|
 By: Peter Czerwinski
With the seasons changing from hot to cold, our sports and eating habits change with it. We need to adjust our bodies accordingly to adapt to the conditions at hand. One of the most popular winter activities aside from hockey is skiing and snowboarding. It is without a doubt that skiing requires proper nutrition and training in order to get the best possible satisfaction and results on the slopes. Anyone can strap on a pair of skis and attempt to make it down a hill, but to be able to utilize your ski's and hills to all they are worth, you need to prepare ahead of time. The following article will deal with proper training that should be done prior to hitting the slopes! Skiing Articles:
Whether a beginner or a competitive racer, anyone can benefit from these exercises. The main body parts that need to be properly trained are the legs, back and core.
Squats are of course the "king" of leg exercises and some deem the king of all exercises. This exercise helps you develop power and strength. The proper way to do this exercise is to rest a barbell on the upper portion of your back, not your neck. Firmly grip the bar with your hands almost twice your shoulder width apart.
Once you reach the bottom position, press the weight up back to the starting position. It is important to not lean forward, and to keep the back as straight as possible. Be sure to use a weight that you can get at least ten reps with.    Click Image To Enlarge.Barbell Squat.
Video Guides:
Windows Media -
RealPlayer
If your quads need work, then incorporating some leg extensions or leg presses will be beneficial. Likewise, if your hamstrings need work, then stiff-leg deadlifts and leg curls will help.
Think of a deadlift as a squat, only the bar is in your hands rather than on your back. Approach the loaded barbell and assume a stance about as wide as your own shoulders while gripping the bar such that the inner aspects of your arms are slightly outside of your thighs.   Click Image To Enlarge.Barbell Deadlift.
Video Guides:
Windows Media -
RealPlayer
  Click Image To Enlarge.Feet Should Point Stright Out Or Turned Out To A 25 Degree Angle. The shins should be two to three inches from the bar and then when you actually bend down and lower your hips in preparation to lift, the shins will touch the bar. Most of the weight will be on the heels of the feet. This facilitates maximal contribution of the glutes and hamstrings. During the ascent, the bar will travel as close to the leg and shins as possible. Ideally, wear cotton sweat pants or track pants with long socks to protect your shins. A "reverse grip" should be used when deadlifting. This means that one hand will be supinated (palm faces you) and the other pronated (palm facing away). This will help keep the bar in your hand. If grip strength is not one of your training targets, feel free to use wrist straps with a conventional grip. Hold the bar high up on the palm to compensate for any roll of the bar when pulling the weight up. Generally, the grip should start with the index finger and the little finger bordering the knurling in the middle of the bar.
As you stand up with the weight, imagine pushing the earth away from you with your feet. When viewed from the side, your hips and shoulders should ascend together; if the hips rise before the shoulders, it means you're using your back rather than your legs. If this happens, reduce the weight until you can perform the lift correctly and add more specific quad-strengthening exercises to your program.
Competitive powerlifters are required to demonstrate control over the weight by standing up and then extending the hips forward in an exaggerated manner. If you're not a competitive lifter, simply stand up with the weight without this exaggerated maneuver. Simply return the bar to the floor, under control, by reversing the technique you used to lift the weight. Although this exercise is very beneficial, it can be intimidating and difficult for beginners, in which hyperextensions and good-mornings can be performed. The two exercises above work the core better than any abdominal exercise out there. However to ensure the strongest core that you can achieve, crunches, knee-ups, and weighted rope crunches can be performed.
While you don't need to eat like a bodybuilder during the whole year to maximize performance on the hill, it does help. Eating a healthy diet is important regardless of what you are doing, but having the proper diet will increase performance on the slopes. A skier's diet should consist of lean protein, lots of complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.
You should consume about a gram of protein per pound while training and when on the slopes. This is an ideal amount to consume to guarantee optimal recovery and performance.
Vegetables
Fruits
Carbohydrates should be kept high around workout periods to have enough energy to perform the vigorous exercises needed. When you hit the slopes it is very important to keep the carbohydrates high, and eat every couple of hours to refill glycogen in the body in order to continue high performance. It is important that the day you are going to the hill to eat a fair amount of complex carbohydrates like oats and yams to keep you fueled.
Fats should be used with every meal for a variety of reason. First they are healthy for the heart and organs, as well as lubricate joints in the body. Fats also slow down digestion, which in turn provides longer nutrient flow throughout the body and keep the hunger strikes to a minimum.
Water Articles:
There are many things that can aid a skier with performance; however some are more suitable for some people than others. In addition to training and when on the slopes, EAA's (Essential Amino Acids) and BCAA's (Branched Chain Amino Acids) drink mixes are excellent for preserving muscle mass and recovery. Companies such as SciVation (Xtend) and Controlled Labs (Purple Wraath) make great mixes in various flavors. These drink mixes are excellent for people cutting and wanting to achieve a certain goal, however they are not necessarily beneficial for someone with a very high calorie diet or someone just trying to stay healthy.
Sometimes a quick burst of energy is needed, so I would advise to either keep a protein bar, granola bar, some trail mix or some nuts in your jacket just in case (of course size and what you eat will depend on goals). However, sometimes food just doesn't cut it and some energy supplements can aid in functioning. Ideal supplements would be something that will give you long periods of energy without a crash. Good examples are Erogpharm's AMP and VPX's Redline RTDs. After a hard workout or a long day on the slopes, your muscles will be screaming for fuel and nutrients for recovery. A high quality protein would be advised directly afterwards. Protein's such as EST's Bio-Pro, VPX Zero Carb and ON Gold Standard Whey are great examples!
You should enjoy the mountain for all you can, and with proper training and appropriate nutrition, you can have the best time of your life on skis! References
Skiing Powder!
Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here! Visitor Reviews Of This Article!
Related Articles
|
Legs
Sign in for more FREE features and tools!
|
|
Give Us Feedback:
Report A ProblemSite Feedback |
Follow Us:
|
Bodybuilding.com Newsletter
Receive exciting features, |
