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Procrastinator's Guide to Getting in Ski Shape

This guide summarizes a quick and effective workout to get ready for ski season. It highlights circuits, pushups, and other effective movements to train your muscles and get them strong for skiing.
skier glides down a powdery ski run at snowmass ski area

Ski Season Is Almost Here, And You’ve Been Procrastinating Hitting the Gym.

Whether you work out regularly or not at all, your ski legs (as well as your skis) could probably use a tune-up. Unsurprisingly, the stronger you are, the stronger you'll ski.

Planning to hit the slopes soon? Not to worry! We’ve got you covered. We caught up with Snowmass Rec Center's Ski Conditioning Coach, Ray Cook, to help prepare you for your next day on the slopes.

Ray has designed a very simple workout that focuses on building those core ski muscles: quads, hamstrings, glutes, abs, lower back and arms. Ideally, you’d do this 4 days/week for 3 weeks leading up to your ski trip, although true procrastinators may decide to start training in the airport security line.

skier glides down a powder run in snowmass

The Workout

  1. Circuit Routine – repeat 3 times
    1. Body Squats - 20 reps
    2. Forward lunges - 20 reps
    3. Backward Lunges - 20 reps
    4. Jump Lunge – 20 reps
  2. Pushups until failure, 1 minute rest, repeat
  3. Ski jumps, 2 minutes, 1 minute rest, repeat
  4. Planks (abs) until failure, rest one minute, repeat.

Other ways to prepare:

Take advice from Ray’s wise words - “80% of your workout plan’s success is based upon your nutrition.” So eat right, stay consistent, and you will see results. Ray also points out that a little cardio never hurt anybody, in fact, cardio will actually help you adjust to the altitude once you arrive.

three people uphill at snowmass ski resort in the early morning

Why These Help:

Lunges, squats and hops are highly relevant for ski conditioning because these motions are essentially the same as the twisting and turning motions used while skiing down the mountain. Push-ups do wonders for your lower back, chest and arm strength, all of which are factors in proper ski form (and they look great in the hot tub!).

Should you want to tune up your technique too, or just have a guide to all the best powder stashes on the mountain, Aspen Snowmass has one of the finest ski school programs in the world.

Everyone wants to be the best skier on the trip, so put in some preparation and effort, and reap the rewards while flying down the slopes in Snowmass this winter.

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