Warm up before a workout or ski day

One of the advantages of working with my personal trainer is that she figures out some warm up exercises before I start doing the real work.  Below are a couple examples of warm up sequences.

Ski Day warm up, 5-10 min, using a resistance band

It happens that these videos were not created by Americans.  The first is from Australia and the second is from a fitness company in London.  I've come across a lot of good ski conditioning videos from Australia.  The first video is from a ski workout webpage that geared more for younger skiers who are hard chargers.

Ski Workout - Fitness for Snow

The tips for preparing for a big ski trip include comments about ski lessons as well as getting enough sleep.  A bit different approach than Americans who give advice how to prepare for a ski vacation.

TIPS TO GET YOU READY FOR YOUR SKI TRIP

1. Start your ski fitness program at least six to eight weeks before your trip.  Target ski-specific muscles. Make sure you get a program that really works the thighs, butt, and core stabilisers. The legs will predominantly be working eccentrically throughout skiing to maintain your squat position and stabilise throughout uneven terrain, so ensure your training incorporates eccentric leg extensor exercises.

1. Keep up the ski lessons on the snow to ensure correct technique.
2. Warm up with some easy runs and stretches before challenging yourself further when out on the slopes.
3. Allow time for rest and refuelling. Schedule in regular drink (high quality water) and food breaks. Watch the quality of food on the mountain. You may want to travel with home-prepared snacks.
4. Keep in mind that although the slopes are enticingly less crowded at the end of the day, fatigue can set in and cause some grief. Monitor your energy levels and focus on maintaining good technique.
5. Aim for 8 hours sleep each night, which is actually hard not to do since you’ll be quite exhausted from a day’s skiing, and avoid late nights of drinking. Becoming intoxicated hammers your neuromuscular system which will not be in the best shape to provide adequate support the following day and your ski trip could turn fairly expensive medically!
6. Find good quality and correctly fitting boots, skis, bindings and consider clothing that breathes, conserves heat or cools by evaporation.
7. Have fun!

FreeMotion machines for strength training

When I changed fitness centers a couple years ago, a bonus was that the new one has FreeMotion machines.  Although the main reason for the change is that the new one is only a mile from my house.  It was completed a year after I first started looking for a place to work out that had machines and fitness classes.

I haven't used the FreeMotion machines that often yet, but like the concept.  Appreciate being able to do variations even on the machines that are focused on one muscle group.  Also like being able to do single leg/arm exercises easily.  Some exercises are much more similar to TRX versions than what's available on traditional strength training machines.  The advantage over the TRX is the ability to move beyond body weight when ready.

Using FreeMotion for back muscles

FreeMotion Squat - a training video for personal trainers

Overview of the FreeMotion concept - a marketing video

Ski conditioning 20-min workout with kettle bells, TRX

This is an example of an intense 20 min workout.  Not sure I would ever do the entire workout, which includes 3 reps for each series.  Might do 2 reps though.  More interested in the components selected.  Starts with strength work with kettle bells, then a few TRX exercises, then a leg blaster series of squats and lunges (25, 25, 25, 25).  I remember doing the leg blaster for a few weeks with the TRX with my personal trainer a couple years ago.

Progressive approach to pistol squats

The pistol squat is a single leg exercise that builds leg strength and improves ankle flexibility, which is helpful once someone is past the beginner stage on skis.  This is one of those exercises where it's important to do a progression to build up to the final version.  Below are several progression ideas.

1-min Introduction to Pistol Squat Progression

Progression in a fitness center

Working from the bottom up is another approach that may be good for people who need to work on ankle and hip flexibility.  Click on the link for a detailed explanation and videos.

Pistol Squat Tutorial

The following progression for a modified pistol squat is based on working next to a counter top.

• With a hand on the counter top, go 1/4 of the way down on one leg and hold for 10 seconds.  Use the arm and both legs to return to standing.  As you get stronger, go down lower and hold. 
• Next work on eccentric muscle.  Go as slow as you can to the end of your range and hold.  Stand up using the arm and both legs.
• After mastering a slow descent and the hold, use the bent leg to power up to a standing position.  Use the arm as needed.
• The last step for the modified pistol squat is to take the hand off the counter top.

The TRX can be useful for developing proper form for pistol squats.  In general, the extra support from the TRX makes it easier to do deeper squats of any kind.

TRX with a ski conditioning focus

When I first started using the TRX, it was fall.  I was most interested in exercises that were directly related to ski conditioning.  There are probably thousands of videos online involving the TRX.  These are a few that helped me get a feel for the advantages of using a TRX.  Ski conditioning should include working on strength, flexibility, balance, power, and cardio.  With the TRX, it's easy to do exercises that cover more than one aspect at the same time.

The first video is based on a standard set up for TRX is usually in a fitness center.

Examples of squats, lunges, adding power

Basic exercises while wearing a weighted vest

Using a weighted vest for improving bone health does not require doing exercises.  It can help even when only worn during daily living.  However, wearing one while exercising enhances the impact.  Note that the lunges in the video are also great for ski conditioning.  So are the jumps for those who have knees that are ready for that much exercise.

BOSU basics for ski conditioning

The first item I bought to use at home for knee rehab in 2012 was a BOSU®.  The BOSU is a half-dome balance trainer that can be found in many fitness centers.  I was using one for physical therapy pretty early in the process.  The key use then was to improve 1-leg balance for the injured leg.  Later on, I learned that there are lots of exercises using a BOSU that are good for skiing.

The following exercises were put together for a National Ski Patrol meeting several years ago.  As she mentions, a few of them are easy to do when watching TV.  Improving balance doesn't really take that much effort if you spend 5-10 min a day doing something.