Originally Posted by
skilsaw
I'm planning on 3 days of skiing early in the new year.
It will be my first ski trip in 9 years.
My general fitness level is pretty low.
And I hate exercising in a gym.
I'm planning to get out and bike more to build endurance. For strength I'm going to hike up the steep side of a 600 foot hill with a 50 lb rucksack to add to the punishment.
Any other skiers out there?
What cross training do you do to stay in shape?
Biking more is good for your cardio regardless of whether you go skiing.
If you want to prepare your muscles for downhill skiing and mitigate muscle soreness you need to do some exercise with eccentric muscle contractions. Typically, this involves walking or running downhill. So leave the 50 lb rucksack behind and walk/run up
and down Mt Douglas 2-4 times. Work up to doing this a few times a week and you should be good. After the first session your legs will be sore (particularly on the 2nd day) but it should get easier and less painful as you progress.
Cycling utilizes concentric (shortening) muscle contractions only and it doesn't matter how hard you ride if you hike downhill or ski downhill for a few hours you'll get sore.