I am trying to put together a routine for myself to get in excellent skiing shape for a trip to Vail in February or March. Aside from cardio workouts and leg workouts, I am going to do better core workouts (currently I only do crunches). First, does anyone have suggestions for a good core workout? Second, I have been told to buy one of those big balls and do the workouts associated with it. Have people had success with this? ANy other skier specific workouts to share?

Thanks!!

The balls are great, but they are not the end-all-be-all some people swear they are ... that is just a trend. They do serve a purpose.

First, most people don't realize how their core is involved in just about everything they do. It is what stabilizes your body. For skiing, your core is going to have to keep you stable while your legs and upper body are shifting/turning. This is why traditional core - even on the ball - is not going to serve you as functionally as you would like.

Doing unilateral movements is one way you can work your core. For example, when doing bench press, rows, dumbbell flyes, etc, use dumbbells and work only one side at a time. Trust me, going heavy with only one arm on a bench press means your core is going to be working double-time to stabilize your torso.

With your legs, squats and dead-lifts are fantastic for the core. With skiing on the agenda, you'll want to consider one-legged dead-lifts and squats (known as "king squats") which are key for stability in the leg joint as well as work the core as a peripheral muscle.

Twist crunches with hanging ab straps are another to look into.

Don't neglect your lower back - that is a major portion of your core. Hyperextensions and good mornings as well as deep squats and dead-lifts will help strengthen these muscles.

Here's a good resource for ski exercises (note the abdominal circuit)

http://www.netfit.co.uk/skiing-cornwall-okwen.htm

Here's some more ...

http://www.bodyresults.com/S2Skiadvanced.asp

Enjoy! Our slopes open in one week ...

Jeremy

I am trying to put together a routine for myself to get in excellent skiing shape for a trip to Vail in February or March. Aside from cardio workouts and leg workouts, I am going to do better core workouts (currently I only do crunches). First, does anyone have suggestions for a good core workout? Second, I have been told to buy one of those big balls and do the workouts associated with it. Have people had success with this? ANy other skier specific workouts to share?

Thanks!!

A great way to workout for skiing, if you can afford it, is one of those 1/2 balance balls w/ platforms on it (they are normally around $100 - $130). BOSU Ball link (http://www.bosu.com/).

Put the ball side down to the ground and you can stand on the platform in a quarter squat/downhill skiing position and work on balancing for a few minutes with a weight plate balanced on your back. After you can do that, move up weight.

It's a lot more reasonable if you belong to a gym and they have them.