Legs weak af??

tsingtaofanatic

tsingtaofanatic

Active member
After skiing really heavy powder for a season I've come to the conclusion that my legs are weak asf. Halfway through a run and my thighs are burning already. What do you guys do to prepare your legs for the season?
 
Hit the gym not the bong.

seriously. Go biking in the summer/go hiking. Hit legs 2-3 times a week at the gym(depending on your goals), and just focus on staying fit.

Obviously skiing specific muscles are different than your average squat. My legs are always sore/weak beginning of the season, but after focusing on the gym the past year my legs definitely felt better for skiing.
 
work out, but you knew that.

Get some directional pow boards. Before anyone says it, yeah I probably just suck at skiing but skiing truly deep snow with most skis close to center mount kinda sucks ass. If I'm not on my absolute A game I'll end up just riding my tails and roasting my quads.
 
Moar skiing op. There is no substitute IMO. When you can’t ski do whatever you can do . Hike up hills bike etc to stay as trim and fit as possible. Ski 12 months a year when there isn’t some sort of virus tho
 
14138123:shin-bang said:
Hit the gym not the bong.

seriously. Go biking in the summer/go hiking. Hit legs 2-3 times a week at the gym(depending on your goals), and just focus on staying fit.

Obviously skiing specific muscles are different than your average squat. My legs are always sore/weak beginning of the season, but after focusing on the gym the past year my legs definitely felt better for skiing.
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Def do a lot of hiking already so I got that crossed off the list.
 
Follow my IG channel @SkiingPhysicalTherapy for some ideas.

Get your general fitness up ie running, biking, body weight exercises, mobility, stretching.

Then start with the gym. DM on IG for any questions.
 
Lower body stuff, balance workouts, leg workouts, and whatever. Honestly working on focus too will help you push yourself over that edge of fatigue sometimes if you really want to risk it for the biscuit.

And honestly repetition of skiing. Gotta keep at it and know your limits.

**This post was edited on May 7th 2020 at 6:13:35pm
 
How to tell if your legs are weak.

Play “Flower” by Moby. Every time the song says “bring sally down” squat 3/4 way and hold until “bring sally up” then stand. Then repeat til song is over.

If you can’t even finish the song once your not in shape.
 
14138149:bongripper said:
Def do a lot of hiking already so I got that crossed off the list.
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Now do it with 40 lbs of rocks in your pack. This is probably bad advice (knees) but I jogged with a 20 kg weight vest for a couple times a week for a few months and I felt damn good when I got back on skis.
 
14138182:SkierPT said:
Follow my IG channel @SkiingPhysicalTherapy for some ideas.

Get your general fitness up ie running, biking, body weight exercises, mobility, stretching.

Then start with the gym. DM on IG for any questions.
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Ayy thanks I will follow
 
14138233:mcswizzle said:
Now do it with 40 lbs of rocks in your pack. This is probably bad advice (knees) but I jogged with a 20 kg weight vest for a couple times a week for a few months and I felt damn good when I got back on skis.
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That's not a bad idea actually I might try that yo. Thanks!
 
I run at least one half marathon a week to ensure my thighs ability to shred come winter.

**This post was edited on May 8th 2020 at 10:51:03am
 
14138242:bongripper said:
That's not a bad idea actually I might try that yo. Thanks!
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Seriously, I try and go rucking at least 2/3 times a week. I’ve slowly built my way up to hiking with 50lbs in my pack and it has done wonders for me

**This post was edited on May 8th 2020 at 11:19:21am
 
Ride longer skis with more tip than tail. I get exhausted on the days I catch a storm on my shorter, more center mounted all mountain skis. On my long and very directional pow skis I can lean forward same as I would on a groomer and my quads are fine, no worries about going OTB because there is so much ski in front of me. (5'2 riding 176 and 177 length pow skis)
 
You might be a ripper, I have no idea, but burning quads a lot of the time means someone is skiing backseat/leaning back. You say it’s wet/heavy pow, which a lot of people tend to try and compensate for by leaning way back which means basically your quads are responsible for keeping you mostly upright.

Years age when I lived in Taos and I totally sucked rather than kind of suck like now, I had the problem big time.

Now, I’m more forward and flexing the tongue of my boots and have my hands forward and it never bothers me. I ski 150-200 days a year so my legs are pretty strong, but it could be a technique thing rather than weakness as it sounds like you hike and are active.

just something to consider.
 
14138488:casual said:
You might be a ripper, I have no idea, but burning quads a lot of the time means someone is skiing backseat/leaning back. You say it’s wet/heavy pow, which a lot of people tend to try and compensate for by leaning way back which means basically your quads are responsible for keeping you mostly upright.
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Im guilty here, I can shred for days with minimum effort with good visibility, or if I know the slopes and terrain, but poor sight, unknown terrain, tight trees etc.. hello backseat. For this exact I do a lot of legdays.
 
it's easy.. dont ski heavy powder. stick to groomers and barely turn. then just lip 2 blind 2 everything and repeat. and dont use poles. thats extra weight your legs dont need.
 
14138488:casual said:
You might be a ripper, I have no idea, but burning quads a lot of the time means someone is skiing backseat/leaning back. You say it’s wet/heavy pow, which a lot of people tend to try and compensate for by leaning way back which means basically your quads are responsible for keeping you mostly upright.

Years age when I lived in Taos and I totally sucked rather than kind of suck like now, I had the problem big time.

Now, I’m more forward and flexing the tongue of my boots and have my hands forward and it never bothers me. I ski 150-200 days a year so my legs are pretty strong, but it could be a technique thing rather than weakness as it sounds like you hike and are active.

just something to consider.
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That's what people have told me and I think that might be part of the problem. Through the season though I learned how to avoid leaning back and I don't think my legs burned as much anymore, n i felt way better in powder. That was nearing the end of the season though. So I def think that was a contributing factor.
 
Squats, leg blasters, HIIT, trampoline , and buy a weighted vest

whatever your 1rm, 10rm, and 20rm is, you gotta improve it every time , you should be able to squat 3-4x a week, and leg blast everyday sometimes twice. Ya gotta go super Saiyan and stay there so it’s the norm, if skiing is more work than your workout , the mountains gonna work you, your gonna be sore, your gonna tire , your gonna give And your gonna have a bad time
 
14138135:GrandThings said:
Hit the gym AND the bong...

Gotta keep those lungs in ski shape player
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When I was at CU I had an idea to eat a fat weed brownie then do a quick lift at the gym. I thought it should kick in as soon as I ended my set to chill the rest of the day. Man was I wrong. My metabolism got cranked and I was mid set on the bench and almost blacked out, barely got the weight back on the rack, nearly tripped over the other bench and barely made it out of the rec center. Those were the days lol
 
14138541:O1L_CH4D said:
Rucking is terrible for you lmaooooooo
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Is it though? Seems like just take the rocks out when you go downhill and its all good. I'd believe it could fuck your knees up but I prefer the trail to the gym. Also, if you have a decent pack with an internal frame designed to carry 40-50 lbs helps a lot too.
 
14138574:mcswizzle said:
Is it though? Seems like just take the rocks out when you go downhill and its all good. I'd believe it could fuck your knees up but I prefer the trail to the gym. Also, if you have a decent pack with an internal frame designed to carry 40-50 lbs helps a lot too.
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Trust me I know walking with weight.

and external frame is better

also yeah if you take the weight out for the downhill you’re doing yourself a favour
 
I go up and down stairs in my house hitting every other stair as fast as possible. Might as well not hit any on the way down. As far as actual leg strength, I have a 10 mile loop that I'll bike around my house like every other day. I have two pre determined sections that I sprint, so I can pace myself and get a proper warm up on the way there.

Having good calf/ankle control also lets you spread forces throughout your legs, as well as have better edge control.

Mobbing around in a sit tuck is fun if you have good enough leg strength to not fuck your knees. Really useful skill if you ever knuckle miss the landing entirely on a bigger jump. Before you hit the ground, raise your arms up, and once you hit the ground, transition to a sit tuck and then lying down tuck, to increase the time of absorption. Just make you keep your head up and foreword so you don't strain your neck, but make sure not to knee yourself in the face. I also sometimes bomb around in a lying down tuck, either looking between my knees or glancing out the sides.
 
14138534:SuspiciousFish said:
When I was at CU I had an idea to eat a fat weed brownie then do a quick lift at the gym. I thought it should kick in as soon as I ended my set to chill the rest of the day. Man was I wrong. My metabolism got cranked and I was mid set on the bench and almost blacked out, barely got the weight back on the rack, nearly tripped over the other bench and barely made it out of the rec center. Those were the days lol
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oh lord
 
my philosophy after several knee surgeries and back injuries:

1. Cycling or mountain biking is king. It’s a super even workout for both legs and it will help straighten out your lower spine/pelvic girdle after a season of pounding bumps/chop.

2. same line of thought - yoga: super important to stretch and repair your legs, back and glutes after a long season of blasting. Equally important to train your core to prepare for the next season.

3. body weight HIIT and resistance band training for general fitness/strength. A lot of super small, lightweight “PT” movements are more important and effective than any big lift. Tons of resources online for great body weight/home circuits.

usually I take some time in the spring to get these 3 things on a good schedule, and then progress Into some classic weight lifting/weighted HIIT. Also as weather permits I mix in a fun dose of hiking, backpacking, climbing, paddle boarding, skating, or really anything that’ll get me outside at least once a day, even if work/life is going crazy. Also try to schedule multi-sport days or big multi-day missions as much as possible.

I was always a chubby little kid and played Offensive and defensive line in football, but since then skiing has always been my motivation for summer fitness, and this is basically my summer program after 10+ years of 60-100+ day seasons and multiple orthopedic injuries. Feeling fitter than ever and I’m the best skier that I’ve ever been! Hoping It will keep me shredding well into my 30s, 40s, and 50s.
 
14138182:SkierPT said:
Follow my IG channel @SkiingPhysicalTherapy for some ideas.

Get your general fitness up ie running, biking, body weight exercises, mobility, stretching.

Then start with the gym. DM on IG for any questions.
Click to expand...

You should start writing weekly articles on NS! An example would be the different types of deadlifts and squats and how they can be incorporated into your routine.

Thanks in advanced!
 
Make sure that whatever you do to workout you get a good dynamic warm up in before. A lot of HIIT workouts on media platforms dont show this part and you could get hurt if youre not properly warmed up. It also won’t be as effective. You can look up some dynamic warm ups but walking lunges, high knees, butt kickers, inchworms, etc. There are a lot of options
 
14139172:Skibumsmith said:
You should start writing weekly articles on NS! An example would be the different types of deadlifts and squats and how they can be incorporated into your routine.

Thanks in advanced!
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Not a bad idea!!
 
14139172:Skibumsmith said:
You should start writing weekly articles on NS! An example would be the different types of deadlifts and squats and how they can be incorporated into your routine.

Thanks in advanced!
Click to expand...

This would be awesome
 
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