Are you a recreational or competitive skier/snowboarder looking to improve your performance on the slopes? All people who ski or snowboard will benefit from having a resistance training program. It is essential to have a strong, stable body when riding the hills. If you want to carve hard and fast on the hills then your leg muscles must be strong. Having good balance is also critical to a rider. By doing resistance training workouts you will gain muscle and activate stability muscles that are necessary for strong riding. having strong stability muscles will allow you to perform at you highest level. Being strong on the slopes will also help prevent falls which cause injury.
When training, it's good to do a full body routine that creates balance through the whole body. Riders must have upper and lower body balance o be stable when riding. Doing exercises like squats, lunges and deadlifts will activate the lower body stability muscles necessary for strong stable legs. Having strong legs is key,with all the bending and squatting required on the hill. Riders who do moguls will benefit by having improved knee strength which is essential when taking all the impact from the bumps.
Core and lower back strength also needs to be strong when handling all the bumps, jumps, and moguls. Isometric exercises for lower back such as prone cobra or planks are great for creating a stable midsection. Having a strong core allows you to handle the bumps and keeps you strong when turning and carving.
Upper body strength is important for skiers as they are always using their polls for balance and strength. Having strong chest, back and shoulders muscles help keep the upper body in balance with the lower body for smooth riding. Exercises such as bench press or shoulder press are perfect for gaining that upper body functional strength needed on the hills.
Having strong conditioned muscles that are stimulated through resistance training helps for longer stronger riding. The more stability you have on your skis or snowboard means better performance. Improved riding means less chance of injury and many more years of fun quality riding. If you are looking to get ready for the season or for more info on any TrainersOnSite in-home fitness programs, call 1.888.269.1867 or email us for a free session info@trainersonsite.com
Contributed by Tom Beslic
Tom is a personal trainer in Oakville, Ontario for TrainersOnSite. Learn more here.
