To really achieve the maximum benefits from physical fitness, it’s important to cross train. This involves participating in both cardiovascular and strength building workouts, whether you follow one after the other or alternate days.
Cross training ensures that your entire body, from your muscles and heart to your internal organs and brain, is in great shape. You’ll be stronger mentally and physically with both cardio and strength training, which can be achieved with home fitness equipment. Additionally, the more stable your muscles are, the better form you’ll have when performing cardio. You need solid leg muscles to keep you moving and a stable core to keep proper stance and form. Continue reading “Cross training with kettlebells and ellipticals”
Many runners will hit what is not-so-fondly referred to as “the wall” during a long run. But what if the wall isn’t appearing on a single run, but across your running regiment in general? What if you are at a point where you are having trouble making gains, seemingly regardless of how hard you train? This is called a plateau, and it occurs in any form of exercise. Essentially, your body reaches a level at which progress stalls. This can be caused by physical or mental barriers, but is most commonly some combination of the two. 
Many runners are afraid to touch any sort of strength routine out of fear that added bulk will weigh them down and slow their race times. While few runners aspire to look like a bodybuilder, there is a comfortable medium that can help improve your running rather than detract from it. In some cases, the best training plan is a comprehensive one that allows you to combine the benefits of a few different methods. Any runner can find a place for the appropriate strength training in their routine. You may find the results are better than you expected the next time you use your 
The kinetic chain is a term used to describe the myriad joints and muscles used to perform a compound movement, and this reveals itself as especially important for an activity like running. Just like any other, this chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and any imbalances are not only detrimental to performance but also risk injury. This is because the body trains itself to compensate for muscular weakness over long periods of time, so you may end up dominant in some areas of your body while conversely weak in others. This is most problematic for endurance athletes. The constant stress of their activity causes these imbalances to surface, often through injury.