Crossfit is a perfect way to get in shape for the upcoming season. Many workouts feature specific lifts like squats and dead-lifts, which are key exercises to make you a stronger skier. Glutes, hamstrings, and quads are three of the most important muscles in a skier’s body. Learning how to squat and dead-lift correctly will not only help you get down the mountain faster, but is essential to injury prevention too. Nothing ruins a season like a blown knee, and many torn ACLs are due to muscle imbalances such as over-developed quads and under-developed hamstrings. Properly executed squats and dead lifts eliminate these imbalances and keep you on the hill.
While many skiers in the gym already strive to keep their legs strong, skiing is a full-body activity. Core and arm strength are just as necessary. Skiing requires strength, agility, and uses short bursts of energy. When it comes to maneuvering through glades, pole planting on high angle terrain or making sure you’re not collapsing at the waist when ripping through moguls, every ounce of muscle in your body is working.
The bottom line? Crossfit focuses on making you the best athlete you can be, without hours of training. The week is no longer divided into cardio days or strength days, or trying to figure out how to get a two hour session in at the gym. Crossfit incorporates it all into short, 1 hour sessions. All you need is a willingness to work hard. Doesn’t that sound better than spending two hours in the gym, alternating leg extensions and bicep curls then limping into the lodge after the first day of the season with fried legs and a tight back?
For more on why Crossfit is great for skiers, click here.
Why Is Pip Qualified to Teach Me?
Pip Hunt is a professional skier, writer, and personal trainer in Salt Lake City, UT. She is a level-one certified Crossfit trainer, currently works with private and group clients at SLC Crossfit, runs a Crossfit specific dryland class in the fall, and coaches the Alta-Bird Freeride team both on snow and off. When she’s not on the snow or at the gym, Pip trail runs, mountain bikes, reads, and cooks delectable, nutritious meals.
Check out her blog at www.adventuresofpip.com for fitness stories and healthy recipes.
