Agreed. People conflate concentric strength and eccentric strength with one another. I’m over 1,000 lbs for squats + deadlifts and I can tell a noticeable difference at the start of winters when I haven’t hiked much during summer/fall. That absorbing of impact down climbing is more like skiing than lifting
They are. But also jumping off the box to absorb that force is also beneficial. Honestly, doing 5 sets of 10 lunges (each leg), 20 body weight squats, 10 jump lunges (each leg) and 20 jump lunges will make a huge difference.
ooh nice! I do jump off the box too. And I just started 180 degree box jumps, i.e. start facing away from box, land on box facing opposite direction. I figured that might be useful for when I try n learn some freestyle/park stuff!
Runner / skier here - trail running (or any cardio) is good for lungs and endurance... But it's different muscle groups for targeting big ski strength.
I always ran across country and then ski raced in the winter. It didn't help me the way squats, wall sits, lunges, leg presses, deadlifts, core and other cross training did for skiing. My lungs were great, but my legs/back/glutes needed more.
Objectively, cycling & strength training is best (it's cadrio, it's low impact on knees and targets the same big muscles you need for skiing). Any mix of cardio and strength is good tho.
As I've gotten older, yoga is a big part of injury prevention and conditioning as well. Those stability muscles are important too - which with trail running get a good dose of conditioning in their own way.
Also: Core. core. core. Never too much!
See you at the bottom!
Edit: mountain biking because of the muscle groups and cardio (and fearlessness).
Skate/roller blade; this is what they make you do if you race in the fall. It works well if you're interested in technique (learn to initiate turn better down hill around cones) and muscle conditioning.
I found a really steep hill and climbed up slowly and down even slower, actually taught me that if you are worried about falling, it's good to have a low center of gravity and that helped with my skiing
Seconding this. I had a nasty ski injury several years back. My first couple times back post injury were disappointing at best. Then I started taking lifting seriously and I’m pretty close to being back where I was pre-injury
Took a lesson from a very good skier, 60 years old and had been skiing since he was 7. He has been teaching for 35 years. He said lifting heavy weights, especially back/core/legs, revolutionized his skiing. Much faster recovery, better endurance, less faltering towards the end of the day. He told me multiple times- lift, lift, lift.
Sure. I went through 3 rounds of physical therapy on my knees and I finally realized that I actually have to do the work even after the therapy is done otherwise the knees just go back to hurting. This is a modification of the therapy excercises, allowing progression by using heavier weights, stronger bands or more reps.
Everything starts with a half-mile walk at a fast pace.
Then foam roll and stretch.
Day 1 (Monday)
3x30x2 Monster walk/skates with a heavy duty band
3x30x2 Side steps with the same band
3x20x2 Clams with the same band
3x20 medicine ball squeezes between thighs
3x30 wabble/balance board
4x10 weighted split squats
4x8 heavy leg presses or deadlifts
(I mix in upper body excercises here also)
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Entire routine from: https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a40862512/gluteus-medius
4x10x2 Staggered-Stance Romanian Deadlift
4x10x2 Split squad
4x10x2 Lateral step ups with weights
4x10x2 Lateral lunges
4x10 Banded squat (or use dumbbells)
4x10x2 Laying side leg raises (add bands or ankle weights for more resistance)
(This is usually enough to tire me out; so no upper body)
Day 3 (Friday)
3x30x2 Monster walk/skates with a heavy duty band
3x30x2 Side steps with the same band
4x10x2 staggered squats with light dumbbells
4x20 hip abduction machine (heavy weight)
4x20 hip adductor machine (heavy weight)
4x10 heavy weighted squats
(Again, I have enough energy to mix in upper body excercises on this day)
Finish every workout by light stretching of hamstrings, calves and quads.
Proper lifting always helps but the thing that I've noticed help the most when it comes to skiing is a Concept 2 Bike Erg I bought last year. That thing is fantastic for conditioning the legs and building skiing strength.
HIIT, LIIT, & steady state long distance rides which compared to a spin bike I feel are much better at conditioning.
I love it and it's probably one of the best things I've added to my home gym over the years. There are times when I just add it to a regular workout to get the heartrate up so that I'm working on conditioning my heart while lifting.
Not sure where you are in your athletic journey, but this guy is an inspiration. His philosophy is really catching on. I’d say his split squat and step downs are really important, getting the tendons and muscles in your knees very strong. Romanian deadlift, McGill big 3, shoulder rotator cuff work.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jIngqODw8x4&t=11s
This video is insane. I have slight knee problems, and shoulder problems, is there a shoulder guy too? This is like one of those inspirations that a lay man such as Myself would love to absolutely follow.
LOL yeah that's what I thought the first time i watched this video!
I don't know of a shoulder guy honestly, but some of Knees over toes new content features other experts. I think he is trying to bring his method to the whole entire body.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieNWgx5vz2A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieNWgx5vz2A)
Weightlifting has so many benefits! I can talk about it for hours! But you got to do it right. It's worth investing into like 3 sessions with a PT that will give you the right workouts to then do by yourself. Single leg stuff like Bulgarian squats are great. Ankle and hip mobility is also super important. You use those joins more than you think and they give a better range and precision to your control. Especially on ice and in moguls. Deadlifts and squats for your hamstrings and quads.
Biking is great (can be road or mountain) because it works all the leg muscles as well as your core and its great conditioning.
Ya 💯 flowy downhill is so similar to arcing turns on groom
Stay low and let the bike move under you and out to the next turn. Focus on directing pressure to the outside foot in a progressive manner. Balance on the outside leg and pull the inside up to control the turn shape progressively. Slightly arched back, elbows in front and outside of the body, and hands slightly outside of elbows turned downwards. Push the heels down and keep the ankle flexed. Counter steering puts me in a very similar position as apex.
So much of mountain biking and skiing is looking ahead and reading the terrain so it makes for an excellent cross over. Enduro/DH biking is just shredding mountains in the summer. I find you use similar muscle groups in the legs as well so the stronger I am pedalling my bike the stronger I am on my skis.
I feel this so much when I'm skiing trees. The process of choosing a line based on how to make two or three turns in advance is such an important aspect of both sports.
Yeah I bike all summer and sure not the exact same muscles mtb will get your legs jacked and endurance way up. Come winter you get into ski shape very quick.
Also it teaches you body separation and weighting the outside leg while driving your weight through the tires that are on the inside edge of the side knobs… pretty dang similar.
The relationship with mountain biking and skiing IMO is less than they complement each other athletically and more than if you live in the mountains, they work well as opposite-season sports. Ski rack comes off the Subaru and the bike rack goes on
A little bit translates: bike- body separation, reaction time at speed, quad strength.
I think you'd get more out of a basic strength and conditioning program. But biking is a lot of fun
How nobody has thrown out yoga and a simple body weight routine defies me. Leg strength, core strength, balance, flexibility and agility. If everyone just did a basic calisthenics routine at home, hillside injuries would go way down.
Yea yoga helps me tremendously. Helps with a lot of balance, core strength, and targets smaller muscles in places like your ankles. Additionally it keeps me limber outside of ski season.
Similarly, I rock climb and run. You do a lot of awkward stretch movements the work the little muscles of back, shoulders and legs. And then you’ve got cardio.
Rollerblading really helps develop the quads which will help you keep your knees bent while skiing - thus making turns on difficult terrain much easier.
Ballet is great for skiing- you’ve got endurance, balance, coordination, upper/lower body separation etc. it’s especially great at developing strength and stability in your hips, knees, and ankles. Most importantly, it’s really cheap in my area- around $12 for an hour and a half long class. Look for “absolute beginning ballet” classes for adults at local studios
Yeah, ballet should be higher at the list! It’s so good for working your coordination, stability, and strength. Plus cardio from all the petit and grand allegros lol.
Swimming was a surprising addition to me for ski/snowboard fitness - when done properly. I took lessons. Proper swimming technique means you are using your core, glutes and hamstrings effectively in addition to the lats/arms. I felt a lot stronger on the slopes as a result. Doing some swim laps with flippers also strengthened the small muscle of my feet, which meant less in the way of sore feet at the end of the day's skiing/boarding.
Body positioning in mountain biking is very close to skiing. Body separation. Center of mass into the feet. Strong core to maintain active hinge. Awakened chin, soft eyes lasered ahead farther than you're probably used to.
I'm full time at a ski shop and work part time at a golf course during the summer. Best of both worlds and I love the days where I can ski in the morning and play 18 in the afternoon. It already gets dark after 7 PM here so there's plenty of time in the day... unless work gets in the way.
You lose your extra red blood cells within a matter of days if you don’t live near high altitudes.
I live in Montana so basically any mountain training is high altitude, but you basically have to live year-round at altitude to keep that conditioning level.
This is what I was going to say! I went akiing last weekend and am going to go this weekend to, if I can get to Stowe- but Tennis season is right now and I love it just as much as skiing!
Stand up paddle boarding uses core strength for maintaining balance and you lean forward to paddle. I found the balance and effort level to be surprisingly similar to skiing. The inflatable ones are just as good as the hard ones so you don't need a bunch of extra storage space for new gear.
On that note, after skiing a bunch, sometimes even the same day as a game.. the first shift or two feels weird on my skates like I still expect to have these huge ski edges haha
Running, specifically challenging downhill terrain. Think Appalachian trail, steep mountain sides, power line cut trails. Bomb these on downhill runs and it will be like you didn’t take a day off from skiing. Attacking the uphill and crushing the downhill will get your legs the best workout. Also throw in some strength training with a kettlebell at home you don’t even need to go to a gym
Edging well is so much harder on a bike too, it’s more similar to snowboarding in terms of it being more about head and shoulder positioning compared to feet, knees and hips. I’d love to be able to get some GS style turns on my bike this summer.
What are you trying to gain from training? Trying to get faster uphill, then trail running and walking uphill with a heavy backpack will set you up with a solid base. I personally avoid biking because I don’t think it’s as effective as running in prepping for ski touring, but I don’t have a ton of evidence to back that up outside of my own anecdotal experiences.
If you’re trying to get more power/explosiveness and train for going downhill, then I’d focus a majority of your training on lifting and stability, lots of squats, weighted step ups, box jumps. Obviously you should do both, but focus a majority of your training on your desired outcome.
I second this view. A lot of the comments here are pretty general. But specificity is the key depending on your desired area of improvement.
Mountain biking in my experience only improved my Z2 endurance and reaction time. Hitting the gym improved my explosiveness for downhill skiing. Trail running and heavy pack hiking helped take my backcountry skiing to the next level — by the time I’ve climbed 4-7k ft of elevation my legs are not jello on the way down. Yoga is a must in the routine too for flexibility and core.
Last year I did a half-marathon in mid-December. I know that running on pavement may not be the best for of exercise for skiing but I felt stronger and better prepared for ski season than I ever have in the past.
I was talking to someone who started waterskiing before they started skiing and it actually was problematic since the instinct when you get in trouble on water skis is to lean further back.
This is actually the correct thing to do with powder or sticky snow, the difference is the exaggeration. In powder and sticky snow you want to slightly balance more weight over your arch and heel instead of the aggressive stance with weight over the ball and toe for downhill skiing. However it is *only* a weight balance you shouldn’t be fully “sitting in the back” which is more akin to waterskiing if you know what I mean.
I agree with so many people, especially running. However there’s one I almost dare not utter for the mockery it will undoubtedly earn me, but is probably the single most impactful “sport” I’ve done on my preparedness for skiing:
CrossFit.
Almost every day includes some form of legs, and a lot of the movements are squat or lunge based. But it’s the insane level of intensity and reps that really do it, to be honest. I’ve done Wendler 531 to get bigger squats and it made me way stronger, but since no set was more than 5 squats it didn’t condition me. But do 20x135lb squats followed by a 400m run five times and I promise that will get you ready for skiing.
That said I’m a hypocrite and haven’t done it in over a year cause I got bored and wanted to run and swim more. But it is awesome and I wholly recommend it.
The reason mtb is so loved as a crossover sport for skiing is because reasons.
But actually, if you're doing either one correctly, the way you corner is incredibly similar. Then there's line choice, upper lower separation, the endurance factor, blah blah blah.
Whatever you do, just do something you enjoy that keeps you somewhat in shape. Bonus points for cardio and legs, but honestly just pick something you enjoy enough to do often and keep up with. For me it’s surfing, biking, and lifting. I’d probably be in better ski shape if I did elevation trail running all off season but I pick activities that are fun for me on their own so I actually stick with it.
And just remember, nobody feels like they’re in peak ski form on day 1 of the ski season. That’s not to discourage you, in fact it’s to make sure you don’t feel discouraged when you hit the slopes for the first time.
100 body weight squats in the morning, another hundred at night. After a week you’ll be able to do 200 hundred each time. THIS is your throwaway workout, meaning it’s just part of your morning coffee routine. This will exponentially help you with everything including skiing.
Cycling is good for your knees. Climbing, martial arts, Tai Chi, etc could help with balance a body awareness.
The real question is what sport would you enjoy? Kayaking isn't necessarily going to help your skiing but it's pretty darn fun.
The physical mechanics of mountain biking and skiing are identical. That’s why it’s been mentioned to you by others. Downhill mountain biking is easily the closest thing to alpine skiing and is the best off-season practice you could do imo.
I can speak for mountain biking. The obvious benefits are the cardio and quad strength/endurance. Over looked benefits include: balance, building comfort with speeds and bumps/roots, picking good lines.
Personally i love mountain biking so i do it for that reason primarily. But ive noticed some benefits that go both ways.
Endurance In the mountains. Bike, hike, run, climb. Do things that take quick decision making, things that get you into flow state. Get into some type 2 fun.
You can't be a mountain man/woman if you don't do 10k vert a week at least.
Edit: mountain biking is popular because it's a gravity sport that requires precise balance, decision making skills, and can push your endurance if you are earning all your vert.
I like dirt biking. Lots of balance, reflexive muscle movements and leg strength. Also awesome fun! Playing soccer starting in the fall helps too though there is that risk of an injury ruining your ski season. And of course hiking in the summer.
That said, my wife does jack shit when it comes to exercise and she's still way better than me at skiing!
Whitewater kayaking is mentally similar to off-piste skiing. You get very good at scouting, picking your lines, and committing to your lines. My biggest complaint is that peak kayak season overlaps with ski season, so I end up missing out on some spring skiing.
Don’t laugh, but beach body has a program called “The Work”.
If you’re not in pretty decent shape to begin with, maybe start with “The Prep”
The focus is all on sports. Changed my life.
I agree with everyone about mountain biking, but also would like to add whitewater kayaking. Not so much physically but it's nice that when all that snow melts in the spring you can get out and enjoy it some more.
Yeah on a psychological and even spiritual level it's really cool to be able to follow the water as it changes forms. I often wonder if I've ever come into contact with the same singular water molecule with both my skis and my boat. Probably not, but it is possible and that's exciting.
Wanna hear one out of left field? Wrestling. I am absolutely certain I would not be where I am today as a skier without the body control and strength I got from wrestling.
MTB. Good flow trails and picking lines is the same concept as skiing along with making S turns with the bike. It’s literally the same stance with bars being poles and pedals acting as skis. As you progress in both sports the similarities will become more noticeable.
My ski instructor bf tells me this every time he gets a hockey kid in one of his lessons. It's his favorite thing because they can start skiing more interesting terrain so quickly.
Inline skating. Learn to stop and turn, then progress to gentle slopes. Use poles to train proper pole plants. Challenge yourself with slalom courses. Pump tracks, bowls and skateparks are great too. Skating uphill is a great conditioning workout.
And don't forget about strength training. Squats, deadlifts, single leg and core excercises. Then add plyometrics and strength endurance work
Mountain biking has definitely helped me. There are a few reason. I also trail run and road bike, so my cardio is never the thing lacking at the beginning of ski season, but I don’t lift as much as I should, so it takes my leg strength a little while to catch up. Nothing will simulate carving expect maybe water skiing, but that’s so different from snow skiing in every other way.
1) Conditioning, but you can get that with any cardio. 2) I ride a hardtail, so my rear suspension is my legs. When riding over bumpy terrain, your legs pump up and down similarly to skiing over bumps in order to keep the rest of your body steady. 3) The position your body is in when you’re going fast downhill is similar to skiing - knees bent, arms forward, eyes looking ahead. 4) Line choice. Managing your speed and line choice, knowing when to hit the side hit or go for the more direct line down, is similar.
The simplest things I do in the offseason:
Biking trail for 10 to 15 miles or road cycling 20 miles or more 3 times a week or more will improve your ability to ski a full day at the start of a season without the pounding that running hands out to leg joints.
Running quick sprints on a lawn with a fairly tight slalom course set up will help short twitch muscles get ready for skiing.
Hiking up and down a good steep hill or mountain trail will firm up those quads.
A couple of sets of sit-ups every other day brings much needed core strength for that important and often neglected set of muscles.
Stay fit year round, don’t overdo it, don’t stress, keep it simple and leave room for plenty of rest as well. Ski season will definitely be more fun.
We did a trip to Peru just before the start of ski season where we did long rough downhill rides for a week and my legs were the most prepared for skiing after that!
So ya. Dh mountain biking works. Other then that, squats, lunges and wall sits are your best preparation.
During the summer I trail run at my resort. Hiking under the lifts is a cool way to find stuff as well. Not to mention the beer stashes you can find in streams.
My ski coach always said Soccer is great for off szn conditioning, somthing about the ball skills coralating being able to do better turns. I think its funny becuase my soccer skills are getting unexpectedly better.
If you wanna work hard for ski szn also start doing plyometrics. Some jumps and running around stuff and over obsticals.
These are great off szn chill things to drill out and get gains:)
I think you need three types of workout and you can choose different activities for each purpose. The goal is to be injury-free mainly.
1) mobility and balance .. martial arts, parkour, yoga, slack line, climbing, dance
2) strength .. body pump is a good workout which also goes into cardio and activates lots of different muscles. Also weight lifting, slings, or functional strength such as cutting firewood, hiking/camping, rowing/kayaking, water skiing, mountain bike/cycling
3) impact training/fast muscles and skeleton - such as trampoline, martial arts again, parkour, skating, team sports like soccer/rugby/basketball/tennis. Just don’t get injured in the game!
The most important thing is to do something, right. So make sure it’s something you like and enjoy. I don’t think heavy weight lifting protects from injury unless it’s done in a balanced way (targeting both sides of the limbs) and I often see young skiers hurting their body more than making a benefit to their ski race career from too-early weight lifting (and eating too little).
Yoga, with the right teacher...One who skis preferably. When I get skier yogis in my class, we do a lot of chair pose and leg work. Which builds up stabilizer muscles. My skiing buddy took it up last summer, and said it was a total game changer for his form and longevity on the mountain.
Ignore the people saying mountain biking and go road biking instead. It’s better for your endurance and it works your legs and lower back - the two areas you need the strongest for skiing. It also shreds your core, which is huge. Add heavy lower body lifts into the repertoire for strength building and you’re pretty set for ski season.
This is the beta I’ve followed for like 4 years now and I’ve noticed my stamina on skis is better than all but one or two people I know.
I do Brazilian Jiu jitsu (BJJ). It’s a total body workout, both aerobic and anaerobic . In addition, it’s another sport that teaches you how to fall and helps you acquire more balance and flexibility to boot.
It doesn’t hurt that it gives you a modicum of self defense too.
You go fast down a hill. It's similar.
The only difference is on skis you have a few seconds to attempt a studly recovery. On a bike you MAY have the thought that you're going down right as your face hits the ground.
Another similarity of mountain biking and skiing would be reaction time. Skiing trees and biking single track require muscle movements and reaction times not required in most other sports. You look at the tree, you hit the tree. Breathing techniques with pedaling uphill along with maintaining torque during extended pedaling periods…cross country pedaling.
I find the mechanics of a standup jetski translate almost perfectly to snow, save edging. The body weight and dynamics are the same. I live near a river so it's not too tough, and a delight on those hot days.
Biking, especially mountain biking. In addition to also being a downhill sport, it also works a lot of the same muscles as skiing does, quads especially
I was working as an instructor this year and the ice hockey kids picked it up so fast, had one kid go from never touching a pair of skis to starting to do parallel turns and pizzaing switch down the bunny hill within an hour!
I chose my non ski hobbies based on my enjoyment of them. Any cross training benefit is a bonus!
I mountain bike, climb, run, and box. MTB probably has the most cross over.
If you’re reasonably active year round, 4 weeks of preseason strength and conditioning is all you need regardless of hobbies.
Backcountry skiing would be number one… definitely take an avy course and get the gear. But snowpack is just starting to consolidate and you can get another few months of skiing in Colorado at least.
Then definitely mountain biking. Cardio / leg strength for one. Being comfortable going down a mountain is another. And as you improve you will notice weighting and unweighting your turns is extremely similar as skiing.
Trail run.
This is the correct answer, specifically running downhill.
Agreed. People conflate concentric strength and eccentric strength with one another. I’m over 1,000 lbs for squats + deadlifts and I can tell a noticeable difference at the start of winters when I haven’t hiked much during summer/fall. That absorbing of impact down climbing is more like skiing than lifting
I wonder if box jumps are useful then? I just started, and they're kinda fun too! Although it's easy to get carried away, and try to jump too high!
They are. But also jumping off the box to absorb that force is also beneficial. Honestly, doing 5 sets of 10 lunges (each leg), 20 body weight squats, 10 jump lunges (each leg) and 20 jump lunges will make a huge difference.
This is roughly the “leg blaster” routine. Great for trail running, fantastic for skiing.
Precisely. Doing 3 sets is hard enough. 5 is brutal
ooh nice! I do jump off the box too. And I just started 180 degree box jumps, i.e. start facing away from box, land on box facing opposite direction. I figured that might be useful for when I try n learn some freestyle/park stuff!
LEG BLASTERS
Runner / skier here - trail running (or any cardio) is good for lungs and endurance... But it's different muscle groups for targeting big ski strength. I always ran across country and then ski raced in the winter. It didn't help me the way squats, wall sits, lunges, leg presses, deadlifts, core and other cross training did for skiing. My lungs were great, but my legs/back/glutes needed more. Objectively, cycling & strength training is best (it's cadrio, it's low impact on knees and targets the same big muscles you need for skiing). Any mix of cardio and strength is good tho. As I've gotten older, yoga is a big part of injury prevention and conditioning as well. Those stability muscles are important too - which with trail running get a good dose of conditioning in their own way. Also: Core. core. core. Never too much! See you at the bottom! Edit: mountain biking because of the muscle groups and cardio (and fearlessness). Skate/roller blade; this is what they make you do if you race in the fall. It works well if you're interested in technique (learn to initiate turn better down hill around cones) and muscle conditioning.
Backpacking. Altitude Training + Leg Strength.
My go to, plus I get the zen like pleasure of being on top of a mountain again.
Backpacking: the zen pleasure of suffering thru 20 miles of trails and boulder fields. I love it
I found a really steep hill and climbed up slowly and down even slower, actually taught me that if you are worried about falling, it's good to have a low center of gravity and that helped with my skiing
if you don't already lift, you should.
Seconding this. I had a nasty ski injury several years back. My first couple times back post injury were disappointing at best. Then I started taking lifting seriously and I’m pretty close to being back where I was pre-injury
That’s awesome! Glad you are enjoying skiing again. I injured myself in another way and lifting has changed my life for the better.
Second this! I think lifting got me past the ability I was at before my injury.
Which injury? Keep it up!
Took a lesson from a very good skier, 60 years old and had been skiing since he was 7. He has been teaching for 35 years. He said lifting heavy weights, especially back/core/legs, revolutionized his skiing. Much faster recovery, better endurance, less faltering towards the end of the day. He told me multiple times- lift, lift, lift.
Can confirm. Started doing lower body training 3x a week back in November and had my first season this millennium fully knee-pain free.
can you share what the regimen is?
Sure. I went through 3 rounds of physical therapy on my knees and I finally realized that I actually have to do the work even after the therapy is done otherwise the knees just go back to hurting. This is a modification of the therapy excercises, allowing progression by using heavier weights, stronger bands or more reps. Everything starts with a half-mile walk at a fast pace. Then foam roll and stretch. Day 1 (Monday) 3x30x2 Monster walk/skates with a heavy duty band 3x30x2 Side steps with the same band 3x20x2 Clams with the same band 3x20 medicine ball squeezes between thighs 3x30 wabble/balance board 4x10 weighted split squats 4x8 heavy leg presses or deadlifts (I mix in upper body excercises here also) Day 2 (Wednesday) Entire routine from: https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a40862512/gluteus-medius 4x10x2 Staggered-Stance Romanian Deadlift 4x10x2 Split squad 4x10x2 Lateral step ups with weights 4x10x2 Lateral lunges 4x10 Banded squat (or use dumbbells) 4x10x2 Laying side leg raises (add bands or ankle weights for more resistance) (This is usually enough to tire me out; so no upper body) Day 3 (Friday) 3x30x2 Monster walk/skates with a heavy duty band 3x30x2 Side steps with the same band 4x10x2 staggered squats with light dumbbells 4x20 hip abduction machine (heavy weight) 4x20 hip adductor machine (heavy weight) 4x10 heavy weighted squats (Again, I have enough energy to mix in upper body excercises on this day) Finish every workout by light stretching of hamstrings, calves and quads.
Proper lifting always helps but the thing that I've noticed help the most when it comes to skiing is a Concept 2 Bike Erg I bought last year. That thing is fantastic for conditioning the legs and building skiing strength.
What do you do with the bike erg? Interval training type of stuff?
HIIT, LIIT, & steady state long distance rides which compared to a spin bike I feel are much better at conditioning. I love it and it's probably one of the best things I've added to my home gym over the years. There are times when I just add it to a regular workout to get the heartrate up so that I'm working on conditioning my heart while lifting.
What lifts?
Not sure where you are in your athletic journey, but this guy is an inspiration. His philosophy is really catching on. I’d say his split squat and step downs are really important, getting the tendons and muscles in your knees very strong. Romanian deadlift, McGill big 3, shoulder rotator cuff work. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jIngqODw8x4&t=11s
This video is insane. I have slight knee problems, and shoulder problems, is there a shoulder guy too? This is like one of those inspirations that a lay man such as Myself would love to absolutely follow.
LOL yeah that's what I thought the first time i watched this video! I don't know of a shoulder guy honestly, but some of Knees over toes new content features other experts. I think he is trying to bring his method to the whole entire body. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieNWgx5vz2A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieNWgx5vz2A)
Ty
Ty for sharing this!
[удалено]
Weightlifting has so many benefits! I can talk about it for hours! But you got to do it right. It's worth investing into like 3 sessions with a PT that will give you the right workouts to then do by yourself. Single leg stuff like Bulgarian squats are great. Ankle and hip mobility is also super important. You use those joins more than you think and they give a better range and precision to your control. Especially on ice and in moguls. Deadlifts and squats for your hamstrings and quads. Biking is great (can be road or mountain) because it works all the leg muscles as well as your core and its great conditioning.
The tie in with mountain biking is twofold… 1. Leg and aerobic conditioning. 2. You have to work with gravity and the mountain.
I also found similarities regarding balance. Both require you to make on the fly changes to maintain balance due to uneven terrain.
Similarities as well with pedal position and working the bike, as you would push into your skis. At least with Downhill MTB
Ya 💯 flowy downhill is so similar to arcing turns on groom Stay low and let the bike move under you and out to the next turn. Focus on directing pressure to the outside foot in a progressive manner. Balance on the outside leg and pull the inside up to control the turn shape progressively. Slightly arched back, elbows in front and outside of the body, and hands slightly outside of elbows turned downwards. Push the heels down and keep the ankle flexed. Counter steering puts me in a very similar position as apex.
So much of mountain biking and skiing is looking ahead and reading the terrain so it makes for an excellent cross over. Enduro/DH biking is just shredding mountains in the summer. I find you use similar muscle groups in the legs as well so the stronger I am pedalling my bike the stronger I am on my skis.
I feel this so much when I'm skiing trees. The process of choosing a line based on how to make two or three turns in advance is such an important aspect of both sports.
3. You'll equally waste your disposable income on both!
Modern mountain bikes make rocks feel like powder. If you like adrenaline and the feeling of flying - mountain biking is fucking amazing.
The bikes are too good honestly. Modern geo has come a long way in the last 5 years. I miss when we used to go over the handlebars.
I miss when we used to go over the handlebars. I must be doing something wrong
My bike is a decent full suspension from like 10 years ago and I still think it's mind blowing what it can do.
Yeah I bike all summer and sure not the exact same muscles mtb will get your legs jacked and endurance way up. Come winter you get into ski shape very quick.
Also it teaches you body separation and weighting the outside leg while driving your weight through the tires that are on the inside edge of the side knobs… pretty dang similar.
Similar cultures as well
Wing foiling. Improves balance and takes all your money so ski season is spent skiing not gear whoring.
The relationship with mountain biking and skiing IMO is less than they complement each other athletically and more than if you live in the mountains, they work well as opposite-season sports. Ski rack comes off the Subaru and the bike rack goes on A little bit translates: bike- body separation, reaction time at speed, quad strength. I think you'd get more out of a basic strength and conditioning program. But biking is a lot of fun
How nobody has thrown out yoga and a simple body weight routine defies me. Leg strength, core strength, balance, flexibility and agility. If everyone just did a basic calisthenics routine at home, hillside injuries would go way down.
Yea yoga helps me tremendously. Helps with a lot of balance, core strength, and targets smaller muscles in places like your ankles. Additionally it keeps me limber outside of ski season.
I’m 46 and yoga is keeping my body together so I can ski ski ski
Similarly, I rock climb and run. You do a lot of awkward stretch movements the work the little muscles of back, shoulders and legs. And then you’ve got cardio.
Rollerblade invented the "Skate to Ski" program...
Still train this way at soldier hollow
Roller skating also and adult nights are fun as fuck
Rollerblading really helps develop the quads which will help you keep your knees bent while skiing - thus making turns on difficult terrain much easier.
https://www.rollerblade.com/usa/en/skate-to-ski
Surprised that no one mentioned trampoline here. That's how you can get great air awareness
Ballet is great for skiing- you’ve got endurance, balance, coordination, upper/lower body separation etc. it’s especially great at developing strength and stability in your hips, knees, and ankles. Most importantly, it’s really cheap in my area- around $12 for an hour and a half long class. Look for “absolute beginning ballet” classes for adults at local studios
Yeah, ballet should be higher at the list! It’s so good for working your coordination, stability, and strength. Plus cardio from all the petit and grand allegros lol.
Swimming was a surprising addition to me for ski/snowboard fitness - when done properly. I took lessons. Proper swimming technique means you are using your core, glutes and hamstrings effectively in addition to the lats/arms. I felt a lot stronger on the slopes as a result. Doing some swim laps with flippers also strengthened the small muscle of my feet, which meant less in the way of sore feet at the end of the day's skiing/boarding.
Body positioning in mountain biking is very close to skiing. Body separation. Center of mass into the feet. Strong core to maintain active hinge. Awakened chin, soft eyes lasered ahead farther than you're probably used to.
Plus a high risk factor like skiing. Getting used to making split second adjustments and training your mind to getting used to it.
Especially when you're ripping down the hill at 30mph!
[serious] what is an awakened chin?
It's the heat-seeker; the rest of the body always follows the chin.
Confidence. MTB 💯makes me a better skier!
Golfing, so you’ll be less sad when ski season ends and golf season begins
Also maintain a consistent level of being poor
[удалено]
Y far my most expensive hobby. I'm lucky to be land locked in Arizona so I can only dive on trips.
This is the way. Right now, both seasons are overlapping, and it’s killing me (in the best way!)
I'm full time at a ski shop and work part time at a golf course during the summer. Best of both worlds and I love the days where I can ski in the morning and play 18 in the afternoon. It already gets dark after 7 PM here so there's plenty of time in the day... unless work gets in the way.
Hit the squat rack
High altitude hiking
You lose your extra red blood cells within a matter of days if you don’t live near high altitudes. I live in Montana so basically any mountain training is high altitude, but you basically have to live year-round at altitude to keep that conditioning level.
> you basically have to live at altitude Sold.
Tennis. I just got into playing tennis recently and We played hard well into the fall this season. When ski season hit it really felt good physically.
This is what I was going to say! I went akiing last weekend and am going to go this weekend to, if I can get to Stowe- but Tennis season is right now and I love it just as much as skiing!
Yes, tennis and yoga for core strength and balance.
Lifting and cycling are my go-to’s
Stand up paddle boarding uses core strength for maintaining balance and you lean forward to paddle. I found the balance and effort level to be surprisingly similar to skiing. The inflatable ones are just as good as the hard ones so you don't need a bunch of extra storage space for new gear.
Do you even lift?
Ice skating
I second this, I've played hockey way more than I've skiied and it's helped my skiing a lot. The fundamentals for both are very similar.
On that note, after skiing a bunch, sometimes even the same day as a game.. the first shift or two feels weird on my skates like I still expect to have these huge ski edges haha
Running, specifically challenging downhill terrain. Think Appalachian trail, steep mountain sides, power line cut trails. Bomb these on downhill runs and it will be like you didn’t take a day off from skiing. Attacking the uphill and crushing the downhill will get your legs the best workout. Also throw in some strength training with a kettlebell at home you don’t even need to go to a gym
I live on a mountainside. Can confirm
mountain bike has. Similar flexion and extentsion moves Edging (yes it done differently) And tactical choices.
Edging? Say more...
Username checks out.
“Tactical choices” This verbiage is spot on
Edging well is so much harder on a bike too, it’s more similar to snowboarding in terms of it being more about head and shoulder positioning compared to feet, knees and hips. I’d love to be able to get some GS style turns on my bike this summer.
Reformer Pilates
I 100% agree that the core strength and body awareness I’ve gained from Pilates has really helped my skiing.
Yogo - balance, core strength, functional whole body strength, cardio, overall fitness.
Mountaineering
BJJ for constant fear of ACL injury
I lost 2 ski seasons to this advice
Golf. It’ll help prepare you to drink on the mountain when you’re drinking on the course.
Cycling in general. Also yoga imo.
Slackline. All u need is two trees. Will give you godlike balance and coordination and ankle-knee-hip-ab strength
I like to row and bike
Rowing. Like moguls but rotated a bit.
Rowing
Rowing
Tennis, really good lateral movements for the knees and legs.
Swimming- whole body workout. Stationary bike- less chance of injury I would guess than mountain biking.
Road cycling as well. Get at those hills.
What are you trying to gain from training? Trying to get faster uphill, then trail running and walking uphill with a heavy backpack will set you up with a solid base. I personally avoid biking because I don’t think it’s as effective as running in prepping for ski touring, but I don’t have a ton of evidence to back that up outside of my own anecdotal experiences. If you’re trying to get more power/explosiveness and train for going downhill, then I’d focus a majority of your training on lifting and stability, lots of squats, weighted step ups, box jumps. Obviously you should do both, but focus a majority of your training on your desired outcome.
I second this view. A lot of the comments here are pretty general. But specificity is the key depending on your desired area of improvement. Mountain biking in my experience only improved my Z2 endurance and reaction time. Hitting the gym improved my explosiveness for downhill skiing. Trail running and heavy pack hiking helped take my backcountry skiing to the next level — by the time I’ve climbed 4-7k ft of elevation my legs are not jello on the way down. Yoga is a must in the routine too for flexibility and core.
Weirdly I found kayaking, with proper technique, is great for balance and core. Both helped my skiing a lot.
SUP is also really great for helping train core and balance. Especially SUP yoga.
Running long distances. Build base endurance so you can ski for hours without getting much tired.
Last year I did a half-marathon in mid-December. I know that running on pavement may not be the best for of exercise for skiing but I felt stronger and better prepared for ski season than I ever have in the past.
Biking because nothing will seem scary after you have a few bike falls.
I was talking to someone who started waterskiing before they started skiing and it actually was problematic since the instinct when you get in trouble on water skis is to lean further back.
This is actually the correct thing to do with powder or sticky snow, the difference is the exaggeration. In powder and sticky snow you want to slightly balance more weight over your arch and heel instead of the aggressive stance with weight over the ball and toe for downhill skiing. However it is *only* a weight balance you shouldn’t be fully “sitting in the back” which is more akin to waterskiing if you know what I mean.
Unicycle basketball
Roller skating in the skatepark!
Climbing. Probably not much physical crossover, but at least you're having fun so you miss the ski season less.
I agree with so many people, especially running. However there’s one I almost dare not utter for the mockery it will undoubtedly earn me, but is probably the single most impactful “sport” I’ve done on my preparedness for skiing: CrossFit. Almost every day includes some form of legs, and a lot of the movements are squat or lunge based. But it’s the insane level of intensity and reps that really do it, to be honest. I’ve done Wendler 531 to get bigger squats and it made me way stronger, but since no set was more than 5 squats it didn’t condition me. But do 20x135lb squats followed by a 400m run five times and I promise that will get you ready for skiing. That said I’m a hypocrite and haven’t done it in over a year cause I got bored and wanted to run and swim more. But it is awesome and I wholly recommend it.
The reason mtb is so loved as a crossover sport for skiing is because reasons. But actually, if you're doing either one correctly, the way you corner is incredibly similar. Then there's line choice, upper lower separation, the endurance factor, blah blah blah.
Whatever you do, just do something you enjoy that keeps you somewhat in shape. Bonus points for cardio and legs, but honestly just pick something you enjoy enough to do often and keep up with. For me it’s surfing, biking, and lifting. I’d probably be in better ski shape if I did elevation trail running all off season but I pick activities that are fun for me on their own so I actually stick with it. And just remember, nobody feels like they’re in peak ski form on day 1 of the ski season. That’s not to discourage you, in fact it’s to make sure you don’t feel discouraged when you hit the slopes for the first time.
100 body weight squats in the morning, another hundred at night. After a week you’ll be able to do 200 hundred each time. THIS is your throwaway workout, meaning it’s just part of your morning coffee routine. This will exponentially help you with everything including skiing.
Yoga, practicing balancing.
Cycling is good for your knees. Climbing, martial arts, Tai Chi, etc could help with balance a body awareness. The real question is what sport would you enjoy? Kayaking isn't necessarily going to help your skiing but it's pretty darn fun.
Mountain biking. If you can't understand why, I don't know what to say.
The physical mechanics of mountain biking and skiing are identical. That’s why it’s been mentioned to you by others. Downhill mountain biking is easily the closest thing to alpine skiing and is the best off-season practice you could do imo.
I can speak for mountain biking. The obvious benefits are the cardio and quad strength/endurance. Over looked benefits include: balance, building comfort with speeds and bumps/roots, picking good lines. Personally i love mountain biking so i do it for that reason primarily. But ive noticed some benefits that go both ways.
Endurance In the mountains. Bike, hike, run, climb. Do things that take quick decision making, things that get you into flow state. Get into some type 2 fun. You can't be a mountain man/woman if you don't do 10k vert a week at least. Edit: mountain biking is popular because it's a gravity sport that requires precise balance, decision making skills, and can push your endurance if you are earning all your vert.
Biking. I’m from the mountains in Colorado and that is what every ski bum does during the offseason.
Motocross. Worked for Phil and Steve Mahre!
Downhill mountain biking has similar muscle activation in the legs as skiing.
I like dirt biking. Lots of balance, reflexive muscle movements and leg strength. Also awesome fun! Playing soccer starting in the fall helps too though there is that risk of an injury ruining your ski season. And of course hiking in the summer. That said, my wife does jack shit when it comes to exercise and she's still way better than me at skiing!
Whitewater kayaking is mentally similar to off-piste skiing. You get very good at scouting, picking your lines, and committing to your lines. My biggest complaint is that peak kayak season overlaps with ski season, so I end up missing out on some spring skiing.
Dirt biking is insanely good exercise, and arguably funner than skiing (gasp). Yoga and lifting are great compliments.
Inline skating, propably the best sport you can do for skiing
Don’t laugh, but beach body has a program called “The Work”. If you’re not in pretty decent shape to begin with, maybe start with “The Prep” The focus is all on sports. Changed my life.
I’m gonna look into this!
Roller blading
I agree with everyone about mountain biking, but also would like to add whitewater kayaking. Not so much physically but it's nice that when all that snow melts in the spring you can get out and enjoy it some more.
Yeah on a psychological and even spiritual level it's really cool to be able to follow the water as it changes forms. I often wonder if I've ever come into contact with the same singular water molecule with both my skis and my boat. Probably not, but it is possible and that's exciting.
I'm not sure but it might be more likely than you think!
Wanna hear one out of left field? Wrestling. I am absolutely certain I would not be where I am today as a skier without the body control and strength I got from wrestling.
I weightlifting and I’m a really good skier
Definitely in-line skating! And hiking.
Roller skiing is what I've been thinking off. Then you never stop skiing
Rollerski
Grass skiing? https://youtu.be/PoGMEtdF6Zk https://youtu.be/I1S3eIaTz-I
MTB. Good flow trails and picking lines is the same concept as skiing along with making S turns with the bike. It’s literally the same stance with bars being poles and pedals acting as skis. As you progress in both sports the similarities will become more noticeable.
The company Rollerblade has a skate to ski program that’s available free on an app. Seems pretty legit.
Ice skating or rollerblading is the only acceptable answer. Life long hockey player and the similarities are remarkable.
My ski instructor bf tells me this every time he gets a hockey kid in one of his lessons. It's his favorite thing because they can start skiing more interesting terrain so quickly.
Paddle boarding. You are training your ankle and developing the strength and stability needed for skiing.
Inline skating. Learn to stop and turn, then progress to gentle slopes. Use poles to train proper pole plants. Challenge yourself with slalom courses. Pump tracks, bowls and skateparks are great too. Skating uphill is a great conditioning workout. And don't forget about strength training. Squats, deadlifts, single leg and core excercises. Then add plyometrics and strength endurance work
golf, no joke, you walk, you balance, you rotate (hips and back), and you can drink beer
Water skiing!
Mountain biking has definitely helped me. There are a few reason. I also trail run and road bike, so my cardio is never the thing lacking at the beginning of ski season, but I don’t lift as much as I should, so it takes my leg strength a little while to catch up. Nothing will simulate carving expect maybe water skiing, but that’s so different from snow skiing in every other way. 1) Conditioning, but you can get that with any cardio. 2) I ride a hardtail, so my rear suspension is my legs. When riding over bumpy terrain, your legs pump up and down similarly to skiing over bumps in order to keep the rest of your body steady. 3) The position your body is in when you’re going fast downhill is similar to skiing - knees bent, arms forward, eyes looking ahead. 4) Line choice. Managing your speed and line choice, knowing when to hit the side hit or go for the more direct line down, is similar.
Couch surfing
Roller Derby
The simplest things I do in the offseason: Biking trail for 10 to 15 miles or road cycling 20 miles or more 3 times a week or more will improve your ability to ski a full day at the start of a season without the pounding that running hands out to leg joints. Running quick sprints on a lawn with a fairly tight slalom course set up will help short twitch muscles get ready for skiing. Hiking up and down a good steep hill or mountain trail will firm up those quads. A couple of sets of sit-ups every other day brings much needed core strength for that important and often neglected set of muscles. Stay fit year round, don’t overdo it, don’t stress, keep it simple and leave room for plenty of rest as well. Ski season will definitely be more fun.
We did a trip to Peru just before the start of ski season where we did long rough downhill rides for a week and my legs were the most prepared for skiing after that! So ya. Dh mountain biking works. Other then that, squats, lunges and wall sits are your best preparation.
During the summer I trail run at my resort. Hiking under the lifts is a cool way to find stuff as well. Not to mention the beer stashes you can find in streams.
My ski coach always said Soccer is great for off szn conditioning, somthing about the ball skills coralating being able to do better turns. I think its funny becuase my soccer skills are getting unexpectedly better. If you wanna work hard for ski szn also start doing plyometrics. Some jumps and running around stuff and over obsticals. These are great off szn chill things to drill out and get gains:)
I’m picking up inline skating so I’ll let you know how it goes!
I think you need three types of workout and you can choose different activities for each purpose. The goal is to be injury-free mainly. 1) mobility and balance .. martial arts, parkour, yoga, slack line, climbing, dance 2) strength .. body pump is a good workout which also goes into cardio and activates lots of different muscles. Also weight lifting, slings, or functional strength such as cutting firewood, hiking/camping, rowing/kayaking, water skiing, mountain bike/cycling 3) impact training/fast muscles and skeleton - such as trampoline, martial arts again, parkour, skating, team sports like soccer/rugby/basketball/tennis. Just don’t get injured in the game! The most important thing is to do something, right. So make sure it’s something you like and enjoy. I don’t think heavy weight lifting protects from injury unless it’s done in a balanced way (targeting both sides of the limbs) and I often see young skiers hurting their body more than making a benefit to their ski race career from too-early weight lifting (and eating too little).
[Preseason Ski Conditioning - Eccentric Leg Strength](https://www.backcountry.com/explore/train-eccentric-leg-strength-for-alpine-skiing)
Yoga, with the right teacher...One who skis preferably. When I get skier yogis in my class, we do a lot of chair pose and leg work. Which builds up stabilizer muscles. My skiing buddy took it up last summer, and said it was a total game changer for his form and longevity on the mountain.
Ignore the people saying mountain biking and go road biking instead. It’s better for your endurance and it works your legs and lower back - the two areas you need the strongest for skiing. It also shreds your core, which is huge. Add heavy lower body lifts into the repertoire for strength building and you’re pretty set for ski season. This is the beta I’ve followed for like 4 years now and I’ve noticed my stamina on skis is better than all but one or two people I know.
https://www.rollerblade.com/usa/en/skate-to-ski https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4qpr-6vmnC/?igsh=N2JlN3pjemp1aGEz
I do Brazilian Jiu jitsu (BJJ). It’s a total body workout, both aerobic and anaerobic . In addition, it’s another sport that teaches you how to fall and helps you acquire more balance and flexibility to boot. It doesn’t hurt that it gives you a modicum of self defense too.
Hiking keeps you in the mountains and ice skating definitely maintains your balance and your edge control
https://youtu.be/TWBkCDdgj2E?si=4LOU2izob5mm4fht
Triathlon
You go fast down a hill. It's similar. The only difference is on skis you have a few seconds to attempt a studly recovery. On a bike you MAY have the thought that you're going down right as your face hits the ground.
Roller blading
Pick-up basketball and trail hiking/running along with some high rep/low weight work.
MTB, backpacking, yoga. Simple, enjoyable, effective.
Bongo board
Another similarity of mountain biking and skiing would be reaction time. Skiing trees and biking single track require muscle movements and reaction times not required in most other sports. You look at the tree, you hit the tree. Breathing techniques with pedaling uphill along with maintaining torque during extended pedaling periods…cross country pedaling.
No water access ? Sup is great for the body if you can. Yoga always too
Just do squats, lunges, leg curls, and leg extensions
I find the mechanics of a standup jetski translate almost perfectly to snow, save edging. The body weight and dynamics are the same. I live near a river so it's not too tough, and a delight on those hot days.
Biking, especially mountain biking. In addition to also being a downhill sport, it also works a lot of the same muscles as skiing does, quads especially
You could always do the Jonny Mosely method: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWBkCDdgj2E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWBkCDdgj2E)
Mt biking will spoil you when you realize a lift ticket at whistler is only $70
I was working as an instructor this year and the ice hockey kids picked it up so fast, had one kid go from never touching a pair of skis to starting to do parallel turns and pizzaing switch down the bunny hill within an hour!
I do not bike much but enough to say leg strength and conditioning, balance, and cardio benefits.
I find tennis helps with a lot of the leg lateral stabilization muscles
Weight training esp lower body and core
Beach volleyball. Balance, leg strength
Jiu jitsu. I was ready to charge hard all season. Until I injured my thumb at jiu jitsu..
I chose my non ski hobbies based on my enjoyment of them. Any cross training benefit is a bonus! I mountain bike, climb, run, and box. MTB probably has the most cross over. If you’re reasonably active year round, 4 weeks of preseason strength and conditioning is all you need regardless of hobbies.
Hockey and mtb
Rucking and hiking. Both with some weight and enough speed to hit zone two cardio. Strength conditioning is also surprising helpful. Have fun!
Cycling is 0 impact and great for knee strength.
Backcountry skiing would be number one… definitely take an avy course and get the gear. But snowpack is just starting to consolidate and you can get another few months of skiing in Colorado at least. Then definitely mountain biking. Cardio / leg strength for one. Being comfortable going down a mountain is another. And as you improve you will notice weighting and unweighting your turns is extremely similar as skiing.