This photo gives me motivation to get in the gym! (Looking out of the start hut at Kitzbuhel)

Ski season is officially over, and for many ski racers like myself, vacation season (time off) is also sadly winding to and end.  This only means one thing; it is time to get back in the gym and start getting strong again for next ski season!  Being on the US Ski Team for the last 7 years, I have learned a lot about how important it is to be strong in order to push the limits in our sport and in order to prevent injuries.  Injury prevention might actually be the most important thing.  The stronger, fitter, and more flexible I am, the faster I am able to bounce back from a crash.  In the last training run at Kitzbuhel this year I crashed on the bottom side hill, and bruised myself up pretty good, but since I had worked the entire summer before on getting strong and on my flexibility, I was about to bounce back and have the best race of my career the very next day getting 12^th!   I cannot stress enough how important it is to get fit and strong being a ski racer.

 That's me about to crash at Kitz!

Over the next 10 weeks I will be sharing a few of my workouts on this blog.  All of my workouts are specifically programmed from my trainer at the US Ski Team, and are designed for my strengths and weaknesses, but feel free to try out a few workouts yourself.

Week 1

I have exactly 172 days until my first World Cup Race of the season at Lake Louise.  That gives me 172 days to get stronger before next ski season.  The main point that I want to make for this first blog is that it is very important to start your training slowly.  There is plenty of time this summer to get strong.

So to start things off I really want to concentrate on my core and my cardio.  The stronger I can build up these systems, the harder I will be able to work out later in the summer when I start doing the harder heavier lifting!

Here is my cardio and core workout from Wednesday this week!

Hiking for a threshold workout near Mammoth after skiing!

(P.S. The second exercise is meant to strengthen my patella tendon and I do it twice a day every day so it is also in my workouts)

Cardio

Bike 15mins A1
2 x 20mins at Threshold (if no pain) with 10mins A1
Bike 15mins A1

For this workout I usually go and find a nice steep trail or a ski run to run/hike up for the 20 minute effort followed by a slow walk back down the hill between the two sets.  Or You can go on a nice hike and hike very slow for the A1 and jog slowly uphill for the Threshold session! (A1 means that your heart rate is between 130bpm and 145bmp. Threshold means that you work hard with a heart rate between 165 and 175 beats per minute)

Core Workout

1. Single Leg Eccentric Decline Squats 10186

Very slowly lower down with one leg on a 15-20% decline. Stand back up with two legs. This exercise is designed to reduce tendon pain but must be done at a pain level lower than 3/10. 3x15 Twice a Day.

2. Prone stabilization.  3 sets of 65 seconds

3. Single Leg Lowers.  (Laying on your back lower one leg at a time slowy and then bring it back up.  Do 3 sets of 12 each side)

4. SB roll out stabilization.  Start in a squat possition and slowly roll out on your forearms on the swiss ball. Control your movement and roll back into the squat.  3 sets of 8 reps.

5. Hanging hip flexion. Hanging on a pull up bar lift your knees to your chest. Knees Tucked!

6. Back Extension Hold.  You can do this on a swiss ball as well.  Hold this position for 4 sets of 35 seconds

7. Prone hip extension. Hold your legs up for 3 sets of 30 seconds.  You can do this laying and holding onto a bench as well!

8. Side Hold in Glute Ham (hands across chest).  You can do this one on a swiss ball.  Hold a side plank.  3 sets of 35 seconds

9. Side lying stabilization. Three sets of 35 seconds.  Hold yourself up through your shoulder on your forearm.

10. Dumbell Side Hold.  I use a 90lb barbell.  The core workout is standing tall and resisting the weight pulling your to one side.  2 sets of 30 seconds.

11. Supine spine rotation. I like to call these windshield wipers.  3 sets of 10 reps.

12. BB rotation. Using a bar from a squat rack find a corner to put the base into.  Then keeping your core contracted go side to side for three sets of 6 each side.

13. Woodchop (no rotation) .  Using a cable machine attach a rope to the end of it.  Then keeping your shoulders square, pull the cable from low to high in a straight line and then extend your inside hand up. Repeat for 3 sets of 6!

And that’s it! You are done! I like to finish each workout with a good meal or a smoothie and my body always feels better after doing a cold bath in one of our nice rivers or lakes!