All elite sportspeople these days are looking to get that winning edge - the edge that will separate them from their fellow competitors. V8 Supercar drivers are no different.

In most cases this winning edge can be found in the physical and mental levels of the drivers. If two drivers have the same equipment and run to the same race strategy it's fair to say that the physically and mentally stronger driver will win the race.

This theory is nothing new. I quickly learnt when I started my V8 Supercar career that these cars are beasts to drive. Physically tough.

Times have changed - I doubt Brocky or Moffat considered fitness the way the current guys do. Cam McConville's triathlon training regime has been well reported. I have tried a similar routine: 10 km runs and cycle rides through the Gold Coast hinterland mountains, laps at the Nerang pool on cold mornings, bending and stretching over a fitness ball. All of which not only pushed me mentally and physically, but also enabled me to reach a reasonably high level of fitness. What was missing, though, was any enjoyment.

This V8 season I decided to try something totally different, plus the amount of media and public appearances now mean I don't have as much personal time as I used to have to train.

My new season training regime is all about cross training - cross training with a twist. By using one form of activity to build fitness in another you can often enjoy activities not normally considered as training. With that thought in mind, I took delivery of my motorbike earlier in the year. Russell and the guys down at SBR had been telling me for ages to get a bike and join them on motorbike rides.

Anybody who has been serious about fitness knows that it's a lot easier to train and stay motivated when you have willing training partners. Somebody who shares the desire to keep pushing when you're tired and want to stop. I saw this as an opportunity to get fit, have fun and help build some team spirit.

The motorbike allows me to build similar muscles to those used in the Supercar cockpit. A 20 minute bike session at the Moto X track is as much a workout as an hour in the gym and you know what else, it's a hell of a lot more fun. The bike rides vary from week to week. Sometimes it's a tough ride through the hills, tough on the legs and great for building upper body strength. The Red Bull-filled camel pack certainly gets a workout on these rides. Other rides are short sharp 20 minute sessions at a Moto X track. Plenty of jumps and a fantastic cardio workout.

All of a sudden a training session doesn't consist of 10 ball-tearing kilometres, it now is an hour or two on the bike riding the trails in and behind the workshop with a group of guys from the team. I'm fitter than I've ever been and as a consequence I'm able to push on strongly in those last few race laps. - Marcos Ambrose