workouts to get in shape for ski season?

[LiquidFeet]

Maybe I have been going to the wrong place to ski or doing it wrong all these years. They do have gravity where you guys go skiing, right?

Me, I just get suck down the hill by gravity.

I find this post curiously reassuring as I watch with horror that CrossFit leg blaster video.

 

[Tom K.]

Me, I just get suck down the hill by gravity.

Gallagher on Skiing: Take a lift to the top of a mountain. Stand on slippery boards. Go down the mountain. Big deal. I mean, try not to!

 

[cantunamunch]

I find this post curiously reassuring as I watch with horror that CrossFit leg blaster video.

So long as you remember that that's a post by someone who can throw away 30 ski days on working up and still have a 60 day season ...

 

[KingGrump]

So long as you remember that that's a post by someone who can throw away 30 ski days on working up and still have a 60 90 day season ...

FIFY.

 

[cantunamunch]

... and has a forum speciality in sandbagging

 

[Guy in Shorts]

Successfully completed the second week of skiing myself into shape for the season. My Doc tried to sell the idea years ago that you need to stay in shape to ski not ski to stay in shape like I was doing. Still ignoring his good advise. Really tough to beat a workout on the slopes. Young lift operator made the comment that he wants to ski every day when he gets old. Wife told him to start saving now.

 

[Fuller]

I've been on a body weight calisthenics binge lately, in addition to 3-4 sessions a week on the Concept 2 rower and about 120 miles a week on the bike. The body weight stuff is just variations of pull ups, push ups and squats. They have really helped my core which in turn makes me a better rower, biker and skier. It's time to add some more explosive type exercises to round things out but I'll be ready for January in MT.

 

[msutherland]

what stretches do you all recommend for skiing

 

[Lorenzzo]

what stretches do you all recommend for skiing

All of them.

 

[martyg]

what stretches do you all recommend for skiing

What are your range of motion issues? For most, it will be all hip and lower torso related: Opening up the hips and lower torso so that you can comfortably create counter, and creating more internal rotation of femurs in hip socket so that you have rotary. In my case, in working with people who are much smarter than me in that domian, I have all of the strength and emdurance that I ever need for alpine skiing. My limiter is range of motion.

Best to contact Anne Healzer. She is a PSIA L3 and has her doctorate in PT.

Check this article out: https://point6.com/blogs/news/dryla...lace-where-you-don-t-know-what-you-don-t-know

Money quote from the article: "There are so many online tools out there for skiing performance - it seems every other person has an idea about what is right. Without having someone who can really assess HOW you move, you will only continue to build compensation." –Dr. Anne Healzer Garske

I am a big believer in this quote, "When you attempt to build capacity on dysfunction, you are actually deepening the attractor state of your compensation. Thus, you are building compensation, not capacity.” - Louie Simmons, West Side Barbell

Go to someone who really knows what they are doing for advise, someone who can properly assess, and not someone who is just offering you an opinion based on nothing.

 

[Seldomski]

what stretches do you all recommend for skiing

Staples for me-
Lunge to instep
Downward dog, walk the heels (calf stretch)
Good mornings

If waiting for others on the mountain, I will sometimes do these to pass the time.

Inch worms are really good to, but hard to do them in ski boots.

 

[Atomicman]

I disagree with this statement. Aerobic capacity improves more rapidly than muscle growth. And skiing is highly aerobic, so improving in that area will definitely make your skiing more enjoyable. Go at both the aerobic work and with the weights now! I am doing the same, I just started as well.

That's for those who actually breath while they ski!

 

[Nobody]

I began to prepare for this skiing season...five years ago.
Seriously...gone are the days where a bit of ski oriented physical training in the fall and skiing into condition where enough to secure the season.
I realised long ago that staying decently fit was and is needed in order not only to secure an adequate performance on skis from day 1, which then stayed constant throughout the season; but also to prevent injuries as much as possible.
Am I there (being "decently fit", I mean)?
Not yet.

 

[Nobody]

That's for those who actually breath while they ski!

That is a problem for me, each beginning of season. I must continously tell myself to breath while skiing, as I tend to hold it, until it becomes natural as in other aspects of my daily activities...

 

[no edge]

Here is a different take on leg blasters. I've used this exercise (without the 25 lb. vest!) with great success in the past. However, this year I have yet to get into the swing of things. They used to have a much more instructional video on the web site, but this is all I could find. Great exercise, with some good science behind why it is particularly good for ski conditioning. I would recommend that you start with some "mini blaster" sets for the first few days. When I first tried these about 5 years ago, I I jumped right into 5 full sets and the next day I thought I might have permanently lamed myself

Leg Blaster - Mountain Tactical Institute

1x Leg Blaster = 20x air squats + 20x in-place lunges (10x each leg) + 20x jumping lunges (10x each leg) + 10x squat jumps “Mini Leg Blaster” = 10x air squats + 10x in-place lunges (5x each leg) + 10x jumping lunges (5x each leg) + 5x Squat Jumps Looking for […]

mtntactical.com

This! It's about strength. It looks a lot like CrossFit. I know for my skiing, strength is the greatest factor. Strength is what is lost first and fastest. I have never been this far out on fitness. A visit to the doctor the other day and he looked me square in the eye and he said get back in shape and go to the gym. I went for a walk yesterday - half a mile.

 

[Tom K.]

I've been on a body weight calisthenics binge lately, in addition to 3-4 sessions a week on the Concept 2 rower and about 120 miles a week on the bike. ...... I'll be ready for January in MT.

Getting a little antsy, are we?!

 

[Fuller]

Getting a little antsy, are we?!

Yup, I've got ants in my snow pants!

I'm in good shape from top to bottom with the one exception of my knee that never really got back to 100% I'm going to have to start slow and see what sort of abuse it will accommodate. That means I won't ski with you for the first week!

 

[Atomicman]

That is a problem for me, each beginning of season. I must continously tell myself to breath while skiing, as I tend to hold it, until it becomes natural as in other aspects of my daily activities...

Me too! As evidenced by my post!

 

[Tom K.]

That means I won't ski with you for the first week!

Hogwash. That just means I'll let you choose the runs until you're on top of your game.

 

[scvaughn]

Gallagher on Skiing: Take a lift to the top of a mountain. Stand on slippery boards. Go down the mountain. Big deal. I mean, try not to!

Sledge-O-Matic poles really build upper body strength!