Cross-training basically means using a variety of exercises to achieve your goals. As Charles Poliquin says, “A training system is only as good as the time it takes you to adapt to it.” Your body is very good at adapting to stress, and if you give it the same set of exercises every time, it will become very efficient at those exercises, and the pressure to adapt will diminish.
One of the best ways to avoid a plateau is to add a new aerobic exercise to your week. You can also add a different aerobic exercise on alternate workouts (e.g. treadmill one day and stationary bike two days later). My main cardio exercise is the treadmill. My main cross-trains are the online video kickboxing classes and boot camp exercises in the members area of the site. Jumping rope is another excellent cross-training exercise.
Changing your weight routine once every 4 weeks is effective – even changes as small as switching from a flat dumbbell press to an incline dumbbell press for the chest, or switching from side raises to the overhead dumbbell press for shoulders. You’ll feel it the next day. Don’t change your weight routine every week because you want to develop “neuromuscular coordination”. But do toss in something to keep those muscles confused about every 4 weeks. Your body will be forced to adapt.
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