Best way to get in skiing shape ?

[jetpilotg4]

Back in the day , I could just strap a ski on and go .... Now that I'm longer in the tooth , strentgh and stamina are at a premium ... What do some of you guys do in the weight room , and cross training to get you to your best skiing form the quickest ?

 

Thanks

[skialex]

For me there are no magic tricks. This sounds like starting a diet a week before summer holidays and expecting unrealistic results.

I think that the only thing you can do the very last minute is to strap a ski on your feet and ski in ski shape, but take it easy by running lots of openers and easy passes.

[The_MS]

Hockey and riding bike.

[Lovell]

Offseason pull ups helped my forearms this year.

[dbutcher]

Ski year round and never get out of shape (if your water doesn't freeze).

[rayn]

HiiT. High intensity interval training. Deadlifts and pull-ups

[jimski]

ski

[Ausbun324]

Get a dirt bike and ride some motocross

[ozski]

Rowing machine - back, legs, cardio... It hits all the right buttons.

[MarkTimm]

Crossfit, Hit it hard in the off season and back off but don't stop during your ski season.

[ozski]

@Lovell genius.

[Orlando76]

+1 rowing machine. I did it this year and it really helps, I've never felt better.

[Than_Bogan]

I'd be likely to trust whatever @rayn says. Might be the fittest skier in our region. (And after an off-season in FL I'm eager to see his skiing this season!)

[JohnCox]

I train with weights year round. Heavy at times. 6-7 days a week. Works well for me

[rayn]

The real answer is to do what Jenny Labaw tells you to do. Lots of ballers do/have used her with great success. @Than_Bogan I hope what I learned and changed can travel with me back up north.

[Wolfeie]

Train year round, and have a 9 month ski season. At 59 I play ice hockey 2x week,

ride my bike 5x week, lift weights 4-5x, do pull-ups during weekdays when not

skiing. Started season with 4 pass sets, 2-3 sets per weekend.

[Texas6]

JLB is the shi@, I'd recommend her to anyone

[Razorskier1]

@JohnCox is a freak of nature --

[Wish]

Says the guy that can bench a small car...with @JohnCox inside.

[bigtex2011]

I walk, over eat, get depressed and ski. then i drink,get fat,get depressed and ski. seems to work

[jhughes]

CrossFit for sure- Been doing it 3 years and every spring I experience almost zero soreness after my first sets. The "functional" movements are really what skiing is in many ways. You have one connection at your hands and another at your feet and everything in between gets worked over.

[keithh2oskier]

12 oz curls year round. I also sit in an ergonomic chair in front of a computer 8-10hrs/day so I am in a shape. Round is a shape right?

[Jody_Seal]

Nothing that I have found can get one in shape for sking other then just getting over the initial pain hump and just ski !!!

[MISkier]

For my lessons in FL a couple of weeks ago (after about 6 months off the water), I did this to get back into skiing shape (while not risking injury):

 

1. Free ski on open water as soon as it is liquid. Take at least two long runs with continual cutting/turning until you are tired.

2. After 4 days, repeat #1. Add a third run, if possible.

3. Take two sets of 6 passes on a course about 3 days after #2.

4. Take two more sets of 6-8 passes in a course about 3 days after #3.

 

After #4, continue increasing either passes or sets while simultaneously reducing time between ski days.

 

For me, #1 was March 13. Due to uncooperative weather, #3 was March 26. My lessons were April 4 and I was in reasonable skiing shape.

 

 

[ALPJr]

At 55 I've been doing a cross training regime for about 35 years which gets modified a little every couple years to avoid boredom and take care of some aches that come with age. Basically... 3 to 4 days per week various combinations of - sit ups, push ups, pull ups, back arches, squats, lunges, calf raises, dumbbell lifts, stretch, walk, run cycle, swim, and officiate 40 to 50 basketball games through the winter season, And there's always the yard and house work. Check out @jhughes article on mental fitness too.

[foxriverat]

@MS that's my workout too. Rode a quick 10 miles today for my 56th b day. And playing rat hockey tomorrow.

[david_quail]

If you have the time (and $) for it, +1 for Crossfit.

Lots of anaerobic, pull ups, deadlifts, core, rowing.

Plus ... it's a lot more fun than just hopping on the rower or heading to the gym for some pull ups and squats ...

[paul413ski]

Mountain bike 50 miles per week and try not to break any thing on the black runs reduce to 25 miles per week during the ski season

[skiinxs]

Gym workouts with weight training and elliptical for cardio. When you think you are in shape, you find out every year (why do I forget this every year) that you aren't even close. When I start skiing I try to run slow passes on the course on jumpers for a couple weeks before getting the slalom out. Seems to help. For me, if I can finally get on the slalom for a couple weeks with no injuries life is good. The older you get, the harder that is to do!

[OldboyII]

If I start not with weekend session but travel for skiing 7 or 10 days, for me having clincher gloves is must.

Because it is such an upset to sit on ponton on the day #3 with fingers done and see how others ski.

First week of the season grip is the only limiting factor for me...

 

To stay in shape - uphills on mountain bike help a lot. Cardio, strength & endurance in one glass ))

[epnault]

I workout 12 months a year with a focus on staying in the best shape for skiing. Crossfit is my favorite but I also like rowing and outdoor cycling. If you are asking at the end of April is late and going to a gym and working out won't be worth it. Might be the best to just start skiing and plow through the pains.

[bkreis]

@jetpilotg4 I create workouts for skiers and have had great success with those people both on and off season. pm me if your interested.

[aupatking]

Please, someone post "the perfect pull" machine. I love seeing that thing in threads. Makes my day! B)

To be clear, I'm sure there are a lot of good workout + diets that actually help. I'm just sure that thing doesn't. Cut Hard!

[LeonL]

After many years of this, I've come to believe that 75% of the soreness in the traps and upper back is due to deep water starts, as opposed to just skiing. It's the almost hyper extension of the arms going forward that occurs during the "get up", or at least the way I get up. I was less sore this year, and I think due to seated cable rows and upright rows, working rather hard at each.

[Razorskier1]

lots of dead lifts and high intensity intervals off season. On season --- SKI.

[Texas6]

+1 on offseason deadlifts. Although, I completely pass on deadlifts during the season unless I know I'm not skiing for a couple days

[GAJ0004]

In the offseason P90x Insanity hybrid the first three months of winter, then Insanity the second half of winter. Lots of biking and rollerblading when the weather permits. Lots of stretching.