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12 week Ski Training ProgramCreated by: Elsbeth Vaino, CSCS, CSIA
Ski time! Are you ready for the season? If not, no problem. That's what this program is for. But you might be asking
yourself:
What makes this program "ski-specific"?
The short answer is that this program will prepare your body for the rigors of skiing so that you can enjoy this great
sport. The program will help you be able to ski for longer without getting tired, will reduce the risk of injury (falls
happen in skiing, so remember this is injury risk reduction, not injury prevention), will reduce the incidents of
muscle soreness, and may even increase your skiing ability.
More specifically, the program includes:
- Corrective exercises to address movement limitations, because if your body does not move well on land, it will not
fare any better on skis. Improving hip and thoracic spine mobility will also reduce the likelihood of getting a sore
back.
- Strength training to...make you stronger. In particular, strong legs and a strong core are essential for quality
skiing. This program includes a balance of hip-dominant, knee-dominant, anterior core, posterior core, rotational
core, upper body pulls, and upper body pushes to make sure you are strong all over. There is also single-leg work to
make sure both legs - and therefore turns both ways - are strong. Plus some lateral leg work specific to skiing, and a
touch of isometric leg work to help your endure those tuck situations. The program also includes a variety of
repetition ranges and holds to address pure strength, strength endurance, and eccentric strength.
- Power exercises help to give you that extra push when you need to either get out of a sticky situation, really get
down into a sweet GS turn, and to be able to ski the bumps instead of letting them ski you.
- A combination of anaerobic and aerobic conditioning builds your energy system so that you have the strength-
endurance to perform on individual runs, and the stamina to last all day.
- Foam rolling and static stretching to help your body with recovery. Recovery is a crucial part of training, yet it is
often overlooked. In fact recovery is an essential part of the muscle building process. Foam rolling can help to
relieve tension from the areas in your muscles and fascia that have knots and trigger points, while also activating
your fascia. Static stretching helps to maintain or even regain range of motion in your joints and length in your
muscles and fascia. These together can help with overuse injury reduction, and with on-hill performance resulting
from improved mobility.
Before you start!
Are you healthy enough to do this workout? Remember that any exercise can be dangerous. Please go to the
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) available at http://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/publications/parq/par-
q.pdf and answer the questions on that form for yourself. If based on the PAR-Q, you feel you are not ready to
perform this activity, please see your doctor before engaging in this program.
One more IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU SHOULD NEVER EXPERIENCE PAIN WHEN DOING THESE EXERCISES. IF YOU DO,
CEASE THE ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY. IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN.
[email protected] www.customstrength.com Page 1 of 20
12 week Ski Training ProgramCreated by: Elsbeth Vaino, CSCS, CSIA
Ski time! Are you ready for the season? If not, no problem. That's what this program is for. But you might be asking
yourself:
What makes this program "ski-specific"?
The short answer is that this program will prepare your body for the rigors of skiing so that you can enjoy this great
sport. The program will help you be able to ski for longer without getting tired, will reduce the risk of injury (falls
happen in skiing, so remember this is injury risk reduction, not injury prevention), will reduce the incidents of
muscle soreness, and may even increase your skiing ability.
More specifically, the program includes:
- Corrective exercises to address movement limitations, because if your body does not move well on land, it will not
fare any better on skis. Improving hip and thoracic spine mobility will also reduce the likelihood of getting a sore
back.
- Strength training to...make you stronger. In particular, strong legs and a strong core are essential for quality
skiing. This program includes a balance of hip-dominant, knee-dominant, anterior core, posterior core, rotational
core, upper body pulls, and upper body pushes to make sure you are strong all over. There is also single-leg work to
make sure both legs - and therefore turns both ways - are strong. Plus some lateral leg work specific to skiing, and a
touch of isometric leg work to help your endure those tuck situations. The program also includes a variety of
repetition ranges and holds to address pure strength, strength endurance, and eccentric strength.
- Power exercises help to give you that extra push when you need to either get out of a sticky situation, really get
down into a sweet GS turn, and to be able to ski the bumps instead of letting them ski you.
- A combination of anaerobic and aerobic conditioning builds your energy system so that you have the strength-
endurance to perform on individual runs, and the stamina to last all day.
- Foam rolling and static stretching to help your body with recovery. Recovery is a crucial part of training, yet it is
often overlooked. In fact recovery is an essential part of the muscle building process. Foam rolling can help to
relieve tension from the areas in your muscles and fascia that have knots and trigger points, while also activating
your fascia. Static stretching helps to maintain or even regain range of motion in your joints and length in your
muscles and fascia. These together can help with overuse injury reduction, and with on-hill performance resulting
from improved mobility.
Before you start!
Are you healthy enough to do this workout? Remember that any exercise can be dangerous. Please go to the
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) available at http://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/publications/parq/par-
q.pdf and answer the questions on that form for yourself. If based on the PAR-Q, you feel you are not ready to
perform this activity, please see your doctor before engaging in this program.
One more IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU SHOULD NEVER EXPERIENCE PAIN WHEN DOING THESE EXERCISES. IF YOU DO,
CEASE THE ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY. IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN.
What you will need
1. A foam roller
2. Some weights, preferably a full set or an adjustable dumbbell set such as Powerblocks. Or just some weights you
have lying around.
3. Some exercise bands or tubing. There are only a few exercises that require this, but they really are great to have.
You may be able to work around it with some creativity if you don't have this, or you can get at least one as they are
relatively inexpensive.
4. Something to use as low hurdles ideally, but almost anything will do, such as cans of soup, or even just hopping
over lines in the floor.
5. Something to hop onto. The bottom stair in your staircase (assuming it's a stable staircase!) can work well, or a
plyometric box, or something like a Reebok step. Do be careful with this though, and make sure what you're
hopping onto is built well, and ideally secured against a wall. I once landed on the edge of a box that was not well-
secured and took a spill when it tipped over underneath me. Don't let that happen to you!
6. A bench or stability ball for bench pressing. CAUTION!!!! If you are using a stability ball for this purpose, make
sure it is in fact an anti-burst ball, that it is in good shape, and that you do not use heavy weights with it. People
have been injured this way, so be careful! I suggest a bench is the best option. An alternative is to lie on the floor
(knees bent). This is not as good because the range is reduced, but it does still work.
7. A sturdy door handle, railing or access to a cable column. This is for doing cable or band exercises. If you're
rigging something up at home with a band, make sure it is secure! Try it out gently first before jumping in.
8. A horizontal bar about hip height that you can hang from. If you are working out at a gym, this can be
accomplished with a barbell in a squat rack or in a Smith machine, or a set of rings or TRX suspension trainer. If at
home, it could be a TRX, or see what you have. Or if you don't have anything that will work, then either stick with
the 1 arm DB row, or try the alternate exercise listed (one arm band pull).
9. Ideally you will have a pull up bar. If not, continue doing the inverted row.
10. Access to a treadmill, eliptical, stationary bike, skiers edge, slide board, or safe place to run or bike outside
where you can alternate between hard and slow efforts.
11. Some flooring that has some slide, such as hardwood or tile and a hand towel or furniture savers.
12. Appropriate workout wear.
How the program works
This program has 3 phases, and each phase contains a "Day One" and a "Day Two" workout. You will receive one
phase of the program at a time. This is the first phase. In 3 weeks, you will receive the 2nd phase by email, and
then 3 weeks after that, you will receive the 3rd phase. The reason we are sending it in phases is partly to keep it
simple for you (best to figure out one phase and then figure out the next), and partly as a motivator. The way we
figure it, if for some reason you fall off the ski-prep wagon, then we hope that receiving the next phase will
motivate you to get back on.
To get maximum benefit from this program, you should be doing a work out from the program 3 or 4 times per
week. Whichever option you choose (and it can change week to week), just make sure that you alternate Day One
and Day Two workouts.
[email protected] www.customstrength.com Page 2 of 20
12 week Ski Training ProgramCreated by: Elsbeth Vaino, CSCS, CSIA
Ski time! Are you ready for the season? If not, no problem. That's what this program is for. But you might be asking
yourself:
What makes this program "ski-specific"?
The short answer is that this program will prepare your body for the rigors of skiing so that you can enjoy this great
sport. The program will help you be able to ski for longer without getting tired, will reduce the risk of injury (falls
happen in skiing, so remember this is injury risk reduction, not injury prevention), will reduce the incidents of
muscle soreness, and may even increase your skiing ability.
More specifically, the program includes:
- Corrective exercises to address movement limitations, because if your body does not move well on land, it will not
fare any better on skis. Improving hip and thoracic spine mobility will also reduce the likelihood of getting a sore
back.
- Strength training to...make you stronger. In particular, strong legs and a strong core are essential for quality
skiing. This program includes a balance of hip-dominant, knee-dominant, anterior core, posterior core, rotational
core, upper body pulls, and upper body pushes to make sure you are strong all over. There is also single-leg work to
make sure both legs - and therefore turns both ways - are strong. Plus some lateral leg work specific to skiing, and a
touch of isometric leg work to help your endure those tuck situations. The program also includes a variety of
repetition ranges and holds to address pure strength, strength endurance, and eccentric strength.
- Power exercises help to give you that extra push when you need to either get out of a sticky situation, really get
down into a sweet GS turn, and to be able to ski the bumps instead of letting them ski you.
- A combination of anaerobic and aerobic conditioning builds your energy system so that you have the strength-
endurance to perform on individual runs, and the stamina to last all day.
- Foam rolling and static stretching to help your body with recovery. Recovery is a crucial part of training, yet it is
often overlooked. In fact recovery is an essential part of the muscle building process. Foam rolling can help to
relieve tension from the areas in your muscles and fascia that have knots and trigger points, while also activating
your fascia. Static stretching helps to maintain or even regain range of motion in your joints and length in your
muscles and fascia. These together can help with overuse injury reduction, and with on-hill performance resulting
from improved mobility.
Before you start!
Are you healthy enough to do this workout? Remember that any exercise can be dangerous. Please go to the
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) available at http://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/publications/parq/par-
q.pdf and answer the questions on that form for yourself. If based on the PAR-Q, you feel you are not ready to
perform this activity, please see your doctor before engaging in this program.
One more IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU SHOULD NEVER EXPERIENCE PAIN WHEN DOING THESE EXERCISES. IF YOU DO,
CEASE THE ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY. IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN.
How to use this program
For each phase of the program, you will receive a Day One and a Day Two progress tracking sheet, as well as a set of
images and detailed descriptions for each exercise. The exercise images and descriptions are in the same order that
they are in in the tracking sheets.
The exercises are listed in the left hand column of the tracking sheet, along with an indication of how long the
movement should take (e.g. Fast, Slow, 5 seconds). The number of sets is indicated by additional lines after the
exercise is listed. For example, the Movement Prep section from Day One is shown below. There is one exercise
listed right after the other. This indicates that you only need to do one set. So in this case, you would Foam Roll for
3minutes, then you would do 5 reps on each side of Ankle mobility, holding each rep for 5s, then you would do 5
fore/aft legs swings each fairly quickly, followed by 5 rotational leg swings each, and then 3 half-kneeling hip flexor
lunge stretches with a 10second hold each. You would then continue with the remaining exercises in the list, one
after the other. And in this case, the number of repetitions you do each day is the same throughout this phase.
In the power and strength sections, you will see that there is a line under the exercise that says "2nd set", and in
some cases "3rd set". This indicates that you will do multiple sets. Note that you should do exercises with multiple
sets in circuit format. So in the example below, you would do 2 squat jumps the first day that you do the workout,
followed immediately by 3 each of forward hop to step and hold , and then you would rest for 60s, and repeat.
Notice that the number of reps increases, so the second time you do this workout, you will do 3 squat jumps
instead of two, building up to 4 squat jumps and four each of the forward hops.
[email protected] www.customstrength.com Page 3 of 20
12 week Ski Training ProgramCreated by: Elsbeth Vaino, CSCS, CSIA
Ski time! Are you ready for the season? If not, no problem. That's what this program is for. But you might be asking
yourself:
What makes this program "ski-specific"?
The short answer is that this program will prepare your body for the rigors of skiing so that you can enjoy this great
sport. The program will help you be able to ski for longer without getting tired, will reduce the risk of injury (falls
happen in skiing, so remember this is injury risk reduction, not injury prevention), will reduce the incidents of
muscle soreness, and may even increase your skiing ability.
More specifically, the program includes:
- Corrective exercises to address movement limitations, because if your body does not move well on land, it will not
fare any better on skis. Improving hip and thoracic spine mobility will also reduce the likelihood of getting a sore
back.
- Strength training to...make you stronger. In particular, strong legs and a strong core are essential for quality
skiing. This program includes a balance of hip-dominant, knee-dominant, anterior core, posterior core, rotational
core, upper body pulls, and upper body pushes to make sure you are strong all over. There is also single-leg work to
make sure both legs - and therefore turns both ways - are strong. Plus some lateral leg work specific to skiing, and a
touch of isometric leg work to help your endure those tuck situations. The program also includes a variety of
repetition ranges and holds to address pure strength, strength endurance, and eccentric strength.
- Power exercises help to give you that extra push when you need to either get out of a sticky situation, really get
down into a sweet GS turn, and to be able to ski the bumps instead of letting them ski you.
- A combination of anaerobic and aerobic conditioning builds your energy system so that you have the strength-
endurance to perform on individual runs, and the stamina to last all day.
- Foam rolling and static stretching to help your body with recovery. Recovery is a crucial part of training, yet it is
often overlooked. In fact recovery is an essential part of the muscle building process. Foam rolling can help to
relieve tension from the areas in your muscles and fascia that have knots and trigger points, while also activating
your fascia. Static stretching helps to maintain or even regain range of motion in your joints and length in your
muscles and fascia. These together can help with overuse injury reduction, and with on-hill performance resulting
from improved mobility.
Before you start!
Are you healthy enough to do this workout? Remember that any exercise can be dangerous. Please go to the
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) available at http://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/publications/parq/par-
q.pdf and answer the questions on that form for yourself. If based on the PAR-Q, you feel you are not ready to
perform this activity, please see your doctor before engaging in this program.
One more IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU SHOULD NEVER EXPERIENCE PAIN WHEN DOING THESE EXERCISES. IF YOU DO,
CEASE THE ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY. IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN.
Lots of new exercises
You will probably see a lot of exercises in this program that you have not seen before. I think you will find is a good
thing! But remember that when you try new exercises, it usually takes a bit longer at first. Please don't be
discouraged if the first few workouts take longer than you thought they would - it will take less time once you get
the hang of it! To make up for this, the first time you do Day One and Day Two, we suggest you only do 2 sets of the
strength circuit instead of 3. Phases 2 and 3 will have some new exercises, but they will also have many of the
exercises you are doing in phase 1, so getting started with those phases will be easier. Stick it out because you will
find that these exercises really help your skiing as well as your overall physical health, and I hope they will continue
to use them well beyond ski preparation.
What to expect from each workout
Each workout includes the following sections:
Movement preparation: This section is geared toward preparing your body for the workout as well as helping your
body to move better overall. Every day starts off with 3 minutes of foam rolling, followed by a selection of
corrective exercises and dynamic movements.
Power: This section is geared toward making you more explosive, so that you can either get out of a sticky situation,
or launch yourself off a jump or bump.
Strength: Probably does not need much explanation. Strength will help you to ski well, and balanced strength will
help to reduce your risk of injury. The strength section is done as a circuit (one exercise after another with minimal
rest), which will also provide an aerobic benefit without compromising strength gains.
Conditioning: This is where we get you ready so that you can enjoy the entire run, and to help you to last all day. It
is primarily high intensity intervals, which is considered anaerobic conditioning, but keep in mind that both research
and real-world experience show that you will get an aerobic benefit from anaerobic training. We do include a bit of
steady-state work for additional aerobic benefit, and to aid in recovery. The intervals may seem short, but
remember that intensity is more important than duration.
Flexibility: The goal of this section is similar goals to the movement prep - to improve your long term movement,
and thus your skiing.
Do the exercises in each section in the order listed on the left of the tracking sheet. There are accompanying images
and descriptions for each exercise.
Note about Power exercises: You will see that in most cases you will do very few repetitions of power exercises.
This is for a reason! There is a strong neuromuscular element to effectively training power production, meaning
that we want to be fresh, so that we can maximizing muscle fiber recruitment. So remember to think maximum
intensity for each of the few reps, instead of getting the intensity by doing more repetitions.
A second point for power exercises is that they are as much about developing the ability to land (proprioception) as
they are about the power to launch. So you don't want to jump as high or as far as you can - you want to jump as
high or as far as you can land. It is for this reason that you will notice phase one primarily includes jump or hop and
hold exercises, but you will see in phases two and three that you will move into continuous or plyometric
movements.
[email protected] www.customstrength.com Page 4 of 20
12 week Ski Training ProgramCreated by: Elsbeth Vaino, CSCS, CSIA
Ski time! Are you ready for the season? If not, no problem. That's what this program is for. But you might be asking
yourself:
What makes this program "ski-specific"?
The short answer is that this program will prepare your body for the rigors of skiing so that you can enjoy this great
sport. The program will help you be able to ski for longer without getting tired, will reduce the risk of injury (falls
happen in skiing, so remember this is injury risk reduction, not injury prevention), will reduce the incidents of
muscle soreness, and may even increase your skiing ability.
More specifically, the program includes:
- Corrective exercises to address movement limitations, because if your body does not move well on land, it will not
fare any better on skis. Improving hip and thoracic spine mobility will also reduce the likelihood of getting a sore
back.
- Strength training to...make you stronger. In particular, strong legs and a strong core are essential for quality
skiing. This program includes a balance of hip-dominant, knee-dominant, anterior core, posterior core, rotational
core, upper body pulls, and upper body pushes to make sure you are strong all over. There is also single-leg work to
make sure both legs - and therefore turns both ways - are strong. Plus some lateral leg work specific to skiing, and a
touch of isometric leg work to help your endure those tuck situations. The program also includes a variety of
repetition ranges and holds to address pure strength, strength endurance, and eccentric strength.
- Power exercises help to give you that extra push when you need to either get out of a sticky situation, really get
down into a sweet GS turn, and to be able to ski the bumps instead of letting them ski you.
- A combination of anaerobic and aerobic conditioning builds your energy system so that you have the strength-
endurance to perform on individual runs, and the stamina to last all day.
- Foam rolling and static stretching to help your body with recovery. Recovery is a crucial part of training, yet it is
often overlooked. In fact recovery is an essential part of the muscle building process. Foam rolling can help to
relieve tension from the areas in your muscles and fascia that have knots and trigger points, while also activating
your fascia. Static stretching helps to maintain or even regain range of motion in your joints and length in your
muscles and fascia. These together can help with overuse injury reduction, and with on-hill performance resulting
from improved mobility.
Before you start!
Are you healthy enough to do this workout? Remember that any exercise can be dangerous. Please go to the
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) available at http://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/publications/parq/par-
q.pdf and answer the questions on that form for yourself. If based on the PAR-Q, you feel you are not ready to
perform this activity, please see your doctor before engaging in this program.
One more IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU SHOULD NEVER EXPERIENCE PAIN WHEN DOING THESE EXERCISES. IF YOU DO,
CEASE THE ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY. IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN.
How do I determine what weight to use
It is important to build up the weight gradually to avoid injury. Once you can do all of the reps and sets of an
exercise with good form, then think about adding 2.5 to 5 lbs for an upper body exercise, or 5 to 10 lbs for a lower
body exercise. If you are not sure, it is always better to err on the side of caution.
Do I use the same weight if the number of reps changes?
No. If you are going to do fewer reps, then you should be able to add weight. Conversely, if you are going to do
more reps, then you should use less weight. Here is some guidance for how much weight to use (always round
down):
From 10 reps to 6 reps: add 15%
From 6 reps to 15 reps: reduce to 75%
Weekly schedule
If you are doing 4 days per week, then you will do each workout twice per week (Day One, Day Two, Day One, Day
Two). It is possible to do the workout on four consecutive days, but it is better if you have a day of rest in there.
If you workout three times per week then it will look like this:
Week 1: Day One, Day Two, Day One
Week 2: Day Two, Day One, Day Two
The program is based around a 3 workout per week schedule, and so it is intended to last for 4 weeks. You will
notice that there are progress tracking sheets provided for each day of each phase. In total, there is room to track 6
Day One workouts and 6 Day Two workouts for each phase.
If you decide to go the extra mile and workout 4 times per week, then you will finish the program in 9 weeks. Well
that doesn't seem fair! So we have a solution. If you have been doing the workout 4 times per week, then at the
end of the 8th week, send an email to [email protected], and we will send you a FREE bonus fourth
phase.
Note that 3 times per week is enough to get you in shape for skiing, but you will see increased benefit from doing 4
times per week. So what about 5 or 6 times? I think you run the risk of overtraining if you do it that often. If you
want more exercise, think about cross-training! Go for a bike ride, in-line skate, hike, or play another sport.
[email protected] www.customstrength.com Page 5 of 20
12 week Ski Training ProgramCreated by: Elsbeth Vaino, CSCS, CSIA
Ski time! Are you ready for the season? If not, no problem. That's what this program is for. But you might be asking
yourself:
What makes this program "ski-specific"?
The short answer is that this program will prepare your body for the rigors of skiing so that you can enjoy this great
sport. The program will help you be able to ski for longer without getting tired, will reduce the risk of injury (falls
happen in skiing, so remember this is injury risk reduction, not injury prevention), will reduce the incidents of
muscle soreness, and may even increase your skiing ability.
More specifically, the program includes:
- Corrective exercises to address movement limitations, because if your body does not move well on land, it will not
fare any better on skis. Improving hip and thoracic spine mobility will also reduce the likelihood of getting a sore
back.
- Strength training to...make you stronger. In particular, strong legs and a strong core are essential for quality
skiing. This program includes a balance of hip-dominant, knee-dominant, anterior core, posterior core, rotational
core, upper body pulls, and upper body pushes to make sure you are strong all over. There is also single-leg work to
make sure both legs - and therefore turns both ways - are strong. Plus some lateral leg work specific to skiing, and a
touch of isometric leg work to help your endure those tuck situations. The program also includes a variety of
repetition ranges and holds to address pure strength, strength endurance, and eccentric strength.
- Power exercises help to give you that extra push when you need to either get out of a sticky situation, really get
down into a sweet GS turn, and to be able to ski the bumps instead of letting them ski you.
- A combination of anaerobic and aerobic conditioning builds your energy system so that you have the strength-
endurance to perform on individual runs, and the stamina to last all day.
- Foam rolling and static stretching to help your body with recovery. Recovery is a crucial part of training, yet it is
often overlooked. In fact recovery is an essential part of the muscle building process. Foam rolling can help to
relieve tension from the areas in your muscles and fascia that have knots and trigger points, while also activating
your fascia. Static stretching helps to maintain or even regain range of motion in your joints and length in your
muscles and fascia. These together can help with overuse injury reduction, and with on-hill performance resulting
from improved mobility.
Before you start!
Are you healthy enough to do this workout? Remember that any exercise can be dangerous. Please go to the
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) available at http://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/publications/parq/par-
q.pdf and answer the questions on that form for yourself. If based on the PAR-Q, you feel you are not ready to
perform this activity, please see your doctor before engaging in this program.
One more IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU SHOULD NEVER EXPERIENCE PAIN WHEN DOING THESE EXERCISES. IF YOU DO,
CEASE THE ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY. IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN.
About the authorElsbeth Vaino is a strength and conditioning professional and ski instructor in Canada.
She works regularly with clients at Ottawa Osteopathy & Sports Therapy, performing
in-depth functional assessments and then creating personalized strength &
conditioning programs based on individual goals, schedule, activities and abilities. In
the winter, Elsbeth also works as a ski instructor at Camp Fortune, where she works
with clients to break through skiing plateaus and extend their love affair with skiing.
She holds many certifications, including the National Strength and Conditioning
Association (NSCA) Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), National
Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer, Functional Movement
Screen (FMS) Certification, Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance (CSIA) instructor
certification, and National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) coaching
certification.
Elsbeth has also coached ultimate (head coach of the Ottawa Junior Ultimate team),
and hockey (Bel-Air midget girls), and has been a guide for disabled skiers. As an
athlete, she has also competed provincially in basketball and hockey, and nationally in
ultimate.
Contact us
Questions, please email us at [email protected]. Someone from Custom Strength will reply as quickly as
possible.
We are confident that if you follow the training in this program, you will be surprised at how strong and fit you feel
when you are lucky enough to go skiing. If you think of it, please send us an email at [email protected]
and let us know how you fare on those first few days, or on your ski vacation. We do like hearing a good ski story!
Terms of use
Thank you for purchasing this program. I spent far more hours developing it than I care to know. While I enjoyed
doing it, it was still a whole lot of time and energy. I mention this because I know how easy it is to give a copy of a
pdf to friends and colleagues. It may be possible to set up some security features to prevent that, but instead of
assuming the worst in people, I prefer to assume the best. So instead of working out security features, I am simply
asking you not to share it. I am asking you to respect the time and effort that went into developing this. If you think
it's a great program, then by all means - tell your friends and colleagues about it. :) But please don't give them a
free copy.
The legalities: Copyright 2010, Elsbeth Vaino. This program and all of its contents are the intellectual property of
Elsbeth Vaino. By purchasing this program, you have the right to use it for your personal needs, and to make any
copies you require for your personal use, but you do not have the right to share or reproduce it for any other
reason, without explicit written consent. If you would like to request consent, please email
[email protected] www.customstrength.com Page 6 of 20
Program12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day One Perform this workout 1 or 2 times per week, alternating with Day Two
(Descriptions on p.9) Date:
Movement Prep Hold Reps Note Reps Note Reps Note Reps Note Reps Note Reps Note
Foam roll - All 3m 1 1 1 1 1 1
Ankle mobility (toe on
wall calf stretch)
5s 5 5 5 5 5 5
Leg swings (Fore/aft) 1s 5 5 5 5 5 5
Leg swings (Rotational) 1s 5 5 5 5 5 5
Half-kneeling hip flexor
lunge stretch
10s 3 3 3 3 3 3
Sidelying quad stretch 10s 3 3 3 3 3 3
Mountain climber 3s 10 10 10 10 10 10
Walking single leg
Romanian deadlifts
1s 5 5 5 5 5 5
Spiderman walks with
rotation
1s 5 5 5 5 5 5
Power Circuit Rest Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight
Squat jump 0s 2 3 3 4 4 4
2nd set 0s 2 3 3 4 4 4
Forward hop to step
and hold
60s 3 3 3 3 4 4
2nd set 60s 3 3 3 3 4 4
Strength Circuit Rest Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight
Squat (goblet) 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
2nd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
3rd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
Glute bridge (single-leg) 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
2nd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
3rd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
Single-arm dumbbell
row
0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
2nd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
3rd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
Plank 60s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 70s
2nd set 60s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 70s
3rd set 60s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 70s
Conditioning
Interval B:
2min L;
(60s H;90s L)x2;
2 min L
(60s H;90s L)x2;
2 min L
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Program12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day Two Perform this workout 1 or 2 times per week, alternating with Day One
(Descriptions on p.14) Date:
Movement Prep Hold Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight
Foam roll - All 3min 1 1 1 1 1 1
Hip external rotation
mobilization
5s 5 5 5 5 5 5
supine internal hip
rotation
1s 5 5 5 5 5 5
Standing crossover with
Activation
1s 5 5 5 5 5 5
Side-lying Rotation 10s 3 3 3 3 3 3
Dead bug arm drops 10s 3 3 3 3 3 3
Wall sit with shoulder
press
3s 10 10 10 10 10 10
Push-up walkout 1s 5 5 5 5 5 5
Rotational squat with
thumb external rotation
1s 5 5 5 5 5 5
Power Circuit Rest Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight
Lateral hurdle hop and
hold
0s 3 3 3 3 4 4
2nd set 0s 3 3 3 3 4 4
Medial hurdle hop and
hold
60s 3 3 3 3 4 4
2nd set 60s 3 3 3 3 4 4
Strength Circuit Rest Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight Reps Weight
Single-leg Romanian
deadlift with DBs
0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
2nd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
3rd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
Split squat (5s hold top,
mid, bottom)
0s 5 5 5 6 6 6
2nd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
3rd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
Push-up progression 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
2nd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
3rd set 0s 8 10 12 12 12 15
Cable anti-rotation
press (standing)
60s 8 10 12 12 12 15
2nd set 60s 8 10 12 12 12 15
3rd set 60s 8 10 12 12 12 15
Conditioning
Interval C:
2min L;
(30s H;60s L)x3;
2 min L
(30s H;60s L)x3;
2 min [email protected] www.customstrength.com Page 8 of 20
Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day One
Movement preparation
Foam roll - All Use a foam roll to "roll" out any trigger points in your muscles. Start with the
glutes, by sitting on the roller on one cheek and rolling, using your foot to move
you. Then move to hamstrings, thoracic spine, lats, pecs, obliques, IT band, hip
flexors, quads, adductors and calves. Wherever you find a sore spot, spend extra
time. If you feel nothing with any of these areas, move on.
Ankle mobility (toe on wall calf stretch) Stand about a foot away from the wall, and place the toes of one foot on the wall,
with the heel on the floor. Place your hands on the wall and lean into the wall.
From this position, roll forward onto the ball of your back foot. This should push
you closer to the wall and you should feel a stretch in the calf of the foot nearest
the wall. Do this for the prescribed repetitions and then switch sides.
Leg swings (Fore/aft) Stand with your body perpendicular to the wall and your feet about two feet away
from the wall. With one hand on the wall, perform leg swings from front to back.
The object is not to go really high. Controlled movement within your range of
motion is desired. Be sure to keep one foot flat on the ground while doing this for
full benefit. Do this for the prescribed repetitions and then switch sides. Be sure
that all of the movement is coming from your hips and legs, and not your lower
back. You may need to limit the height of the swing to ensure this.
See the accompanying Foam Rolling Guide
for nine foam rolling options.
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Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day One
Leg swings (Rotational) Stand with your feet about two feet away from a wall with your hands on the wall.
Now swing your left leg from side to side, turning your foot away from the body
when it is moving toward the left, and turning the foot toward the body when it is
moving toward the right. The object is not to go really high. Controlled movement
within your range of motion is desired. Be sure to keep one foot flat on the
ground while doing this for full benefit. Do this for the prescribed repetitions and
then switch sides. Be sure that all of the movement is coming from your hips and
legs, and not your lower back. You may need to limit the height of the swing to
ensure this.
Half-kneeling hip flexor lunge stretch Position yourself in a half-kneeling position with the right foot forward, and left
lower-leg on the floor behind you. Lightly squeeze your left glute, raise your left
hand and lean your left hip forward, keeping the spine in a neutral position. You
should feel a stretch in your left hip flexor. To enhance the stretch, rotate your
torso slightly to the left. Hold this position for the prescribed time and then switch
sides.
Sidelying quad stretch Lie on your right side with your right hip and knee bent at least 90 degrees. Now
grab your left foot behind you with your left hand and use your hand to pull your
leg into a quad stretch. Try not to twist your body while doing this.
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Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day One
Mountain climber Position yourself with your hands on an elevated surface such as a bench or chair
and with your body in a plank position. Ensure that the surface you are leaning
against is strong enough to hold you and will not slide away. From this position,
engage the core and lift one knee toward your chest, pulling your toes toward
your chest as well and maintaining a natural curvature of the spine. Hold for the
desired time and then quickly return to the start position and repeat with the other
leg. Repeat for the desired repetitions.
Walking single leg Romanian deadlifts Stand and shift your weigth onto your left foot. Maintain a neutral spine, engage
your core muscles, and with about a 20 degree bend in the left knee, shift your
buttocks backward slightly as you bend forward at the hips. Start with your arms
extended to the side (like and airplane) as you slowly lower your torso to a
horizontal position and your right leg lifts up, remaining in a straight line with your
torso. The forward bend should occur at the hips, not through your back. Do not
let your back round. Keep the toes on both feet pointing straight ahead (do not let
them rotate out), and do not let your right hip shift upward (keep your hips paralell
to the floor). Return to the standing position, talk a step forward with the right foot
and repeat on the right foot. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Spiderman walks with rotation Stand and take an exaggerated lunge step forward with your left foot and bring
your hands down to the floor next to your foot. Bring your hips down toward the
floor so that you feel a stretch in your right hip flexor. From here, lift your right
hand up toward the sky, looking at your fingers as you do so. Bring your right
hand back down, and then push up into a standing position. Repeat on the other
side.
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Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day One
Power
Squat jump Stand, feet hip width apart, with hands behind head. Descend into a squat
position and then extend hips, knees and ankles as you explode upwards.
Absorb the landing by going back into a squat position. Stabilize at the bottom
and then return to the starting position. Try not to let the knees collapse inward.
Forward hop to step and hold Stand several inches in front of a low box or step (i.e. facing the step). Stand on
your Right foot and hop onto the box or step. Land and hold your position for 2
seconds. Walk off the box or step and repeat for the desired repitions and then
switch sides and feet. If this is getting easy, try moving further away from the
step.
Strength
Squat (goblet) Stand holding a dumbbell against your chest, with feet just wider than shoulder
width apart, and chest up. Feet can be slightly turned out if that is more
comfortable. Place a stool or bench behind you. Squat down so that you touch
the stool with your tailbone and then come back up. The stool is there to ensure
proper movement - not to sit in the middle of the rep! Be sure to start the
squatting movement by sitting back slightly at the hips and not by bending at the
knees. Ensure the hips are completely extended at the top position.
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Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day One
Glute bridge (single-leg) Lie on your back with one foot on the floor a comfortable distance from your
buttocks, and lift one leg off the ground. Push down with the foot on the floor and
extend the hips to bring the hips up into a bridge position. Make sure your hips
are level. Hold for the desired time and then lower.
Single-arm dumbbell row Stand next to a weight lifting bench (or furniture of similar height, and place the
left knee, lower leg and hand on the bench. You should have approximately 90
degree bend at the hips, left knee and between the torso and left arm. Hold a
dumbbell in the right arm such that it is hanging straight down. Engage the core
and the muscles between the shoulder blades as you pull the dumbbell up to your
torso. Repeat for the recommended number of repetitions and switch sides.
Plank Position yourself with the forearms and toes on the ground, and the rest of the
body forming a plank. Feet should be dorsiflexed (ankles flexed), and ankles,
knees, hips, shoulders and head should all be in a line. Do not let the stomach
sag, or the butt stick up. Once you can hold a strong position for the duration and
number of sets, increase the time by 10s.
Conditioning
Interval B:
2min L;
(60s H;90s L)x2;
2 min L
(60s H;90s L)x2;
2 min L
Using a treadmill (1 degree incline or higher), elliptical, stationary bike (not recumbent), skiers edge, or slide board, perform the
following intervals. L refers to low intensity (low heart rate range), M refers to medium intensity, and H refers to high intensity.
The intensity for H intervals should be such that you can maintain it for that time, but it is difficult. So the intensity for a 60s
interval will be less than the intensity for a 15s interval.
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Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day Two
Movement preparation
Foam roll - All Use a foam roll to "roll" out any trigger points in your muscles. Start with the
glutes, by sitting on the roller on one cheek and rolling, using your foot to move
you. Then move to hamstrings, thoracic spine, lats, pecs, obliques, IT band, hip
flexors, quads, adductors and calves. Wherever you find a sore spot, spend extra
time. If you feel nothing with any of these areas, move on.
Hip external rotation mobilization Position yourself on all fours and bring your left foot over the back of your right
knee. From this position, slowly shift your weight backwards as if you are trying
to sit on your right heel. Hold this position for the desired time and repeat for the
desired repetitions.
Supine internal hip rotation Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor wider than
hip width apart. From this position, move your knees in together so they are
touching and squeeze them together. Hold for the desired time and then return to
the start position and relax. Repeat for the desired repetitions.
See the accompanying Foam Rolling Guide
for nine foam rolling options.
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Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day Two
Standing crossover with Activation Stand on your left foot with your right hand pushing down on the top of a ski pole
or dowel, holding your right hand 45 degrees in front of you with the elbow
straight. Push down on the ski pole and bring your right knee up to 90 degrees
and move it over to try to touch your hand. As you get good at this, move your
hand further away, and then try it without the ski pole. Repeat for the desired
repetitions and then switch to the other side.
Side-lying Rotation Lie on your left side with your right hip and knee bent at 90 degrees. Place a
medicine ball or foam roller (or any item that keeps your knee at about the same
height as your hip) under your right knee. Maintain contact between your knee
and that item throughout the entire exercise. Place both hands out in front of your
chest - arms straight. Slowly rotate your upper body as far as you can. Ideally
your right arm will be flat on the floor behind you (180 degrees from your left arm).
Dead bug arm drops Lying on your back with your arms relaxed by your side and knees bent with feet
on the floor. Maintain contact between your low back the floor and keep your
arms straight as you as you slowly move one arm up and overhead so that it is on
the floor 180 degrees from the start position. Hold for the desired time and then
slowly return to the start position. Repeat for the desired repetitions.
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Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day Two
Wall sit with shoulder press Sit on the floor with back against a wall with feet crossed in lotus position, or with
the soles of the feet touching (the latter makes the exercise more challenging).
Hold arms out to side against the wall with elbows flexed to 90 degrees. Place
the back of the hands against the wall or as close to the wall as possible. Press
hands upwards towards the ceiling. Press knees towards floor at the same time
as raising arms up overhead. Perforom the pressing as far as possible while
keeping the hands against the wall (or as close as possible). Pay particular
attention to not shrug the shoulder(s).
Push-up walkout Stand with feet together. Bend over and place hands on the floor, as close to the
feet as you can, with only a slight knee bend. Walk hands forward until you are in
a push up position, or until you are no longer able to hold your back straight (i.e.
so it doesn't sag). Then walk the hands back to the starting position and stand
up. Repeat for the desired repetitions.
Rotational squat with thumb external rotation Stand with one foot out to either side of you - 3.5 to 4 feet apart, but with toes
pointed out about 45 degrees. Squat down over your right foot so that your left
leg straightens out, letting the toes of your left foot lift off the floor. Turn your
upper body very slightly toward the left foot. Keep your weight between the ball
and heel of your right foot. As you return to the starting position, rotate your
hands outward allowing your elbows and shoulders to follow. Do this for the
prescribed repetitions and then switch sides.
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Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day Two
Power
Lateral hurdle hop and hold Line up 3 hurdles approximately 18" apart. Stand to the right of one end of the
hurdles, with your left side next to the hurdle (i.e. not facing the hurdles). Stand
on your left foot and hop over the first hurdle. Land in between the first and
second hurdles and hold the landing. Then repeat over the next two hurdles,
making sure to hold the landings before continuing to the next hop. Repeat on
the other foot.
Medial hurdle hop and hold Line up 3 hurdles approximately 18" apart. Stand to the left of one end of the
hurdles, with your right side next to the hurdle (i.e. not facing the hurdles). Stand
on your left foot and hop over the first hurdle. Land in between the first and
second hurdles and hold the landing. Then repeat over the next two hurdles,
making sure to hold the landings before continuing to the next hop. Repeat on
the other foot.
Strength
Single-leg Romanian deadlift with dumbbells Stand with a dumbbell (DB) in your right hand and shift your weigth onto your left
foot. Maintain a neutral spine, engage your core muscles, and with about a 20
degree bend in the left knee, shift your buttocks backward as you bend forward at
the hips. The DB will slowly be lowered toward the floor and your right leg will lift
up, remaining in a straight line with your torso. The forward bend should occur at
the hips, not through your back. Stop once you feel a stretch. Do not let your
back round! Keep the toes on both feet pointing straight ahead (do not let them
rotate out), and do not let your right hip shift upward (hips parallel to the floor).
Return to the standing position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Once you get to a point where the weight is too heavy for one hand, switch to
holding a DB in each hand.
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Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day Two
Split squat (5s hold top, mid, bottom) Stand with one foot in front of you and one behind - as though you are mid stride.
Start with both feet flat on the ground, with hands crossed behind your head and
elbows out. Place a pillow or mat 1-2 feet in front of your back foot. Now squat
down so that your back knee touches the mat or pillow very lightly (your back heel
will lift off the ground), but stop half way down and hold for 5s. Then hold in the
bottom position for 5s (your bottom knee should be just hovering above the mat).
Keep your torso upright. Return to the starting position. Do this for the
prescribed repetitions and then switch sides.
Push-up progression When doing a pushup, make sure that your body stays in perfect position, with no
dip in the lower back and no elevation of the tailbone. Keep the elbows at a 45
degree (or less) angle from the body (not at 90 degrees from the body). Aim to
touch your chest down to the ground at the bottom portion.
Start with hands elevated on a step, bench or against a wall.
To progress, Move to a lower incline.
Progess further by elevating the feet or lifting one foot. It is imperative that with
this progression, your torso stays paralell to the floor - do not let the hips rotate
up. If you are not sure whether this is ocurring, place a waterbottle in the curve of
your back - if it falls off, then you are not keeping a stable torso.
Cable anti-rotation press (standing) Position yourself perpendicular to the cable column with the column at your right,
using a handle attachment for the cable with the cable set approximately at chest
height. Grab the handle with both hands and hold it close to the middle of your
chest. Walk away from the cable - about 2 feet away so that there is tension in
the cable. You should be in a standing position with feet parallel to each other
approximately hip width apart, with the torso erect. Engage your core and push
the cable handle straight out in front of you with your arms. Do not allow
movement in your torso throughout this exercise. Perform all repetitions for the
prescribed hold and then switch sides.
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Program 12 Week Ski Training Program
Phase One (stability & mobility - 4 weeks)
Day Two
Conditioning
Interval C:
2min L;
(30s H;60s L)x3;
2 min L
(30s H;60s L)x3;
2 min L
Using a treadmill (1 degree incline or higher), elliptical, stationary bike (not recumbent), skiers edge, or slide board, perform the
following intervals. L refers to low intensity (low heart rate range), M refers to medium intensity, and H refers to high intensity.
The intensity for H intervals should be such that you can maintain it for that time, but it is difficult. So the intensity for a 60s
interval will be less than the intensity for a 15s interval.
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12 Week Ski Training ProgramCongratulations on completing phase one! You are now many, many steps closer to enjoying a great ski season.
You should have received phase 2 in your inbox by now. If for some reason you have not, please accept our
apologies (we hate for our clients to be inconvenienced!) and email us at [email protected] so we can
resend it to you.
Get ready to enjoy phase two!
[email protected] www.customstrength.com Page 20 of 20