Back on the slopes, you can go back to skiing and the question that, let’s face it, we ask ourselves every year returns: “How can I set up a workout for my legs and core before going back on skis or snow?”.
If you are a regular skier or female skier, you know perfectly well that athletic preparation for ski mountaineering is an obligatory step that everyone should do before putting their boots back on. If, on the other hand, you have never skied, ski occasionally or more simply are planning a ski week during the winter holidays, know that preparing yourself with what are called dry workouts for skiing is of fundamental importance to increase resistance and at the same time reduce the risk of injury.
In this article, we’ll give you all the information you need to set up a leg workout that will get you back on the snow strong and safe.
What muscles are involved in ski mountaineering?
You can’t talk about training if you don’t first know the basic notions on the anatomy of the muscles that are used during our skiing.
During ski mountaineering, the muscles that are most intensely involved are:
- Quadriceps;
- Hamstrings;
- Buttocks;
- All the muscle groups of the torso, what is now referred to as the core to use a trendy term.
The calves are also used minimally, but being closed inside the boots and therefore practically immobilized, they mostly cover a more general function of support and stability.
It should also be noted that skiers of a certain level in the different maneuvers also tend to exploit the muscles of the upper part of the body, especially the pectorals, triceps and deltoids.
Briefly : the most important muscle groups for human mobility are involved in skiing and it is precisely for this reason that it is of fundamental importance to arrive prepared on the snow. Let’s see how.
Squats, squats, squats
Before even talking about tone and muscle growth, we need to talk about stability. In fact, the most common accidents on skis are not in fact linked to fractures or muscle damage but to ligament injuries, mainly of the knees. If you happen to talk about it with someone who skis frequently or with your instructor, the amount of people who have injured themselves during breaks and not during the descent will seem ridiculous .
Very often, therefore, this kind of accident is due to the inexperience of the skier but also to a lack of “structural solidity” which allows him to stay stable on the ski. The solution? Do a lot of bodyweight work.
Bodyweight squat exercises are the best way to work on leg stability and an initial increase in muscle tone, they are also easy to do at home without any type of equipment.
We give you some tips:
- Squat as deep as possible to stimulate knee stability;
- Once the “classic” squat has been mastered, it begins to vary, perhaps alternating a bend with a lateral movement, a front kick or a hop. In this way the support will vary and the joints will be stimulated in different directions.
- Perform them both dynamically and very slowly, in this way you will stimulate both the white and red muscles;
- If possible, include balance boards or other similar equipment in your workouts.
Training with barbells and weights
Going to work on the muscles is also of fundamental importance to build the correct physical structure that will help us ski easily.
In fact, remember that ski mountaineering is not a completely aerobic sport : during the descents you face moments in which you have to maintain the position even for prolonged periods and counteract the “blows” that the snow gives us along the way. Arriving with fit muscles will help you not only not hurt yourself but also not be completely knocked out after your first day on the slopes.
You can buy equipment on the internet on specialized sites like this one or request a specific training card at the gym.
In principle, the most common exercises are squats with a barbell behind the neck or with weights or lunges as varied as possible, always holding weights in hand.
NB: this kind of exercises then become of fundamental importance for those who plan to practice off-piste on fresh snow .
Go out and run!
Running is one of the best allies in any type of athletic preparation, but in the case of alpine skiing training it also has something extra.
On the one hand it will allow you to improve your aerobic capacity and, therefore, have more resistance on the ski slopes, and on the other, being an impact sport, it will help you stabilize your lower joints and get your knees used to being solicited with a certain frequency and force.
However, remember that if you have never run you must start calmly, alternating moments of running with fast walking, prefer smooth but not too hard surfaces such as regular lawns and dirt roads, buy the right running shoes and be patient. Running is one of the most rewarding but at the same time most stressful disciplines for the body of a person who is not completely fit.
Include jogging in your ski training plan but don’t overdo it !
Don’t forget the abdomen and torso
Although the core muscle groups are not directly involved in skiing, they are fundamental in your ski touring training schedule, especially from a general stability point of view.
The most classic modalities are the classic abdominals performed in both frontal and lateral crunches perhaps interspersed with both static and dynamic planks, both frontal and lateral.
If, on the other hand, you really don’t want to do this kind of exercise, a very valid alternative for these muscle groups is yoga and pilates. In fact, these two disciplines, although they do not help to create muscle mass, are able to act on both the internal and external walls of the thoracic muscles and help to develop balance and stability, especially when practicing standing positions.