Pillar 5: Cross Train

Most Sunday afternoons in the off-season you’ll find Lochte flipping tires and dragging a 450-pound chain with Matt DeLancey, the strength and conditioning coach for Olympic sports at the University of Florida. It might seem like an odd approach, but DeLancey says the strongman-inspired regimen gave Lochte the power to set a world record in the 200-meter individual medley in 2011. Our elites also mix it up: For instance, Hardee paddleboards, which improves both balance and core endurance.
Your strategies: Add an activity that mixes exercise with social contact so you’re more motivated, says David Jack, performance coach and director for Teamworks Fitness in Acton, Massachusetts. He recommends hoops or flag football. “You’ll boost your cardio, hone coordination, and make friends.”
Sign up for a charity walk, run, or ride; it’ll improve your fitness and contribute to a worthy cause.
Take a week off every 12 weeks and do yoga. You’ll tune up your balance, flexibility, and core.

Read more at Men’s Health:
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/six-pillars-olympic-fitness?fullpage=true#ixzz22Fsby0op