Fall Training Tips from Cory Snyder

Temperatures are dropping, snow is flying, and that means it’s time for the final physical preparations for ski season.  Now is the time to really focus in on sport specific training to prepare for the grind of ski season.  That doesn’t mean your training volume should drop off, it simply becomes more specific.  That means more power-lifting in the gym, sport specific cardio-workouts, and dialing in a flexibility routine that you can maintain for the season.

An incredibly important part of any ski racing competition is strength through the eccentric, or ‘weight acceptance’ phase of muscular contraction.  The ability to efficiently accept force, or “G’s,” and return that energy to the snow is what separates the good from the great.  It isn’t so easy to replicate the kind of movement in the gym, however when done properly, the power clean and snatch offer suitable substitutes, both in terms of range of motion, and weight.  After a warm-up, starting our workout with high-volume power-lifting (ex. four sets of six reps at 85-95% of you one repetition-maximum) is a terrific method of developing power as well as getting those legs ready to pull some high-g Telemark turns.

Just because it’s almost the season does not give you a free pass to neglect your cardiovascular training.  In fact the opposite is true, now is the time to  get specific with your cardio as well.  The classic race or a full day of racing the parallel sprint are incredibly aerobic events, and preparing your cardiovascular system for this sort of challenge is no small task.  High-intensity interval training is a perfect match for the demands of Telemark racing.  Mixing long periods of “all-out exercise” with short periods of rest will  condition your body to operate at its highest level under extremely strenuously circumstances, just like that last hill to climb at the end of a three-minute classic.

To put it all together, now is the time to get in the habit of stretching, or something similar such as foam rolling or yoga, every day.  While flexibility doesn’t necessarily prevent injury, a long term flexibility program can aide in strength development as well as serve as an effective cool-down after your workout or day of skiing to help combat the soreness and tightness that can hold back your performance or lead to injury down the road.

Happy training, and see you on the slopes!!

Cory Snyder