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Training books, we're happy to report, keep getting better all the time. Here are three worthy of space on your bookshelf.

* FitSkiing: Your Guide for Peak Skiing Fitness, by Andrew Hooge (Active Media, 2003; $29.95) -- This complete guide to preparing your muscles for skiing includes exercises that utilize balance tools as well as traditional strength training moves. It's full of great little sidebar tips, too.

* The Pilates Edge--An Athlete's Guide to Strength and Performance, by Karrie Adamany and Daniel Loigerot (Avery Penguin Putnam, 2004; $19.95) -- Finally, someone has made Pilates applicable to sports, from running and cycling to golf. The exercises are easy to follow and the pictures are terrific.

* Altitude Training and Athletic Performance, by Randall L. Wilbur (Human Kinetics, 2004; $39) -- Wilbur incorporates new research into the topic of training in altitude (or training for a run that will be in altitude). Considering that there's not too much out there on the subject, this book is a welcome addition to the athletic canon.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Weider Publications
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