Pre Ski School Work Out - Off Season Training?

[BrennanKMN]

I am going down to Orlando for 5 days in January and all 5 days will be spent skiing. So I want to be in shape before I go.

Unfortunately my ski season has already ended here, so I cannot train that way. Plus, I am only used to running 2-3 sets a week not 2-3 sets a day!

 

What types of activities or training can I do to get myself into better skiing shape? I would like to work a lot on my endurance as I believe that is what will kill me the most over the 5 days. I am usually wiped after a 10-12 pass set. I do have access to a gym with machines, but I would really like to avoid it if I can (it's overly crowded).

 

What do you guys recommend? I would like to start training now for January. If I am going to take the time to go to school I might as well take the time to get something out of it.

 

Thanks.

[gregy]

You need to do some weight training or cross training. Something to keep your muscle strength up. Or some folks here do yoga. Last winter I did weight training 3 times a week and cordio work the otherdays, either rowing machine or recumbent bike. I do about 20 min of recumbent bike or elliptical before I weight train also to warm up my muscles.

[The_MS]

Hockey

[MISkier]

If at all possible, take a trip to a warmer place about 1 week before your trip and ski several sets in one day or free ski extensively. I have found that the only way to get through the pain of restarting ski season is to do it, feel the pain, and recover. Then, when you go to ski school, you will have eliminated that initial muscle conditioning - or at least reduced its intensity on your body.

 

I have not found an exercise or training method yet that replaces the actual skiing and will allow you to immediately return to slalom with no muscle pain.

 

In the past, before going to Florida, we have tried to at least free ski on some open water in drysuits to handle the conditioning curve.

[TallSkinnyGuy]

At the end of Andy Mapple video hosted by Gordon Rathbun, Gordon suggests doing a specific exercise to get into skiing shape in the off season. He recommends hooking up a ski rope to a tree or something solid and doing a series of leans on both sides just like you were skiing behind a boat. He makes a comment about how it is hard to find an exercise that works out the same group of muscles that skiing does, so it is best to actually simulate skiing with the workout. I planned on trying that in the spring before next season starts in hopes of minimizing the muscle pain at the beginning of the season.

[rq0013]

P90x 3. 30min workouts

[Chris Taylor]

http://ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/11246/in-season-off-season-workouts

 

Here is a thread I started about this and my off season workout, its a kick in the ass for sure !

[kstateskier]

lots and lots of pullups. lots and lots of lat pulls.

[Than_Bogan]

One of the toughest things to prepare is your HANDS! Warm water for a lot of sets can shred 'em.

 

I know some rowers (and maybe @MattP can say more) used to swear by dousing their hands in rubbing alcohol several times per day to harden the skin, but I don't know if that really works.

 

Anyhow, wear kevlar inserts right from the start, even if you normally don't. And have a plan for taping and/or even more padding if your hands get shredded anyhow!

[Klundell]

Rower, pull ups (I prefer kipping because it will get that hard stretch on the bicep that you get in skiing), but multiples of heavy hang cleans are by far the best for breaking in ski muscles (Trap, Biceps, even hands). I really didn't have any soreness to begin my season this year.

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

Definitely want to increase your endurance, go to the gym 3-4 times a week for an hour, 30min weight lifting the other cardio. Work on your back, legs and especially the core. For cardio try the bike, treadmill and my favorite the stair master, by far the best thing for cardio. It

will help you last longer in sets to make them more productive, as @Than_Bogan‌ said your hands will give you trouble, If you get blisters, try putting lemon on it, hurts like heck, but will speed the processing of healing.

[MattP]

@Than_Bogan‌ I have been in the sport a decade and I have never heard that used as a way to harden hands. Lifting weights, pull-ups, ergging, and rowing harden hands also manual labor does the trick.

Taping will help if done the right way. I know nothing about glove liners ect. Just make sure your gloves fit properly. I see so many skiers wearing gloves that are too big for them. They should be impossible or almost impossible to get on while dry and when wet they should require some work to get on. Eliminating the extra fabric will prevent the bunching and friction caused by big gloves. If blisters open up crack a vitamin E capsule on them and let it dry it will not hurt and helps the healing process as well as taking away the sting. Allowing blisters to air dry is the best thing. Trim the extra skin and use a pumice stone on calluses to keep them from ripping off or open down the road.

 

Skiing is more of a leg sport than your realize or remember in the off season DONT SKIP LEG DAY in the gym. @Colebrah‌ is right keep up the cardio and work on the core strength. I prefer the erg but I am a bit biased in my workout routine. Don't forget to do a yoga class a few times a week and proper stretching before and after working out.

This reminds me my season is coming to an end and I will need to start hitting the gym for 2015...

[lpskier]

Agree about P90X, or better yet call Brian Kreis and get him to make you a specialized program. I use Brian and recommend him highly. http://www.skyfitness.us/home.html Brian can have you in great shape by the time you are ready to go ski.

[lpskier]

Following up on Than's comment, make sure you are wearing gloves that fit. I find I can wear a large kevlar liner (that lasts longer than a smaller size for me) and a small 41 Tail glove, and I never have hand problems, warm water, cold water or hot water. If the glove fits when you try it on in the store, it is too big. A good glove won't fit correctly until it is both wet and broken in.

[jhughes]

We try to ski somewhere warm at least once per winter. Last February was the first "off-season" start that I've had where I had plenty of energy after each pass and was barely sore at all the next day. The difference? Crossfit 3x a week. Heavy legs, heavy cardio, heavy core, heavy intensity. While there's no true ski substitute this was the closest I've had to getting me in shape for skiing.

[BrennanKMN]

Thanks for all the comments guys!

I am definitely going to invest in some good gloves. My hands were pretty torn up at the end of this season. I went really hard my last few sets. (You have to when your season ends mid august. :( )

 

I think at this point I am going to do a cardio/lift combo.

Cardio M W F and Lifting T Th.

Any specific weight training you would recommend? I was thinking lots of core, squats and pull ups.

[wtrskior]

@BrennanKMN‌ I have been using the TRX. Suspension straps. Great for skiing and easy to use anywhere.

[JohnCox]

Although with my arm injury next year may be different, I've managed not to be sore for the last 2 or 3 years when I started back skiing, and I haven't had a hand issue for as long as I can remember (again, I suspect this year will be different). I train with weights, period. No DEDICATED cardio (I promise that my supersets and circuits work my heart just fine). I don't lift particularly heavy, but I do lift a lot. During a typical week in the winter, I will weight train between 8 and 11 times (yes, some doubles). I do mostly traditional exercises, but I do focus some things more towards things that will benefit my skiing (thighs, back, shoulders in ways that come close to loading the body in the same manner, although not as heavy, as skiing). As for my hands, until this year, they just stayed hard. In the summer I have skied a lot, and weight trained some, and weight train a lot in the winter. When I do weight train, I wear no gloves at all, no matter what I'm doing. Back, shoulder, and arm days really do a good job keeping the callouses worked in.

 

I don't know how advanced you are from a weight training standpoint, but give me your email address, and I'll be happy to send you my winter routine. It's a 4 day on, one day off program that hits everything...It does take time and effort. But has worked well for me