Training Tips for Skiing

Preparing for the activity ahead has many benefits and helps to reduce the risk of injury but above all makes your experience more enjoyable as you don’t have to deal with all that muscle soreness.

Not planning on skiing any time soon? Consider this some guidance for your winter training routine.

How far in advance should we start preparing our body physically?

Like any other sports, the more preparation the better but 4-6 weeks targeted training will get you ready. If you left it too late even a 2 weeks intense training would help you save the day.

Which muscles are used most when skiing?

The big muscles used when skiing will be the lower body – mainly your glutes, quads, hamstrings and adductors are targeted heavily.  You will know about this after a couple of days as these areas will be aching. Your core also gets a good workout too.

During PT sessions make sure you cover all strength areas whilst also working on your cardiovascular fitness so you can keep going up and down those mountains all day long. A simple workout with 6-8 exercises would be enough to train all the key areas effectively. Mixing some single leg movements with double leg exercises is a perfect approach to ensure you are making the most of your workout and preparing yourself for the mountains.

Which exercises would be beneficial for someone who is worried about keeping their balance?

Developing strength and stability on both one and two legs is very important. Exercises like hip thrusts, split squats, lunges, step ups and single-leg leg press are all essential of any decent prep work for a skiing holiday.

What is the best way to warm up before we hit the slopes?

This section is always overlooked! While still inside in the warm room try to do around 10-15minutes of basic stretches that target the back, hips and the muscles around those areas combine this with some active mobility and stability exercises for your core, glutes, hamstrings, adductors and quads for and enjoyable first run and great experience.

What should we do after a skiing session to help muscle recovery?

At the end of each session spend at least 5 minutes performing static stretches on the areas that feel most tired and used like quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes. Or book yourself a massage, practice yoga or have an assisted stretch to get a full body re-set and most effective recovery before the next day’s skiing session.

Suggested Training Program

Below is an example training programme, typically carried out over a 4 – 6 week period prior to a skiing trip to maximise your potential on the slopes. If you’re new to this type of exercise, completing days 1-4 is the recommended starting point, ensuring you take time to recover & refuel and as the weeks pass, work towards increasing to 6 days a week.

Day One: Leg Strength and Cardio

Pick 3 of below five leg exercises, complete as outlined. Rest period 30 second between sets.

  •  Classic Squats: 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions (reps).
  • 666 Squats (Hell Squats): Do six sets of six reps taking six seconds to perform the squat. Rest one second at the bottom, then take six seconds to lift back to the upright position. Go LIGHT on weights.
  • Leg Press: 3 sets of 12-15 reps. Alternate between seated leg presses and standing leg presses on different days.
  • Lunges: 3 sets of 12-15 reps holding dumbbells. Make sure to use weight you can handle to complete a full set of reps.
  • Kettle Bell Sumo Squats: 4 sets of 10-15 reps.
  • Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps using heavy weights.
  • Cardio: At a steady pace, aim to complete 20-30 minutes on the stair climber.

 

Day Two: Upper Body with Functional Core Focus

  • 4 sets of 40-50 mountain climbers progressing into maximum number of push ups to failure, which is doing as many as you can.
  • 4 sets of 10-15 reps of burpee (push-up with a vertical jump).
  •  4 sets of 10-20 reps super setting (going back to back) high lateral pulls to low pulley rows.
  • 4 sets of 25 to 50 reps of core holds (sitting with your legs off the ground and slightly leaned back) and shoulder pressing light weights using dumbbells or a medicine ball.
  • 3 sets of 60-100 boxing shadow punches while holding 5 to 10 pound dumbbells. Use your core in the twisting motion while throwing punches.
  • 3 sets of 20 reps of V-ups. (A V-up is a core exercise that works the upper and lower abdominals. It requires you to lift your arms and legs off the floor at the same time using your abdominal muscles.)
  • 3 sets of 100 bicycle crunches.

 

Day Three: Interval Cardio Day

  • Treadmill: 20 minutes of walking or jogging on an incline
  • Bike or Elliptical: 10-15 minutes (HIIT 30sec hard:30sec recovery)
  • Rowing Machine: 10 minutes (medium to high intensity)
  • Jumping Rope: 5 minutes

 

Day Four: Ski Specific Exercises for Endurance Day

  • 3 sets of 50-60 reps of body weight squats on a flipped over BOSU ball.
  • 3 sets of 20 side slide lunges per leg, with gliding disk.
  • 4 sets of 20 box jumps.
  • 4 sets of 1-2 minute planks.
  • 4 sets of one minute 90 degree squat on elliptical. Use the stationary handles while going in the forward motion on the elliptical, extend your arms all the way back while holding on, lower yourself to a 90-degree angle while still rotating your legs forward.
  • 3 sets of body-weight lunges to failure.

 

Day Five: Full-Body Day–Circuit Style

Perform each of these exercises once for 30-45 seconds, getting as many repetitions as possible with a 20 second rest between each exercise. Then repeat the circuit 3-4 times or for 60 to 75 minutes depending on your level of fitness.

  • Jump squats
  • Jumping jacks
  • Squats with dumbbell presses
  • Medicine ball twists
  • Pushups
  • Lat pulls
  • Bench dips
  • Jumping or walking lunges
  • Side raise and then front raises with dumbbells
  • Plank
  • Mountain climber
  • Swiss ball crunches
  • 90-degree squat hold

 

Day six: Core and Endurance Cardio

  •  3 sets of 50 reps of crunch with twists
  • 3 sets of burnout Swiss ball crunches going to failure.
  • 3 sets of burnout leg lift to failure.
  • 3 sets of 20-30 hyper extensions on the floor.45 to 60 minutes of jogging, power-incline walking, elliptical, rowing machine, bike or stair climbing (try to do a mixture of 2-3 of the above if you get bored easily).