Summer Shredding
It may have been a while since the last time you could strap on your boots, grabbed some friends and headed to the slopes. That doesn’t mean you can’t start preparing for next season! Whether you want to get yourself ready for the start of next season or just simply get into shape, an off season training program can do the trick. Before you start looking into those funky road skis and all the expensive equipment that seems to go along with skiing, STOP! All you need for an effective off season program is some weights and motivation. Here are some basic exercises to help you get started.
A great exercise for your quadriceps is a good old fashion squat. Since you usually don’t ski down the hill with dumbbells in your hands you can either do squats with weights or just use your own body weight. Remember to drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes as you come up. For an added challenge, try adding a jump when you come to the top of the squat.
Here is a link describing the proper form for a squat.
When exercising your hamstrings one good exercise to keep in mind is a deadlift. You will probably want to do deadlifts with some kind of weight, but it isn’t required. Remember to lift the weight with a straight back to avoid unnecessary injury and make sure to drive through your heels as you come up.
Here is a link describing the proper form for a deadlift.
Ski boots move you into a position that isn’t common for your day to day routine. They move into a position where your knees are fairly bent and your back is flat. Wall sits can help you get into that position and in turn, help you stay up longer when you’re shredding down the mountain. While doing your wall sit remember to keep your back straight and feel your heels (do you see the pattern?).
Once you finish all your leg exercises the next focus will be on your core.
To work out your core there are several things that you can do. Some common exercises that can do the trick are planks and sit-ups. These two core exercises will help you to keep yourself stable as you weave in and out of the trees (or people) on the mountain.
Finally, to finish your off season workout you’ll need to incorporate a little bit of cardiovascular training.
Running, biking, swimming, any sort of cardio sport will do the trick, but for those of you that don’t have the resources to do these or the thought of these things makes you feel sick you can try these exercises. Jump rope, box jumps, and line jumps are very effective at both improving your cardio and helping you go through the motions of skiing.
Box jumps can involve any elevated surface and consist of placing your feet hip length apart, squatting down, and jumping up onto the elevated surface. Line jumps consist of placing around 6 to 10 feet of tape on the ground, standing to either the left or right of the line, and jumping over the line from left to right as you go down the line. For an added challenge on these exercises you can try it on one leg, BE CAREFUL!
Whether you’re a pro, beginner skier, or just someone looking for a fun workout, using this off-season workout will get you ready to ski circles around your friends when the ski season starts.
