Skiing powder is a unique feeling – nothing compares to the way it feels to float downhill through weightless snow. This also means that few activities outside of skiing fully prepare your leg muscles for the movement required to support you through the powder, and it’s always disappointing to be faced with perfect bottomless powder conditions but unseasoned legs are hampering the enthusiasm. As we are located in one of the snowiest places in Canada, you’ll want to be sure that your legs are prepared to take full advantage of all the powder. This is where leg blasters come in!
These simple exercises train eccentric leg strength, perfectly preparing your legs for downhill skiing. While most leg exercises in the gym train for “concentric” or “positive” leg strength, downhill skiing primarily utilises “eccentric” or “negative” leg strength. Think of the lowering movement during a squat rather than the standing up.
The regime starts with mini leg blasters, which are:
10x squats
10x lunges
10x jump lunges
5x jump squats
And progresses to full leg blasters, which are:
20x squats
20x lunges
20x jump lunges
10x jump squats
The following video shows a full set:
The regime is to be done over a four-week period, with three sessions per week. The progression is:
Sessions 1, 2 – 10x mini leg blasters (30 seconds rest between sets)
Sessions 3, 4 – 2x full, 6x mini leg blasters (30 seconds rest between sets)
Sessions 5, 6, 7 – 3x full, 4x mini leg blasters (30 seconds rest between sets)
Sessions 8, 9, 10 – 4x full, 2x mini leg blasters (30 seconds rest between sets)
Session 11, 12 – 5x full leg blasters (30 seconds rest between sets)
The best thing about these workouts is that they are simple to learn, require no equipment, and only take around 10 minutes to complete. So add this to your workout regime and shred harder than ever before this winter!
