuous thing you do is walk to the mailbox.

I can hear you! You have late practices, you have kids, you have a life! You won’t always eat meals that are chock full of veggies. You won’t always get 8 hours of sleep. You won’t always be able to rest on your rest days.

Do your best. Set the trifecta in your mind and go about meeting it the best you can everyday.

P.S. — If your body is telling you to take a nap instead of workout. Do it.

You don’t cross train.

If you don’t cross train, you probably have people constantly trying to get you to jump on their bandwagon.

• “Hey, go to CrossFit with me. It totally upped my jammer game.”
• “I heard this spin class is crazy good for your derby endurance. Let’s do it.”
• “Tipping cows is the next big workout craze. It’s like trying to move a huge blocker. Come on!”

Chances are good that you know you should be cross training, but you don’t. I can’t say anything magical to make you change your mind. Hell, I can’t even talk some of my best friends out of smoking even though I know that they know that they should. (You follow me?)

By simply skating, you’re creating imbalances in your body. You constantly wind your body up in one direction and never unwind it. You’re potentially opening yourself up for overuse injuries and shortening your career.

Maybe none of that matters. But…if you’ve ever thought about cross training and getting started, do it. No one should expect you to roll into the gym and bust out a 200lb clean & press. No one should expect you to commit to 4:30am barre classes. No one should expect you to forego your family time to increase your thigh circumference.

Don’t expect that of yourself.

Pick one day. Pick one workout. Get started.

Are any of these “mistakes” ones that you’re making? Head over to Facebook and tell me your biggest cross training struggle.

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