Top Leg Workouts for Awesome Skiing Performance

Skiing is awesome. But it can be a tough sport - in a good way - and your legs are doing a whole lot of work! Whether you’re zipping down the slopes or just trying not to wipe out, strong legs are key. If you want to boost your performance and keep injuries at bay (looking at you, knees), you’ve gotta add some solid leg workouts into your routine. So, let’s dive into some of the best leg exercises for skiers. Before we do though, we’ll chat a bit about functional movements, plus how getting in shape for every upcoming ski season can make a big difference.

We'd also like to say that we're using 'skiers' for short for skiers and snowboarders. Although the movements are different in both sports, there's still a lot of overlap - and you definitely need strong legs for both. So, boarders, don't feel excluded!

Functional Movements for Skiing

Functional movements reflect the dynamic nature of whatever you're training for. For skiers and boarders, these movements should train your muscles to be able to handle various terrains more efficiently. This is crucial because both sports demand a high level of coordination, balance, and stability - qualities that isolated strength training might not fully develop.

For example, exercises like lateral jumps promote athleticism in the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, plus simulate the lateral movements skiers perform while making turns.

The Importance of Preseason Ski Conditioning

Getting your body in shape before ski season rolls around is super important. You want to prepare yourself for the tough physical demands of skiing - not just to perform better but also to avoid getting hurt. For example, it's well known that having strong supporting leg muscles can help avoid knee injuries - and what could be worse than having to watch all that powder dumping... from inside the lodge with a cast on your leg?

So start getting in shape for skiing early, and maintain as much as you can through the ski season itself.

Building Ski-Specific Strength

Skiing is a full-body workout that just happens to also be extremely fun. Did you know you could burn up to a thousand extra calories just ripping around on groomers? So you need strong legs, a stable core, and flexible hips. And stamina. Getting in ski shape during preseason should focus on building strength in these key areas through targeted exercises.

You'll also want to effectively develop the eccentric strength, concentric strength, and isometric strength needed for optimal performance on the slopes. Quick definitions:

• Eccentric strength: This is the ability to control and lengthen muscles under tension. For skiers, this is particularly relevant during the descent when controlling speed and managing the forces against your body. Example: Lowering into a squat.
• Concentric strength: This refers to the strength generated when muscles shorten during movement, which is essential for explosive power while transitioning between turns. Example: Rising out of a squat.
• Isometric strength: This refers to strength while keeping the working muscle a constant length - in other words, without moving. Example: A wall sit.

Enhancing Stamina, Endurance, and Agility

Skiing demands significant cardiovascular endurance, especially during long runs, while navigating steep terrain, or while swimming out of a deep powder stash that you just happened to fall into.

Although here we're focusing on leg strength, incorporating endurance training - like intervals, circuit workouts, or even aerobic exercises like running or cycling - into your preseason regimen will improve your stamina.

Similarly, agility drills - like lateral hops, quick footwork patterns, and balance exercises - will help to improve reaction times, letting you adapt quickly to sudden changes in terrain or conditions. Which, as we all know, are all too common in the alpine.

Essential Muscle Groups Targeted in Skiing

Let’s quickly cover the main skiing muscle groups.

1. Quadriceps

First up, we have the quadriceps! These powerful muscles sit right at the front of your thighs, and they’re super important for skiing. They help you extend and retract your knees, absorb pressure, and keep you steady on those slopes. When your quads are strong, you can absorb shocks and maintain control, even when the conditions get a little tricky or when you’re making swift moves.

2. Hamstrings

Next are the hamstrings, located at the back of your thighs. They work hand in hand with your quads to help control your knee movements. These muscles are key for bending your knees and maintaining your balance while you ski. A well-conditioned set of hamstrings is a skier's best friend, as they help stabilize your knee joints, making quick direction changes much safer!

3. Glutes

Let’s not forget about the glutes, the powerhouse of your lower body! This group includes the gluteus maximus, minimus, and medius, and they're essential for generating power and controlling hip movement while you’re flying down the slopes. Plus, they support your lower back and core, giving you better posture and a lower center of gravity.

4. Calves

Moving on to the calves. These guys and gals are vital for helping with ankle stability and control. They assist in maintaining balance and provide the strength needed for proper edge control while skiing. When your calves are well-conditioned, they'll help you keep a solid “flex” position, ensuring that your weight is distributed efficiently over your skis.

5. Core Muscles

While the legs do most of the heavy lifting, don’t overlook your core! A strong core, including your abdominals, obliques, and lower back, is absolutely crucial for skiing performance. It helps you maintain balance and stability, allowing you to control your movements and soak up the forces you encounter on the slopes.

6. Hip Abductors, Hip Adductors, and Hip Flexors

Last but not least, let’s hear it for the hips! This group is super important for lateral movements and stability. They help you control the position of your knees and hips (obviously) while skiing, allowing for better edging and balance.

We've seen people with weak hip flexors struggle to maintain control of their ski when their weight is on that leg, because it just won't stay stable enough to stop wobbling. So improving your hip strength can significantly enhance your ability to shift weight, leading to smoother and more controlled turns.

Squats: The Foundation of Strength

These fundamental exercises provide a strong base for your strength training.

Why Squats Matter

Alpine skiing and snowboarding need a good amount of eccentric strength to help you glide down the slopes with control, soak up those bumps, and keep your balance on all kinds of terrain. That’s why squats are such a fantastic exercise! They focus on all of the key muscles you use when skiing - the quads, hamstrings, and glutes - building a solid strength and stamina base.

Proper Squat Technique

To execute a squat correctly, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. As you lower your body, bend your knees and hips while pushing your butt back, just like sitting in an imaginary chair. Try to lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground. This depth engages the glutes and hamstrings more effectively.

For proper form:

• keep your chest up
• your shoulders back
• engage your core
• keep your weight on your heels
• and make sure your knees don't extend beyond your toes.

Enhancing Eccentric Leg Strength With Your Squats

Traditional squats primarily focus on concentric strength: the upward phase, where you rise out of the squat. But the various demands of skiing and boarding mean that it's also crucial to incorporate an emphasis on eccentric strength: the downward phase where the body lowers itself. To do this, control your descent, taking 3-5 seconds to lower into the squat, allowing your muscles to engage and absorb force actively.

Recommended Repetitions and Sets

• Perform 3 to 5 sets of squats, each set with 8 to 12 repetitions.

Progress Tracking

You may want to start as an 'air squat', or in other words a body weight squat. Track how many sets and repetitions you can complete while maintaining proper form. As your strength increases, challenge yourself by aiming for more repetitions or by adding additional sets.

Variations to Challenge Your Strength

To further build strength and endurance, consider you can move past regular squats to the following variations:

1. Weighted Squats: Introduce a barbell across your upper back or hold dumbbells at your sides. Gradually increase the weight as your strength improves. Remember to focus on on maintaining proper form or you could injure yourself!
2. Jump Squats: Add a plyometric component by jumping explosively as you rise from the squat, landing softly back into the squat position. This variation mimics the dynamic movements involved in skiing and helps develop power and coordination.
3. Single-Leg Squats: To improve balance and lateral strength, practice single-leg squats. This variation not only challenges your stability but also replicates the asymmetric loading of skiing.
4. Squat Holds: Incorporate isometric holds at the bottom of the squat for increased time under tension. Holding the squat position for 10-30 seconds can enhance muscular endurance, crucial for maintaining performance on the slopes.

Lunges: Forward and Lateral Movements

Lunges are another cornerstone exercise for skiers which also hit the key muscle groups that you rely on when you're zipping down the slopes. Make sure you do both forward and lateral lunges - they're super important for building strength, stability, and agility.

Forward Lunges

Forward lunges primarily strengthen the main leg muscles: the quads, hamstrings, and glutes, plus enhances your balance.. To perform a forward lunge:

1. Starting Position: Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
2. Step Forward: Take a step forward with your right leg, lowering your body until your right knee is bent at a 90-degree angle. Again, make sure that your knee does not extend past your toes.
3. Return to Start: Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
4. Switch: Do the same thing for the left leg.

Lateral Lunges

While forward lunges enhance linear strength, lateral lunges are essential for developing the muscles required for side-to-side movements. They mimic the actions needed for edging and turning, providing excellent training for your inner and outer thighs.

To execute a lateral lunge:

1. Starting Position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Step to the Side: Take a wide step out to the right, bending your right knee while keeping your left leg straight. Bend the knee to 90 degrees again, making sure your chest remains upright.
3. Return: Push through the heel of your right foot to return to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.
4. Switch: Do the same thing for the left leg, pushing through the heel of the left foot this time.

Recommended Repetitions and Sets

Perform 2-3 sets of 10-12 alternating reps of each type of lunge. As you build strength, consider holding weights to increase intensity.

Aside: The Leg Blaster

The feared leg blaster is a combination move, and it's one of the most effective exercises to prepare your legs for skiing and snowboarding! Plus, it’s simple and requires no equipment, making it perfect for home workouts.

The leg blaster includes four key moves: air squats, alternating lunges, jumping lunges, and jumping (air) squats.

Aim for three sets with 20 repetitions each: 20 air squats, 10 alternating lunges on each leg, 10 jumping lunges on each leg, and 10 jump squats.

Just note that the the leg blaster is so intense that it's pretty much guaranteed to enhance leg strength. Expect some muscle soreness as you adjust, and don't be surprised if you can't make it through, at least at first. The idea is to push your legs so hard that they have no choice but to get stronger - it wouldn't be effective if it was easy. Consider it a sign you're getting ready for ski season!

And if it really is too much, you can do a mini leg blaster, with half the number of reps of each move.

Calf Raises: Building Ankle Stability

Calf raises are such a great exercise for building ankle stability and strength. These simple yet effective movements focus on the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, which play a key role in helping you maintain control over your skis. Plus, they help you absorb shocks, improve balance, and improve control on turns and all kinds of uneven terrain.

How to Perform Calf Raises

To execute calf raises correctly, follow these steps:

1. Position Your Feet: Stand on a sturdy step or platform with the balls of your feet on the edge and your heels hanging off. This positioning allows for a full range of motion during the exercise.
2. Lift Your Heels: Engage your calf muscles and rise up onto your toes, lifting your heels as high as possible. Hold this position for a brief moment at the top to maximize activation of the calf muscles.
3. Lower with Control: Slowly lower your heels back down toward the floor, allowing for a controlled stretch of the calf muscles. Remember that this eccentric movement is just as important as the lifting phase, contributing to overall muscle strength and stability.

Recommended Repetitions and Sets

Aim for 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions. As you become more comfortable and your calf strength improves, consider adding weights or increasing the number of reps.

Single-Leg Deadlifts: Balance and Control

The single-leg deadlift tones your glutes, helps you develop strong hamstrings, and significantly improves your strength and balance. It can also challenge your core stability, making it an essential addition to any workout regimen focused on enhancing athletic performance or general fitness.

How to Perform a Single-Leg Deadlift:

1. Starting Position: Begin by standing upright with your feet hip-distance apart. Engage your core and focus on maintaining a straight upper body.
2. Execution: Slowly lean forward from your hips, extending your hands in front of you while keeping your back straight. As you hinge forward, lift one leg behind you, ensuring that your base leg remains slightly bent to aid in balance. Your gaze should be forward, chin up, and shoulders back to maintain proper posture throughout the movement.
3. Return to Start: Once you reach the lowest point of the deadlift (where your torso is parallel to the ground), engage your core and press through your base foot to return to a standing position.
4. Switch: Switch legs and repeat the movement.

Recommended Repetitions and Sets

Aim for 3 sets of 10-12 reps on each leg, allowing for adequate rest between sets to maximize your gains. As you become more comfortable with the movement, you can add weights or increase the number of sets to keep challenging yourself.

Box Jumps: Power and Agility

Jumping onto a box mimics tackling moguls and landing jumps. That's how box jumps help to create explosive leg power and agility. Additionally, they can help to improve landing mechanics, teaching your body to "land soft" to prevent injuries and maintain control on uneven surfaces - also critical for avoiding knee injuries. Lastly, box jumps not only build strength, but also improve coordination and balance.

How to Perform Box Jumps

1. Starting Position: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, facing a sturdy box or platform approximately two feet away.
2. Prepare to Jump: Slightly bend your knees and lower your hips into a hinge position while swinging your arms back for momentum.
3. Jump: Explode upwards by pushing through your heels and jump onto the box. Aim to land softly on the box with your feet shoulder-width apart.
4. Landing: Focus on absorbing the impact with a slight bend in your knees and a stable core. Your goal is to land with control.
5. Step Down: Carefully step down from the box, ensuring you maintain balance and control, and then prepare for your next jump.

Recommended Repetitions and Sets

Aim for 3 sets of 10 jumps. As you get stronger, you can increase reps, sets, or even the height of the box.

Progressing with Box Jumps

As you become more comfortable, consider incorporating variations to challenge your agility and explosiveness further. For instance, try adding a pause at the top of the jump to simulate landing control or experiment with lateral jumps to engage different muscle groups and improve side-to-side movement.

Wall-Sit: Endurance and Stability

Ahh, the dreaded wall-sit. Anyone having flashbacks to P90X? We sure are.

Traumatic flashbacks aside, the wall-sit is a fantastic and easy-to-do exercise that really helps boost both your endurance and stability, especially in your legs - because it mirrors the muscle tension you need in sports like skiing.

How to Perform a Wall-Sit

1. Starting Position: Find a flat, sturdy wall. (Please don't lean against a door or your kid's Lego brick fort!)
2. Get Ready: Stand with your back against it, feet shoulder-width apart, and about two feet away from the wall.
3. Lower Your Body: Slowly slide your back down the wall while bending your knees, until your thighs are parallel to the ground, resembling a seated position. Ensure that your knees are directly above your ankles and your back is flat against the wall.
4. Hold: Hold this position for as long as you can, aiming for a duration of 30 seconds to a minute. As your strength and endurance improve, gradually increase your hold time.
5. Breathing: Keep a steady breath while holding the position, focusing on controlling your breath to endure the hold longer.

Recommended Repetitions and Sets

Start with 2-3 sets of 30-60 seconds each. More advanced wall-sitters can challenge themselves with 4 to 5 sets, incorporating variations such as single-leg wall sits or adding resistance for increased difficulty.

Other SUpporting Dynamic Stretches: Warming Up for Success

We keep repeating this, but only because it's true: alpine skiing requires a high level of coordination, strength, and flexibility. Dynamic stretching helps to mimic the movements you'll perform while skiing. It's a great warm-up to use right before you go out on the hill because it increases your heart rate, elevates muscle temperature, and activates the central nervous system.

Unlike static stretching, which involves holding a stretch for an extended period, dynamic stretching focuses on movement and muscle activation, promoting blood flow and flexibility.

Effective Dynamic Stretches for Skiing

1. Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch: Begin in a lunge position with your right foot forward and your left leg extended straight behind you. As you lower your hips, ensure your right knee remains above your ankle. Tuck your pelvis under and push your hips forward to feel a stretch in the front of your left hip. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch legs. This stretch targets the hip flexors, quadriceps, and groin muscles.
2. Butt Kicks: This exercise involves jogging in place while kicking your heels to your glutes. Aim for 20-30 reps to stretch your quadriceps and activate your leg muscles. Butt kicks are particularly beneficial for warming up the front of your thighs, helping to prevent strains as you carve down the slopes.
3. Horizontal Leg Swings: Stand on one leg and swing the opposite leg across your body in a pendulum motion. Keep your torso stable and face forward. Perform 20 reps on each leg. This movement effectively warms up your hip and gluteal muscles, improving mobility and stability while skiing.
4. Upper Body Warm-Up: Don’t forget about your upper body! Include shoulder shrugs, arm circles, and side leans in your warm-up routine.
5. Light Jump Squats: Perform 15-20 reps to activate your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. But don't overdo it - you don't want to tire yourself out too early. (Definitely do not do any leg blasters before heading out on the hill!)

Other Complementary Types of Training

Although we aren't going to go deep into any of these here, we thought they were worth a mention.

Interval Training: Building Endurance for the Slopes

We mentioned the importance of stamina above, and adding interval training to your workout routine can really help. This fun approach mixes in bursts of high-energy activity with some nice, relaxing periods of rest or lower intensity. It’s a great way to level up your cardiovascular fitness and build the endurance you’ll need for a full day of skiing.

For skiers and boarders, this could mean alternating between high-intensity leg exercises - such as squat jumps, box jumps, or hill sprints - and lower-intensity activities like walking or resting.

Cross-Training: Complementary Exercises for Ski Conditioning

Cross-training is a fancy word for doing exercises that complement your primary sport. A few helpful types of cross-training below:

Plyometrics

These energetic moves help you build power and agility. We've already covered box jumps above, and you can also add in jump squats, jump lunges, lateral bounds - dramatic side-to-side jumps - or other agile movements. They’re all fantastic for boosting your muscle responsiveness and getting you into great physical shape.

Core Stability Workouts

Engaging in core-specific exercises, such as planks, Russian twists, V-ups, and medicine ball throws will help you develop core muscle endurance and strength. Although you likely won't feel your core ache at the end of your day like your legs do, your core and oblique muscles do help you maintain stability.

Final Tips for a Well-Rounded Ski Workout

This post is specific to legs, but preparing for a successful ski day (or ski season!) involves more than just hitting the gym and doing a few leg workouts. A well-rounded ski training regimen should incorporate elements that build strength, enhance endurance, improve agility, and emphasize balance. Here are some final tips to ensure your ski training is effective and comprehensive:

1. Focus on Functional Movements: Skiing demands strength, balance, and endurance. Prioritize exercises like squats, lunges, and lateral bounds that mimic skiing motions to prepare your body.
2. Weight Training: It's a given that you should use weight training to strengthen your muscles - after all, that's the topic of this post. But if you're just starting out, your routine may actually just be a body weight leg exercise program. That's fine! It still counts as weights. As you get stronger, incorporate actual weights to make things more difficult.
3. Incorporate Balance Training: Enhance balance and stability with tools like balance boards and Bosu balls. Single-leg squats and balance drills on unstable surfaces improve control on uneven terrain.
4. Build Cardio Endurance: As skiing is an endurance sport, incorporate cycling, running, or intervals into your routine. Aim for two days of aerobic exercise per week, increasing duration and intensity as ski season approaches.
5. Prioritize Core Strength: A strong core is key for balance while skiing.
6. Incorporate Flexibility Work: To prevent injury, add dynamic stretching before workouts and before heading out on the hill, and static stretching afterward, focusing on quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and hip flexors.
7. Listen to Your Body: Balance intense training with recovery. If you feel pain or fatigue, adjust your training intensity and allow for rest days. Remember: recovery is just as important as workouts.

Wrapping Up: Preparing Your Legs for Skiing Season

Skiing is all about strength, endurance, and balance, especially in your lower body. By getting your legs ready now, you’ll enhance your performance and significantly reduce the risk of injuries.

During the preseason, try to work in ski-specific workouts about 2-4 times a week, and as you get closer to the season, ramp it up to 4-6 sessions. Try to maintain a balance between weight training, functional training, and cardio - and don't forget your balance drills; they’re fantastic for building the stability you need for the demands of skiing. Lastly, make sure to include dynamic stretches and mobility drills as warm-ups.

That may seem like lot to manage - but it's doable. Some of the exercises, of course, can qualify as weighted, functional, balance, cardio, or more than one of these categories! We recommend putting together a varied regimen where you focus on one area in the workout, with a few bits and pieces from other categories thrown in. For example, you could focus on forward lunges and lateral lunges, and then add in some mini leg blasters to check off squats, functional movements, and some plyometrics.

We hope that was helpful! Now to get out there and crank out some of those squats...