Focus on eccentric exercise to build leg strength for skiing

Regardless of how you exercise, it helps to understand what "eccentric" means when it comes to muscle movement.  The opposite type is "concentric."  Doing squats or lunges is not as effective if you don't know which direction is an eccentric exercise.

Here is what I found in a Backcounty.com article:

"Think of concentric strength as “positive” strength. This is the strength you use to stand up from the bottom of a squat, or hike up a steep hill. Eccentric strength is “negative” strength. You use eccentric strength to lower yourself into the bottom of the squat, and hike down a steep hill. Eccentric strength absorbs force.

My observation at the fitness center is that some people tend to think that going faster is better when they are using fitness machines.  Meaning to the point that they ignore the speed warning provided by the machine.  They also tend to do relatively heavy weight that they cannot handle slowly.  For ski conditioning, a weight that can be handled slowly for 10-15 reps is more helpful in the long run.