If you’re any sort of exercise enthusiast, you’ve undoubtedly heard of CrossFit. The intense, gym-based program focuses on general fitness—endurance, stamina, strength, power, flexibility, speed, coordination, and accuracy. In other words, all things that benefit cyclists.
A program like CrossFit also can help you identify and correct muscle imbalances caused by long hours in the saddle. An athlete’s body must be fine-tuned to perform its best, says Brian Mackenzie, founder of CrossFit Endurance, a spinoff for distance athletes.
I started working with Mackenzie a few years ago. Each week, in addition to three hard rides, I did four to six CrossFit sessions, during which I sprinted, jumped, and lifted heavy weights. After the first week or two of soreness, amazing things started to happen. Yes, I gained more strength in…