Items15The creator’s order
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Imaginary chairWall sit
Skiing holds you in a flexed stance for whole runs, and a wall sit trains exactly that: the thighs working hard without the knee moving. Start with holds of about 20 seconds and add a few seconds each week until you can hold for a full minute. Keep your knees in line with your toes rather…0 - 2
Squat (exercise)Goblet squat with a slow lowering
Much of the work in a ski turn happens while the thigh muscles lengthen under load, braking you as you sink into the turn. Holding a dumbbell at your chest and taking three or four seconds to lower into each squat trains that braking strength directly, which a…0 - 3
Squat (exercise)Bulgarian split squat
With the back foot resting on a bench and the front leg doing the work, this squat makes each leg carry the load on its own, which is far closer to skiing and riding than the two-footed barbell squat pictured. It also exposes a weaker side quickly, and you will feel the hip…0 - 4
Lunge (exercise)Lateral lunge
Step wide to one side, sit back into that hip with the other leg straight, then push back to center. A big, fast carved turn uses the same sideways movement, and the lunge trains the muscles that soak up bumps and impacts on the hill, which is why it earns a place that a forward…0 - 5
DeadliftSingle-leg Romanian deadlift
Balancing on one leg, hinge forward from the hip with the free leg reaching back until your body is close to level, then stand tall again. The drawing shows the two-legged barbell version of the same hinge, a useful way to learn the movement first. It strengthens the…0 - 6
Nordic hamstring curlKneel with your ankles held by a partner or anchored under something heavy, then lower your body toward the floor as slowly as you can, catching yourself with your hands. The hamstrings, the muscles at the back of the thigh shown in the anatomy drawing, brake the whole way down, and that lowering…0 - 7
Single-leg glute bridgeLie on your back with one foot planted and the other leg lifted, then drive through the heel to raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulder to knee. The glutes help guide and direct your skis, and getting them to share the work with the hamstrings takes strain off the knees…0 - 8
BOSUSingle-leg balance on a BOSU
Stand on one foot on the dome for up to a minute, knee slightly bent as if in a ski stance. The wobbling surface forces the ankle, knee and hip to make the constant small corrections that uneven snow demands, and balance pays off in technique and stamina alike, since a…0 - 9
Plank (exercise)Side plank
Balance on one forearm and the side of one foot with the body in a straight line, and hold. Your trunk carries much of your posture and balance on the snow, and the side plank works the sides of the trunk and the outer hip together, the muscles that keep you stacked over your edges…0 - 10
Dead bugLie on your back with arms reaching up and knees bent over the hips, then slowly lower the opposite arm and leg toward the floor while pressing your lower back flat. It teaches the trunk to stay still while the limbs move independently, which is what controlling a turn asks of it: legs working…0
