Glossary of Fitness Terms for Ski Season

Before you hit the slopes, it's important to get your body in shape. Here are six common workout terms used for winter-sport workouts. When you're ready, tackle this 6-week workout plan to train your muscles and prevent injuries for ski season.

MoreGet Fit for Ski Season: 6-Week Workout Plan Pt. 1

1. Cardiovascular Fitness

If you don't partake in much exercise, it would be very beneficial to do aerobic exercise from one to three months prior to skiing. This is steady paced exercise that takes your heart rate to a target level, and you maintain it there for a minimum of 30 minutes. To know what your personal target heart rate is, first find you maximum heart rate (MHR): 220 minus your age. Multiply your MHR by 70 percent to see which zone you fall in. This is the ideal number you should train regularly.

More: Calculate Your Training Heart Rate Zones

Cardio fitness should be performed three to four times per week. This will help get your body used to regular exercise and is also a good way to shed a few excess pounds. However, skiing is more anaerobic, meaning your heart rate is up to a higher level for short bursts, and therefore your bias for the three months prior to skiing should be on anaerobic training. This is most easily performed with interval training. For example, cycle classes or running fast for one minute, then walk for half a minute. Repeat these intervals for 20 to 60 minutes based on your fitness level.

Make sure that you are well warmed-up before doing these, and if you have any health concerns seek medical advice first. If you have concerns about any of your joints, then try and stay away from running, and perform your intervals on the bike, elliptical or in the swimming pool. These intervals should fatigue your muscles so that they feel exhausted. Doing this style of training every other day is ideal, with cross-training techniques in between to allow your muscles to recover in between.

More: 3 Indoor Cardio Workouts

2. Power

Skiing demands power on many muscle groups, especially your quadriceps, calves and gluteus muscles. These muscles need to be able to generate large amounts of force in short bursts. Training should therefore be geared at fatiguing these muscles after four sets of 10 to 16 reps. Each large muscle should be performing 4 to 5 different movements (exercises) with 4 to 5 sets per movement to help gain quality strength and power for the upcoming ski season.

More: Full-Body CrossFit Workout

3. Endurance

Skiing requires some muscle groups to work steadily all day long to maintain your position on your skis or boards. This is particularly relevant to your calves to maintain ankle flexion, your adductors to stop your skis from sliding apart, and your transversus abdominis—the twisting motion of your abs–and multifidus  (lower abdomen and lower back) to maintain your "core". These core and calf movements such as calf raises and core twists should be performed with very high repetitions to help build the needed endurance for those days on the slopes.

More: 5 Strength-Training Tips to Build Muscle

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About the Author

Kathy Smith

Kathy Smith is a freelance writer, who has been published in many local Denver magazines and was nationally published in Her Sport. She has a keen interest in writing about athletics. She is a chef, mother of four and a fitness enthusiast. She recently picked up stair climb races as her new favorite sport, and while she isn't the fastest, she is passionate about competing in more races and getting better times.
Kathy Smith is a freelance writer, who has been published in many local Denver magazines and was nationally published in Her Sport. She has a keen interest in writing about athletics. She is a chef, mother of four and a fitness enthusiast. She recently picked up stair climb races as her new favorite sport, and while she isn't the fastest, she is passionate about competing in more races and getting better times.

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