By Graham Averill

Everybody hates the gym. This is a fact of life. But ever since some meathead tied two heavy rocks to the ends of a stick and started doing curls in front of a full-length mirror while crowd-friendly rock music blared in the background, the gym has been considered a necessary evil-particularly in the winter. When the sun sets earlier and temperatures drop, we all head indoors to pound out the miles on a Nautilus machine that, for some reason, needs to know how old we are and how much we weigh. We replace trail runs with treadmills. Singletrack with spin class. It’s no coincidence that depression rates soar during these same cold months.

But winter doesn’t have to be a dark and foreboding time of indoor activity. The truth is, our winters are relatively mild, and thanks to technological advances (think headlamps and skin tight merino wool) there’s really no reason to subject ourselves to a sweaty room filled with spandex and Aerosmith jams. Just look at the pros. Instead of hitting the freeweights and treadmills throughout the holidays, many professional athletes use winter to improve their overall fitness by stepping outside of their comfort zone.

“We usually emphasize a multi-sport approach to winter workouts,” says Colin Izzard, a coach for professional athletes at Carmichael Training Systems in Asheville, N.C. “You can keep the fitness up by having a varied focus while giving your brain a break from your core sport. If you take a smart approach to winter workouts, you can come out of the cold season stronger than you went in.”

BRO consulted the pros and developed an intense but fun three-day/three-sport workout that incorporates trail running, mountain biking, and rock climbing. Do each workout once a week, or if you’re truly motivated, double up and knock out each of these routines twice a week.

Mountain Biking

Burns an average of 598 calories per hour according to Nutristrategy.com, an online calorie counter.

Aimlessly hitting the singletrack will garner plenty of health benefits, but this two-hour workout designed by Colin Izzard of Carmichael Training Systems is designed to maximize your time on the trail.

20-30 Minute Warm Up:Pick some relatively easy singletrack. Get your blood flowing, but keep your heart rate well below your max.

One Leg Pedaling:Using only one leg to propel your bike will help you develop full, round pedal strokes. Push down on the pedal, then be sure to pull back up, activating a wider range of muscles. Complete 15 seconds of pedaling with your left leg, then switch to your right leg completing eight sets with each leg.

Two Minute Recovery:Easy pedaling.

Fast Pedaling:Two-minute intervals of fast pedaling (100-120 RPMs), with a two-minute rest between each set. Do three sets, focusing on fast, round pedal strokes.

Two Minute Recovery:Easy pedaling.

One Leg Pedaling:Same as before, but increasing your one-legged time to 30 seconds for each leg. Eight sets each.

Two Minute Recovery:Easy pedaling.

Fast Pedaling:One-minute intervals of fast pedaling at 100-120 RPMs followed by a one-minute rest between each interval. Do six sets.

20-30 Minute Cool Down:Go out and enjoy the singletrack while applying the more efficient pedaling technique you’ve worked on.

Trail Running

Burns an average of 845 calories per hour, slightly more than running on a treadmill because of the varied terrain and heavier shoes.

Scott Simmons, founder of Mountain High Running Camp in Bristol, Va. and head cross country coach at Virginia Intermont College, suggests athletes forget about intervals and repeats, and focus on enjoying a long weekly trail run. “On Saturday morning, when it’s 40 degrees and the sun is shining, and you’re running the trails, it doesn’t get much better than that.”

Simmons suggests going beyond your usual trail run during winter and exploring other, harder to reach paths. “Go to higher elevations, up around 5,000 feet. They’re safer during the winter because the vegetation is cut back and the air is cleaner. Plus, the views will be better during the winter, which should enable you to run longer.”

Focus on running for distance and enjoyment, which will work toward building endurance. You can increase the mileage or pace with each run, but remember, it’s supposed to be fun.

If you can’t make it to the 5,000-foot peaks and can only squeeze in a 30-minute road run, try this abbreviated road workout.

10 Minute Warmup:Get the blood flowing with a relaxed jog on level roads.

One Minute Fast Run:Run as fast as you can sustain for a full minute. Use a pre-set stopwatch for timing.

One Minute Recovery:Easy jogging on level ground.

Bounding:On the road or sidewalk, leap from one leg to the next, balancing yourself on one foot when you land. Concentrate on jumping as far as you can with each leg. Ten bounds on each leg.

One Minute Recovery:Easy jogging.

One Minute Fast Run Bounding:Same as before. Ten bounds on each leg.

10 Minute Cool Down:Run at a steady and sustainable pace.

Rock Climbing

Burns an average 774 calories per hour.

“Rock Climbing is a full body strength and endurance workout,” says Angi Raub, director of Sportrock Climbing Gym in Alexandria, Virginia. “And it works your smaller muscle groups, which don’t get a lot of attention in other sports and other kinds of gym work.”

If you’re looking for a simple, full body workout when the weather is too gnarly, Raub suggests rope climbing inside a gym. Bouldering is more of a strength workout, but rope climbing combines elements of strength with the overall endurance necessary to complete the longer climbs. You can strap to an auto belay at your local gym and climb an easier route for half an hour, or try this pyramid program that Raub uses to train athletes.

Easy Climb:Pick an easy route that you can complete without much difficulty. Climb it four times, but instead of repelling after reaching the top, climb back down. “Climbing down a route can be harder than sending it,” Raub says.

Hard Climb:Move to a tougher route that you can complete, but one that taxes your ability. Climb the route twice, down-climbing as much of it as possible. You can also use these climbs to give some more difficult bouldering problems a go, which will focus more on building strength than endurance.

Easy Climb:Go back to your first route for two more easy up and down climbs.