Don't miss any powder day's this season from weak legs or ski injuries!
Every time I sit down to read a skiing magazine or see another so called 'expert' recommending specific exercises for skier's, I have to cringe when I see some of the exercises they recommend! After all, isn't the goal of an effective skier fitness training routine to reduce injuries while at the same time building incredible strength and endurance in your legs and core?
We all want to tear up the slopes as long as possible each day and avoid the dreaded 'jello legs' that might slice our day of skiing in half, and even prevent those nagging injuries that may even cut our season short.
I see the problem with traditional workout routines that are being recommended for skiers are that they not only use inefficient exercises that don't carry over that well to actual skiing mechanics, but also may even be setting you up for an injury. For example, if you've seen workout routines that are recommending machine leg presses, machine leg extensions, and machine leg curls, please run screaming from that exercise recommendation as fast as you can! It will only set you up for injury, and won't even help your goal of strength and endurance that's actually applicable to skiing movements.
The same can be said if you see authors recommending smith machine squats or any smith machine exercises whatsoever... they should all be avoided as smith mechanical movements follow unnatural patterns (which are not biomechanically correct) that can create excessive stress on the back and possible injury there and/or in the knees.
Now what about wall squats workouts (aka 'wall sits')? Almost every fitness program for skier's in existence recommends this skiing exercise, I don't find it to be the best. It's a step in the right direction compared to machine based workouts that I mentioned previously. But, wall sits are still not a great and effective workout that carries over directly to strength and endurance throughout the entire range of motion that your legs use during a day on the slopes. This workout can be mildly effective since even an isometric exercise held for endurance in one joint angle will still carry over to a slightly wider range of motion, but I actually have at least a dozen exercises that are MUCH more effective than wall squats.
I have found some major faults with typical workout routines for the skier is that often they neglect getting a proper joint to strength balance (proper strength ratios between hamstrings, quadriceps, etc). Although skiing demands a lot of work from your quad's and less work from your hams and glutes, it is still really important for injury prevention to maintain proper strength ratios between all of the muscle groups of your body and to make sure the stabilizer muscles around the joints are correctly strengthened. Another factor that's left out in most exercise programs.
Want to know all of the specific workouts that really work in developing rock solid legs that will never quit on you while you are out on the slopes? Visit here for the best Ski Conditioning exercises and learn the best kept secrets. - 15683
Every time I sit down to read a skiing magazine or see another so called 'expert' recommending specific exercises for skier's, I have to cringe when I see some of the exercises they recommend! After all, isn't the goal of an effective skier fitness training routine to reduce injuries while at the same time building incredible strength and endurance in your legs and core?
We all want to tear up the slopes as long as possible each day and avoid the dreaded 'jello legs' that might slice our day of skiing in half, and even prevent those nagging injuries that may even cut our season short.
I see the problem with traditional workout routines that are being recommended for skiers are that they not only use inefficient exercises that don't carry over that well to actual skiing mechanics, but also may even be setting you up for an injury. For example, if you've seen workout routines that are recommending machine leg presses, machine leg extensions, and machine leg curls, please run screaming from that exercise recommendation as fast as you can! It will only set you up for injury, and won't even help your goal of strength and endurance that's actually applicable to skiing movements.
The same can be said if you see authors recommending smith machine squats or any smith machine exercises whatsoever... they should all be avoided as smith mechanical movements follow unnatural patterns (which are not biomechanically correct) that can create excessive stress on the back and possible injury there and/or in the knees.
Now what about wall squats workouts (aka 'wall sits')? Almost every fitness program for skier's in existence recommends this skiing exercise, I don't find it to be the best. It's a step in the right direction compared to machine based workouts that I mentioned previously. But, wall sits are still not a great and effective workout that carries over directly to strength and endurance throughout the entire range of motion that your legs use during a day on the slopes. This workout can be mildly effective since even an isometric exercise held for endurance in one joint angle will still carry over to a slightly wider range of motion, but I actually have at least a dozen exercises that are MUCH more effective than wall squats.
I have found some major faults with typical workout routines for the skier is that often they neglect getting a proper joint to strength balance (proper strength ratios between hamstrings, quadriceps, etc). Although skiing demands a lot of work from your quad's and less work from your hams and glutes, it is still really important for injury prevention to maintain proper strength ratios between all of the muscle groups of your body and to make sure the stabilizer muscles around the joints are correctly strengthened. Another factor that's left out in most exercise programs.
Want to know all of the specific workouts that really work in developing rock solid legs that will never quit on you while you are out on the slopes? Visit here for the best Ski Conditioning exercises and learn the best kept secrets. - 15683
About the Author:
Discover the most effective butt, thigh and core exercises with skier Ryan L. Freeman, and get your free core exercise workouts and download the free ebook, Insider Secrets to a Lean Body.
