4 Power Exercise Combos

Want to maximize your performance? Find out how bikram yoga can improve your road race time, which gym machine every swimmer should use, and more.

If you run in the heat, try bikram yoga:  If you're gearing up for a long race in the heat, try bikram yoga. You'll get the flexibility and stretching that comes with any yoga or pilates routines, plus prepare your body for high temperatures. "It's both mental and physical," Senense says. "Now that you know that you've been in the heat, you know that you an handle it. Plus, your body has adapted to it." Even if you don't anticipate a warm-weather race, a few sessions could still be beneficial —runners in April's Boston Marathon battled temps in the 80s. 

If you run or cycle long distances, incorporate short strength-training intervals: Building lactic acid is the goal with these workouts, which Sensense suggests doing twice a week. That type of routine teaches your body to switch between aerobic and anaerobic states, so that on race day, you'll know how long you can sustain a quicker heart rate—and you can surge when it really counts. Senense suggests repeating this routine for an hour: 

-Squats with a 50-pound dumbbell between the legs for one minute

-Lunges with 25 pounds in each hand for one minute

-Side shuttles without a wait for two minutes

-Bent-over rows with 25 pounds in each hand for one minute 

-Bicep curls with 12.5-pound weights for one minute

-Overhead presses for one minute

-Overhead triceps exertions for one minute

-Full sit ups for two minutes

-Plank for one minute