@Batman_123, suggest you read the question again. "could do with a little work before our trip this year" does not translate as "embark on a 12 month programme to become Britain's strongest woman".
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Dr John, strength is not immediate, this is something to start on and build. Squats are the way to go for building quad strength, and I just added what I would see as a sensible target for a young female skier, don't see what is wrong with that at all.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Batman_123, what's wrong with it is if the poster attempts to squat with any weight at all without proper coaching she'll have a good chance of knackering her back and/or knees. Without that your suggestion is actually dangerous.
Running is good for stamina, but that doesn't mean everyone who runs should be training for a marathon.
@Batman_123, it took me about three years's training to get to be able to squat bodyweight (I'm in my early thirties). But yes, doable, eventually. Mind you, that's with a lot of good training. I'm not sure it's realistic to do on your own.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I used to do squats with a lock forward on my shoulders. They are a lot more difficult to keep the the right position than a barbell. They tend to wriggle a bit when you put your shoulder in their groin.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Maireadoconnor, exactly, very realistic, and a good position to be in to ski. I am v early 30s and took me six months of training post knee operation (re-broken and re-fixed with metal) to get to that stage - hence my view that 6-12 months is a sensible timing for someone who states that they are already reasonably strong. It really is a realistic goal and is the position I certainly wanted to be in before I got back on skis post injury. Free squats are good for starters / getting used to the movement, but wont really build muscle / the sort of strength that's needed for skiing - weights are needed.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Just to add another perspective on how long it takes to develop noticeable improvements in basic strength. It goes without saying that proper technique is vital. As is access to a properly equipped gym.
Looking back on some of my old training logs; from a long lay off (such as climbing and mountain biking from Spring to Autumn), it normally takes about 3+ months of hard work (2 to 3 short sessions a week) to progress from full squatting with an empty bar of 20kg to squatting at body weight as part of an overall strength regime. My body weight is about 78kg. Age, nearer 60 than 50.
Similarly, when my son did a spot of training following the end of his A levels some years ago, the results were very similar. As a 6ft 4inch 80kg beanpole, it was about 12 to 14 weeks from nothing to get to squatting body weight for 5 sets of 5 squats.
I suppose the point is, if you want to do it, it does not require anything exceptional. Programmes such as this "Stronglifts 5x5" really work. You just need to do it 3 time a week. Every week. It does however require a certain frame of mind to deal with the cumulative increase in physical discomfort.
For what it's worth, in my experience it is lifting anything above body weight that is brutal. Seems to involve a disproportionate amount of pain to gain. How much this helps your skiing is another matter entirely!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
HammondR wrote:
As is access to proper gym equipment
FTFY. Equipment for squatting safely at home (power cage, barbell set) isn't terribly expensive compared with a year's gym membership.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
This will be my last comment on the squat topic. The gym that I use is a part of a large uni campus, there is a high young female ratio. Of the 100s of female members there are maybe 10 max who free squat with a bar and perhaps 3 who any significant weight and have good technique, one of whom has just won a national comp as I mentioned earlier.
The OP has stated that she cannot afford gym membership, therefore she will not have access to technical instruction. Why advice an old fashioned exercise which could so easily result in injury with poor technique and requires gym equipment (rack,bar,plates) , when there are so many safer options which she can do at home with her 'home weights'??
Lunges with or without dumbells, walking lunges with or without, single leg squats on a chair, power walking on steep inclines, cycling and on and on.
I'm out.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@Mollerski, that is your perception as a bloke (I am guessing) with a seemingly dim view of women's fitness potential. My experience, as a 31 year old woman, is that this is a very realistic target. I incorporated squats into a general fitness training programme specifically to build my quads for strength purposes for when I return to skiing (from a bad leg injury two years ago). The OP was asking the best way to strengthen quads. From my experience, this is it, by far the most effective way of building leg strength - maybe 1.0x bodyweight is a forward looking target, 12 month horizon perhaps. But over the next couple of months, progression to 50-75% of BW should be a reasonable goal. Requires a bit of investment in home equipment (way way cheaper than a gym membership though), but there's a reason the squat is known as the king of exercises. And by the way, the reason you probably don't see many women do loaded squats in your gym is that there seems to be some misguided belief in a lot of people that lifting weights will make you bulky (it doesn't, not easily anyway).
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@peanuthead,
Quote:
DON'T do pistol squats unless you want to damage your knees.
Its not Pistol squats that damage your knees, it's poor technique and overstepping your current skill and fitness level that damages your knees.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
This thread is akin to someone posting to a cookery community, asking how to make an omelette and getting instructions on how to cook a 7 course meal.
Go for a run/fast walk around a park, stop every 200 yards or so to do a set of squats and lunges. Repeat for as long as you can and try to do it twice a week. Forget about weights, just get yourself out there being active. If you do any preparation exercise at all you'll be doing more than around 80% of recreational skiers so don't worry about targets, just enjoy yourself.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
OK Snowheads, I'm not very knowledgeable about anatomy, exercise, etc. so I barely know where my quads are! However I know from experience that mine could do with a little work before our trip this year.
Can anyone recommend some exercises to help me strengthen them a bit before I get on the skis?
Thanks in advance snowHead
Strengthening quads is important and there's plenty of advice from others on here about how to do that.
However, you should also focus on ankle flex. Most recreational skiers suffer from quad burn because when they bend their knees they do not flex enough at the ankles; consequently they tend to sit over the back of their skis and carry most of their weight on their quad muscles. If you flex your ankles sufficiently (when you bend your knees) your hips will be over your ankles and most of your weight will be supported by your skeleton.
This means you don't have to have quads of steel to avoid the burn!
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
The OP has exemplary BMI @Whitegold. She was looking for a few sensible things to do, with no access to a gym or instruction to be a bit fitter for a holiday in a week. She's probably packed now. All this talk of squatting body weight is laughable. the poor girl is going on a holiday not embarking on a body building career. Its a good job the majority of posts on this thread are more sensible.
I'd just get on your bike to up the cardio fitness. Low impact and easy to improve fitness quite quickly
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:
For example I twice spent 15 minutes queueing in the post office yesterday (yes, disorganised....) I alternated legs for that time. I'm sure nobody in the queue noticed
lunges would be a good place to start with no weight, what the most important thing to get right is the rep range. If your looking for strength you want to be doing 5 sets of 3 reps at 85% of your one rep max for 25% of your training. If you want to be strong in a move. This is basically taken from Prilepin’s Chart.
For skiing you don't need absolute strength you need more stamina so you'll be looking higher up the rep range and lighter weights (if any).
Squats are a total body exercise and this is what many people fail to appreciate. You need to activate your lats, core and HIP FLEXORS, its not just pushing with your quads. Look at the Dave Tate introduction to squatting on YouTube for an example of this. Don't be put off by the guys being powerlifters, it takes years (or a lot of juice) for those guys to lift those weights but the technique is the same.
As for the bodybuilding girl that isn't squatting bodyweight, shes either a bikini competitor and not very strong or youve never seen her on a max effort day. The girls down the gym (one of which came second in the European Arnold Classic squats body weight for reps.
With correct technique body weight squats are easy as you are using as many muscles as possible to move the weight. If you use correct technique you will also have a good range of flexibility.
I wouldn't use bodybuilders as an example of a heathy lifestyle as to step on stage now-a-days you have to be juicing, its just the way its gone, even for the bikini girls, although thats more for weight loss than bulking.
TL;DR do some lunges with good technique, get the rep range correct, slowly add weight
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Hi
My advice is that with skiing no two runs are the same and some runs are about endurance most of the time but sometimes you'll require strength to get yourself out of trouble or get some added 'pop'.
Therefore you should probably look at the following for your quads: -
* Strength training - Squats/leg press/leg extensions
* Plyometric training (explosive strength) jump lunges/box jumps
* Stamina - Wall sits
* Endurance - jogging/cross trainer
As well as this, I would strongly recommend Pilates for a stronger core to aid balance and control. Also Strengthening hamstrings will help balance leg power and could help protect your knees if the worst happens so some deadlifts and leg curls would be great here. Finally don't forget about the inner and outer thighs for improved stability also so training hip abductors and adductor muscles is important too.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Lauka, based on what you have available to you, and considering you are not a world cup racer who needs tree trunk legs to handle crazy g-forces, you can achieve what you need with time.
Swimming is excellent. Not only does it strengthen your core, which is needed for balance and is essential for skiing, but you can definitely use it to increase cardio fitness. It is better if you vary it though, so cycle through freestyle, breastroke, backstroke and 'fly (if you can do it).
Keep walking. Despite what some here have said, walking strengthens your back muscles (spinus erector); again, this helps with balance. Though this is more beneficial if you have more time.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
