Leg Exercises to Prepare for Ski Season

Early October is when many people start thinking about ski season. Whether you downhill ski or snowboard, these are activities that call for lower body strength and the endurance necessary for a short, explosive run. If you’re the kind of person who wants to start preparing for the rigors of these outdoor activities, now is the time to begin. Your best bet are bodyweight exercises performed two to three weekly. Try these two simple leg exercises to prepare for ski season.

Conditioning at Home

Our conditioning will include a double low contraction split squat and a double low contraction squat. These simple exercises require zero equipment and can be performed at home. A few tips – make sure to drop all the way down, come up one quarter of the distance traveled down, go back down to full depth, then come back all the way up. That series will count as one repetition of either exercise.

To begin, perform a working set two times a week for two minutes, excluding transitions.

1. Split Squat: Body weight x 30 seconds per leg

Also known as a stationary lunge, this exercise begins with the front knee over the heel, rear foot on the toe, and the center of both knees tracking in line with the second toe. Go all the way down, up a quarter of the way, all the way back down, then all the way up. This is one rep. Start a timer, and complete 30 seconds on each leg.

2. Body Weight Squat: x 60 seconds

With the feet about shoulder width apart, drop into a full squat – ninety degrees in depth. Come up one quarter of the way, all the way back down to ninety degrees, then all the way up. Maintain these movements in a moderate tempo for 60 seconds on the timer.

For weeks one and two, perform these exercises for a total of two minutes. In weeks three and four, perform them for three minutes by adding 30 seconds to each split squat. In weeks five and six, add another 60 seconds to each squat. It may seem simple, but this series will help condition the body to working with lactic acid, preparing your legs for the energy system required this ski and snowboard season.

For more ski-specific exercises, or to learn more about a personal training program designed for your individual needs and goals, contact Framework Personal Training in Reno today.