Inigo San Millan, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at University of Colorado Hospital’s Sports Medicine Clinic, in Denver.The key to efficiency, says San Millan, is to add strength without bulk. Try three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions
distance for running, whether you're doing a 5K or a marathon," says Minichiello. "Jess does very short speed reps and then 'over reps', where she runs further than the race distance.The short reps with long recoveries prime your body for quick bursts
," Anderson says. "So keep it steady."The bands let you isolate and work on particular muscle groups. For runners, who often neglect their upper body and core, this means you can balance out your runs with a full-body workout. Try this routine a couple
Q. I'm a fairly experienced swimmer but I've never used training aids such as hand paddles and don't really know where to start. What would you recommend?A. Swim training with paddles is a great way to develop upper- body strength, perfect your
. Bend the underneath leg up until the thigh is at 90° to your body and the lower leg at 90° to the thigh. Use the upper arm to stabilise your upper body by placing your hand on the floor. Prop your upper body up on the under arm with a bent elbow. Ensure
about stretching, so this posture will keep your spine flexible and supple. The strength-building element in your upper back and arms will help when driving forward up hills or when doing sprints in speedwork. Using your own body weight as a resistance
?"For years I've not taken a complete day off, apart from two days' bad flu and after a couple of hard races. My days in the gym give my legs a rest as I focus on upper-body strength. My fitness-freak boss says I should have a day of complete rest once a week
?"It's time to face the cryptic 'cross-training' references on my marathon schedule. What should I do? There's so much choice! Whenever I run more than about 14 miles my upper body gets tired, so I know I need to develop my core strength, but what's the best
Runners know how to rank their body parts. Most vulnerable? It has to be the knees. Most tortured? Feet. Most powerful? When it comes to speed, endurance and holding the strength that gets us uphill, downhill and everywhere in between, most of us
to work simultaneously to perform a single move. "The bands work on synchronising the lower and upper body, which helps provide core stability, balance and muscular power – all things that can improve a runner's performance," says Sheehan.Getting Started
