Skiing isn’t just strength. It’s a total body workout. Alta’s High-T traverse makes your abs and obliques burn as your engage every muscle in your body to absorb the bumps, your heart pounds in your chest at the bottom of every run, and skating back to the chair lift gets your lats and triceps firing. Squats and deadlifts make you stronger, faster, and prevent injuries, but the kettlebell swing will work you from top to bottom.
Like deadlifts, the kettlebell swing also strengthens the Posterior chain. The posterior chain is the group of muscles that runs from your lower back to calves; essentially they are your backside. A strong posterior chain is fundamental to being a stronger athlete. However, since building and controlling momentum in the kettlebell are key to the movement, you also engage your hip flexors, triceps, lats, and abs. The momentum also means that you never put the weight down once you start the exercise; the continuous movement engages your cardio vascular system.
Swinging kettlebells will make your squat and deadlifts stronger, make you jump higher and further, and make you sprint faster, but they can also help your recover too. Now the obvious thing to do after a hard day of skiing, when you legs feel like lead and you couch is calling your name is to call it a day. But what if one movement could make you feel better tomorrow? Active recovery is a low intensity and low volume workout that pumps blood into the tired muscles and works the entire body. Kettlebell swings exercise the body as one unit, and create blood flow. The increased blood flow through your tired muscles removes blood lactate (lactic acid) and decreases soreness and muscle tiredness, making you fresh as a daisy day after day.
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.
