That's Fit

I have tremendous respect for runners. Mile after arduous mile, you push yourselves to the limits day in and day out. Personally, I can't stand running, which is probably why I admire people who do. While I do put in my fair share of of cardio, I greatly prefer days when I'm performing a resistance training workout.

There almost seem to be two types of people in life: Those who run and those who don't. Clearly, I fall into the second category. But this doesn't mean that a total dichotomy should exist between these two groups. For us non-runners, there are fantastic cardiovascular benefits to be gained from doing some roadwork, not to mention a nice bit of burn for our leg muscles. As for the runners, incorporating some resistance training into your workout -- providing you already don't -- is something worth considering.

Researchers from Finland found that explosive strength training can improve performance during endurance exercise. Specifically, research volunteers who replaced 20 percent of their normal distance running program with a single strength training session per week reported an average speed increase of three percent over their previous best time. While three percent may not seem like much, in terms of race results it can mean the difference between breaking the tape yourself or showing up later to watch the winner celebrate.