{"id":7910,"date":"2025-12-22T20:12:57","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T19:12:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/?p=7910"},"modified":"2025-12-22T21:51:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T20:51:08","slug":"la-preparation-physique-et-lentrainement-croise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/en\/la-preparation-physique-et-lentrainement-croise\/","title":{"rendered":"Physical preparation and cross-training"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For many cyclists, training only involves pedalling and is measured in hours of riding. However, it may be beneficial to practise other sports activities.<\/p>\n<h2>Physical preparation during the close season<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">When the events are a long way off, the close season is <strong>a good time to practice other activities<\/strong>. You will use your body differently, avoiding muscle imbalances and correcting your weaknesses. Above all, you will keep fit without the risk of overtraining.<\/p>\n<p>The choice of activity depends on :<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your specific needs, the region and the climate<\/li>\n<li>The opportunities available (swimming pool, gym, ski runs etc.)<\/li>\n<li class=\"translation-block\">... And on what you want to do! (Reread our article on<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/en\/personalise-your-practice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">personalising your practice<\/a> ).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Running<\/h2>\n<p>A practical solution, any time of day and in any weather. It\u2019s quick and easy to put on a pair of running shoes when you leave work or are away. A good running session may only take half an hour, and there\u2019s no need to spend a fortune on equipment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Be careful however, as if you have not run for a long time, <strong>it is absolutely essential to start very gradually<\/strong> to avoid injuries. You use your muscles and tendons differently when you run than on a bike. In the first few sessions, alternate running and walking, and then run on flat ground. You can gradually increase the distance, and possibly try trail running.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Nordic walking and hiking<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">These are beneficial. Nordic walking offers an <strong>alternative to running<\/strong> and provides training <strong>by also using the upper body<\/strong>. Hiking involves walking for several hours. Planning a day away during the close season does a lot of good... to both mind and body.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/preparation-physique-lac-kruth-wildestein.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7914 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/preparation-physique-lac-kruth-wildestein-1024x578.png\" alt=\"Pr\u00e9paration physique en intersaison autour du lac de Kruth-Wildestein, montr\u00e9 en photo\" width=\"800\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/preparation-physique-lac-kruth-wildestein-1024x578.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/preparation-physique-lac-kruth-wildestein-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/preparation-physique-lac-kruth-wildestein-768x434.png 768w, https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/preparation-physique-lac-kruth-wildestein-1536x868.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/preparation-physique-lac-kruth-wildestein-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/preparation-physique-lac-kruth-wildestein.png 1659w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Swimming<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">This is <strong>an excellent means of working on your breathing and muscles in general<\/strong>, without stress on your joints. If you can swim and have a swimming pool nearby, a few months\u2019 subscription is a good investment !<\/p>\n<p>Limit the breaks, and if possible alternate the swimming styles: crawl, breaststroke and backstroke.<\/p>\n<h2>Cross-country skiing<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">This remains <strong>the winter training method par excellence<\/strong>. Full muscle workout and maintenance of aerobic power guaranteed. Cross-country skiing is not accessible to\n\neveryone, and also requires technical training. But even if you don\u2019t ski regularly, perhaps you could exceptionally plan a short stay in the mountains? In that case, give priority to alternative cross-country skiing, which requires less technical skill than skate skiing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Although <strong>downhill skiing<\/strong> offers fewer cardiorespiratory benefits, enthusiasts will probably still go. Be careful however, especially on the first descents (which should act as a warm-up) and at the end of the day (when you are tired).<\/p>\n<h2>Body building<\/h2>\n<p>This has three aims :<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Increase the strength<\/strong> of the muscles used for pedalling (especially the quadriceps).<\/li>\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Improve the muscle tone<\/strong> of the trunk (core training).<\/li>\n<li class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Use muscles that are hardly used when riding<\/strong> (upper body in particular) to improve body balance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">You can have high quality body building sessions without specific equipment. This is generally called \u201c<strong> core training<\/strong> \u201d. Only exercises to develop maximum strength need to be carried out in a specialised gym (the leg press is the safest and most effective machine).<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In any case, body building must be <strong>combined with flexibility sessions<\/strong> (joint mobility and stretching) as well as maintenance of the specific movement (on an exercise bike for example).<\/p>\n<h2>Team sports<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">These develop speed, coordination and proprioception, while having fun in the close season. However, there are real risks of injury that you should be aware of, that are not obvious when you are caught up in the game..<\/p>\n<h2>Cross-training<\/h2>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">Too many cyclists have only one obsession from the start of January: clock up the kilometres! But <strong>it is a good idea to combine cycling training with other activities<\/strong>. Cross-training will enable you to adapt your training to the weather and stay motivated.<\/p>\n<p>You can also do cross-training within the same day. Here are a few examples among many other possibilities:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>45 minutes of running + 45 minutes of exercise bike<\/li>\n<li>2 hours of road cycling in the daytime + swimming session in the evening<\/li>\n<li>Body building session + 1 hour of exercise bike<\/li>\n<li>2 hours of Nordic walking in the morning + 2 hours of road cycling in the afternoon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Of course, as the events draw closer the proportion of training specific to cycling will increase. However, like triathletes, cyclosportive riders don't only practice cross-training in the close season, but throughout the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">In any case, it is a good idea to  <strong>regularly do short core training and stretching sessions <\/strong>, even in the summer. (See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/en\/sheathing-for-the-service-of-pedaling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our article on this topic<\/a>). This will maintain your abdominal muscle tone and help to avoid stiffness and backaches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\">You can also replace the traditional recovery ride with a <strong>short swimming session<\/strong>, which elite cyclists already do.<\/p>\n<p class=\"translation-block\"><strong>Strength-building cycles<\/strong> can be carried out by body building exercises in a gym <strong>even at the height of the season<\/strong>, but this physical preparation must be specific and supervised by a trainer specialised in cycling. You should therefore give priority to specific body building on a bike (reread our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alsacienne-cyclo.org\/en\/mountain-cyclosportive-how-to-train-without-passes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">training without passes<\/a> )<\/p>\n<p>\u00c9ric GEHIN<\/p>\n<p><em>Conseiller sportif Brevet\u00e9 d\u2019Etat<br \/>\nDU Biologie de l\u2019Entra\u00eenement<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pour de nombreux cyclistes, l\u2019entra\u00eenement se r\u00e9sume au seul p\u00e9dalage et ne se mesure qu\u2019en heures de selle. Pourtant, vous adonner \u00e0 d\u2019autres activit\u00e9s sportives peut s\u2019av\u00e9rer profitable. La pr\u00e9paration physique durant l\u2019intersaison Loin des objectifs, l\u2019intersaison est propice pour pratiquer d\u2019autres activit\u00e9s. Vous sollicitez ainsi votre corps diff\u00e9remment, \u00e9vitant les d\u00e9s\u00e9quilibres musculaires et corrigeant [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7915,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[241],"tags":[250,249,245,256,263],"class_list":["post-7910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-musculation","tag-alsacienne","tag-cyclisme","tag-cyclosportive","tag-entrainement","tag-erreurs"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>La pr\u00e9paration physique et l\u2019entra\u00eenement crois\u00e9<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dans cet article, l&#039;Alsacienne vous explique comment r\u00e9ussir votre pr\u00e9paration physique durant l&#039;intersaison. 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