The arrival of winter’s first snowfall officially heralds the beginning of ski season, sending thrills of anticipation through avid fans of the slopes. However, before donning those skis and parkas and heading to the mountains, the body needs adequate preparation to perform seamlessly on a long downhill run. The nature of the sport places significant demands upon the body. Here, we offer the optimal ways in which to train those specific muscles that get called upon while skiing, whether Nordic, alpine, or cross-country.
Planning Ahead
Anyone who embraces the sport of winter skiing already realizes that a high-performance endeavor like this places specific physical and mental demands on the body, and dedicated warm-up/activation practices will definitely help prepare one for successful and healthy winter enjoyment. However, even before hopping onto the ski lift, athletes require a balanced and well-planned pre-season workout program. Ideally begun 8 weeks before the advent of a ski vacation, a pre-season exercise routine will not only boost performance and sharpen skills, but also go a long way towards preventing injuries. According to professional athlete and ski coach Sam Naney, “Injuries quite often occur because a muscle or a joint or a ligament goes beyond the range that is trained in, and then it either gets pulled or torn or broken.”
While not even the most thorough training can guarantee the absence of injury, it can help the body adapt; the shifts in metabolic and structural alterations to the body’s aerobic system take time to accomplish. During the course of 8 weeks, a solid ski preparation should include the following:
- Cardiovascular exercise
- Endurance training
- Strength training
- Flexibility/neuromuscular balance training
If one can achieve a proficient level of fitness in these areas, they will find it easier to ski all day long with a minimal risk of both exhaustion and injury.
Focus on the Legs
The quadriceps group, without question, the most used muscles in skiing, keeps the body in position while also safeguarding the knees. Knee injuries account for 27-41% of all injuries at ski resorts, with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial cruciate ligament (MCL) sprain being the most common diagnoses. For professional skiers, the injury rate climbs to 36.2-36.7%, again with the knee as the most commonly injured body part. Strengthening muscles around the knee joint can improve its stability. To that end, pre-season training should include moves that lead to strong quadriceps, gluteus, and hamstring muscles. Exercises such as squats, static-hold lunges, single-leg glute-bridge raises, and side leg raises will figure prominently here.
Formulating a Program
To embark safely upon leg strength, most trainers will suggest beginning with bodyweight squats. Once a client can comfortably execute 20 bodyweight squats, they can move into barbell squats with a light weight load. Three sets of 8-12 should suffice.
After mastering the squat, clients can move into more challenging exercises such as BOSU squats, jump squats, and box squats/jumps. If a client expresses a preference for machine workouts, the leg press and hack squat machines will train the larger of the quadriceps muscles. Single-leg deadlifts, as well as traditional straight-leg deadlifts, can help strengthen hamstrings and glutes.
Preventing the Dreaded Leg Burn
A typical complaint of many skiers involves the onset of “skier’s leg burn”. Several factors can lead to this ~
- Lactic Acid Buildup –Muscles fatigue due to insufficient conditioning
- Leaning Back Too Far – Incorrect stance puts excess stress on quads
- Lack of Endurance — Failure to adequately train the cardiovascular system
- Weak Core and Glutes – In the absence of strong stabilizers, the legs must work harder than they should
Understanding the importance of good ski posture can make for a much more pleasant day on the snow-capped mountains. Keeping one’s weight balanced, with knees bent and bodyweight distributed over the middle of the skis, reduces unnecessary leg strain and helps distribute energy efficiently. Conversely, leaning back places additional strain on the quadriceps, leading to faster fatigue.
To emphasize this, trainers might suggest the following bodyweight exercises for strengthening the leg muscles and also building endurance in the muscle fibers ~
- Wall Sits – Mimic ski stance endurance
- Bulgarian Split Squats – Build quad and glute strength
- Step-Ups – Mimic ski movements and increase control
- Calf Raises – Strengthen ankles/ lower legs for better stability
- Band Walks – Strengthen ski stance
Abdominal and Core Strength
While bodybuilders covet a well-defined “six-pack”, skiing requires one to focus instead on those deep abdominal muscles, the ones that hold the body upright and also support dynamic movement. The transverse abdominals and obliques take center stage here. Consider the following exercises ~
- Planks
- Hanging knee raises
- “bicycles”
- Russian twists
- Mountain-climbers
Ramp Up the Cardio
Even if skiers have the strongest quads and abdominals, they will fatigue quickly if they have failed to train their cardiovascular systems sufficiently. Add to that the inhalation of cold air for several hours (and perhaps higher altitudes like those at many ski resorts), and all that strength training will have served no purpose.
A variety of low-intensity exercises remains the best way to train the aerobic system for skiing. Exercising always burns some combination of fat and carbohydrates. Shifting that percentage toward fat creates less fatigue. A well-planned cardio preparation program should include the following ~
- 3 to 5 days/week of dedicated cardio. This can take the form of jogging, running, or any cardio machine available at most gyms, such as an elliptical, arc trainer, stair stepper, or treadmill. Jogging and running outside, however, helps with the cold air breathing adaptation process
- A variety of workouts at varying intensities, lasting 20 to 45 minutes
- One long, slow workout each week for 60 or more minutes, to condition legs and lungs for long days of skiing
Endurance needs attention as well here. Improving a client’s endurance enables them to spend more time on the slopes without needing to stop and rest. It will also make them less likely to develop delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and cumulative fatigue, particularly if they can engage in multiple cardio sessions throughout a week, as one frequently does in a typical week-long vacation at a ski resort. A strong heart and lungs are just as important as strong legs.
Below we present what some experts consider the best cardio workouts to prepare for ski season ~
- Cycling (Low Impact, High Stamina) – Builds leg endurance without incurring knee strain
- Jump Rope (Agility & Stamina) – Enhances footwork and quick reflexes
- Stair Climbing (Ski-Specific Cardio Program) – Trains leg endurance for long ski runs
- Rowing Machine (Full-Body Endurance) – Builds stamina while strengthening core and legs
Improve endurance safely by gradually increasing the intensity of all workouts. This might mean adding extra reps into a strength training workout, increasing running mileage, or taking part in a HIIT or spin class. Changing up the mode of cardio also helps the body adapt.
Flexibility
When clients engage in strength training, they frequently cultivate a modest amount of flexibility along the way. However, having a dedicated flexibility routine in place will foster long-term elasticity and, with it, a greater ability to rebound after strenuous workouts. A flexibility program can start by simply spending 5-10 minutes moving every major joint group through its full range of motion. Begin with the feet and ankles, working up to the hips/pelvic region, shoulders, and concluding with the delicate movements of the neck/cervical vertebrae. Clients can choose to do these exercises lying on a mat, sitting in a chair, or in a standing position.
The Importance of Neuromuscular Control and Balance
Skiing involves movements through motion at high levels of speed. As a result, this sport demands that the athlete possess excellent neuromuscular control and balance. Basic balance training exercises, both static (such as single-leg holds) and dynamic (such as lateral leaps), should figure prominently in this part of a client’s ski prep program. Such movements will, over time, enhance stability, proprioception, and coordination.
Personal trainers and ski coaches may wish to try some of the following balance/control exercises ~
- Alternating Lateral hops – begin with small hops, gradually increasing their distance and speed; remember to pause briefly upon landing on one foot, before repeating the leap to the other side
- Multi-directional toe taps
- BOSU squats
- Pistols
The hip roll exercise, which we describe in detail below, serves a fundamental purpose in preparing the body for the subtleties of skiing. A direct relationship exists between the strength of one’s hips and the control of his knees. When hip strength weakens, the knees tend to fold inward. This particular exercise strengthens the muscles of the hips along with those of the glutes to help prevent knee pain.
- Stand on the left leg
- Lean body forward at the hips (hip hinge), maintaining a straight back, and lift the right leg back behind the body, slightly off the ground
- Rotate (roll) the hip away from the supporting leg
- Aim to keep the body in a straight plane as the hips roll back
- Repeat 10-15 times on each side
If clients seem unsteady as they try to get into position for this exercise, they can feel free to hold onto a support in the beginning.
Movements that mimic those of a speed skater serve as great ski training exercises. Since the motion involves jumping onto one leg, the core naturally gets activated. As we have mentioned, core stabilization will help immensely at just about every point of a ski run.
- Hop onto one foot with a bent knee, striving to keep the knee over the toes
- Lower the chest slightly forward
- Keep the opposite foot elevated as it reaches behind the supporting leg
- Switch and hop onto the opposite foot
- Make sure to use the appropriate low swinging arm movements as the legs move
Keeping with the skating theme, clients and skiers may wish to add inline skating to their list of creative and fun cardio options while preparing themselves for a ski vacation. Inline skating provides a great cross-training activity that closely mimics the movements of skiing, particularly the often-difficult short turns. It helps improve balance, coordination, and strength in the same muscles one calls upon while skiing.
Adhering to the 5 Fundamentals of a Quality Ski Experience
Ski experts and coaches alike have culled together several key fundamentals that make for an elite ski experience down even the most challenging mountains. While we have discussed the importance of strength training, quadriceps development, flexibility, enhanced cardio, and balance/neuromuscular training, these 5 fundamentals and their accompanying drills hone in on the great deal of specificity often required of the ski athlete. Admittedly, one can only execute these drills on a snowy mountaintop; therefore, personal trainers can choose to share these tips with the novice skiing clients to work on during their next holiday.
1. Placing Pressure on the Outside Ski
Skiing requires having good balance over the outside ski. We can think of this in the following manner: turning left indicates a right-footed turn, and turning right means a left-footed turn. While good skiing does involve help from the inside ski, which should stay engaged with the snow while it tips and turns, the true power originates with the outside ski.
Drill: Learn to balance on that outside leg/ski by making some turns with the inside ski just barely off the ground, or touching just slightly, while all of the body’s weight remains on the outside ski. Make sure the inside ski stays level with the snow. When one perfects the ability to properly balance on only the outside ski through a series of turns, they will find themselves better balanced to ski on both skis.
2. Control Edge Angles
Tipping the skis on edge involves inclining the body towards the inside of the turn, as well as angulating the upper body back towards the skis and the outside of the turn. Most skiers have already mastered the tipping into the turn; however, the angulation of the upper body, back towards the outside ski, frequently gets overlooked.
Drill: The best way to reinforce good angles requires taking a run down the slopes while the ski poles drag along in the snow. Try to keep the position of the poles just slightly further apart than the feet, in line with the front of the boots. This will render the poles almost completely vertical in stance. To keep both poles in the snow while turning, the skier must move the inside hip and shoulder up, while keeping the outside hip and shoulder down.
3. Center of Gravity Must Stay Over the Base of Support
As we mentioned above, with the importance of balance and neuromuscular control, skiers must exert total control over their center of mass so that it remains over the base of support. Many skiers find themselves stuck in what they refer to as the “backseat.” Only when one feels complete access to the entire length of the skis can they properly shape their turns.
Drill: Learn this type of balance by hopping or bouncing on the skis. If one can find balance over their feet, they will demonstrate the ability to either bounce or slightly hop, and leave the snow at any point in their turn. Upon leaving the snow, keep the skis level with the snow’s surface to ensure solid balance over the middle of the skis.
4. Control Skis’ Rotation with Leg Rotation
Another fundamental aspect of good skiing involves turning the skis along with the rotation of the legs, yet independently of the upper body. A skier who lacks good balance over the skis does not have the ability to rotate the legs and turn the skis without simultaneously turning the entire body.
Drill: Practice staying balanced over the feet, and turning the legs off to each side while continuing to move straight down the hill—the shoulders and upper body should face the fall line. This proper stance will make for quick feet and great skiing in all conditions.
5. Control the “Touch” Created by the Ski/Snow Interaction
Good “touch” in the sport of skiing, a seemingly magical quality, makes a skier look as if they float down the hill effortlessly. Once a skier can find themselves balanced from front to back, and side to side on the skis, with proper angles and turning the legs, they possess all the makings of creating good touch. The ability to leave the snow when jumping, and remaining on the snow when needed all require good touch. The best drill for mastering this fundamental will require clients to ski in a variety of terrains.
Final Thoughts
Skiing, whether solo or as a family, can make for wonderful holiday memories. Individuals can almost guarantee a successful ski experience if they take the time to prepare well in advance. Advise clients to keep the components of training separate in the beginning: strength train on a different day than cardio, balance, and flexibility, at least in the early stages of ski prep. Once one feels comfortable, they can combine flexibility with cardio, strength training with balance, etc.
Frequency plays a big role in this type of training. Even if a client chooses to work out on their own some of the time, encourage them to remain consistent, starting with a 20-30-minute workout almost daily. Once accustomed to the training, they can add more time. Hit the slopes with confidence!
References
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