No, I’m not crazy. I do realize there’s no snow on the ground right now. It’s never too early to start.
So let’s get back to my visual here ... um ... where was I? Oh yeah, like a Josh Beckett fastball you’re off in a flash, turning and carving down the hill. Soon the run is over and your legs are so tired and cooked like the feel like they’ve been part of a bean supper.
Sound familiar? For some of you this may be the case, for others it may not (it must be those exercises Jon Frothingham put you through this summer. I’ll high five him for you later). Well, I’m here to save the day. You are about to embark on a winter training program by yours truly to help guide you from the start of winter right on up through fabulous spring skiing.
Let’s start with a Lateral Lunge.
Start by placing your feet in a position that’s about double your shoulder width. While keeping your toes facing forward and your feet stationary, lunge down to one side. If you were to look down during this pose, you should see that your hip, thigh and knee are all in line with each other right over the toes. The trailing leg should be almost fully extended, getting a nice stretch through the groin.
Hold this position for one to two seconds then return back to the starting position. Now repeat going to the other side and hold. Keep alternating sides until you have done 12 reps on each side. Two to three sets of 12 repetitions will suffice. Give yourself 30 seconds to a minute of rest in between sets to insure good quality movements.
If you want to make it a little more challenging, like skiing down moguls, add some speed to the exercise, still staying in control of course.
Not only does this exercise strengthen your legs, it also helps strengthen the surrounding structures supporting the knees. We all know that healthy knees are the key to a full ski season this year and the years to come.
Adam Tielinen is a NSCA-CSCS certified strength and conditioning specialist at Natural Fitness in Falmouth. To learn more about personal training contact him at 781-3900 or visit www.naturalfitnessme.com.