Getting in shape for ski season

segacs

Any other skiers out there? With the season only a couple of months out, I'm looking for some suggestions of good light exercises I can do in the lead-up to ski season to get my ski legs* in shape.

I ski downhill, though I'm sure you cross-country skiers would have some good ideas, too.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

(*By ski legs, I of course don't mean just my legs. It's an expression. Since some people on these forums can sometimes be very literal, I felt I should specify.)

EMTFreakGirl

Lots of lateral leg movements. I'm in the same boat and working hard to get ready for patrol!

peleroja

I'm huge into skiing, and I've been doing tons of kettlebell squats and swings for a couple months already. My fiance and ski partner is very fit and a VERY good skier, while I only learned two years ago, so this year I'd like to be in good enough shape to handle full days on blacks with him. Last season I drank a lot of ski-lodge beers while taking breaks because I could not handle eight straight hours of thigh-burners and powder. This year I'm hoping to get closer though!

PAtinCO

Can't wait for ski season to open up. Got my pass and I'm ready to go. Now we just need some snow.

I started doing Insanity again over the last few weeks mainly to prepare for the season. It's so lower body, core and cardio focused that it should be helpful.

cwolfman13

Any compound lifting routine is going to do you wonders. I'm partial to Olympic Lifting for improved performance in sports like skiing and such. These kind of programs give you a tremendously strong core and foundation for a variety of sports.

segacs

Hehe, I said light exercise, not Olympic-level. While I'd love to be able to work out at that level, I'm a realist here.

cwolfman13

segacs wrote: »

Hehe, I said light exercise, not Olympic-level. While I'd love to be able to work out at that level, I'm a realist here.

I didn't say Olympic level...I said Olympic lifts. These are just a category of lifts that are used in Olympic competition...I did track and field growing up and through highschool and the Olympic Lifts are the primarily lifts of track and field athletes, particularly sprinters and jumpers...I've found them to be very beneficial for skiing and cycling and cyclocross racing as well.

I started doing Olympic Lifts when I was 16...I've never actually been to the Olympics nor am I even remotely close to being an Olympic caliber lifter or athlete.

The Olympic Lifts are the Power Clean and Jerk and the Power Snatch. These are simply explosive, athletic movements. Other lifts are done in support of these. These are however technical lifts and it's best to start with a coach. When you start out, you generally don't use much more than a PVC pipe.

Conversely, you could just do a traditional strength routine like Starting Strength or Strong Lifts..also New Rules of Lifting for Women or Strong Curves which is probably a better place to start for a beginner and will introduce you to the all important compound lifts like squats, dead lifts, OH Press, Bench Press, etc. These are awesome, functional lifts that will improve athletic performance all around...but they generally lack the explosiveness of the Oly-lifts.

segacs

Thanks for the clarification!

cwolfman13

segacs wrote: »

Thanks for the clarification!

No worries...but seriously, you should look into some kind of lifting routine...My wife did New Rules of Lifting for Women and is now doing Strong Curves. She like SC better, but she always tells me New Rules was a great place to start.

A proper program does amazing things for your overall performance. In my mid-thirties I was pretty much resigning myself to 1/2 days on the slop because my legs just couldn't take it...I chalked it up to getting old. I can now do multiple, full days on the slopes easily.

The_Enginerd

Snowboarder, not a skier, but I'll second the lifting program. It just made everything overall easier having additional strength.

I haven't tried this, but I would think exercises such as wall squats with emphasis on building muscle endurance would be beneficial. I would still get pretty bad burn in my legs on the longer runs, especially when I had to hold to one edge for a long period of time. I'm an intermediate boarder and not all that fast
This article seems to agree with my hunch: http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/sportsinjuries/qt/skiandsnowboardexercises.htm

Sam_I_Am77

Olympic lifts are great for developing speed and power for sports. I'm not sure how much that applies to down hill skiing though. Not to mention if you've never done it before there's going to be a learning period for the lifts. If you like Oly lifting then by all means do it, but I would suggest something a little different.

Based on what I know and read specifically about muscle recruitment in skiing, this is what I would do. This is very general since I don't know you and can't see your movement patterns... If you don't know any good lifting program then let's start simple and something you can do right away. My suggestion...

Download the StrongLifts 5x5 information and we're going to make some slight modifications.

Pre-workout: Make sure to do active-isolation stretching before hand (extend the stretch and hold for 2-seconds, 5-10 reps per stretch, repeat 1-3 sets as necessary) Hamstrings, hip flexors, adductors, iron cross (back & hips), calves, lats, pecs

Workout A
- **Squat 5x5 **here you're going to hold the eccentric at the bottom (aka hole) for 3 to 5-seconds and then squat back-up for each rep
- <insert> Do a box jump or broad jump and hold the landing for 3-seconds (8 reps)
- Bench Press 5x5 (as program stated)
- Barbell Row 5x5
- <insert> Core / Stabilizer Training: 1-3 sets 30-sec holds (add time as you improve) and do as a circuit
- Side Planks, Front Planks w/ Hip Extension (do a front plank and hold one leg off the ground & parallel to the ground)

Workout B
- Squat 5x5: Squat normally, down 1-sec hold, up
- <insert> jumps *as mentioned above*
- OH Press 5 x 5: as-is
- Deadlift: I know I'll get flamed for this but I'm thinking about "saving" your back here. No Deadlifts, do back raises for 50 total reps break up the sets as you need to get 50-reps in. Feel free to DL's if you want or add them back in after ski-season.
-<insert> Calf Raises: 1-3 sets of 12-20 reps *use the tempo mentioned below for Cable Chops
-<insert> Core: Find a cable machine and do cable chops for 12-20 reps hold the positive motion for 2-sec and the negative take it slow for 4-sec's (1-3 sets)

Rationale:
1. Paused Squats: You're essentially holding a squat position for much of the skiing
2. The jumps will help you develop some speed and power, similar to an Oly lift, and stabilizing the landing is very transferable to skiing.
3. Core stabilization is very important in skiing, anything really, but in the case of skiing you're using your core to resist forces hence the reason for planks and cable chops, more useful than flexion exercises in this instance
4. Back Raises instead of DL: It's ski season, so you're almost like an in-season athlete. DL's can be very taxing, so in my opinion I wouldn't do these while you're "in-season" so to say. The Back Raises will help improve glute and lower back strength.
5. Calf Raises: One thing I did not realize as I was reading up was the degree of dorsiflexion involved. The calves are actually pretty well involved in the squat, so judge for yourself if you feel the need to do these. Possibly do them for 3 weeks and judge how your recovery is going.

So that's my opinion on how I would train somebody specifically for skiing that I cannot train in-person

edit: Oh yeah, make sure to stretch post-workout with static stretching holding each of the same stretches you did pre-workout for at least 30-seconds.

EMTFreakGirl

Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »

Olympic lifts are great for developing speed and power for sports. I'm not sure how much that applies to down hill skiing though. Not to mention if you've never done it before there's going to be a learning period for the lifts. If you like Oly lifting then by all means do it, but I would suggest something a little different.

Based on what I know and read specifically about muscle recruitment in skiing, this is what I would do. This is very general since I don't know you and can't see your movement patterns... If you don't know any good lifting program then let's start simple and something you can do right away. My suggestion...

Download the StrongLifts 5x5 information and we're going to make some slight modifications.

Pre-workout: Make sure to do active-isolation stretching before hand (extend the stretch and hold for 2-seconds, 5-10 reps per stretch, repeat 1-3 sets as necessary) Hamstrings, hip flexors, adductors, iron cross (back & hips), calves, lats, pecs

Workout A
- **Squat 5x5 **here you're going to hold the eccentric at the bottom (aka hole) for 3 to 5-seconds and then squat back-up for each rep
- <insert> Do a box jump or broad jump and hold the landing for 3-seconds (8 reps)
- Bench Press 5x5 (as program stated)
- Barbell Row 5x5
- <insert> Core / Stabilizer Training: 1-3 sets 30-sec holds (add time as you improve) and do as a circuit
- Side Planks, Front Planks w/ Hip Extension (do a front plank and hold one leg off the ground & parallel to the ground)

Workout B
- Squat 5x5: Squat normally, down 1-sec hold, up
- <insert> jumps *as mentioned above*
- OH Press 5 x 5: as-is
- Deadlift: I know I'll get flamed for this but I'm thinking about "saving" your back here. No Deadlifts, do back raises for 50 total reps break up the sets as you need to get 50-reps in. Feel free to DL's if you want or add them back in after ski-season.
-<insert> Calf Raises: 1-3 sets of 12-20 reps *use the tempo mentioned below for Cable Chops
-<insert> Core: Find a cable machine and do cable chops for 12-20 reps hold the positive motion for 2-sec and the negative take it slow for 4-sec's (1-3 sets)

Rationale:
1. Paused Squats: You're essentially holding a squat position for much of the skiing
2. The jumps will help you develop some speed and power, similar to an Oly lift, and stabilizing the landing is very transferable to skiing.
3. Core stabilization is very important in skiing, anything really, but in the case of skiing you're using your core to resist forces hence the reason for planks and cable chops, more useful than flexion exercises in this instance
4. Back Raises instead of DL: It's ski season, so you're almost like an in-season athlete. DL's can be very taxing, so in my opinion I wouldn't do these while you're "in-season" so to say. The Back Raises will help improve glute and lower back strength.
5. Calf Raises: One thing I did not realize as I was reading up was the degree of dorsiflexion involved. The calves are actually pretty well involved in the squat, so judge for yourself if you feel the need to do these. Possibly do them for 3 weeks and judge how your recovery is going.

So that's my opinion on how I would train somebody specifically for skiing that I cannot train in-person

Sweet! Thank you for this. I have such a hard time coming up with "routines." This is a Godsend.

dbmata

The squats and jumps are a good idea as they'll protect the knee as well.

I'd also add in lunges, weighted and walking. Along with duck walks for conditioning. Then i'd also swim and bike to up that cardio.

Sam - what would you think of weighted russian twists to aid with increasing turning power?

cwolfman13

This thread reminded me that I need to get my skis out and give them a good tune can't wait! Hopefully the unusually warm weather will be leaving soon...

Sam_I_Am77

dbmata wrote: »

The squats and jumps are a good idea as they'll protect the knee as well.

I'd also add in lunges, weighted and walking. Along with duck walks for conditioning. Then i'd also swim and bike to up that cardio.

Sam - what would you think of weighted russian twists to aid with increasing turning power?

I wouldn't add any other resistance exercises to this. Ski season is soon, if not now, and it's important that she recovers from exercise and is able to ski, paused squats are brutal as the load increases. Put it this way, when I do Paused Squats I only use 55% of my TM and it's not easy at all. "Off-season", sure add them if you feel it's necessary. Just my opinion of course. If anything, replace the "B" session Squats with lunges or split-squats; a unilateral exercise wouldn't be horrible here, but I wouldn't add anything else. If something goes in, something must come out.

Conditioning... should probably be more aerobic in-nature, so weighted walking could be good if she has access to a vest or back-pack where she can drop some weights in. Swimming, biking, not sure the type matters as much, 20-30 min's of aerobic work, probably not HIIT.

Russian Twists are fine for improving core strength and transverse plane control, IF the person doing them can do them correctly without cheating the exercise; it's an easy exercise to cheat. Any are I guess, that to me at least seems like it's easier.

The squats and jumps are a good idea as they'll protect the knee as well.

That's actually a very good point. Plyometric jumps have been show to help reduce injuries such as non-contact ACL damage.

Sam_I_Am77

cwolfman13 wrote: »

This thread reminded me that I need to get my skis out and give them a good tune can't wait! Hopefully the unusually warm weather will be leaving soon...

That's looks like a blast!

segacs

Wow, great info on this thread! Thanks, guys!

My fitness level isn't all that high so I'll probably modify this to an easier version that's more in keeping with my abilities right now. But great to have something to work up to!

dbmata

also if you aren't flexible, I'd give that some thought. uneven terrain can be interesting if you're super tight.

Sam_I_Am77

segacs wrote: »

Wow, great info on this thread! Thanks, guys!

My fitness level isn't all that high so I'll probably modify this to an easier version that's more in keeping with my abilities right now. But great to have something to work up to!

That's the good thing about SL5x5, you can basically just start with the barbell; it's intended for beginning lifters. The adjustments I made are just for your specific needs. You should be able to jump right into this.

segacs

Posting this here too, since someone sent it to me and it seems like a good -- albeit vigorous -- ski prep workout that can be done at home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKnP88kWTKA

ucabucca

Use bosu ball for squats, lunges, fast cross overs like you would a step of course do these with weights and also squats on foam roller. I also love running hills, jump roping and slider board along with lifting in rack leg press hack squats, and ham curls
Get those knees and quads ready Its coming fast
Personally I cant ski the moguls as much but the black diamonds, gates and powder are what life is about enjoy