Train Like the U.S. Ski Team

Text: Juliann Fritz, Tom Kelly and Per Lundstam
Photography: Courtesy of the U.S. Ski Team

Though you love hitting the slopes and enjoying Utah’s Greatest Snow on Earth®, do you find that your legs are often tired, your back is sore, and you’re looking forward to the après-ski hour to give your body a rest?

Your puffy ski outfit can hide only so much. And while you may not be eyeing a medal at the next Olympic Games, it still pays to get into shape for winter.

The U.S. Ski Team, based in Park City since 1973, has developed some of the world’s strongest athletes. Now, the Team is sharing some of its training tips in an educational DVD called “Competitive Core Training.” The DVD will help skiers of any ability level build a workout program to develop the strength and flexibility needed for skiing. Plus, you can download the workouts and exercise videos to your I-pod, and take them with you wherever you go!

Take a page from the training manuals of Park City skiing favorites and Olympic medalists like our own Ted Ligety and more. Here’s a sneak peak at a few tips to get you started:

Get a Plan

Every U.S. Ski Team athlete has a workout plan. You should, too! A simple plan includes stretching, strength, agility and aerobic endurance workouts. Create a six-week program leading into the season for real benefits.

Stretching

Stretching to start a workout or before you hit the slopes is critical. It tells your body to get ready to work, reduces muscle tension, and helps prevent injuries. You’ll want to start with the big muscle groups that see a lot of action, such as the gluteus, quadriceps and hamstrings.

Strength

While upper body, legs and torso are all important for skiing, areas of focus for U.S. Ski Team athletes are the back, spine and pelvis because of the forces and speeds generated when skiing. U.S. Ski Team athletes execute back extensions to build a solid musculature around the spine to prevent injuries.

Agility

The ability to be agile and react quickly is key for U.S. athletes and for you, too. A simple drill involves explosive direction changes between cones, both laterally and backward-forward. This enhances explosiveness in the muscles used and the alignment of your center of mass.

Aerobic

Keep in mind you’re skiing in the mountains. While drinking plenty of water and getting your rest is important to combat the effects of high altitude, good aerobic activities will prime your cardio system for skiing. That includes cycling (road, mountain or stationary), running, stair climbing or use of a training tool like the Skier’s Edge. Top team athletes use modalities such as low intensity aerobic work for a longer time with low heart rates. They also combine aerobic and anaerobic work, doing intervals at higher intensity, producing lactic acid in the body, and then flushing it out by doing lower intensity work (recovery) to improve the quality of training.