Eccentric Leg Strengthening for Skiing

[lpkdz]

Anybody have any thoughts or opinions on this regimen?

http://www.backcountry.com/explore/t...-alpine-skiing

[rod9301]

Except for doing them fast, almost like plyo, they are a combination of concentric and eccentric, just like regular squats.

I would still start with a heavy weight training program, 6 weeks, then follow up with this, or plyometrics.

[jma233]

Makes sense since skiing is probably the biggest eccentric sport there is. IMO its the quick change in direction of the air squats / air lunges that push the eccentric component of these exercises sky high. When you go faster then this change in direction is quicker (and you're dealing with more momentum).

To make these exercises more skier specific try doing them on a down slope and try attaching a bungee to either side of your waist and anchored to the ground.

[LightRanger]

Leg Blasters are great and Rob Shaul knows his shiz. If Mountain Athlete was local to me, I'd be a member.

[lpkdz]

Yeah, I've been doing this for a few weeks. I was just curious what other people's thoughts or experiences were with it. It definitely makes me more sore in the 15 minutes or so it takes me to do the workout than an hour of legs at the gym. I've only been doing it twice a week though because it bothered my knees a bit the first few times. I've been very diligent about form and making sure I give enough recovery days in between. No idea if it will make a difference, but it seems like a cool idea at least.

[Tye 1on]

Ya, have done them the last four years in the fall as part of our local ski fit classes. Sore as hell at first, tiring weeks later when you work up to 6 fulls, but not as sore. Then the payoff: first day on skis, strong top to bottom, and not even a bit of quad burn the next day/2days after. On the knees make sure you are stepping forward with a bit of a wide step, want hip-width distance between feet, not in a line. And try to 'land soft' on the jump squats. If they start to get easy sub the quadzilla complex. link

[mogul5480]

What about box jumps with the pause on top? That seems very specific to skiing (eccentric force absorption at the beginning of the turn equates to the jump off the box and the land into the squat at the bottom - exploding out of the turn equates to jumping back up out of the squat). Wall balls would appear to be similarly ski specific.

It's also a damned good analog for landing airs (absorb the hit and explode out of the landing).

[lpkdz]

Ya, have done them the last four years in the fall as part of our local ski fit classes. Sore as hell at first, tiring weeks later when you work up to 6 fulls, but not as sore. Then the payoff: first day on skis, strong top to bottom, and not even a bit of quad burn the next day/2days after. On the knees make sure you are stepping forward with a bit of a wide step, want hip-width distance between feet, not in a line. And try to 'land soft' on the jump squats. If they start to get easy sub the quadzilla complex. link

Thanks, I'll have to pay attention and make sure I'm doing that with the lunges. I started doing the set barefoot so I'd have to land softly. Glad to hear it worked out for you... now all we need is some snow.

[CarolB]

To me it looks mostly like the speed of the movements is creating more of an anaerobic workout and therefore you're training your body to deplete lactic acid more efficiently, which is what gets you on the slopes. (sorry- poor choice of words- it's more that you increase your lactic acid tolerance under explosive and anaerobic conditions)

[neufox47]

Slow on the down, explode on the up. Ive been doing rear foot elevated split squats, take three seconds to get down, then explode on the up. I do them weighted heavy or no weight and make the up ballistic. Just dont find the middle ground where you are holding weight and jumping in the air and landing.

Also, make sure you do some anti rotation training, another key for skiig.

[Lindahl]

Yeah, leg blasters are the real deal - from biking hard in the off season, I can usually only start at session 3. I also like doing a bunch of exercises on bosu balls to mix it up and add a balance component. Helps with one legged recoveries and stomping cliffs. Sideways skater between two, one legged hop squats onto and then off (forward-forward and side-side), medicine ball squats on one upside-down, lunges onto with a twist to the outside while holding a medicine ball. Box jumps are good too, as are wall sits. I kinda do a mix of all of this through most of the season. And yeah, explode on the up and absorption on the down are really helpful.

[snapt]

To me it looks mostly like the speed of the movements is creating more of an anaerobic workout and therefore you're training your body to deplete lactic acid more efficiently, which is what gets you on the slopes. (sorry- poor choice of words- it's more that you increase your lactic acid tolerance under explosive and anaerobic conditions)

Huh?

I like leg blasters as well. Personally the better I've gotten at overhead squats/snatches, the better my skiing has felt. The Eccentric portion especially requires balance and core strength and seems to translate well.

[Dantheman]

Personally the better I've gotten at overhead squats/snatches, the better my skiing has felt

Most likely that's because they work the hell out of your back, and your back muscles get hammered eccentrically when skiing (especially crud/bumps and landing airs, since you are resisting being thrown forward). If I get after it after not skiing for a while, my back muscles are almost always the sorest thing the next day.

[snapt]

Most likely that's because they work the hell out of your back, and your back muscles get hammered eccentrically when skiing (especially crud/bumps and landing airs, since you are resisting being thrown forward). If I get after it after not skiing for a while, my back muscles are almost always the sorest thing the next day.

That's a good point, resisting being thrown forward hadn't crossed my mind in translating.

[neufox47]

Most likely that's because they work the hell out of your back, and your back muscles get hammered eccentrically when skiing (especially crud/bumps and landing airs, since you are resisting being thrown forward). If I get after it after not skiing for a while, my back muscles are almost always the sorest thing the next day.

Same here. High rep KB swings (5x20 for me with a 44kg bell) once a week for two months prior to ski season has eliminated that early season back soreness. Just skied 5 days in a row, skiing wet heavy snow, tight trees, moguls etc and the only thing sore is my quads.

In other extremely odd news, skiing 5 days in a row then lifting on the 6th gave me some very weird results. Despite feeling very stiff, my snatch form was way better than it EVER has been. I snatch at least once a week for the last 2 years. How does that work?

[snapt]

Body is forced to work more efficiently from 5 days of fatigue?

I notice that too with certain lifts after a long run of skiing or other activity.

[jma233]

In other extremely odd news, skiing 5 days in a row then lifting on the 6th gave me some very weird results. Despite feeling very stiff, my snatch form was way better than it EVER has been. I snatch at least once a week for the last 2 years. How does that work?

A lot of your subconscious movement patterns are affected by pain. Your nervous system will automatically avoid movements that cause immediate pain. You would think that you would notice your body doing this, but you dont...you just move differently. Stiffness (without pain) can also cause this.

I once had this weird pulled muscle in my ribs from rockclimbing and the only way it wouldn't hurt was by keeping perfect posture. Thing is, I had no idea I was holding myself in perfect posture, but everybody commented on it. I would also push open heavy doors with my opposite side when I had this injury and this was 100% subconscious. I totally didn't realize it. Maybe your altered snatch form has something to do with pain or stiffness.

[wcf3]

A number of years ago I ended up running stairs one fall for logistical reasons. (I had a flight of stairs handy and other options weren't very convenient). That ski season, for the first time ever, I was 'instant on' and could do top to bottom, non-stop bump runs on day one. Never happened before, no matter what sort of combination of weight training, running, biking, etc. I'd been doing as prep. Turns out it was running down the stairs (the concentric element) that was what did the job.

[bourbonisgood]

Turns out it was running down the stairs (the concentric element) that was what did the job.

Minimal concentric muscle activity involved in running down stairs (for major muscle groups). Running down stairs is kind of the definition of eccentric...

General rule of thumb: if gravity is helping, it's eccentric, if moving against gravity, it's concentric

[alias_rice]

bump

I did these last year with pretty good results. This year I started them early and have 2 weeks left in the program. I'm looking for another 4 week program to do throughout November. Other than using the red dumbbells, what do you all do to get ready?

[glademaster]

Belonging to a gym, especially one with such a douche-centric focus as "Mountain Athlete" is for weak-willed groupthinkers who lack self-discipline.

[Tye 1on]

Belonging to a gym, especially one with such a douche-centric focus as "Mountain Athlete" is for weak-willed groupthinkers who lack self-discipline.

hahahaha, if you'd ever trained there you'd know just how funny/stupid/ironic that post is...

[auvgeek]

Been stoked on the general progression outlined in Steve House and Scott Johnson's text with eccentric leg exercises like scissor/jumping lunges and split squats. If you're trying to be ready for a combination of lift-served and touring, it seems like a good strategy.

[Lindahl]

Been stoked on the general progression outlined in Steve House and Scott Johnson's text with eccentric leg exercises like scissor/jumping lunges and split squats. If you're trying to be ready for a combination of lift-served and touring, it seems like a good strategy.

Link?

[Slow 'n Steady]

It's in their book.