Physical Conditioning

I think we all know and consider skiing and especially ski racing to be an athletic event. Realizing that, we understand how important physical conditioning is to our sport. Strength, power, agility, stamina, flexibility and other components of fitness are all important factors in both the performance and enjoyment of skiing.

Below are some very general thoughts for our group about conditioning.

Staying fit can and should be a lifetime process. It is also a process of building. More complex and intense functions of fitness are layered over base and preparation layers. The fitness of a World Cup athlete has been a process of many years. Fitness can be looked at a game of cycles/periods. Some cycles are longer (a lifetime) some more intermediate (perhaps 6-8 weeks) and some short. (An individual workout should have a cycle of warm-up, the work itself, and a cool-down.)

If we consider the cycle of a lifetime, we would think of what might be proper for a particular age group. Age groups can contain quite a bit of overlap. Some 14 year olds are physically more mature than some 16 year olds. Ages listed below are quite general and would be most accurately considered as an attempt to list general physical maturity. Also it is important to consider that girls at the general age group of 10-14, are typically more physically mature than boys of the same age group. In ski racing it is not uncommon to see girls of this age beating the boys.

For our younger athletes it is important to build general athleticism. To be a great skier at any age, you must be first a great athlete. At the younger ages, (6-13) motor-skill development is quite important. Access to many different sports/games with an emphasis on variety and fun helps to build adaptability. Agility, balance and coordination are good focus points. Rehearsal of proper ski technique with lots of repetition fits well here.

Aerobic capacity and development of base strength is a good focus for ages 10-15 or so. Strength workouts are primarily body weight exercises and if weight training is used, technique and form are stressed. Multi-sport participation continues to be important in the development of general athleticism.

As the athletes mature (14-15 and up) training can become more specific to a chosen sport and more intense. Anaerobic capacity can and should be trained and it becomes more appropriate to work to increase muscle mass. As age and commitment to a given sport develop, outside sports might tend to take on more of an aspect of cross-training, and chosen to fit into the seasonal cycle of preparation for the favored sport.

A seasonal cycle for skiing might be constructed with a period of active rest immediately following the previous ski season. Active rest could be considered fun relativity low intensity activities. May and June would contain aerobic and general strength gain focus. The remaining time flowing to the ski season gradually shifts to the gain of muscle mass, a shift to anaerobic gain and power increases. These later principles are dependent on the base gained in the early part of the cycle or the physical age of the particular athlete. Core strength, flexibility and agility can be practiced all year-long.

These are some pretty general guidelines that can help to promote success for all of our participants. I will be out of the area until early August, but will stay in touch through email. When I return, I would look forward to mountain biking or taking part in any other activities that help us with our fitness and team building. Do let me know if you have any ideas or thoughts we can employ.