Getting in Shape for Ski Season

It's always the next day that kills you. It's the one when you wake up after that first epic day of the ski season and you curse your aching body. You barely make it downstairs for breakfast and you wonder out loud how you should have gotten into shape before the season began. It's a harsh reality for a lot of us that love to ski, but the aches and pains that come with the first few ski sessions don't have to be so painful. With a little physical preparation you can ski longer, harder, and with less aches and pains .... even at the beginning of the season! So this year before you enjoy all the windburn, hot chocolate, and hard skiing getting a physical fitness plan should become a priority.

The Recovery

Whether your ski passion lies in the nordic or alpine discipline doesn't matter. Being out of shape when ski season comes around hurts. But burning out half way through the winter is equally a bummer, so you need some down time. Don't begin your training for the next ski season the day after the last one. Taking a few weeks or even as long as a couple of months off after the season to rest and recover is important. Maybe picking up your summer sport of choice here slowly is a good idea. Going for walks and just staying active while not pushing yourself physically is a good way to recover, it's called active rest. After the ski season your body is beat down, so take a few weeks of 'me' time to recover.

Building The Base

After your rest and recovery phase it's time to move in to laying a foundation for the ski season ahead. For 4-8 weeks, you'll want to develop some endurance in your body. Swimming is a great exercise for skiers as it encompasses the upper and lower bodies as well as your core. Building up your endurance by swimming laps, going for runs, rollerblading, and/or cycling is a great way to keep and improve your cardiovascular fitness, enabling you to feel fresh during those long ski days and not make the mistakes on the ski hill that come with fatigue. Slowly getting in to the gym is important too. Doing some high repetition / low weight sets are key. Shoot for a light weight that you can do 20 reps with. Pick a weight training program that hits your full body in one session and try to complete a few workouts a week. The key here is to build your muscle endurance, not to get extreme strength. Following a proper endurance training guideline is key, don't overtrain as burnout is common in endurance athletes that train too much. 3 light weight room sessions a week and 3 cardio sessions a week should be plenty. For routines, use your judgment or consult a professional and tell them your endurance goals.

Getting stronger

After you have a a solid endurance base, it's time to add some strength. For about 8 weeks. This should help you charge the hills harder, whether you are a nordic or alpine skier. Increasing the intensity in the weight room is a sure fire way to build some strength. Lower your reps and increasing the weight you lift will build your strength. Repetitions of 8-10 would be good and when 10 gets easy, increase your weight until you can barely lift 8. Once it gets easier again, repeat the process. It's also a good idea to split up your body parts in to different workouts as well, only working out each each body part about 3 times every two weeks. For your running, swimming, or cycling workouts, it would be a good time to add in some interval training. Intervals are short bursts of intense exercise followed by long slow 'recovery' phases. There are many great resources for running, swimming, and cycling interval workouts, but again, if your confused by any of this, seek the advice of a professional trainer.

Sport Specific Training

After a couple months of hard strength training, it's time to get more sport specific (skiing remember) for about a month before the season. Taking your high intensity workouts from the weight room to the gymnasium might be a great idea. Start doing explosive movements that mimic skiing. Things like lunges with dumbbells, squat jumps, medicine ball sit-ups with a twist for those pole-planting turns. Start doing wind-sprints to fire up that explosiveness. Push-ups to keep your upper body strong (think getting up when you fall). Take your ski poles and jump from side to side with deep exaggerated knee bends like you are skiing, doing it for a minute straight. Perform one legged squats, or practice balancing on a swiss ball or half plank to mimic the balance you'll need while skiing. Adding all these exercises into a circuit a few times a week will keep your workouts fun while activating the muscles you'll use most while skiing. It's also a good idea to keep a couple cardio workouts up throughout the week to maintain that aspect of your fitness. You can build your own circuit using the exercises I mentioned but the best way to get the most out of yourself is to hire a trainer a month before the season starts. They can tailor make a circuit program specifically for skiing and keep you motivated in the process.

Then, a week before your season opens, take some down time. Let your body recover and build from all the hard work you have put in during the off-season. Besides, your gonna need that energy for apres-ski dancing because you won't be so sore with all your proper fitness training!