The Body Tune for the Snow
Kevin Mitchell

Have you ever wondered how the pros can come into the winter season and be able to immediately start skiing or snowboarding as if they had been doing it all summer? It looks as if their athleticism allows them to just jump right back in their boots and pick up where they left off at the end of last season. Many of them, however, have been preparing for this behind the scenes for months - knowing the payoff will be to start the season ready in shape.
While most professional pre-season training programs last all summer, you can do your own in just a couple of months. There are two important combinations to any pre-season training program; working out in the gym, and cross training. Where the gym builds strength and precision of muscles, cross training sports build endurance and agility.
In the following paragraphs, you will read about some of the most successful blends of exercises many professionals use to build their own training programs, whether they cross-country ski, snowboard or alpine ski. Most athletes don't immediately start up their program with these exercises everyday, but blend them into their life, exercising in the gym once or twice a week, and performing a cross training sport once or twice a week. Once there is a good foundation of strength, and a routine established (after 3-4 weeks), they will increase the gym exercises to every other day, with cross training on in-between days.

Gym workouts
Successful gym workouts start with low numbers of reps, few sets and very light weights. The last thing you want when preparing for the winter season is an injury, so start small, and build with more weights and repetitions as you get stronger. Consider hiring a qualified physical trainer or therapist to be sure you are using correct technique (especially if you have past injuries), it is easy to feel like you are working hard in the gym, only to find out later your technique has caused you to injure a particular muscle or has been ineffective in creating strength.
The goal for the following exercises at the end of two months should be to perform about three sets of eight to ten repetitions, every other day.

Squats
Squats are by far the best gym exercise for skiing and snowboarding. The same muscles used during the squats are used in snowsports. Proper technique during the squat is very important.
Place feet about shoulder width apart directly below the hips, pointing them straight forward. With the bar resting on your shoulders (using a pad for comfort), flex down with your knees and ankles until your thighs are close to parallel with the floor. Then in one smooth motion, extend into an upright position, driving your feet into the floor, avoid any bouncing motion, and don't use too much weight. Imagine while you are doing this, you are plunging your skis into ten inches of freshly laid powder.

Leg extensions
Sitting on the leg extension machine, let the bar rest against your shins. Slowly extend your legs forward, until they are straight, and then lower them back to the starting position, working out your quads both when raising, as well as lowering the weights
This exercise can be performed with one leg at a time with less weight, to add independent agility and balance to your legs.

Leg curls
This machine is usually connected to the leg extension machine. Leg curls are great for building strength in your hamstrings and lower back, important for making those recovery moves when skiing the trees.
Laying on your stomach with the padded bar pushing between your ankle and calves, pull the bar towards your buttocks, being careful to only use the hamstrings. Then lower the bar to the starting positions, repeat this until you have completed your desired number of reps, resting one to two minutes between your three sets.
Like the leg extension, this can be performed one leg at a time with less weight for more balance and agility.

Adductors / Abductors
Often the most overlooked muscles when training in the gym yet can be the most important set of muscles when skiing. Skiers are always using the adductors of their outside leg when turning their skis, and abductor muscles for inside leg steering.
Most gyms have adductor/abductor machines, which are simple to use. Another machine that works well for these muscles is a weight and pulley system, with a pulley and ankle strap close to the floor. Attaching the strap around your ankle and starting with your legs spread apart, you can pull your attached leg in front of the other, raising the weight on the machine, then letting your leg return to the original position works your adductor muscles. Positioning your body so your leg attached to the strap starts closer to you, then extending it away, allows you to work on the abductors.

Crunches / Core
If you don't work out any other set of muscle on this list, be sure to exercise your core muscles. Vital to good balance and injury prevention while skiing, these are the muscles that link your body together, your abdominals, obliques and lower back muscles. Many back and hip injuries can be avoided with a stronger core. The following exercises are great for strengthening the core, but be careful and start with low reps, especially if you already have a history with lower back issues.
Crunches - On the floor, feet flat on the ground, knees up towards the sky and back flat on the ground. Tighten all your stomach muscles together until your shoulders come up off the floor a few inches, then slowly bring yourself back to the floor. After just a few of these, you will feel it in your stomach.
Ball exercises - For more muscle safety and comfort, you can bring your crunches onto an exercise ball (a large ball of about one and half to two feet in diameter). Rest your lower back against the ball with your feet planted on the ground and perform the same move. Also try rolling on the ball to your left side, bringing your body up to the right with the crunch, and then the opposite on your other side.
Leg lifts - If you can find a leg lift stand in your gym, this is another great core strengthening exercise. This machine allows you to support you weight with your fore arms resting on two bars, letting you body dangle below you. From your dangling position, pull your knees up toward your chest until your thighs are parallel with the floor, and your feet are below your butt. Then let your legs slowly drop below you again. Variations of this include bringing your feet toward the right and left sides.

Cross Training
The other side of the training spectrum, cross-training is just as essential as gym workouts, and should be performed on opposite days than days in the gym. Many find cross-training much more fun than the gym, by combining the use of other sports for the goal of making your snowsports more enjoyable.
Remember to start off easy; 20 - 30 minute workouts should be more than enough at the beginning of your training program. After 3-4 weeks start to increase workout times to 30-60 minutes. Be sure to consult a physician before starting, especially if you have had any previous experience with pain or medical problems when exercising.

In-line stating
The most productive means of emulating skiing when there is no snow on the ground is through downhill inline skating. Like skiing, inline skating requires pressuring, edging and rotary skills; by blending these three skills together, skaters can stay in balance while performing many ski moves. Since there is no tip or tail on inline skates, however, it is imperative to stay centrally balanced.
A skier performs a parallel turn by pressuring the new outside ski early, while switching the skis edges. When making this turn, the skier also starts to steer the skis in the direction of the new turn. When skaters perform this move, the same skill blends occur.
Imagine a skier moving through the second half of a parallel turn, the skier begins to create angles in his body in order to maintain balance and increase edge angles of the ski. Now imagine a skater, the same rules apply. Coming around the turn, a skater will need to tip the knees and ankles toward the center of the turn to increase the angle of the skates on the ground. Also, like the skier, the skater must tilt the hips to align them with the out side of his body in order to balance over the skates, resisting against the forces pulling him out of the turn.
Another similarity in watching a skier and skater is the vertical motion, both sports produce pressures applied on the athlete requiring them to make this move.
When skating downhill, try extending at the knees, ankles and hip at the beginning of the turn, you will find that your skates will respond very similarly to a pair of skis. When performing this maneuver on skis, the skier finds that the skis tend to travel towards wherever gravity is taking them - down the hill. While skating, the same phenomenon occurs. After your skis (or skates) are pointed downhill, try flexing with the same parts of the body that you just extended and you will find your skates (or skis) will want to curve across the hill, slowing your speed.
By making these moves in the right order, both the skater and skier will be able to make a series of turns smoothly, and efficiently.

Mountain biking
Another popular cross training sport for skiing and snowboarding is mountain biking. Mountain bikers must constantly be watching the trail ahead for obstacles, turns and other trail users. The mountain biker avoids those obstacles through swift maneuvers that require quick reflexes and in tuned muscles.
If you were to watch a mountain biker working her way down a single-track trail, you would notice that she would be constantly placing the bike where she needs it to stay balanced, similar to a skier or snowboarder placing their equipment in the needed place.
Absorbing ditches and drop offs on a mountain bike trail take the same mechanics and physics as skiing through the trees, a constant blend of absorbsion, extension and direction changes to take the desired path.

Trail running
Many skiers are runners in the summer months. Running is great because you can do it anywhere, and all you need are your shoes. To give your running a new twist, take your shoes on the single track, or better yet, off the track completely. Like mountain biking, trail running requires quick reflexes and constant trail vigilance. In addition, by changing the pitches you run on, you can add power to your legs.
Start with gentle flat paths when getting into your running, but when you find you are becoming more fit, take it to steeper and more technical trails. On the uphills, try to take it in quick, short sprints, this will be difficult at first, but it will build power in your legs.
Downhill's are the fun part because it feels more like skiing, but be careful not to roll an ankle or lose control. Taking it slow will be safer and more ski like, using the same muscles as when you are making turns in the snow. For higher performance, find some steep rocky areas to play on, jumping from rock to rock, carefully absorbing each landing. When running off trails, be sure to avoid areas where you can disturb the natural vegetation.

So in your workouts this fall, use these techniques to form a blend of both working out in the gym, and participating in cross-training sports, and you will be ready when it snows. Remember to start small and build only when your body feels ready.