There’s nothing more liberating than dropping your weight into a heavy-G turn in the wide-open ski areas of the West. But without the proper training and preparation, your flight to freedom can easily turn into a ride down the hill with the ski patrol. To avoid the bumps and bruises, here’s how Vail native, big-mountain freeskier and Warren Miller ski-movie veteran Chris Anthony prepares for a season of careening off cliffs and blasting through the bumps, powder and crud.
The Plan
Cardio: Three to five times a week for a minimum of 45 minutes—makes a great warm-up for plyometrics.
Plyometrics: Once a week. Do each exercise for 20 seconds. Rest for one to two minutes between each exercise and perform the entire circuit three times.
Yoga: As many times as you can fit it in, but consider it a supplemental exercise. By no means should yoga replace your other training.
Classes: Another option is to sign up for a ski-conditioning class that incorporates both cardio and plyometrics.
Speed HikingIncreases endurance
Speed hiking, as the name suggests, is both brutal and effective. Find a mountain, staircase or treadmill (cranked to the highest incline) and hike at a brisk pace. Outside is best, as the terrain is not even, nor is the incline. “Hiking up is good for the explosive strength needed in skiing,” says Anthony. “But coming down is even more important as it duplicates the same contractions your muscles make when you ski.”
PlyometricsBuilds speed, strength and power
Plyometrics, a U.S. Ski Team favorite, are explosive, high-intensity exercises that work equally well for recreational skiers. Start with these moves:
Drop jumps: Jump off a box or bench, rebound on the floor and jump back up to a higher box or bench.
Bounding: Take super-sized running strides.
Squat jumps: Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Squat down until thighs are parallel to the ground, and jump up while fully extending legs.
- Land softly on toes and roll to heels.
- Avoid any twisting or sideways motion of knees.
- Start slowly with small jumps and gradually build up.
- Stop if you feel any pain.
YogaImproves balance and core strength
Anthony rounds out his training with yoga classes. “Yoga is complete functional training for the entire body, incorporating all of the elements necessary for strong performance, while at the same time allowing the body the opportunity to restore and recover to help prevent injury,” explains Jessie Franklin, one of Chris’ yoga instructors and owner and founder of Yoga Health and Healing. Try power or Vinyasa-style classes, which are faster paced and focus on developing strength.
