Leg Strength Training for Skiing

In my last article, I discussed movement prep and getting your body ready for a workout. This post will cover leg strength training exercises for skiing.

As always these articles are based on the expectation that you’re in good physical shape and that if you’ve been inactive, you’ve discussed ramping up with your physician. If you have orthopedic challenges — like an ACL tear or a joint replacement, or chronic issues like hypertension — consult your physician before hitting the gym.

Start conservatively and progress incrementally. You’re far better off performing quality movement with just your body weight or light weights. Struggling with too much weight can compromise your form and increase risk of injury.

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Movement Prep: Dynamic Stretching Before You Workout

In October of last year we published our first strength piece — Get in Shape for Ski Season — featuring variations of fundamental lower body movements. While one can, with focus, tangibly improve strength over a six week time frame, Benny Profane’s comment was right: skiers are made in the summer.

A long-term approach will improve the daily movement of living as well as your skiing.

This series will be structured like one of my training sessions. Movement prep; lower body; upper body; core strength; stretching post workout.

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Wildcat Ridge: Dryland Season Comes Early

With freezing rain forecast for Sunday in southern Vermont, I decided to catch up on sleep and stay local. I don’t mind skiing in that stuff, but I’d prefer not to drive in it. After a leisurely breakfast, I set out for a run in Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Rockaway, NJ.

Wildcat Ridge boulders

Wildcat Ridge covers about 3700 acres. With the nearby Mt Hope Park, Picatinny Arsenal, Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, and the Rockaway Valley WMA, you’re looking at around 17,000 contiguous acres of open land. Compared to New York’s big parks, that’s a drop in a bucket, but there are plenty of opportunities to run, mountain bike, and, at times, in the winter, you can even ski. If you’re ambitious,  you can go off trail to look for signs of the old ski jump at Lake Telemark.

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