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Good Preseason Workouts for Skiing?

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gerkski
Posts: 27 - Karma: 140
Hi All,

I am looking to get my legs in really good shape for skiing for the upcoming season, just wondering what your favorite exercises are that I could try.

Thanks
Sep 23 2013 5:15PM
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LoathesRaisins
Posts: 3612 - Karma: 4,735
Squats and Cardio
Sep 23 2013 5:17PM
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heFF
Posts: 5786 - Karma: 4,456
trail running in the mountains and biking
Sep 23 2013 5:19PM
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Jibberino
Posts: 2089 - Karma: 1,346
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0511/sports/bode_miller2.html
Sep 23 2013 5:26PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761

Do what this kid is doing.... It's even better at 8000 feet.
Sep 23 2013 5:29PM
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JustForYou
Posts: 275 - Karma: 2,143
Yup. Mainly Squats and running. Take a day off in between and throw some upper body in there so you don't become freakily disproportionate
Sep 23 2013 5:35PM
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gerkski
Posts: 27 - Karma: 140
Really appreciating the responses thus far +k for all that post!
Sep 23 2013 5:35PM
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hendriab
Posts: 990 - Karma: 404
Plyo Progression. As soon as you can do 20 in a row of one exercise (with perfect form!), move on to the next! Remeber to only do 3 days per week, and on soft surfaces (grass, rubberized track, sand ect)

Squat Jump
Broad Jump
Box Jump
Box Jump to Depth Jump
Box Jump to Depth Jump to Squat Jump
Box Jump w SL Landing
Box Jump w SL Landing to SL Squat

Use a park table for your box and depth jumps, usually a good medium height for people!
Sep 23 2013 5:41PM
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gerkski
Posts: 27 - Karma: 140
SL stands for single leg I assume?
Sep 24 2013 12:34AM
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TRASHTALK
Posts: 324 - Karma: 493
you MUST get core workouts in there. They are imperative! But yes, cardio, legs, etc.
Sep 24 2013 1:58AM
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McLS
Posts: 1985 - Karma: 6,454
I do squats abs and all kind of upper body workout. Im sure most of you do this in your room for hours: spinning 3s, 5s ocassionally 7 (crashing into my desk...) Does it help at all with spinning with skis? Anyway to improve spinning in your w/o a tramp?
Sep 24 2013 2:49AM
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EMK
Posts: 1632 - Karma: 669
I have read that there is no way to simulate the muscular contraction involved in skiing. I have also read that cardio training is pointless as muscular tiredness almost always sets in before cardiovascular when skiing. so there is no dry land training that will actually make you better at skiing.

You can do stuff that will make you less likely to get hurt like a weight training program based on heavy compound movements like squats, dead lifts, bench, pull ups, cleans... I recommend using a weight that will limit you to sets of 4-6 reps, working out for less than an hour and doing 3-4 full body workouts a week with at least one day rest in between.

You can also do stuff to improve flexibility and ballance like yoga and pilates.

Doing these things might not make you a better skier but it may make you able to ski harder without getting hurt, and then you can do the getting better part when you are skiing.
Sep 24 2013 3:07AM
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7-3instacall
Posts: 999 - Karma: 1,005
quads and ischio??
anyway, the thing opposite of the quads, behind the leg.
these 2 muscles will save your ACL
Sep 24 2013 3:41AM
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Cyanicenine
Posts: 966 - Karma: 2,294
I've been using this balance board while watching tv. Balance boards are regularly used in physical therapy to strengthen the small stabilizing muscles in the knees and ankles. I've already noticed an increase in flexibility and strength. I choose that board in particular because it has an angle incline that adjusts quite high so it's challenging even for fit people with good balance.

Otherwise the gym is always the best place for more explosive energy you need to hit the weight machines.
Sep 24 2013 6:38AM
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hendriab
Posts: 990 - Karma: 404
hamstrings?

If your talking ACL prevention, you gotta talk glute group (max and med). Higher mechanical advantage to prevent non contact ACL tears hombre, prevent that valgus force fucks wit me.
Sep 24 2013 8:09AM
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Stainr
Posts: 1186 - Karma: -1,150
was just reading up on this the other day, google is your friend
Sep 24 2013 8:33AM
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willice_l
Posts: 85 - Karma: 239
Then why does Ted Ligety or Bode Miller lift like crazy? It's not just to prevent injury, it is to improve skiing. They are ripped and id say pretty dammm good. Every pro skier lifts heavy and trains cardio during dry land.

My workout: 2 week program -
Monday - Max Lower Body and Core (Back squatting, toes to bar, back extensions, deadlift)
Tuesday - Cross Fit Upper (push ups, pulls ups, military press)
Wednesday - Dynamic lower (light front squat, lots reps, different weights, running)
Thursday - Max upper (bench, pull ups, little core involved)
Friday - Cross Fit Lower (Leg blaster -box jumps, lunges, air squats, tuck jumps, clean)

I thinks its great and im deffently in shape and skiing better when the season comes around.
Sep 24 2013 7:28PM
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spstevens
Posts: 123 - Karma: 105
Front squats Dead lift Broad jump Different forms of leg lifts
Sep 24 2013 11:33PM
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joe_dirt
Posts: 372 - Karma: 2,405
i just get in shape by having sex
Sep 24 2013 11:39PM
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*ninja*
Posts: 2108 - Karma: 1,143
football
Sep 24 2013 11:50PM
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PsychedelicMoose
Posts: 792 - Karma: 3,568
p90x
Sep 24 2013 11:57PM
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rsvp
Posts: 1516 - Karma: 2,611
I just go cross-country mountain biking
Sep 25 2013 12:04AM
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J_BISCHOF
Posts: 2082 - Karma: 1,449
this is the least true statement ever. The only thing weight machines do is perpetuate a failure in form which is not functional at all.
Sep 25 2013 12:29AM
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
wtf you smokin?

Free weights will almost always be better than machines but that's not to say they are ineffective. Use proper form and you will get the benefits for either or.
Sep 25 2013 12:36AM
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J_BISCHOF
Posts: 2082 - Karma: 1,449
skiing is a functional movement. There isnt much training that can directly replicate what happens in your body. You need to do the most functional movements you can. Static weight machines as I said, perpetuate poor functions and movement, and typically just enhance your glamour muscles, which wont do you very well when recovering from a blown acl/mcl
Sep 25 2013 2:21PM
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hendriab
Posts: 990 - Karma: 404
couldnt agree more.

While some machines are good for upper body progession (lat pulldown to progress to pullups, row machine, cable machine for chops ect), there are no machines that functionally train your lower body. Im not a big fan of extra weight in general (prefer body weight exercises), but if your gonna add load, i agree it is best to do so with freeweights.

As a bonus, instead of using freeweights on a bar, why not purchase a sandbag for 59 cents at home depot, fill that shit with dirt, and try to hold it while you do your squats and lunges? The uneven distribution of weight will fire up those stabilizer muscles, increase your active balance!


Sep 25 2013 3:17PM
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ilikefood
Posts: 391 - Karma: 769
box jump box jump box jump.
Sep 25 2013 3:29PM
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142

Others are obviously good, but whatever you're doing try dropping the weight and doing it on a bosu. The instability is uber useful as a skiing-oriented exercise. Basically if you were doing jump squats, do them on and off of a bosu. If you were doing lunges, lunge on the bosu. I have a TRX set up and I'll so lunges on one leg and use the TRX to support the other foot. Hell, even just STANDING on one leg on that thing will get to you after a while; do it while you're watching TV or whatever.

In terms of cardio, you can't beat the stairmaster - closest simulation you'll get to hiking up a mountain. If you add 5lb ankle weights you can even simulate ski boots!

Sep 25 2013 3:31PM
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hendriab
Posts: 990 - Karma: 404
nice. those are good points. I love the BOSU. Not necessarily "functional" in the literal sense of the word, but super nice for taht dynamic stabilization. Jeals of your TRX/BOSU set up. I gotta get to a Home Depot and make some TRX bands for myself!

Only thing I would recommend against IMO is the ankle weights. While boots are heavy, I believe adding weight to the very end of that lever arm (your leg) puts a lot of stress on your knee. While it does simulate a ski boot, simulating a action that causes joint stress is not ideal, in my opinion. Plus, stair masters suck ahha, so fuckin boring. Go find a hill and sprint up it, jog up a flight of stairs ect.
Sep 25 2013 4:34PM
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142
This is a fair point about added stress to the knee. That said, on the running up a hill, flight of stairs, etc, it's just much less efficient. I have a Star Trac pro stepper, I can do 3000 stairs on that in a half hour (roughly the equivalent of climbing the entire Empire State Building twice). There's also way less stress on joints if you're using a stepper because it's low impact (as opposed to a step mill which TBQH feel like death traps to me).
Sep 25 2013 7:15PM
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Snazzy
Posts: 212 - Karma: 852
Squats and more squats brutha
Sep 25 2013 7:20PM
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Iraq_Lobster
Posts: 1866 - Karma: 4,904
Sep 25 2013 7:34PM
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Deforestation
Posts: 1606 - Karma: 3,194
Squats r best for da legs... nd jumprope
Sep 25 2013 7:45PM
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Woodchuck
Posts: 32 - Karma: 70
Lots of squats. You don't need to go heavy. In fact, you are better off dropping the weight and doing as many as you can, as fast as you can in a set amount of time, like a minute. After one set of these your legs will feel like they do after that first bump run of the season.
Sep 25 2013 9:29PM
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The_RaginAsian
Posts: 687 - Karma: 3,055
POWER CLEANS
Sep 25 2013 11:26PM
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milk_man
Posts: 5252 - Karma: 5,983
I dont know whats best but i run, skateboard, trampoline, bike, lunges, situps, and pretty much anything else that involves legs/core.. get those abs for spinning haha
Sep 25 2013 11:31PM
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a.beezy
Posts: 4059 - Karma: 109
hike, run stairs, JUMP ROPE
Sep 25 2013 11:43PM
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Scotty_Boy
Posts: 777 - Karma: 1,449
Do P90X plyo, jelly legs all day
Sep 25 2013 11:55PM
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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
Idk about the weights being bad. I'm 11 weeks out if acl reconstruction and my pt has me running stairs with ankle wrights, and I highly doubt they woul hve me doing anything that puts unnecessary strain on my knee
Sep 26 2013 12:54AM
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E2W13
Posts: 155 - Karma: 997
i've heard good things about p90 and insanity.. but they are programs that require huge commitment.

while a lot of people think legs are the primary focus for skiers I think that working your core is equally (if not more) important to work out.
Sep 26 2013 12:59AM
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Andy_J
Posts: 48 - Karma: 61
Legs
leg press and squats
Calf raises and weighted walking lunges
Back
dead lift and back extensions for lower back
Leg raise and incline sit ups for core
Pull ups for upper back

Shoulders/chest
shoulder press with dumbbells and shoulder shrug with dumbbells
Push ups
incline bench
Sep 26 2013 1:18AM
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hendriab
Posts: 990 - Karma: 404
one thing that really attracted me to a career in PT is the fact that there are many different ideas, theories, strategies and protocols. Every PT approaches a situation differently, so there is always something to learn, something to discuss.

Lets talk torque, which is the product of force and the distance from the axis of rotation (with force being mass x accel) - simplified for the sake of time and discussion. Now, lets estimate that your tibia is a 1.5 ft. That is already a pretty long lever arm for the knee, and then to add 5 pounds (significant weight when you think about it), really compounds the amount of force, making for a lot more torque at the joint = joint stress.

If your not even three months PO, and your PT is having you running up stairs with ankle weights, you are either progressing extremely fast or your PT has very aggressive RTA protocol (which I think is cool!) As long as you are not having an increase in sx, thats awesome that you are being super aggressive with it. Keep up the hard work!
Sep 26 2013 8:56AM
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johnnyBuz
Posts: 1438 - Karma: 1,270
I started boxing about 6 weeks ago and I gotta say its probably the best workout I can think of for getting into skiing shape. Lots of jump rope, squats, core work and anaerobic cardio is putting my ski stamina and endurance through the roof. My thighs are like slabs of granite already so I'm looking forward to ski season.
Sep 26 2013 1:38PM
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Talacious[Tally]
Posts: 1686 - Karma: 189
Run bleachers. I do a normal set, skipping steps, with ankle weights, then sets on one leg.
Sep 26 2013 1:49PM
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Dr0ck
Posts: 69 - Karma: 13
LEGBLASTERS
10 squats
10 lunges
10 jump lunges
5 jump squats
(thats a mini, full=double everything)
do ten of these as they get easier do nine and then a full or 7 and two fulls
no weight means you can't get hurt and it's easier to focus on form and they build ridiculous amounts of endurance.
I really like the idea of using a balance board and/or bosa to strengthen knees/ankles
Sep 26 2013 6:57PM
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mcweapon
Posts: 175 - Karma: 247
mountain biking (enduro or xc) kicks my ass more than skiing ever does... also i found yoga really helps me with balance
Sep 26 2013 8:22PM
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terraclot
Posts: 438 - Karma: 665
The Ten minute workout:
2 mins pushups
1 min rest
2 mins air squats
1 min rest
2 min crunches
1 min rest

then drink a cup of coffee

Ride your bike; go climbing
Sep 26 2013 10:40PM
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Willskiforfree
Posts: 929 - Karma: 3,167
Strength training in Wii Fit!
Sep 26 2013 10:46PM
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WU-sconsin
Posts: 565 - Karma: 1,301
A complicated combination of drugs, sex, steroids and drugs. You need to use your height, weight and bmi in a complex formula that yields the proper ratio of drugs(in hours high), sex, steroids(dosage size), and more drugs(double doses). Use the formula m/kg+g(bmi)+drgs~[OD] which will give you the ultimate ski phisique
Sep 27 2013 12:50AM
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BlackcountryBill
Posts: 955 - Karma: 576
Piston squats.

Sep 27 2013 9:37AM
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