MJ HEALTH & FITNESS: Full-Body Prep for Downhill skiing

Full-Body Prep for Shredding the Slopes
Downhill skiing demands more from your body -- balance, endurance, explosive strength -- than almost any other activity. Prepare for the fun season now.

This is the time of year when you begin to plan that first long-anticipated powder trip. Unfortunately, that's the one that usually involves getting your ass handed to you on every run, which is why getting ready should involve more than just waxing your skis. Preparing your muscles for those downhill carves isn't like training them to throw farther or jump higher. Instead you're after two things: protection for your all-important joints and the ability to hold a loose, steady posture over punishing terrain. The latest trends in pre-ski training address these by using a variety of dynamic motions to build balance and core strength -- useful attributes for any sport. Add flexibility and aerobic fitness, and you're ready for anything. Do the five exercises shown here three times a week for the month leading up to your trip, and use weights that challenge you but let you do all the reps with perfect form. You'll build the leg and core strength you need to muscle through any mogul field, along with the balance required to keep you fast and stable on your skis.

SINGLE-LEG ROMANIAN DEAD LIFTS
3 sets of 10 per leg
From a standing position, holding a dumbbell in each hand, lean forward and lift one leg behind you, keeping it straight. Lean until your upper body and back leg are parallel to the floor and the weights are hanging straight down from your shoulders. Slowly return to the standing position to complete the rep. Not only are these great for the hamstrings and lower back, they improve balance and ankle stability.

TWO-WAY LUNGES
3 sets of 5 circuits
With feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, lunge forward with your right leg, keeping your knee directly above your heel. Return to standing position, then step to the side with the right foot, again mindful of the position of your knee. Return to standing and repeat both lunges with the left leg to complete the circuit.

SINGLE-LEG CALF RAISES
3 sets of 15 per leg
With a dumbbell in one hand and the other hand against a wall for support, place the toes and ball of your right foot on a step or small riser. Go up on your toes as high as you can. At the top of the movement, remove your hand from the wall for a beat to work your balance. Touch the wall again and lower to finish one rep.

HORIZONTAL PULL-UPS
3 sets to failure
Holding onto a chest-high bar on a squat rack, carefully place your feet one at a time on a stability ball. Walk the ball away from you until your body is almost parallel to the ground. (For an easier option, use a weight bench.) Staying rigid, pull your chest to the bar, then slowly lower yourself to complete the rep.

TRIPLE CRUNCHES
3 sets of 15-20
Assume a standard crunch position. Raise both shoulder blades and your right foot off the floor and twist to touch your right knee with your left elbow. Return to the starting position. Repeat with the opposite knee and elbow, and then complete the trio with a regular crunch. Each trio counts as one rep.

By: Steve Steinberg
Photographs by: Monte Isom
(November 2006)