Your ability to make daylong effortless turns, in back-bowl powder or on groomer runs, isn’t about having the latest ski gear (though that certainly helps you look the part). Skiing like a pro, and enjoying an injury-free après ski, depends on how faithfully you follow a strength and conditioning program. The problem is many recreational skiers focus on the latter half of that equation — the long-and-slow cardio that builds muscle endurance — but skimp on fundamental strength movements that target ski-centric glute, hip, and thigh muscles. Strike a balance between both with the fast, effective routine below.
YOUR 15-MINUTE SKI-STRENGTH PLAN
To strengthen your ski muscles and elevate overall fitness, do this workout on three non-consecutive days per week. Because the moves require only your own bodyweight, you can do the routine anywhere: on the mountain or in the gym. To better strengthen ski-relevant core muscles, tense your abdomen like you’re bracing for a gut punch during every exercise. (See the full video demo below)
Part 1: Dynamic Warm-up Using only your bodyweight, perform the moves below for 30 seconds each, without resting between exercises.
- · Gate Swing
- · Pogo Jump
- · Jumping Jack
- · Seal Jump
- · Bent-Knee Hip Raise – both sides
- · Straight-Leg Hip Raise – both sides
- · Forward Hip Circle – both sides
- · Reverse Hip Circle – both sides
- · Cat-and-Camel
- · Opposite Arm-and-Leg Raise – both sides
- · Groiners
Part 2: Strength Do these five ski-strengtheners as a continuous circuit, performing six reps of each exercise without pausing between moves. Rest for 60 seconds at the end, and do another complete circuit.
- · Squat
- · Sumo Squat
- · Lunge – each leg
- · Lateral Lunge – both directions
- · Turkish Getup (holding one ski)
Part 3: Conditioning Replace long-and-slow cardio with two sets of these high-intensity conditioning drills
- · Walking Lunge (10 reps per leg)
- · Lateral Walking Lunge (10 reps each leg)
- · 100-yard Hill Run (outdoors, or on a treadmill set to a 6 to 8 degree incline)
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