Historically, training with weights for sports has been regarded as the domain of strength sports like football and track and field -- sprinting, shot put and discus and hammer throwing.
It's not difficult to see why: these sports feature well-muscled athletes who rely on power and strength overtly for performance.
Gradually, other athletes have added weight training, since particular aspects of many sports require power and strength -- hitting and throwing in baseball, jumping in basketball, and golf driving for example.
And now your skiing, whether alpine downhill or other short forms, or cross-country, ski-touring, recreational or competitive, can probably be improved with weight training to enhance strength and balance, especially around the lower body and core (mid-section).
Professional trainers realize that just about any sport has elements of power and strength requirement, so strength training is used to help people like marathoners and long-distance cyclists who traditionally did not do weight training because it was perceived to be of little or no benefit.
Cross-Country, Nordic, Ski-Touring
For endurance skiing like cross country, either of two approaches to weight training seems best:
- Only do weight training in the off- and pre-season.
- Do weight training in-season only if time and convenience permit, and even then, only work the upper body and abdominals. Leave the legs to do the training work on the slopes and mountains.
The reasons for this are as follows:
Target the Upper Body and Core
Most benefit from weight training for cross country could result from training the upper body and core muscles -- the arms, shoulders, abdominals and lower back -- which are important for developing "skiing economy," an efficient use of oxygen for the speed at which you travel.
Alpine, Downhill, Freestyle
Alpine and freestyle skiing, which is of relative short, powerful and fast duration requires more acute strength and power than longer, endurance forms. For this, leg strength and core strength is important. A regular weight training program, year round, could enhance speed and power.
Choosing a Program
The Basic Strength and Muscle program is an all-round strength program that will help you develop elements of muscle bulk and strength for skiing. For competitive endurance skiers, ideally, you would do this in the off-season or pre-season and either abandon the leg exercises during in-season training and continue with the upper body exercises, or alternatively, cease weight training once you start increasing your mileage in the mountains. For recreational ski-touring and cross country, some weight training all year round would be suitable.Either way, you can use weights at home rather than travel to a gym. Dumbbells are ideal for this, especially for upper body work. How to Do Dumbbell Exercises provides some guidance.
Summing Up
Skiing that requires speed, strength and agility may benefit most from weight training, yet the longer events and recreational pursuits are likely to obtain some benefit as well in a carefully considered program. For professional results, a weight training program is best supervised by a personal trainer or strength and conditioning coach. If you're new to strength training, you should read up on the fundamentals of weight training.
