| p>Don't miss another powder day with an injury or | | | | correct) that can create excessive stress on the |
| weak legs that can't ski more than a half day! | | | | back and possible injury there and/or in the knees. |
| Every time I read a skiing magazine or see another | | | | Now what about wall squats (aka "wall sits")? Well, |
| so called "expert" recommending ski-specific | | | | although almost every skiing fitness program in |
| workouts, I have to cringe when I see some of the | | | | existence seems to recommend this exercise for |
| exercises recommended! After all, isn't the goal of an | | | | skiers, I don't find it to be optimal. I will say that it's a |
| effective skier fitness training routine to reduce | | | | step in the right direction compared to the |
| injuries while simultaneously building incredible strength | | | | machine-based exercises that I mentioned previously. |
| and endurance in your legs and core? | | | | However, wall squats are still not a truly effective |
| Of course that's the goal... we all want to tear up the | | | | exercise that carries over directly to strength and |
| slopes as long as possible, avoid the dreaded "jello | | | | endurance throughout the entire range of motion |
| legs" that might cut our day of skiing short, and also | | | | that the legs use during skiing. This exercise can be |
| prevent those nagging injuries that might cut our | | | | mildly effective since even an isometric exercise held |
| season short. | | | | for endurance in one joint angle will still carry over to |
| The problem I've seen with traditional workout | | | | a slightly wider range of motion, but I actually have |
| routines that are being recommended for skiers are | | | | at least a dozen exercises that are MUCH more |
| that they not only use inefficient exercises that don't | | | | effective than wall squats. |
| carry over that well to actual skiing movements, but | | | | One of the other major faults that I've found with |
| also may even be setting you up for an injury. For | | | | typical ski workout fitness routines is that they often |
| example, if you've seen workout routines that are | | | | neglect achieving a proper joint strength balance |
| recommending machine leg presses, machine leg | | | | (proper strength ratios between quadriceps, |
| extensions, and machine leg curls, please run | | | | hamstrings, etc). Although skiing demands a lot of |
| screaming from that workout recommendation as | | | | work from your quadriceps and less work from your |
| fast as you can! It will only set you up for injury, and | | | | hamstrings and glutes, it is still vitally important for |
| won't even help your goal of strength and endurance | | | | injury prevention to maintain proper strength ratios |
| that's actually applicable to skiing movements. | | | | between all of the muscle groups of the lower body |
| The same can be said if you see authors | | | | and also make sure the small stabilizer muscles |
| recommending smith machine squats or any smith | | | | around the joints are properly strengthened. This is |
| machine exercises whatsoever... they should all be | | | | yet another factor that's lacking in most skier |
| avoided as smith machine movements follow | | | | workout programs. |
| unnatural movement patterns (not biomechanically | | | | |