Go ahead: Talk yourself up, say professional trainer and researchers. In a test of vertical-leaping ability, people who said “bend and drive” out loud jumped higher than when they didn’t give themselves an instructional talk. The researchers say verbalizing the action may influence your brain’s cerebral cortex to activate more muscle fibers. As for those muscles, do box jumps: Squat, jump onto an 18- to 24-inch box, and then step down. Complete 3 sets of 5 reps, resting 3 minutes between sets.

A fullstomach could improve your appearance. Eating before you train speeds muscle growth, according to professional trainer and researchers. But the secret to more growth is consuming the right combination of nutrients to boost protein synthesis after a workout. Participants ate a 570-calorie meal consisting of 52 percent carbs, 34 percent protein, and 14 percent fat an hour before exercising.

Loop a towel over a pull-up bar and hold both ends with your right hand.

Grasp the bar with your left hand using an underhand grip so your arm is extended. Now pull yourself up with both hands. The separation between hands challenges your higher arm, so do 8 to 10 reps and then switch arms. If you’re having trouble, perform regular pull-up until you’ve worked up to this one.

A common supplement could help endurance athletes pull off a late-race push. Researchers say cyclists who took the amino acid beta-alanine had more power in a 30-second sprint following a long workout.

In the study, the cyclists rode for nearly 2 hours, and then performed a 10-minute time trial which revealed no advantage. But in a sprint afterward, riders who had taken beta-alanine showed 11 percent more peak sprint power output than a control group did. Beta-alanine boosts levels of carnosine in muscle cells, buffering muscle from fatigue during bursts of maximal exercise.

Try no more than 1 gram of slow-release beta-alanine capsules three or four times a day, for 8 to 10 weeks before your next competition.