What do you do to improve your body for skiing?

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RoboGeek
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What do you do to improve your body for skiing?

Post by RoboGeek »

We always try to improve skis.. but what do you guys do to improve your body for skiing? My weakest point is my ankles at the moment..
I play Halo online, and I play standing up - which leads to me jumping all around during the game. The last few weeks I'm playing standing on one leg, which has really helped not only my balance, but my muscle control and strength on my lower legs.

I took up running this last summer, but the cold stopped me, and day before yesterday I managed to give myself shin splints trying to go as far as I used to when I ran every day.

I'm scoping out bikes for the summer - thats my original love...
Trying to find a good light mountain bike - that should really help with not only balance and legs, but if I find a hill.. the fall line will be something I point at and laugh.. :|


I'm going crazy here.. its been about 3 weeks and I HAVE to ski this wed.. withdrawl is too harsh.. lol
I used to be a lifeguard, but some blue kid got me fired.
G-man
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Location: northern sierra nevada

Post by G-man »

Skiing... especially tele skiing, is about strong thighs and, of course, good balance. We have a slope near our house that rises 1800 feet at about a 40 degree slope angle, and is comprised totally of boulders ranging in size from 1 to 3 feet in diameter (average). My wife and I go out about every day and do our 'tai chi walk', which consists of moving slowly up the slope, lightly touching the lead foot on the next higher boulder with a feather light 'tap, tap', then slowly transferring weight to that lead foot, then lifting up the trailing foot with a light 'tap, tap', then slowly moving the trailing foot though to the lead foot position... and on up the mountain. Then, we do the same thing coming down. Probably doesn't sound too difficult, but it requires tons of leg strength and very good balance. A good example of the exercise would be to stand in front of a kitchen chair, put one foot up on the chair, move your weight forward onto the 'uphill' leg, do a light tap, tap on the floor with the trailing foot, them slowly rise up and place the trailing foot onto the top of the seat back... then repeat a couple of hundred times. The key, of course, is to focus on the power of the chi. The leg strength, balance, and chi awareness of the 'tai chi walk' all transfer very handily to skiing... and to life in general. :)

G-man
rockaukum
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Post by rockaukum »

I find the best way to get into shape for skiing is skiing itself! Tele here also. Actually I use an eliptical at work (when time allows).
Each year for work, there is paper work that you have to fill out and they ask about exercise, if you do and how much. It has been 14+ years and my answer has always been: Yes I have three kids! Just the other day was the first response from anyone.
RA
plywood
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Post by plywood »

i do different things to improve my body for skiing. but i can`t do some serious weekly/daily workout or training - that pisses me off after just a short time. so fun is the main reason for all the things i do.

mountainbike is fine to improve the endurance. and it`s also fun - at least sometimes. it also strenghts the legs and it`s more gentle than running. i think running is a bit tricky, if you run "wrong" you damage more than you improve your health.
so mountainbiking is kind of okay - but sitting too long in the saddle can also cause some troubles ;) so i`d recommend everyone to buy a freeride/downhillbike. you need a lot more power to pedal a 20kg-freeridebike up the hills ( -> bigger workout and training effect :D) and it`s a lot more fun on the descent than a normal mountainbike. and you also can take it to some bikeparks - bikeparks stretch you to the limit! you need strenght, endurance, balance and coordination.

but as rockaukum said - the best way to get into shape is skiing itself. some muscles which you need during skiing you can hardly train - my problems are always lateral loads on the knees. that`s why i wear some knee braces to support them. just at the beginning of the season, the first few times, then it get`s better.
plywood freeride industries - go ply, ride wood!
Chicagoskier11
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Location: Denver

Post by Chicagoskier11 »

Since i have nothing better to do than study, eat, study, sleep, study, work, study... i wok out at our subpar university gym. I usually warm up on the treadmill and/or bike then do weights. Chest and back one day, arms and shoulders another, then legs a third... repeat. I tried to do some core training everyday i work out. This is key to balance just as much as your leg muscles are. I do the usual variations of crunches but most effectively I do fully extended leg lifts. The most painful/beneficial i find is handing from a pullup bar and trying to keep everything still while lifting the legs at the waist.

The best skiing crosstraining that i have found is ball squats. This is basically standing on one of those inflatable excersize balls and doing squats. I started out with no weight but now hold onto a 35 pound weight. This will leave your legs feeling buttery and build those balance muscles. Make sure you something close by to grab onto and stabilize yourself if you start to loose you balance (and of course help you get onto the ball in the first place). If you do this at a gym you will probably get a lot of weird looks as i do. My old ski coach got to observe a training session of the Austrian ski team and he said they just jump up onto the ball but i fear i would end up on my back if i tried... though i am temped. I hang the weight at chest level (level after on the ball) and steady myself and then grab the weight. try it out but be careful, maybe have a spotter the first time.
Chicagoskier11
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Post by Chicagoskier11 »

I just thought of something I did in high school to strengthen my lower legs and prevent injury during cross country. I took a piece of plywood and cut it into an octagon about 2' wide and then cut a hole in the center than probably half the area or so of the cross section of a baseball. You put the board over the baseball and rock back and forth on it while trying to control the speed in which you go side to side. This actual works pretty well and if you were to buy this piece of equipment online it would cost like $60
http://www.painreliever.com/xmodels/pai ... ngor4h.jpg

I also have a vewdew board which i like a skateboard on a tube and you rock back and forth but i dont think those help with much but they are fun to use while watching TV.

Robogeek: spell the ABCs with your toe in the air before running and that will help warm up those shin muscles. You can also do toe lifts when standing and calf raises.
collin
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Post by collin »

I am way too lazy to "exercise"...

Robo, you should put together a fixed gear. Awesome workout, and very zen. And apparently they're very hip now.
------------------Take nothing I say as expert advice------------------
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RoboGeek
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Post by RoboGeek »

the problem with ABC's is I sing the song faster than I can spell with my toes.. ;)
I used to be a lifeguard, but some blue kid got me fired.
hafte
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Post by hafte »

RoboGeek, try yoga for strength training and flexibility. It amazing how strong you can get with slow easy movement and gravity. It also leaves you nicely stretched out and ready to run or what ever for more cardio. The standing poses are usually held for 7-10 breaths while the floor poses are held for 25-30 breaths or longer. If you have cable and get the Oxygen channel there is a show called “Inhale” in the mornings. It’s a good way to learn the poses and a routine for a workout. The people in the class are at varying stages of condition, so you can see where you may fit in the group and do that level of stretch/movement. He also has some pretty good tunes to flow with. I have several episodes taped because I get up earlier than the show to work out. Here’s a link with a bit of info. http://www.oxygen.com/Inhale/

Get or make a bongo board for balance training. At first all you do is rock it back and forth. That gets very easy after awhile. Once you have your balance start walking the board. I can walk to the end and hang 10 then walk back. I haven’t been able to turn around yet and walk back. At this point I just shuffle/step backwards (I haven’t figured out how to run this thing goofy footed yet). I have no traction on my rollers (4” ABS pipe and end caps) so the board has been shot across the room a few times and needs to be used on carpet, and make sure its not aimed at something like the wife, kids, etc.

I also like the sound of G-man’s workout too. Sounds physically, spiritually, and mentally relaxing/invigorating like the Yoga.

And like others have said skiing itself is the best exercise.

Hafte
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RoboGeek
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Location: Middle of a cornfield...

Post by RoboGeek »

I agree with skiing.. I've never felt certain parts of my abs burn as I do when skiing. Now if I could just move that darn mountain a bit closer...

good thing is next time I go I'm getting a season pass for the rest of this year and all of next for $275. I only have to ski 10 times to start saving money! And it will give me a chance to try all those skis I'll build over the summer.. 8)

I should be in darn good shape through the winter for a change.. lol
I used to be a lifeguard, but some blue kid got me fired.
powdercow
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Post by powdercow »

My wife got me an indo board and at first I laughed but now I am a true believer, it makes a big difference in your balance.

It's a little old fashioned but I also know that when I am doing heavy squats regularly I ski stronger (to bad that hasn't happened in a while).
- Ben
plywood
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Post by plywood »

yesterday i was in the mood for building something - but i didn`t want to do something for the skis, so i decided to build an indo board. i took an old longboard which i made out of a plywood plate and never used for a year, cut some parts away....and finished is the ghetto-style indoboard.

to balance on it, i took a heavy duty carton tube. this one is not that high, so it makes balancing a bit easier. but of course i also have a bigger tube for the more advanced - a part of a PVC sewer pipe.

Image

and i have to admit that it`s really not that easy to keep the balance! well, maybe indo boards give a better training if you ride a snowboard because there the balance is somehow more similar, but it helps to improve the balance anyway. but i`m still thinking about a construction where you can whip for and back instead of side to side...this would be more skiing style...
plywood freeride industries - go ply, ride wood!
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