by Hans and
Franz;
Section 2: Pre-Season 2
October is the second month of the skier's pre-season.
During this time of year muscular fitness is increased
by developing power and endurance. Power is a function
of strength and speed. Power training concentrates on
developing the four main parts of the body used for skiing:
Legs, back, abdomen and upper body.
During the pre-season strength building exercises are
performed faster with lighter weight but more repetitions.
So, for example, you might do three sets of each of the
following exercises, where each set consists of 15-25
repetitions. Good exercises for each body part include:
legs - partial squats and partial lunges; back - leg lifts;
abdomen - stomach curls; and upper body - bicep curls,
tricep dips and bent rows.
As always, make sure to warm up, start slowly, and don't
forget to stretch as part of your cool down. Limit your
power workouts to no more than every other day and begin
with a low enough number of sets and repetitions so that
you won't end up with sore muscles the next day. This
list of exercises may sound like a lot, but a typical
workout shouldn't take over a half-hour once you get a
routine established.
Another advantage is that these exercises don't require
any special equipment; for weights you can use things
around the house. A good time to do them is while you're
watching television so you won't feel guilty about wasting
time looking at Baywatch. Another motivational aid is
to put on some music that will pump you up! Try the theme
from Rocky, or music from Grease, whatever gets you revved
up.
Endurance is what allows us to enjoy a full day of skiing.
Endurance is built through low resistance/high repetition
exercise. Also, this time of year it's important to make
this type of exercise as ski-specific as possible. In-line
skating is ideal. If possible, do it using your ski poles.
In-line skating with poles works best if you use longer
poles (up to the bottom of your nose) and emulate the
movements of ski skating. When you do go out skating this
time of year, try to make it for extended periods. An
hour to an hour and a half is good, especially if you
minimize the rest stops and coasting. Rowing also a good
endurance exercise, especially for the upper body. Try
to row for a half-hour to 45 minutes.
Lastly, if you can, do your power and endurance workouts
on alternate days and include one rest day a week. Don't
feel bad, however, if you can only work out once or twice
a week. You'll still see results no matter how little
you do, and any improvement is what's important.
