Preparing for ski school - arms/back

[wtrskior]

Headed to ski school this fall a few times. First time I only have 3 days and want to ski every day, 2 sets.

 

I normally only ski about 5, maybe 6 sets a week during the season and I won't have skied for about a month by the time I go

 

What should I do to keep my arms and back from seizing up when I get to ski school? I've always found my arms are the hardest muscles to recover.

[Jordan]

Advil. Lots of Advil

[bigskieridaho]

Just do some weight training or workout straps. Pull-ups, back and core! Shouldn't be too bad after a month, don't do so much work, let the boat:)

[Chef23]

Pull-ups, deadlifts and body rows for me are all good for strengthening the arms, shoulders and backs. Add in lots of core and make sure to tape your hands and you should be fine.

 

Have fun.

[Stevie Boy]

Just done 16 days 24 sets. Fantastic Skiing, Phil Many Thanks Great Skiing with you.

 

Engage Core before skiing, 10 sit ups x3 + the plank and the cat

 

Stretch= Hamstrings, Touch Toes, Periformis.

 

Back= 9" Firm Ball (walmarts) Roll Back every morning, After every set, Before bed.

 

Arms= Deep water starts don't grip the handle, hook it like a rock climber ( save those fore arms

 

Hands= New Skin, Tape, Under Gloves, Pro Gear Gloves (not kevlar)

 

Body= Meds, Ibrofen, Advil, Solpadein Soluable,Tube of Salonpas (superb), plenty of crushed ice.

 

Aftercare= Deep Sports Massage on return to Home

[Texas6]

I would worry most about hands in that situation. Bring tape

[ejj]

Agree on the hands! Cannot emphasize this enough.

[UWSkier]

Yep. Duct tape, not athletic. Lets gloves slide across tape. Athletic tape is too tacky and the gloves won't slide. Tape from your first set. Don't wait for blisters, then tape.

[Porkfight]

Pro Locks or equivalent gloves seem to help. The difference between skiers using them and not using them during my four day stay was gruesome. Add tape and life is good.

 

It seems to be a bigger issue in warm to hot water.

[Horton]

I'm an old man so maybe I have different issues than the rest you guys but when I have to ski a lot it is endurance that kicks my ass. If I had to train for a number of days of skiing a lot of sets it might be just running ( because my swimming skills are terrible)

[wtrskior]

Thanks for the tips guys keep them coming. I sk in Florida a few times every fall so I know the drill with respect to my hands. I have vice gloves that I haven't used in years, could not get used to them and they wear a blister in an unusual spot. I need some liners and tape for sure.

 

My biggest concern is my arms and back. Part of my problem is I tend to pull to much.

 

Pull ups, rows, squats are all on the list now.

 

@Horton. I am a cyclist and usually ride a fair bit through October when skiing dies down in the north pole. At last it gives me a bit of upper body.

[Razorskier1]

Hands are the worst. Especially going to warm water from cooler water. I will also agree with @Horton. When I ski 3 sets a day with a coach, they typically let me go for 10-12 passes a set. Do that three times a day even two days in a row and I'm toast.

[mopowpow]

When you do your pull-ups, try slow ecsentrics. 2 counts up, pause, 20 counts down. You won't be able to do the 20 counts down right away, but work up to it. You will only be able to do about 1-3 reps since time under tension is longer for each rep. This is great for the ligaments and tendons.

[lpskier]

Where are you planning to ski?

[wtrskior]

@lpskier Swiss for this trip. My first time there, staying in an igloo too! Pumped

[lpskier]

Swiss is great. You'll have a blast. If you get some free time stop by LaPoints and say hi.

[dwfrech]

We ski in the NW USA. I have same thoughts as above about the hands. I wear latex gloves under my ski gloves. It seems to defeat the hand-destruction (like calluses being ripped off) for me. For fitness, there isn't a "magic recipe" I would say. Just have confidence you have done your workouts however they are, and that you have had time to get that done, before you head down there. I don't think skiing itself allows enough conditioning time to be its own workout. I can tell you an account from an F-15 pilot I met. I was talking with him about waterskiing. How intense it is while you are doing it, but also, what to do to get ready for it. He told me that while he was a pilot, in his free time he was either running or lifting weights to get ready for the endurance or short-term maximum-exertion aspects of flying a very advanced airplane. He seemed to understand waterskiing. I also will be going to Florida in early summer, 2017. This winter I may try a different workout scheme (like Crossfit) instead of the normal gym. I plan to bring the best assortment of food I can and get as much sleep as possible while there.

[pregom]

@Stevie Boy I am curious why you recommend Pro Gear Gloves but not kevlar. I just bought a pair of Radar Ergo-K gloves. You would have bought something else? I usually ski only on weekends, so I'm thinking my hands should have time to recover...

[pregom]

@Stevie Boy the question I asked above may be not clear. It originated from the "not kevlar" part of your recommendation, so I was wondering if your experience suggests that kevlar is not a good material for gloves.

[wtrskior]

I like kevlar in colder water. Warm water I like amara; it's softer on your hands.

 

I really don't think it's just the warmth of the water in Florida, there has to be something with the mineral content Compared to up north that destroys hands. It would make sense with how different the soil and ground water composition is.