Eccentric Leg Strengthening for Skiing

[old goat]

I noticed that it takes longer for my heart rate to go up, but how does it feel when the leg arteries take a long time to open?

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I'm a little late with the answer--but when your leg arteries haven't opened up your legs hurt--the classic burn. Even when I was young the first run of the day was the hardest on my legs. I never did any endurance sports in school; I was surprised by how much time my swimmer son and my XC son spent warming up before a race. It doesn't matter how much working out you do and how great a shape you're in; until your heart starts pumping and your leg arteries open up you're going to feel out of shape. Fortunately, for lift skiing one run is usually enough to get the blood flowing and you get caught up on your oxygen debt on the second lift ride up. If you're skinning it pays to start slow, especially as you get older.

[Best Mexican Skier from Da South]

Rob Shaul's leg blasters regimen is awesome. You can certainly mix it up too.

Right now, I'm substituting the 10 air squats with 10 Wall Balls with a 12 lb. ball. Also, I've appended some ring rows and crunches to the end of the mini leg blasters. Still working up to 5 full blasters, but there is more than enough time to get there before winter.

Two years ago, I was fit with the leg blasters and I hit the slopes in great shape. Last year, life got in the way, and I was a slug up until March. This year, going back to the fit and ready start. It pays HUGE dividends to start out strong. It makes the whole season more fruitful for sure.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Reviving this thread because I was trying to think of ways to eccentrically train my legs without the impact of plyometrics. One thought I had would be to do one legged pistol squats (maybe weighted) lowering down, and then raising back up with both legs. Also might have the benefit of working single leg stability as well?

Pistols are part of my eternal rehab, but I don't think they have any special benefit for skiing. I like downhill running, weighted box steps (controlled on the way down) and the old leg blaster to get ready for ski season.

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[swissiphic]

Reviving this thread because I was trying to think of ways to eccentrically train my legs without the impact of plyometrics. One thought I had would be to do one legged pistol squats (maybe weighted) lowering down, and then raising back up with both legs. Also might have the benefit of working single leg stability as well?

Downhill jogging/trotting/running with interval pauses with alternating eccentric down then up flexion of opposing legs? Great balance/strength exercise. I'll post a vid if it doesn't make sense. Seems to add a bit of quality to the downhill of the uphill workout. Just added that to my routine this year, results are positive.

[bry]

Try inline skating

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[lucknau]

Been doing leg blasters again for the past three weeks.

My last day of skiing this year was August 2nd at Beartooth Pass, and one of my knees went downhill fast during the month off. I was worried about having to dial it back this year, but after the second week of running stairs and doing leg blasters, I was back in the saddle again. Four weeks into it, and I'm up to four full leg blasters a session, with energy to spare, and carrying my six year old up the last 140 step ascent when running stairs.

I feel like Rocky.

[Gepeto]

[lucknau]

[Best Mexican Skier from Da South]

Do leg blasters with a pvc pip over head (Snatch grip; Snatch, lol). That will take them to a new level. No momentum help on the jumping lunges/squats. I'm roasted even today after adding that to the Sunday workout.

[scrambledbacon]

Do leg blasters with a pvc pip over head (Snatch grip; Snatch, lol). That will take them to a new level. No momentum help on the jumping lunges/squats. I'm roasted even today after adding that to the Sunday workout.

Will try these tomorrow
AAR to follow...

[powdork]

I'm a little late with the answer--but when your leg arteries haven't opened up your legs hurt--the classic burn. Even when I was young the first run of the day was the hardest on my legs. I never did any endurance sports in school; I was surprised by how much time my swimmer son and my XC son spent warming up before a race. It doesn't matter how much working out you do and how great a shape you're in; until your heart starts pumping and your leg arteries open up you're going to feel out of shape. Fortunately, for lift skiing one run is usually enough to get the blood flowing and you get caught up on your oxygen debt on the second lift ride up. If you're skinning it pays to start slow, especially as you get older.

Its amazing how much I notice this climbing, especially bouldering. Obviously, it's a different set of arteries but the burn you described is so much more pronounced with the antebrachial region (forearm/upper wrist). It's amazing how much confidently stronger i am after the first two burns. I'm not sure how it's exactly related but I also seem to be much more calmer and aware of my abilities at this point too. I know the mind becomes more accustomed to the risk throughout the day but it also seems to coincide with the muscle relaxation after the burn.
When I say it's more pronounced, I've definitely felt the same thing in my quads at any point in a longish run depending on the snow conditions, but the brachial burn has always been more of an actual 'burn'ing sensation than the pain of a long subpar powder run

[scrambledbacon]

Will try these tomorrow
AAR to follow...

Smoke factor is def increased. I think partly because it forces you to maintain proper posture.

[Falcon3]

Started leg blasters this week- I'm like a weak little child. Love this exercise because you can throw a few sets in really anytime. I'm doing them in the "nursing mothers" room at work (sans nursing mothers unfortunately) whenever I walk by it.

[Hopeless Sinner]

And so it begins for the ski season of 22-23. Getting the precursors to leg blasters in this year now to work up to mini's and then full leg blasters. Got up to 10 sets of full by ski season last year, but it was a bitch. Hoping a little weight loss and much improved strength makes it just slightly easier. It did pay off big time last year in the sense I could pay attention to making turns instead of skiing myself into condition from day 1.

[::: :::]

My legs are killing me
Going up steps and sitting/getting up
Legs and butt

Not even doing full leg blaster yet

Ouches

[TBS]

^^^ How ‘bout some stair work?
On Terwilligar at Hamilton, there is a set of 120+ stairs going up to OHSU. I used to run/walk those regularly when we lived in Hillsdale, esp on wet Oct/Nov days.

[::: :::]

Maybe after this set of DOMS has subsided…

[rod9301]

Just because your legs hurt a lot after burpees it doesn't mean they get strong enough.

Still need leg presses with heavy weights or squats.

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[::: :::]

Just because your legs hurt a lot after burpees it doesn't mean they get strong enough.

Still need leg presses with heavy weights or squats.

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i'm not close to heavy anything...i'm under no illusions: the pain is more a commentary on my shit fitness than any pretend idea that my legs are ready for ski season


i've been moaning about the house to make sure my family knows that i've been doing scissor lunges
otherwise what's the point?

[Dantheman]

My legs are killing me
Going up steps and sitting/getting up
Legs and butt

Not even doing full leg blaster yet

Ouches

It's super important to ease into heavily eccentric work. Not just to avoid being in pain for days, but because it's relatively easy to end up with rhabdo and be proper fucked.

^^^ How ‘bout some stair work?
On Terwilligar at Hamilton, there is a set of 120+ stairs going up to OHSU. I used to run/walk those regularly when we lived in Hillsdale, esp on wet Oct/Nov days.

IMVHO, the absolute best conditioning for alpine skiing is technical downhill trail running. Downhill running is almost 100% eccentric loading. Stairs are a good sub, but I've never seen a set of stairs that was 1,000+ vert. I think running down an inclined surface helps as well.

[old goat]

It's super important to ease into heavily eccentric work. Not just to avoid being in pain for days, but because it's relatively easy to end up with rhabdo and be proper fucked.



IMVHO, the absolute best conditioning for alpine skiing is technical downhill trail running. Downhill running is almost 100% eccentric loading.

People who have access to downhill trail running are probably already in pretty decent shape compared to the gen pop.

[rod9301]

It's super important to ease into heavily eccentric work. Not just to avoid being in pain for days, but because it's relatively easy to end up with rhabdo and be proper fucked.



IMVHO, the absolute best conditioning for alpine skiing is technical downhill trail running. Downhill running is almost 100% eccentric loading.

Downhill running will cause small tears in the quadriceps. Painful for sure, but i don't think it will build muscle. It will improve your aerobic fitness, so that's good.

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[Dantheman]

People who have access to downhill trail running are probably already in pretty decent shape compared to the gen pop.

Gen pop isn't exactly the target audience for this thread.

Downhill running will cause small tears in the quadriceps. Painful for sure, but i don't think it will build muscle. It will improve your aerobic fitness, so that's good.

The title of this thread is a misnomer. Eccentric training for skiing has nothing to do with building muscle or developing strength. It's about using the Repeated Bout Effect to reduce your susceptibility to the specific type of muscle damage created by high levels of eccentric loading. That eccentric muscle damage can be downright crippling if you haven't trained for it.

Also, while strength is very important for skiing, being in "ski shape" is just as much about power and muscular endurance, but that's a discussion for the leg extensions thread

[::: :::]

The title of this thread is a misnomer. Eccentric training for skiing has nothing to do with building muscle or developing strength. It's about using the Repeated Bout Effect to reduce your susceptibility to the specific type of muscle damage created by high levels of eccentric loading. That eccentric muscle damage can be downright crippling if you haven't trained for it.

I need a follow up to this (in English, if that’s possible )…I’m not following the distinction. While I am very much gen pop, I am interested in the why.

[climberevan]

I need a follow up to this (in English, if that’s possible )…I’m not following the distinction. While I am very much gen pop fitness, I am interested in the why.

Here's saying that the goal isn't so much to GET SWOLE, rather it's to avoid being swollen.