Ski fit - leg exercises - what next?

[eyebeebe]

I'm looking for some thoughts on what to do next regarding leg exercises to be fit for ski season. I live in Switzerland so ski most weekends and will be doing a week over new year. I find though that mid-late afternoon I get burning thighs which make it much more difficult to turn, which makes my technique worse, which makes my thighs worse and the second day is a real bind to ski.

I've been running on and off all year, which I found helped last season. I'm currently running 7km in 34.30 and am upping the distance at 1km a week keeping the same pace.

On top of that, straight after the run I've been doing sets of 20 leg presses and leg raises, with the intention of getting to 5 sets of each. I managed to hit that reasonably easily yesterday with 60kg on the press and 20kg on the raises. My first ski weekend is at the end of this month. My question is should stay with what I'm doing, up the weight, up the reps per set or up the number of sets?

Further info. I'm 78kg and 33 yo. I also do a decent upper body workout I'm running/doing leg weights 3 times a week.

[M400 NBL]

Before my first snow boarding holiday a long time ago, I stretched my hamstrings to the point where I could put my head on my knees with my legs straight. Being agile is fairly important IMO.

Before I stretched for my holiday I could barely touch my toes with straight legs and would have most likely done a lot of damage when crashing.

Also, static holds with knees at 90 degrees against a wall. 30 seconds at first and increase over time.

[The_Doc]

M400 NBL said:

Also, static holds with knees at 90 degrees against a wall. 30 seconds at first and increase over time.

This is quads.


Do a lot of these and you'll put off the afternoon thigh burn and improve your technique.

Cycling would be my other suggestion, good for cardio and legs.

[eyebeebe]

Thanks. I'll give the quad exercises a go in addition to what I do. It's definitely a quads issues. I never have any issues with my hamstrings, but some stretching isn't a bad plan either.

I do a bit of cycling and am trying to build this into the routine more, but as it is I'm spending at least an hour and a half in the gym 3 times a week with running and weights and supplementing that with other weights a further twice a week. I don't want to substitute it for the running at the moment either as I've got some personal goals I want to hit.

[maxrider1]

eyebeebe said:

I've been doing sets of 20 leg presses I managed to hit that reasonably easily yesterday with 60kg on the press

Further info. I'm 78kg and 33 yo.

Don't doubt it is easy, you should be doing at least double that (170+), are you sore the next day?

[eyebeebe]

maxrider1 said:

Don't doubt it is easy, you should be doing at least double that (170+), are you sore the next day?

After running 7km I should be able to do 100 leg presses at over double my body weight? Are you sure? I'm trying to build stamina and not size. In fact I heard one of the gym instructors telling a new girl that when he was training for body building his one max rep was just over twice his body weight.

[Burrow01]

I do one legged squats, squats on two balance boards, and the static holds against the wall.

Also squats with your back against a ball on a wall

Its worth trying to include some balance exercises into your routine as this strengthens all the minor muscles you use with skiing - I've seen people balanced on gym balls throwing things between each other.

[MacGee]

Lots of air squats and bunny jumps.

[Animal]

I'd suggest some walking lunges on a treadmill: slight incline and a slow walking pace. Aim for 5-10 mins...

[MacGee]

Rowing is all legs and get up to 30-40 mins.

[cashmax]

I don't think fitness is your problem.

You sound much fitter than me, but I can ski hard all day, everyday without any problems. Perhaps you should concentrate a bit more on you technique?

[Burrow01]

Do you do any stretching post skiing - this can really reduce the next day aches

[MacGee]

cashmax said:

I don't think fitness is your problem.

You sound much fitter than me, but I can ski hard all day, everyday without any problems. Perhaps you should concentrate a bit more on you technique?

Legs too tense possibly. Good advice.

[Halb]

Pistols, cossacks squats, lunges in the frontal plane, squats holds, plyometric lunges in both planes.

[goldblum]

MacGee said:

cashmax said:

I don't think fitness is your problem.

You sound much fitter than me, but I can ski hard all day, everyday without any problems. Perhaps you should concentrate a bit more on you technique?

Legs too tense possibly. Good advice.

Yerp. Best skiers I know do no other exercise at all. Maybe some jogging and squats if the OPs no expert might come in handy.

[kingstondc5]

cashmax said:

I don't think fitness is your problem.

You sound much fitter than me, but I can ski hard all day, everyday without any problems. Perhaps you should concentrate a bit more on you technique?

But surely that depends on your ski style, slope, terrain and how hard your wanting to push yourself? (obv not knowing your ski style etc)

Ive always found the lunch break to be a killer and try and go without or eat on the lift.

[taaffy]

Your legs sound as if they are more than capable of a weeks skiing.
Burning thighs can come from a few issues.
If you are carving your turns at high speeds all day then your thighs are going to take a pasting.
Generally though most peoples thigh burning comes from skiing with their weight too far back of centre.

Have a look here hopefully it will help.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK0phPEMsag

Edited by taaffy on Tuesday 19th November 10:29

[M400 NBL]

Although I've not boarded for years, it was far more knackering as a first timer because I spent (as all learners do) almost all the time on a edge to brake. For a boarder that asks a lot of calves.

Considering skis are faster than boards I imagine you'll be using your edges an awful lot too. Your legs may be strong but if you have time, work on the muscles that learners use more than an experience skier.

[Cheib]

The single best exercise for replicating thigh burn from skiing is doing squats on balance discs.

get yourself two of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/181091707988?hlpht=...

Work up to doing twenty squats slowly and then stay down for as long as you can in the squat position....when you are doing the latter gradually move your weight from left to right and back etc. The last bit replicates putting in turns and the weight transfer.

Improved technique will help...but at the end of the day if your legs aren't ready for it no matter how good a skier you are and you aren't ski fit it'll hurt a bit.

[Halb]

Vaguely similar to bosus.
I like to use bosus for ankle/legs.