5 Exercises Alpine Skiers Need to Master
Alpine skiing is undoubtedly one of the most impressive and consequently dangerous sports there is. Few sports are as intense as alpine skiing. Olympic-level skiers have reached speeds up to 95mph on certain courses. In addition to pure speed, skiers encounter rough terrain, high-degree turns, unpredictable winds, and bad weather. Imagine driving 70 mph in a neighborhood and, without slowing down, pulling into a driveway. And stay balanced while you are at it.
Injuries
As much fun as skiing is, it, unfortunately, comes with a lot of risks. Knee injuries are common with skiing. This is due to the skis themselves. Being attached to the feet, skis essentially make the feet feel a whole lot heavier. That, coupled with the dynamics of skiing down a hill, the knees are prone to be twisted. The typical twists and strains that result from ski accidents often damage the MCL and ACL. An ACL tear is the most devastating common injury an athlete can suffer from, usually requiring around a full year to return to impact sports.
For many sports, the best ability is availability. Being free of injury should be priority number one for all athletes. Many hall of fame careers have been lost due to injury. In a sport with a high injury rate like alpine skiing, injury prevention strategies should take precedence in a well-designed strength and conditioning program.
With that, here are five exercises that every alpine skier (or any skier) should master.
1. Star Excursion Balance Test
Alpine skiing is a two-legged sport. A clean run down a mountain never involves one ski at a time. Both skis should be tracking on the snow at all times, except during jumps. However, the load is hardly ever symmetrical during a run. The tension between the left and right legs is very dynamic with the constant turns and varying terrain. That means balance and one-leg stability are an absolute must. The star excursion balance test is a great way to challenge those attributes. Every athlete should start with bodyweight but can quickly progress to dumbbells as long as a proper balance is maintained.
2. Isometric Back Squat
To be as fast as possible, alpine skiers need to be as aerodynamic as possible. And to do that, skiers must maintain a squat position. A race can last multiple minutes at a time, which means a squat must be held at varying degrees and directions for minutes at a time. This requires brutally strong quads and hips. There’s no better way to get better at holding squats than, well, practicing holding squats. Being able to stay in this athletic position will reduce the likelihood of losing balance, which as a result, lowers the risk of injury.
3. Lateral Sled Drags
An athlete must be strong in the varying and sometimes awkward positions of their sport. I can’t think of a better way to recreate the high-angle positions that skiers encounter than what a lateral sled drag can do. This is a great way to strengthen those positions in a sport-specific way.
As an added bonus, the cardio nature of this exercise is also very relevant to the sport.
4. Single-Leg RDL
As we’ve noted, the quads are extremely important for a skier. They allow the skier to be aerodynamic, help maintain proper traction with turns, and help to stay balanced. But speaking of balance, athletes with a strong front side need to balance that with a strong backside. If the quads are really strong on the front side and the hamstrings in the back are not, this creates a chronic imbalance since both of these muscle groups attach to the knee. This asymmetry often results in increased wear and tear to the knee. Exercises like RDLs will keep the knee joint healthy if you want a long career.
5. Shuttle Runs
Without a doubt, alpine skiing is brutal on the cardiovascular side. The speeds are high, the positions are awkward, and the race is long. This requires lots and lots of energy. It’s like running a sprint over and over. So for conditioning, why don’t we just sprint over and over! Amazing concept. Shuttle runs, in particular, are great because of the constant changes of direction and elevation with the cone touches. There are a lot of parallels to like. Do shuttle runs, get better at them, and become a better skier. Simple.
Strength and conditioning should also be about injury prevention, not just performance enhancement. These five exercises (when done properly) are great ways to reduce the likelihood of injury and get you into great shape to improve your performance on the slopes.
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5 Exercises Alpine Skiers Need to Master
Alpine skiing is undoubtedly one of the most impressive and consequently dangerous sports there is. Few sports are as intense as alpine skiing. Olympic-level skiers have reached speeds up to 95mph on certain courses. In addition to pure speed, skiers encounter rough terrain, high-degree turns, unpredictable winds, and bad weather. Imagine driving 70 mph in a neighborhood and, without slowing down, pulling into a driveway. And stay balanced while you are at it.
Injuries
As much fun as skiing is, it, unfortunately, comes with a lot of risks. Knee injuries are common with skiing. This is due to the skis themselves. Being attached to the feet, skis essentially make the feet feel a whole lot heavier. That, coupled with the dynamics of skiing down a hill, the knees are prone to be twisted. The typical twists and strains that result from ski accidents often damage the MCL and ACL. An ACL tear is the most devastating common injury an athlete can suffer from, usually requiring around a full year to return to impact sports.
For many sports, the best ability is availability. Being free of injury should be priority number one for all athletes. Many hall of fame careers have been lost due to injury. In a sport with a high injury rate like alpine skiing, injury prevention strategies should take precedence in a well-designed strength and conditioning program.
With that, here are five exercises that every alpine skier (or any skier) should master.
1. Star Excursion Balance Test
Alpine skiing is a two-legged sport. A clean run down a mountain never involves one ski at a time. Both skis should be tracking on the snow at all times, except during jumps. However, the load is hardly ever symmetrical during a run. The tension between the left and right legs is very dynamic with the constant turns and varying terrain. That means balance and one-leg stability are an absolute must. The star excursion balance test is a great way to challenge those attributes. Every athlete should start with bodyweight but can quickly progress to dumbbells as long as a proper balance is maintained.
2. Isometric Back Squat
To be as fast as possible, alpine skiers need to be as aerodynamic as possible. And to do that, skiers must maintain a squat position. A race can last multiple minutes at a time, which means a squat must be held at varying degrees and directions for minutes at a time. This requires brutally strong quads and hips. There’s no better way to get better at holding squats than, well, practicing holding squats. Being able to stay in this athletic position will reduce the likelihood of losing balance, which as a result, lowers the risk of injury.
3. Lateral Sled Drags
An athlete must be strong in the varying and sometimes awkward positions of their sport. I can’t think of a better way to recreate the high-angle positions that skiers encounter than what a lateral sled drag can do. This is a great way to strengthen those positions in a sport-specific way.
As an added bonus, the cardio nature of this exercise is also very relevant to the sport.
4. Single-Leg RDL
As we’ve noted, the quads are extremely important for a skier. They allow the skier to be aerodynamic, help maintain proper traction with turns, and help to stay balanced. But speaking of balance, athletes with a strong front side need to balance that with a strong backside. If the quads are really strong on the front side and the hamstrings in the back are not, this creates a chronic imbalance since both of these muscle groups attach to the knee. This asymmetry often results in increased wear and tear to the knee. Exercises like RDLs will keep the knee joint healthy if you want a long career.
5. Shuttle Runs
Without a doubt, alpine skiing is brutal on the cardiovascular side. The speeds are high, the positions are awkward, and the race is long. This requires lots and lots of energy. It’s like running a sprint over and over. So for conditioning, why don’t we just sprint over and over! Amazing concept. Shuttle runs, in particular, are great because of the constant changes of direction and elevation with the cone touches. There are a lot of parallels to like. Do shuttle runs, get better at them, and become a better skier. Simple.
Strength and conditioning should also be about injury prevention, not just performance enhancement. These five exercises (when done properly) are great ways to reduce the likelihood of injury and get you into great shape to improve your performance on the slopes.