JUANMA · 3 min read.

At Archfit, we want to talk to you about the sport that we are so passionate about, Cross Training. But, for those who don't know yet:

How did Cross Training begin?

Cross training has actually been around for quite a few years. The first appearance of the word dates back to between 1980 and 1985 when some companies began to use the term to talk about the “training” and preparation of their workers to improve their versatility at work. They taught them to learn various skills to ensure that they could perform different jobs within the organization, assuming 2 or more roles (Haas et al., 2001).

Later, it was transferred to the world of sport for those occasions when an athlete underwent athletic training different from the one he was used to. The objective was to improve performance by making up for possible deficiencies in training.
To do this, training in other sports was sought whose specific training would help strengthen the weak points of the training of the athlete in question.

In this way, these "weaknesses" in the athlete were compensated for, increasing their performance in their own sport through a variety of stimuli.

Cross-training in the world of sport, and more recently in fitness, involves combined exercises to strengthen different areas of the body. Its main objective is to achieve a balanced and complete workout.

The sports where it has been used most throughout history have been in martial arts and the world of self-defense, as well as in military training. (Also in aquatic sports such as “dry” training).

Furthermore, it has gradually been combined with an even older methodology: HIT or HIIT , depending on whether it is done in intervals or not ( HIT or HIIT in English, an acronym for High Intensity (Interval) Training). This is a high-intensity training that appeared in 1850 by the hand of Murphy, Crowley and Robertson; trainers from the USA who worked on intervals for speed training with rests.
Although it did not really start to be used frequently until 1960 and finally became popular in 1996 with Izumi Tabata.

Izumi Tabata (does that name sound familiar to you yet?) scientifically demonstrated in several studies how an athlete who did 8 sets of 20 seconds at maximum intensity and rested for 10 seconds between sets achieved cardiovascular improvements similar to continuous running at a medium-low intensity for a long duration (around an hour). In other words, the same thing in MUCH less time!

What is Cross Training?

Nowadays, we talk about Cross Training within fitness (and we could almost say in the world of sport) to refer to the modality of interval training (or not) of high intensity that follows a conditioning and strength improvement program based on 10 pillars of fitness:

• Cardiovascular/Respiratory Endurance.
• Muscular endurance
• Force
• Flexibility
• Muscle power.
• Speed
• Coordination
• Agility
• Balance
• Precision

Typically, a Cross-Training activity is developed with predefined, functional and high-intensity movements following the scheme x-repetitions/x-series/x-seconds of rest; within a section within a different training block for each day.
These movements require constant concentration on the technique of these movements, based on the main elements of gymnastic skills, weight lifting exercises and cardiovascular exercises (running or rowing).

Due to the characteristics mentioned above, it is considered very important in this sport (especially for new athletes) to have proper physical and technical preparation before being able to fully carry out any daily session with total safety and minimum risk of injury.

What exercises can we find in a Cross Training session?

In Cross Training there is a wide variety of exercises ranging from calisthenics (without implements) to the use of the bar, rings, medicine ball, boxes, kettlebell, rope or even tractor wheels!, among other implements.

In addition, the names of the exercises are easy to remember and are usually known in English.
The best known are:

• Squats.
• Burpees (hateful but effective). Perhaps the most emblematic exercise in Cross Training today, to which we will dedicate a full entry in this blog one day; which was modified from an exercise that originated in the American army.
• Deadlift (weight lifting from the floor)
• Thruster (weight lifting from the clavicles)
• Pull-ups.
• Wall-Ball (Medicine ball against the wall)
• And many many many more.

This training will bring us, among other things that we will talk about in the future:

• Improvements in insulin sensitivity.
• Reduce body fat by burning calories.
• Improve cardiorespiratory fitness and our _VO2 max (our endurance, after all).
• A complete workout with minimal daily dedication.
• A very sociable and quite respectful community.
• Work on your weak points.
• Functional balance.
• Vary your sports practice. You won't get bored!
• A great toner.
• Reduce the risk of future injury or joint pain.
• Improve flexibility.
• In short, you will feel and look much better!

As long as we do it correctly and at our body's pace, for which we need a great deal of knowledge on the subject or... a good trainer!

And although we will talk in detail about several aspects discussed here (and many more things) this is just a brief summary of the whole story behind this great training modality that for many is not only a way to stay strong, lose weight and/or feel fit, but is also a great way to connect with the wonderful community that has grown around Cross Training.

Finally, a great phrase that defines part of the philosophy of us, the practitioners:

“It’s hard to get over a person who never gives up.”