Skiing is a sport that demands a unique blend of strength, balance, agility, and endurance. The explosive nature and sometimes unpredictable terrain involved with skiing and snowboarding —including the possibility of vigorous turns, sudden stops, and high-speed descents from cliff drops—makes it essential for athletes to prepare their bodies not just for change of direction and force absorption but also controlled deceleration. We will highlight the importance of in-season strength training for skiing, emphasizing the role of deceleration-focused exercises to optimize performance, mitigate injury risk, and keep you shredding all season long.
In-Season Strength Training
Skiing’s dynamic nature means your body constantly encounters varying terrain, sudden changes in direction, and significant forces. In-season strength training helps skiers maintain peak performance and can help reduce injury risks by:
Maintaining Strength and Power: Skiing naturally taxes your muscles. Regular strength training prevents strength loss during the season.
Enhancing Neuromuscular Control: Targeted exercises ensure optimal coordination and reaction times, critical for navigating the varying terrain that skiing encompasses.
Preventing Overuse Injuries: Proper conditioning can help maintain muscle strength and power through the season as your time on the mountain can fluctuate up and down.
Improving Recovery: Regular strength work supports faster muscle repair and reduces soreness after skiing.
In-season strength and conditioning should differ from off-season training. Off-season training normally has increased frequency and intensity, focusing on building baseline strength and power. In-season training is often less frequent with more focus on sport-specific strength and power. We recommend 2x/week dedicated sessions for strength maintenance and injury risk mitigation.
The Importance of Deceleration
Skiing forces, particularly during turns, stops, and drops, can cause significantly increased forces across your joints and soft tissues (ligaments, tendons, muscles). One important aspect to include in a balanced strength training program is choosing exercises that train deceleration. Deceleration not only aids in speed control, but training the muscles that aid in slowing/decelerating movements can help better distribute forces away from just your ligaments - possibly helping protect your ACL and other important structures!
Key benefits of deceleration-focused training include:
Reduced ACL Injury Risk: Impaired deceleration mechanics may put you at increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Training deceleration improves muscle balance around the knee and trains tendon and ligament reaction to the deceleration force.
Enhanced Control and Stability: Strong deceleration capabilities allow skiers to execute sharper turns and controlled stops.
Improved Agility: Effective deceleration enables quicker transitions between movements, essential for navigating difficult terrain.
Components of Deceleration Training for Skiing
To train for deceleration, exercises should target eccentric muscle contractions—the controlled lengthening of muscles—and include movements that mimic skiing mechanics. Here are some important concepts to include in training:
Eccentric Strength Training
Focuses on controlled muscle lengthening, which is critical for absorbing forces during deceleration.
Examples: Slow eccentric squats, Romanian deadlifts, and Nordic hamstring curls.
Plyometric Exercises
Improves the ability to absorb impact and transition quickly to new movements or changes in direction.
Examples: Depth jumps, lateral bounds, and deceleration-focused hops.
Core Stability Work
A strong core enhances balance and control during turns and stops.
Examples: Pallof presses, anti-rotation planks, and woodchoppers.
Movement-Specific Drills
Replicates skiing motions to improve neuromuscular control and proprioception.
Examples: Ski-simulation drills, lateral slides, and downhill lunges.
Key Tips for In-Season Training Success
Prioritize Recovery: Incorporate rest days and avoid overtraining. Skiing itself is physically demanding, so adjust your training load accordingly.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity: Perform exercises with proper form and control to maximize effectiveness and prevent injury.
Monitor Fatigue: Avoid training to failure during the ski season. Maintain a balance that supports performance on the slopes.
Stay Consistent: Regulated and less frequent sessions are more effective than sporadic, intense workouts.
Listen to Your Body: Address soreness or fatigue early to prevent injuries and ensure long-term progress. See a physical therapist if you have any concerns!
THE POINT!
In-season strength training is a vital component of any skier’s regimen, and deceleration should be a cornerstone of that training. By focusing on eccentric strength, plyometric control, core stability, and movement-specific drills, you can enhance your performance on the slopes while helping to reduce the risk of injury or overuse. Remember, skiing is as much about control and precision as it is about speed and power! Train smart, stay consistent, make sure to let your body recover, and enjoy a season filled with peak performance and memorable descents.
Questions?
Contact Ascent Tahoe Physical Therapy! Kerry: kerry@ascenttahoe.com
Shawnee: shawnee@ascenttahoe.com. For more on what ways Ascent Tahoe can get you to your peak performance, check them out at https://ascenttahoe.com/
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