Don't miss any powder day's this ski season from jello legs or injuries!
Every time I sit down to read a skiing magazine or see another so called 'expert' recommending specific exercises for skier's, I have to cringe when I see some of the workouts they recommend! After all, isn't the goal of an effective skier fitness training routine to reduce injuries while at the same time building incredible strength and endurance in your legs and core?
We all want to tear up the slopes as long as possible each day and avoid the dreaded 'jello legs' that might cut our day of skiing in half, and even prevent those nagging injuries that may even cut our season short.
I see the problem with traditional exercise routines that are being recommended for skiers are that they not only use inefficient workouts that don't carry over that well to actual skiing mechanics, but also may even be setting you up for an injury. For example, if you've seen workout routines that are recommending machine leg presses, mechanical leg extensions, and machine leg curls, please run screaming from that workout recommendation as fast as you can! It will only set you up for injury, and won't even help your goal of strength and endurance that's actually applicable to skiing mechanics.
The same can be said if you see authors recommending smith machine squats or any smith machine workouts whatsoever... they should all be avoided as smith mechanical movements follow unnatural patterns (which are not biomechanically correct) that can create excessive stress on the back and possible injury there and/or in the knees.
Now what about wall squats workouts (aka 'wall sits')? Almost every fitness program for skier's in existence recommends this skiing workout, I don't find it to be the best. It's a step in the right direction compared to machine based workouts that I mentioned previously. But, wall sits are still not a great and effective exercise that carries over directly to strength and endurance throughout the entire range of motion that your legs use during a day on the slopes. This workout can be mildly effective since even an isometric exercise held for endurance in one joint angle will still carry over to a slightly wider range of motion, but I actually have at least a dozen workouts that are MUCH more effective than wall squats.
One of the other major faults that I've found with typical exercise ski fitness routines that often neglect getting a proper joint to strength balance (proper ratios of strength between hamstrings, quadriceps, etc). Skiing demands a lot of work from your quad's and less work from your ham's and glute's, it is still very important for injury prevention to maintain proper strength ratios between the muscle groups of your body and to make sure the smaller stabilizer muscles around the joints are correctly strengthened. This is another factor that's left out in most ski centered exercise programs.
Want to know all of the specific workouts that really work in developing rock solid legs that will never quit on you while you are out on the slopes? Visit here for the best Ski Conditioning exercises and learn the best kept secrets. - 15343
Every time I sit down to read a skiing magazine or see another so called 'expert' recommending specific exercises for skier's, I have to cringe when I see some of the workouts they recommend! After all, isn't the goal of an effective skier fitness training routine to reduce injuries while at the same time building incredible strength and endurance in your legs and core?
We all want to tear up the slopes as long as possible each day and avoid the dreaded 'jello legs' that might cut our day of skiing in half, and even prevent those nagging injuries that may even cut our season short.
I see the problem with traditional exercise routines that are being recommended for skiers are that they not only use inefficient workouts that don't carry over that well to actual skiing mechanics, but also may even be setting you up for an injury. For example, if you've seen workout routines that are recommending machine leg presses, mechanical leg extensions, and machine leg curls, please run screaming from that workout recommendation as fast as you can! It will only set you up for injury, and won't even help your goal of strength and endurance that's actually applicable to skiing mechanics.
The same can be said if you see authors recommending smith machine squats or any smith machine workouts whatsoever... they should all be avoided as smith mechanical movements follow unnatural patterns (which are not biomechanically correct) that can create excessive stress on the back and possible injury there and/or in the knees.
Now what about wall squats workouts (aka 'wall sits')? Almost every fitness program for skier's in existence recommends this skiing workout, I don't find it to be the best. It's a step in the right direction compared to machine based workouts that I mentioned previously. But, wall sits are still not a great and effective exercise that carries over directly to strength and endurance throughout the entire range of motion that your legs use during a day on the slopes. This workout can be mildly effective since even an isometric exercise held for endurance in one joint angle will still carry over to a slightly wider range of motion, but I actually have at least a dozen workouts that are MUCH more effective than wall squats.
One of the other major faults that I've found with typical exercise ski fitness routines that often neglect getting a proper joint to strength balance (proper ratios of strength between hamstrings, quadriceps, etc). Skiing demands a lot of work from your quad's and less work from your ham's and glute's, it is still very important for injury prevention to maintain proper strength ratios between the muscle groups of your body and to make sure the smaller stabilizer muscles around the joints are correctly strengthened. This is another factor that's left out in most ski centered exercise programs.
Want to know all of the specific workouts that really work in developing rock solid legs that will never quit on you while you are out on the slopes? Visit here for the best Ski Conditioning exercises and learn the best kept secrets. - 15343
About the Author:
Discover the most effective butt, thigh and core exercises with skier Ryan L. Freeman, and grab some free core exercise workouts and your free ebook, Insider Secrets to a Lean Body.