If you want to beat your best race time, it seems to help to spend time in the gym. Alex Hutchinson at Outside reports on recent studies that confirm that runners who do strength training turn in faster times.

Crossfit's intense workouts are a polarising subject of discussion. It seems the first rule of Crossfit club is that you must never shut up about Crossfit club, and on the flip side, the sport (routine? Discipline? Hobby?) has its share of haters. So let's take a minute to cut through that for anyone who's intrigued but isn't sure what they would be getting into and whether it's worthwhile.

Getting ready to hit the gym in January? Here's your starter pack of all the information you need to walk into the gym with confidence and build a habit that will last all year long.

Video: This week's lunch break workout is perfect for people who can't move their legs, or who just don't want to. That's right, you'll work your upper body and core without having to get out of a chair.

We all know exercise is necessary, but if you don't like your routine, it's easy to give up. Let's talk about fitness routines we've been able to stick to, and see if we can inspire each other.

You've probably been told a million times that a squat doesn't count unless your thighs go parallel to the floor, or deeper. But it turns out that the opposite -- tiny "quarter" squats where you only move several centimetres -- can have major benefits.

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once tried Jazzercise and has said she's a devotee of daily Canadian Air Force bodyweight workouts. But twice a week she reportedly does a 90-minute gym session that raises the bar (get it?) for fit people everywhere.

Here's a fun variation on side lunges. The Cossack goblet squat challenges you to balance on one leg while pivoting the other so your toes face up. It's a great workout for the muscles along the outside of your hip...okay, all your leg muscles really.

Kettlebell training boosts your power, strength, flexibility, and mobility, all while being gentler on your body than barbell weight training. You can't just pick one up and go without risking injury, though. Here are all the benefits of using them, and why you should work one into your routine.

Genetics explain a lot of the differences in strength and muscularity between person to person. Specifically, the size of your frame, how many muscle fibres you're born with and how well you respond to training essentially separate you from your gym buddy or someone who can squat 454kg.

Warm-ups here don't refer to quick side bends, hamstring stretches and shoulder circles. There is a certain method to appropriately warming up for each strength training exercise. It's not complicated: Start light and ramp your way up. Then as weight goes up, your reps go down.

Grip strength is an often overlooked and underappreciated aspect of strength training. After all, you use your grip for things like picking up and holding weights to supporting your bodyweight. If you can't grip, you'll have a hard time lifting, even if your other muscles are up for the task.

If you've ever walked with heavy objects in each hand a certain distance and couldn't wait to drop them by the end, then you've done a farmer's walk (AKA a loaded carry). It's one of the most basic and practical exercises, yet it also improves grip, core and total body strength while working on your cardio, all at once.

When I travel, being able to strength train is my second priority (the first is having good internet), but I can't always count on finding a gym. So I've come to depend on my suspension trainers and MacGyver-like sensibilities for my strength-focused bodyweight workouts, no matter where I am. You can do the same.

It's squat day, and you're excited to show that barbell who's boss, but there's just one problem: The squat racks are all taken. You can be a good team player and ask to work in, or you can try these squat variations you can do without a squat rack (and in some cases, without a gym at all).

Sick of running yet? We hope you're not, but either way, here's a new challenge for you. We're going to do a mini strength workout that is not tied to running. You can even work out indoors if you feel like it.

If you want to run faster, jump higher and still get a total-body strength workout, kettlebell swings are perfect. They work so many muscles in your posterior chain, improve your sprinting power and strengthen your heart, to boot.

We've told you how to do planks, and why to do planks, and what to do instead of planks when you get bored of planks. But there's a critical thing about planks we forgot to tell you: You don't have to hold the position until you collapse.

You may wonder how complicated it can be to bend over and pick something heavy up, but do it wrong and your back will tell you, forcefully, that it's very complicated. The deadlift is an incredible and practical full-body exercise, but so many things, from the way you grip the weight to how you "stand up", have the potential to go awry.