 Poster: A snowHead
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We are off to Austria on the 2nd and therefore hitting the slopes on the 3rd of April.
I am in fairly good nick being a responsible gym user, diet watcher....for the most part until this little voice occasionally tells me to eat, drink and be merry...but thats another story.
I havent been to the gym for 3-4 weeks for various reasons, but have been daily doing anywhere from 0 to 150 squats. Also been to Pilates on a fortnightly basis.
I was planning on hitting the gym in earnest tonight/tomorrow until departure and am wondering about:
a) is it too much too late
b) is it too little
c) is it doing too much so that my legs are knackered when I get there
d) is there a need for a taper
My current thoughts are to go daily, and do 15-20 minutes each on the bike and cross-trainer, weights on legs only every other day, and ab work every day (but every other day being harder than the previous). I would then pull back about 2-3 days prior to departure
What are your thoughts?
What if I can't make it to the gym?
I hate going away and being unfit and although I am not unfit I know I could be fitter.
Help!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Peter Leuzzi wrote: |
a) is it too much too late
b) is it too little
c) is it doing too much so that my legs are knackered when I get there
d) is there a need for a taper
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a) It's never too late.
b) Anything is better than nothing.
c) Make sure you have a rest period of two/three days before departure when you just warm up and stretch.
d) No. Just switch the lights on.
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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?
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Anything is better than nothing and although you can always be fitter I wouldn't beat yourself up over it...just get on plodding on.
You are probably in good shape to ski anyway, just don't lose it.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Peter Leuzzi, I'm a Personal Trainer in a gym and you would definately benefit if you get yourself down there. Even if you can only manage once or twice a week, as long as you are doing the right exercises then it will help in the long run. If your gym has any PT's working there then see if you can score a bit of free advice or even stump up for a one off session with one. The advice you get would definately be worth the money.
That said if you want a basic program sorting then drop me a PM with your email address and I will send you something. 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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A PT called "stocky" eh? 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Cheers stocky, PM on way
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Peter Leuzzi, I wouldn't really prescribe anything much better than your own medicine.
I mean, technically, yes it's too late.
But no, doing what you intend won't hurt.
And as stocky says it'll help with your general fitness in the long-run.
Although I would say that I hold the belief that squats (weighted or otherwise) aren't all that useful to rely on on to improve leg endurace/strength as you'd like to think - you don't ski like you're squatting in the gym, do you? With your weight distributed down through your heals?
Didn't think so.
Ideally you'd be better off with dynamic loading e.g. forward jumping with both feet together, step ups, lunges, and the like (i.e. anything that encourages you to keep your weight forward). No weights necessary if you're doing 'em proper.
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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.
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Manda, stocky, marc gledhill, I'm in much the same boat, so to speak. Can't get down the Gym, but am lucky enough to have a Concept 2 rowing machine. I've not seen much mention of rowing as an aid, perhaps the only aid in my case, to ski fitness. Its low impact on the knee joints and should strengthen the thighs and calves. Not sure that the upper body strength will do more than help with poling but, overall, stamina should improve. Any thoughts?
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Manda, I don't think I disagree with your logic. But all of the exercises you mention hurt 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Colin Bell, IMO the concept rower is one of the best pieces of kit ever invented. I use it on a regular basis with clients and personally and over the years have rowed thousands of kms on them, including marathon distance and 100,000m as part of a 10 man team.
By varying the emphasis from arms to legs you can still get a very effective lower body workout. Using full slides and half slides whilst doing minimal work with the arms can give you a very effective workout as long as you have the machine set to the correct intensity and set your program correctly. If you have the newer Concept Model D rower then it is possible to set specific interval times /distances aswell as setting a pace against which to work.
Other alternatives not used by too many people with the rowers is the ability to do one legged workouts. Same as a normal session but only strap in one foot. Do a shorter workout then switch sides. This would therefore give you a harder individual workout for each leg.
There are loads of plyometric exercises that you can do that require zero equipment and if you want I can send you a sample of them. Just PM me your address and i will get something in the mail.
On a similair note if there are any other out there who are interested in ski specific workouts, whether for next season or just to do during the off season to keep you in tip top form then let me know and I will post a new thread with all my best exercises. At least 50% of my business at this time of year comes from skiers and boarders.
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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.
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stocky, wonderful. I'll look forward to that.
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Stocky, did you ever post the exercise thread you mentioned? I was about to start a thread asking for advice on the most suitable exercises when I saw this one. I run regularly and do circuit training, but that doesn't always seem enough to avoid burning legs on the longer, or more testing runs - which can take the fun out of them. Any words of wisdom on appropriate exercises would be appreciated.
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You know it makes sense.
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if your quads are burning take a lesson or three.....
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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little tiger, Couldnt agree more, been skiing with super fit triathletes whose skiing technique isn't that good and they are absolutley knackered at the end of the day whereas I get away with no training (save for the stairs at work) and am fine each day. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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yep - I'm old fat unfit and female.... but my quads are fine when skiing.....
my hip aches when skiing - but then it does that ALL the time due to alignment problems that are long term and only just starting to be resolved at all....
I know a guy who is 80+ who still races.... he hardly has HUGE quads... in fact he looks just like a pretty healthy 80 year old looks.... he skis ALL day .... day after day.... on chicken legs(well sort of old people get that look) ..... no problems at all... but then he is a VERY GOOD skier (technically)
when I can get into a gym on a regular basis we usually work on my CV fitness(for health and my asthma)... and then for skiing stuff we work on core strength and on the dynamic movement pattern stuff for legs... things like lunges onto unstable surfaces(dynadiscs) and squats on same.... jumping onto and off boxes where you catch medicine balls as you land(trains deceleration control - young fit people should be able to go over the box in 1 hit).... hamstring curls on fitballs and pikes on same. Running on a minitramp and stopping on 1 leg on demand(trainer calls a leg-you stop on it) These things give strength to help prevent injuring myslef.... the ability to control deceleration and to stabilise core and foot with sudden weight transfer to a leg .... etc etc
Unless I'm going to race WC I hardly need huge thighs and even the herminator rides a bike rather than pumping steel
I need more upper body strength for surfing... but as I can't even walk much at the moment and am banned from sitting more than a few minutes... and can't go uphill or on a non-flat surface - I think i'll worry about the hip and not the upper body etc stuff...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Pardon me for asking 
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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?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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what do people think about these wobble board things - any use?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Jake, I use one regularly, and my balance and stability have improved. I do squats with weights on a rocker board and balance discs, and also kneel on a Swiss Ball for core as well.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Jake, I have used a BOSU, wobble board & Swiss ball for core stability for the last couple of years & they have made a huge difference to my balance. Since doing my knee in April, have been back on the BOSU to try to regain my proprioception - & I'm getting there. Now attempting to get on the wobble board (or more difficult, get off!) again. Surprising how quickly you go back to square 1 with these things. Still, skiing booked for Jan, so have a target.
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Well i've had my wobble board for a day now and haven't managed to keep the thing upright properly for longer than 4 secs...
I'm cycling and squating weights a fair bit and wanting to add some balance stuff into the mix. This wobble board is hard though, any tips??
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Jake, a few tips from personal experience.
It's easier on carpet - so start on the longest pile carpet / rug you've got - and then progress (through the house in my case) onto hard flooring. If you don't have carpet then an old fleece / towel will help.
It's easier with shoes on - so start with shoes or trainers on before progressing (via slippers if you have them) to bare feet.
Wobble boards reward time exponentially - try to spending at least 10 minutes a go, rather than hopping on, having a few goes and getting off.
Distract yourself - I watch TV whilst I'm balancing because, let's face it, it's boring... I've even been know to iron (though this isn't recommended!).
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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.
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stocky, did you ever get around to posting a general skiing-oriented fitness programme? I recall you had plans to a few months back, but I may have missed it.
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I'd like to get a wobble board for rehab but don't want to shell out £100 for a BOSU - any suggestions?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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.
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WiRED, Due to the large amount of pictures involved in the programme I discussed it with admin and we decided that the best course of action would be for me to mail alll of the info to him and he would figure the best way to display it on . I spoke to him at Castleford on the 5th and he said he will be sorting it in the near future. If you can't wait PM me with your email address and I will mail you the workout.
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I've got a Gaiam wobble board which seems to be holding up well, even though it's plastic.
£20 from http://www.bodycare.co.uk - stick "Blanace Training System" into their search box. All sorts of other stuff on the site as well, including a "Core Training Workout" kit that looks suspiciously like a Bosu.
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You know it makes sense.
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Some ski-related fitness stuff available here.
http://www.netfit.co.uk/netfit.htm
Go to their home page and on the top left click on "Training Programs", scroll down to the skiing heading and click on that.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Nice site Phil Jordan.
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FAQ
