The first day of fall has come and gone which means it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming ski season. (Okay … I started dreaming about ribbons of white corduroy back in August, but that might just be because I missed most of last season.)
If you’re like me, you are active throughout the summer and have a pretty good cardiovascular base. Cross country skiing depends on a number of muscles working at the same time, requiring high levels of not just cardiovascular endurance, but also muscular strength. This second part has been a weakness of mine in the past, so this season I’m going to undertake a training program that will strengthen the specific muscles used in cross country skiing and (hopefully) enhance the ability of my heart and lungs to deliver oxygen to those muscles.
My goal is to be in top shape for the PSIA Nordic Fall College on December 13th. That gives me 12 weeks, which should be plenty of time, even if I take a weekend off to do nothing but watch movies at the Banff Film Festival in early November.
Starting this week I’ll post my proposed strength workout at the beginning of the week. I’ll do the workout twice, with at least two days off in between. If you’re inclined, follow along and let me know how it goes!
| Weight | Reps | Sets | ||
|
Warm Up |
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| Bird Dog | BW | 15 | 3 | |
| Glute Bridge | BW | 15 | 3 | |
| Side Plank | BW | 30 sec. | 3 | |
|
Rest – 30 seconds between sets |
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|
Workout |
||||
| Hip Hinges | * | 15 | 3 | |
| Step Ups | * | 15 | 3 | |
| Dumbell pull-overs | * | 15 | 3 | |
| Pushups | BW | 15 | 3 | |
| Seated Rows | * | 15 | 3 | |
| Shoulder Press | * | 15 | 3 | |
|
Rest – 30 seconds between sets |
||||
|
Cool Down |
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| Cat-camel | 30 sec. | |||
| Downward Dog | 30 sec. | |||
| Cobra | 30 sec. | |||
| Kneeling Hip Flexor | 30 sec. | |||
BW = body weight
* = Use enough weight so the last two repetitions are difficult–to-challenging. If the last repetition is not difficult, the muscles will not be sufficiently challenged.
Photo by Pascal, used with permission