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Online resource for ski racing workouts

BClipped

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Hi All,

Can anyone recommend an online source of good exercises and/or training plans for building fitness for ski racing? Nowadays plenty of WC racers post themselves working out on instagram etc, but it would be great to have a more complete plan including development and progression.

I live in the UK, so any (general) fitness trainers I speak to just recommend squats. Obviously they are important, but I’d like a bit more ;)

Thanks!
 

martyg

Making fresh tracks
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There are definitely coaches in the US who can work with you remotely. It will be much more granular and accurate information than any canned program in-line. Without assessment of your current fitness and movement patterns any information that you gather will be close to useless, provided that your are in reasonably good shape now.
 

Corgski

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I live in the UK, so any (general) fitness trainers I speak to just recommend squats. Obviously they are important, but I’d like a bit more ;)
Don't forget deadlifts, saw a video of a schoolgirl at Burke deadlifting a couple of hundred pounds.

I am training with the goal of starting Masters, my impression is that many higher level skiers (not FIS) squat 1.5 - 2.0 times bodyweight, giving me a target barbell squat weight of at least 300lbs :geek:. I think some of these online exercises might be useful when fine tuning stability, balance and muscle isolation, but I suspect that for most people they should be treated as accessory exercises at best.

My goals for weight lifting are usually to be able to squat 2x my weight, dead lift 2.2-2.5x my weight and bench 1.5x… .

My levels are below anything I am prepared to admit publicly. Just want to emphasize the point that the online stuff is frequently not representative of what serious skiers are doing.
 
Thread Starter
TS
BClipped

BClipped

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Dec 25, 2019
Posts
43
Location
UK
There are definitely coaches in the US who can work with you remotely. It will be much more granular and accurate information than any canned program in-line. Without assessment of your current fitness and movement patterns any information that you gather will be close to useless, provided that your are in reasonably good shape now.
That sounds excellent - any tips on where to start looking for a US coach that could work remotely?

Thanks and cheers,

B
 
Thread Starter
TS
BClipped

BClipped

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Dec 25, 2019
Posts
43
Location
UK
Don't forget deadlifts, saw a video of a schoolgirl at Burke deadlifting a couple of hundred pounds.

I am training with the goal of starting Masters, my impression is that many higher level skiers (not FIS) squat 1.5 - 2.0 times bodyweight, giving me a target barbell squat weight of at least 300lbs :geek:. I think some of these online exercises might be useful when fine tuning stability, balance and muscle isolation, but I suspect that for most people they should be treated as accessory exercises at best.



My levels are below anything I am prepared to admit publicly. Just want to emphasize the point that the online stuff is frequently not representative of what serious skiers are doing.
Don't forget deadlifts, saw a video of a schoolgirl at Burke deadlifting a couple of hundred pounds.

I am training with the goal of starting Masters, my impression is that many higher level skiers (not FIS) squat 1.5 - 2.0 times bodyweight, giving me a target barbell squat weight of at least 300lbs :geek:. I think some of these online exercises might be useful when fine tuning stability, balance and muscle isolation, but I suspect that for most people they should be treated as accessory exercises at best.



My levels are below anything I am prepared to admit publicly. Just want to emphasize the point that the online stuff is frequently not representative of what serious skiers are doing.
Good guidelines - thanks! That means 370lbs squat for me. (Gulp!)
 

martyg

Making fresh tracks
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That sounds excellent - any tips on where to start looking for a US coach that could work remotely?

Thanks and cheers,

B

You might want to start with Anne Healzer. She’s at MTI PT in Seattle. She’d look at video of you skiing, work in a Skype call, and advise on drills. For strength training m she could direct.

I think that Steve Mahre’s SO is also a PT who focuses on performance. I’m sure that she’d be happy to work remotely.
 

martyg

Making fresh tracks
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Don't forget deadlifts, saw a video of a schoolgirl at Burke deadlifting a couple of hundred pounds.

I am training with the goal of starting Masters, my impression is that many higher level skiers (not FIS) squat 1.5 - 2.0 times bodyweight, giving me a target barbell squat weight of at least 300lbs :geek:. I think some of these online exercises might be useful when fine tuning stability, balance and muscle isolation, but I suspect that for most people they should be treated as accessory exercises at best.



My levels are below anything I am prepared to admit publicly. Just want to emphasize the point that the online stuff is frequently not representative of what serious skiers are doing.

I used to have a director’s level position with an NGB, attended camps at the OTC, trained under two national team coaches, sat on USOPC committees, and still have access to that mind trust for my masters level training.

Everyone is unique, and everyone is a “study of one”. I know of at least two cases, one resulting in an Olympic Gold Medal, where the prescript was zero strength trading, total focus on mobility drills. Troy Taylor, for example, told me that he tends to emphasize more aerobic training. Susie Parker Summons big focus is on eating disorders. What you see on-line is generally worth about what it costs.

Until you are assessed by someone who is an outstanding source of The Truth, you are in a place where You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know. As you get older, you find that accurate, granular data, in any domain, buys you time.
 

Corgski

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I used to have a director’s level position with an NGB, attended camps at the OTC, trained under two national team coaches, sat on USOPC committees, and still have access to that mind trust for my masters level training.

Everyone is unique, and everyone is a “study of one”. I know of at least two cases, one resulting in an Olympic Gold Medal, where the prescript was zero strength trading, total focus on mobility drills. Troy Taylor, for example, told me that he tends to emphasize more aerobic training. Susie Parker Summons big focus is on eating disorders. What you see on-line is generally worth about what it costs.

Until you are assessed by someone who is an outstanding source of The Truth, you are in a place where You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know. As you get older, you find that accurate, granular data, in any domain, buys you time.
A professional assessment is always preferable, would always encourage that and encourage the OP to follow through. Unfortunately most people will not get that or the professional may be less professional than they realize (is it still just a weekend course to get a Crossfit coach certification?)

I do not have any disagreement with your post, I understand the context in which it was written. Most high level athletes have passed the point where basic strength training is going to give them significant returns. Nevertheless I suspect you would be appalled to see how posts like yours get interpreted in the recreational field. When kids, their parents or school coaches hear that a football coach emphasizes aerobic training, it severely compromises the sporting development of the kid who can run a 10K but desperately needs a modest strength training regimen. I have seen this for decades, especially those of us who grew up in the eighties when everyone was supposed to train like a marathon runner. I have noticed that people who describe themselves as unathletic often seem to have pursued training regimes that have nothing to do with their needs or their sport of choice. Two out of three times it is strength training that is missing.

There are also some exercises and activities which just require a certain strength baseline to perform safely. You really want to be squatting well over 1 times bw before messing with one legged squats, certain plyometrics exercises can give one meniscus tears just talking about them.
 

Dakine

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Lindsey Vonn had to demonstrate to her ortho guys that she could squat 485 pounds before they would let her race.
If you are not seriously strong you aren't going to be making 3 g turns.
 

Rod9301

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Lindsey Vonn had to demonstrate to her ortho guys that she could squat 485 pounds before they would let her race.
If you are not seriously strong you aren't going to be making 3 g turns.
That's true.

3g turns means 3 times body weight on one leg.

Not to change the subject, but leg press would be a lot safer than squatting 370 lbs
 

martyg

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Lindsey Vonn had to demonstrate to her ortho guys that she could squat 485 pounds before they would let her race.
If you are not seriously strong you aren't going to be making 3 g turns.

If that’s true, it is closing in on the world record for squats, in her weight class.
 

martyg

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A professional assessment is always preferable, would always encourage that and encourage the OP to follow through. Unfortunately most people will not get that or the professional may be less professional than they realize (is it still just a weekend course to get a Crossfit coach certification?)

I do not have any disagreement with your post, I understand the context in which it was written. Most high level athletes have passed the point where basic strength training is going to give them significant returns. Nevertheless I suspect you would be appalled to see how posts like yours get interpreted in the recreational field. When kids, their parents or school coaches hear that a football coach emphasizes aerobic training, it severely compromises the sporting development of the kid who can run a 10K but desperately needs a modest strength training regimen. I have seen this for decades, especially those of us who grew up in the eighties when everyone was supposed to train like a marathon runner. I have noticed that people who describe themselves as unathletic often seem to have pursued training regimes that have nothing to do with their needs or their sport of choice. Two out of three times it is strength training that is missing.

There are also some exercises and activities which just require a certain strength baseline to perform safely. You really want to be squatting well over 1 times bw before messing with one legged squats, certain plyometrics exercises can give one meniscus tears just talking about them.

Totally get that and thanks for chiming in.

Going to a reliable source of the truth - a trainer with advanced degree and with a deep understanding of the domain in question- is always key.

As a data analytics geek, I sways seek out the best source of The Truth in everything that I do. With out reliable data, one simply cannot make prudent, well informed decisions.

Watching what am opinion leader in you field does, on YouTube for five minutes, and basing Your Truth and best action plan on that, is a recipe for never achieving your goals,
 

Dakine

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If that’s true, it is closing in on the world record for squats, in her weight class.
I can't count the weight for sure but it is a lot.
Story says 485.
What else would you expect from from a downhiller?
Lindsey was a gym rat and trained six days a week.
When she was unhurt and at peak strength she was able to ski just crazy just like Bode.
But she said her chef was as important as her trainer and I believe that.
vonn123.jpg
 

beginnerskier96

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You might want to start with Anne Healzer. She’s at MTI PT in Seattle. She’d look at video of you skiing, work in a Skype call, and advise on drills. For strength training m she could direct.

I think that Steve Mahre’s SO is also a PT who focuses on performance. I’m sure that she’d be happy to work remotely.
Contact details?
 

martyg

Making fresh tracks
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Check out this article. It will paint the complete picture for you. Anne's info is in there. Enjoy!

https://point6.com/blogs/news/dryla...lace-where-you-don-t-know-what-you-don-t-know

Some quotes and take-ways for you:

There are so many online tools out there for skiing performance - it seems every other person has an idea about what is right. Without having someone who can really assess HOW you move, you will only continue to build compensation - fitness alone is only part of the picture. Dr. Anne Healzer Garske

_________________________________________________________________________________

This article is not about killer workouts. It is about assessing where you are, and what you need to work on to achieve your skiing goals. This is about information that helps you plot your course. Or as United States Ski Team High Performance Director, Troy Taylor said, ‘You need to know where you are, where you want to go, and develop a plan to get there”.

_________________________________________________________________________________

According to Dr. Donald, “…if you move better, have better core control, are able to stabilize while moving dynamically, you will be less likely to experience injury.” To that list, I’ll add that if you are stabilized when you move dynamically, you can exert more power, with less physical effort.

_________________________________________________________________________________

I’m fond of a quote by legendary strength coach Louie Simmons, "When you attempt to build capacity on dysfunction, you are actually deepening the attractor state of your compensation. Thus, you are building compensation, not capacity.” As we age, and it doesn’t matter if we are 17 or 70, we inevitably impact our bodies with wear and tear. Regardless of athletic domain, if those impacts and limitations are not addressed, we tend to build compensation to work around them, and not real capacity.

Screen Shot 2019-12-29 at 11.36.12 AM.png
 

martyg

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Leg blasters are the foundation of my lower body training:

Leg Blasters

Body weight only, and I can do them in a hotel room (I travel a lot).

I love leg blasters. I heavily incorporate them into my mtn bike training program for XCST as well.

Incorporate lateral movement, lower core, and lots of mobility work, and you are probably covering 90% of what the average skier will need.

In my case, I've been advised by several that more resistance training is not my prescript. But mobility work is.
 

martyg

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I can't count the weight for sure but it is a lot.
Story says 485.
What else would you expect from from a downhiller?
Lindsey was a gym rat and trained six days a week.
When she was unhurt and at peak strength she was able to ski just crazy just like Bode.
But she said her chef was as important as her trainer and I believe that.
View attachment 88543

Interesting. When I look at her footwear, it is not consistent with moving big poundage.

In my younger years I did squat workouts going to 315 for 15 reps. Once I got much over 225 (I weighed 165 - about the same as the subject above) pedestrian athletic shoes just got crushed.

I'd think that her footwear would be more robust for such poundage.
 

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