Skiing and snowboarding are extremely athletically demanding sports that require a fair amount of physical training. Skiing and snowboarding in Massachusetts particularly with the variable snow conditions can take a huge physical toll on an athlete’s body. The summer time is a perfect time to get in shape for the upcoming season. This is post consists of an easy to learn at home workout routine that anybody can do. There is no expensive equipment required for any of the following workouts. So get ready to be in the best shape you have ever been in this upcoming winter. Before you start your workout it is always a good idea to stretch first to make sure to not injure yourself throughout the routine.
(Isolation Jump Squats) The first exercise is isolation jump squats. Isolation jump squats are pretty much what their name suggests; however there are a few minute details that make a huge difference with the final result. Start at the lowest squat position possible, from here instead of jumping with your first rep you are going to do two small reps. First going up only a couple inches, then the next one going up a couple more ending on the third part where you are to fully extend and spring off of the ground. Repeat this about 20 times.
(Russian Twists) Your second exercise should be the Russian twist. This is an excellent core workout, which in skiing and snowboarding core strength is very important. To start sit half way up with your upper body at about a 120 degree angle from the floor. You can also either keep you feet planted on the ground or once you are feeling up to the challenge lift your legs off of the ground. Now you are to rotate you upper body back and forth in a twisting motion as seen in the picture below. You can either do this exercise with just your own body weight or you can add in some weights once you feel comfortable. It is important to start with light weights under 10lbs to not injure your back and to keep good form.
(Tricep Dips) Next are Tricep Dips. Although you may think all you need to keep fit to be good at skiing is your lower body you are actually mistaken. If your entire body is in shape you not only will perform better on the hill you also will have a tremendously smaller chance of injuring yourself. Tricep dips are also a very easy exercise to learn. All that is needed is a chair or some sort of elevated object to put your hand on. Now place your hand on the edge of the elevated surface with your body facing away from the surface. Your fingers should be facing your back. Slowly dip down to the floor without allowing your but to drop to the floor this exercise is way more effective if your core is engaged at all times.
(Lunge) Next is a simple lunge. Lunges if done properly can be one of the most effective exercises for any athlete even without weights. It is important to get full extension while doing lunges to ensure that the entire muscle is gaining from the workout. Repeat at about 10-20 reps on each side.
These exercises are four very useful exercises that will help get your body into the proper shape for next winter. Although these exercises may seem easy to some, they can provide great results if done properly, and in a circuit style routine at a fairly rapid pace. We hope that this easy to use routine is helpful and will get you in great shape for the upcoming season. We at Ski Bradford look forward to see all of you this winter. Pray for snow!