Advanced Fitness Program for Skiing

The following advanced fitness program is designed to give both seasoned skiers of above average ability and very fit gym users, slightly more fitness and strength. This will help you cope with a more rigorous on piste session that you will want on your ski holiday!

With slightly more targeted exercises for muscle groups, you will find that our advanced fitness program will help target specific ski muscle groups that you will be using with your more technical skiing sessions.

From more core strength to upper body flexibility it will help you cope with any black run, mogul or off piste conditions and ensure you can keep going all day.

Remember to ensure you are technically capable of keeping your form when doing the exercises. This will be vital to your completing the exercises without aggravating, or inititating, an injury.

Workout Routine

Warm-up for 5 to 10 minutes using a cardio exercise (rowing, biking, walking, running, cross-trainer etc)
If you feel pain or a muscle twinge - stop!
Minimise rest between exercises - less than 1 minute
End your workout with stretching and a warm down
Aim to do 60 mins, 3 non-consecutive days a week, taking at least one day of rest between workouts
Supersets: To increase your muscle endurance, perform supersets of the exercises - that is, set up two exercises (one upper body, one lower body) and alternate sets without resting. This turns your strength workout into an excellent interval workout

Advanced Program Guidelines

For our advanced fitness plan we assuming you already exercise regularly (at least 3-4 days per week) and that you can ski a full week with a reasonable level of competence. You will have had 6 or more weeks of skiing.

We recommend you start exercising with our program at least 12 weeks before you go skiing or snowboarding and you perform three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions (reps) with a rest of less than 60 seconds between each set.

Rest between each exercise should only be as long as it takes you to set up the next one. Allow 10 minutes at the end to cool down and stretch.

Throughout the workout, concentrate on breathing correctly - do not hold your breath during an exercise. Breathe in and expand your chest to prepare to do the exercise, then as you perform the exercise breathe out while simultaneously drawing your belly button inwards towards your spine.

Ready?

WARM-UP

5 to 10 minutes cardio (medium exertion on bike, rower, treadmill etc - enough to work up a sweat)

Stretch all muscles carefully which takes about 10 minutes, no bouncing on any stretches!

Exercises (in any order)

Ensure you do THREE sets of each exercise

Bicycles

Great for abs and obliques (side abdominals) to target twisting and rotation strength

Click here for a description of how to perform »

Crunches on a ball

Even more effective thanks to the instability of the exercise ball

Click here for a description of how to perform »

The Plank

Lower back as well as your abs/trunk ~ core strength

Click here for a description of how to perform »

** Do two of the above three each time you workout - the variety is good for you.

Squats

Probably the best all round leg exercise going - one not to ignore!!

Click here for a description of how to perform »

Lunges

Isolates each leg so you can't cheat but works same muscles as squats. Be careful not to put too much pressure on knee!

Click here for a description of how to perform »

Calf Raises

Either standing or seated, and are best done as an endurance exercise.

Click here for a description of how to perform »

Squat Jumps - Plyometrics

This one provides great strength and stamina for your leg muscles and core.

Click here for a description of how to perform »

Ski Jumps

Stand with feet together. Bend the knees and jump to the right as far as you can - think of jumping laterally rather than vertically. Land with soft knees and immediately jump laterally to the left.

Do 20 reps.

Pull Ups