by Hans and
Franz;
Section 7: Peak Season 2
Our muscles are composed of two types: fast twitch and
slow twitch. Fast twitch fibers contract quickly and are
capable of exerting more force, but they tire quickly.
Slow twitch fibers contract and relax at a more deliberate
pace, but are very resistant to fatigue. The percentage
of each type of fiber you have is something you are born
with, but through exercise you can condition yourself
so that you can optimally use what you have.
Cross-country skiing requires both speed and endurance,
so both types of fibers are needed. The goal is to move
a resistance, you and your skis, as quickly and efficiently
as possible. However, since you are gliding on snow, the
friction is low and excessive force is not needed. Thus,
the goal is to achieve an ability to make rapid movements
against medium resistance for a sustained period of time.
An effective way to achieve this balance is to use 30-60%
of maximal force while doing contractions as fast as possible.
Exercise equipment (such as Nautilus and Universal), free
weights and calisthenics are all useful for indoor training.
Make sure to concentrate on your weak points. For most
of us that is upper body strength. Work those triceps,
deltoids and abs! Outdoors, do specific speed training
on snow. Try to cover specific distances in certain times.
Since your goal during peak season is fitness maintenance,
one session a week devoted to muscular fitness is adequate.
Hills are the bane of many cross-country skiers. One
of the best exercises you can do to increase your ability
to effortlessly glide up hills is to buy a slide board
and use it religiously. An added benefit is that using
a slide board will also make you a better rollerblader
and ice skater. A slide board is a long narrow sheet of
plastic with stops on each end that allows you simulate
the skating motion without moving. When you're not using
it, you can roll it up and stash it under the couch. Slide
board training will help you on hills because it will
get you comfortable with the legs out, side-to-side motion
used in the herringbone. In fact, you may actually be
able to skate uphill if you master this movement and build
up enough leg strength.
Another exercise you might want to focus on is the abdominal
crunch. Many classic style skiers spend their whole time
on snow doing the diagonal stride. This can lead to sore
shoulders and stiff necks. A good idea is to alternate
the diagonal stride with double poling or double poling
with a kick on flat areas or slight declines. Double poling
depends on good abdominal strength and one of the best
ways to build abdominal strength is to do crunches. Start
out with a low enough number of repetitions so that you
won't have a sore gut the next day, perhaps 25. Then gradually
increase the number of crunches per session that you do.
Crunches can be done every other day, since they don't
take long.
