Knowing which Ski Conditioning or Mountain Training to attend can be confusing.  You may have other friends who joined a more generic class and enjoyed it or other friends who did the ‘one vomit per class minimum’ workouts.  This article lays out a few rules to help you make an informed decision and know which class might be best suited for your specific needs.

If you read the Denver Post article and wanted to know a bit more about different things you can do for Ski Conditioning, you might want to check out THIS BLOG POST featured on www.BonzaBodies.com, a local fitness studio that has a forward thinking approach to ski conditioning and classes running right now!.

If you came here looking for a place to workout:

Here’s a short video clip that shows Bonza Bodies (located right in downtown Denver on 1800 Glenarm Place, a block away from the Brown Palace) and just a few of the ways we are different:

Bonza Bodies Goal Based Training Studio from Bonza Bodies on Vimeo.

While there are many programs out there that help you get ready for skiing, not all programs are built equal.  Here’s what to look for to make sure you are truly prepared for skiing.

Does the program/class involve exercises even close to a skiing movement?

While spinning or yoga can make you better at riding a bike or achieving enlightenment, neither necessarily give you the strength combined with the agility and balance that is needed on the mountain when skiing or snowboarding.  While there are multiple exercises and group classes that can be great workouts, the key term here is ‘relatively speaking’.  That is to say ‘relatively speaking’ there are much better movements and workouts that can be done that can help get you better results other than a spinning class (just as an example.  I have nothing against spinning, it’s a great workout – there’s just not that much balance being tested on a stationary bike, if you get my drift)

Is the program run by a qualified instructor who can ski and/or snowboard?

While the good athlete is not necessarily a good coach, there are way too many programs out there that are simply ‘leg-killers’ with no real purpose or forethought given to the actual physiological needs of a ski or snowboarding program.  Be sure your instructor knows at least what it feels like to strap on the boots and carve up the powder.

Does the program account for special needs such as tele-mark skiing or mogul skiing?  Do snowboarders and skiers get lumped into the same package?

While there are benefits from generic snow-sport-related movements, there are also significant benefits from working a muscle specifically in different movement patterns to get specific results.  A short video below discusses three specific exercises for snowboarding.  While the quality of the video might not be the best, the information gives some real insight into what a specific program looks like:

Whichever program you choose, remember to select a class that starts at your level or is adaptable by the instructor to your level of conditioning as you improve.  I have seen too many torn acl’s as a result of people working too hard (or hard but not smart).

A new studio has opened up that features one of Denver’s best programs for Ski and Snowboard conditioning .

Just like any workout program, the proof is in the pudding.  Here’s an example of one of the exercises that is commonly used for glute activation and development.

To get in touch with the studio CLICK HERE or call (720) 203 3084

Yours in Health,

Fitness By Atlas Ski Conditioning

I wont deny it though, the squat is a fundamental movement pattern – many skiiers will do it in an attempt to improve their skiing ability.  However, if we take a moment to analyze the skiing moveement, we realize that in skiing we rarely do anything from a standard squat position.  Instead, our skiing happens from a variety of stances.

Look at this pic of my friend at Copper Mountain and note the foot position:

If you look at Johnnys form, it looks pretty textbook.  Notice how wide his feet are from each other in this skiing stance.  there’s something else you should notice as well, but I won’t let on just yet.  Lets take a look at a standard squat stance:

sqHow wide are the feet in the squat stance?  How wide are they in the skiing stance?  Does it make a difference?  You bet it does!  When the stance is wider different muscles are switched on and others are lengthened.  I have been personal training in Denver for about 10 years now and I see this common problem repeatedly.  If you want to improve at a sport, train for the movement you want to improve.

Interested in coming along to a ski conditioning class and seeing how I get my clients ready for the mountain?  go to www.fitnessbyatlas.com or drop me a line right here.  I am currently training the full gamut, from former team USA skiiers to regular folks.  All levels are welcome.

Having established that foot position counts, does leg length count?  I would again say hell yeah!  Check this out:

sadly, the synchronized skiing event never made it to the olympics

Looking at the skiing positioning here as this guy makes his sharp turn down the mountain, it becomes obvious that one leg is more bent than the other.  When we train, would it make sense to have one leg more bent than the other?

Try putting a block under one leg and squat.  see how it feels different.  Our friend here almost seems to be skiing on one leg…

Ever done a 1 leg squat?  Maybe it’s time

Whatever training you do, remember to keep mixing up your workouts to keep your results coming.  If you want to know more or would like to try a sample class in the downtown denver area, please don’t be afraid to get in touch.  info @ fitnessbyatlas.com is the email I use for my ski conditioning classes in denver, so try me on that for a free couple of classes.

Yours in health,

Jamie Atlas

www.fitnessbyatlas.com

(720) 203 3084

Which one you are can make a big difference in specific things you can do to make your first day the most enjoyable.

Let’s go through some of the popular skiing styles right now:

Telemark skiing.

Telemark skiing integrates lunging with rotation of the upper body.  You MUST integrate the rotation in or you fail to effectively use the hips in the same way.

Mogul skiing.

Moguls skiing requires a different ski fitness, with the movement being similiar to a squat with sideways force applied.  ever jumped forward up onto a box?  ever jumped sideways onto a box?  you probably jumped forward more than you jumped sideways.  But if you think about it, in Moguls you arent jumping OVER the snow-packed mounds of doom, you are bouncing sideways off each of them.  A true functional exercise would tap into this side to side motion.

Back Country Skiing

This backcountry method requires much technical skill and different muscles.  Some might call it ‘off-piste skiing’.  Ever tried skiing uphill?  with the big ol’ reverse pizza wedge it can be a real challenge.  if you dont practice muscles similar that you woudl use in ice-skating or rollerblading then you will fail to train your muscles to work the way they will need to work.

There are many more applications that can be applied to the different kinds of skiing and the different needs that different situations on the mountain requires.  If you would like to take part in a ski conditioning program there are many offered by large gyms in the Denver area.  If you live in the Denver area and would like to try our more specific ski programs simply get in touch with info @ fitnessbyatlas dot com

ski conditioning boot camps are running in the Denver area now!  Go to www.fitnessbyatlas.com to get dates and times and to contact us with questions.

Yours in health,

Jamie Atlas

POST UPDATE 09/01/2010!  New Location for Classes:  see www.fitnessbyatlas.com to read about the new setup for ski conditioning – it’s totally awesome!

Ummm.. get snow rash much?

I have small group classes running as of september through march in the AM and the PM, so there is no excuse for not getting yourself in shape and keeping yourself in shape.

Give me a call and I can get you into a class – these happen in the denver area during the week and at red rocks on saturday.

If you would like to get in shape before the season kicks in and you live in the Denver area, just give me a call on 720 203 3084 -

Jamie Atlas

Heres a video we shot last week while working out at red rocks – in 18 degree weather:

Call me soon – as I said, small group classes in denver (Highlands area in NW Denver to be exact) and Saturdays at Red Rocks.  Come get your ski fitness on!

Yours in health,

Jamie Atlas

http://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

720 203 3084

Well, maybe I am jumping the gun – you might have just been going up on weekends and are getting pretty dern sick of having rubbery leg syndrome every monday.

So, the top three exercises that I do with my athletes/real people who like to ski:

Number 1:

with twist:

With every turn, your body rotates in an extremely complex arrangement of bones, muscles and everything else inbetween.  If you have trained your body to be strong just in a classic ‘up-down’ phase, then you are failing to train your body the way you naturally move on skis – in rotation.

Number 2:

1- leg deadlift:

Stand on one leg.  Reach down and touch your toes then stand up again.  Feel the hamstraing and glute muscles kick in?  What is it that makes you fall over?  Could it be your body is off balance (weighted on one leg) and in a position it cannot recover from?  This exercise gives you a fighting chance to not only be stronger, but to be more in control.

Number 3:

Standing cable woodchops:

Grab a cable and rotate with the arms straight as if about to chop down a tree with an axe.  Do it from low to high, high to low, left to right and vice versa.  Get your body twisting against resistance because with evey pole plant your body is responding to the ful body load in rotation!

POST UPDATE 09/01/2010!  New Location for Classes (including Ski Conditioning):  see www.fitnessbyatlas.com to read about the new setup for ski conditioning – it’s totally awesome!

Ahh, the joy of not being the one crashing…  Is there anything sweeter?

The following video has a few crashes, however as you watch them, try to focus on the skis as they jump.  See if you can notice certain things in common…

This video has more of the same:

The key in 90% of these crashes?  Absorbing the landing.

Some of them did not have the strength to absorb the big jump.  Others had the strength, but not the muscular control required.

Much attention is spent learning a variety of tricks, but minimal effort is spent actually trying to build up the muscles and muscle control that is required to take big air, make big dropoffs and to carve through moguls without eating some snow.

How to develop this strength?

Combine strength building with balance – here are the top three exercises you can do to build leg strength for skiing:

1.  One leg squats on platform.

Dont just drop down and return up – angle the squatting foot in, then to the front, then out as you drop for each repetition.  You will find you work different muscles in the hip with each repitition – funnily enough, these are the same muscles that will need to jump into action come time to control an awkward landing.

2.  Double foot jump to box and down with twist landing

Off a raised surface (nothing too high, you just need a foot off the ground to make this effective – perhaps the same as the height of a stairway step) jump with two feet together then land with the feet rotated 90 degrees.  Then jump and return up to land in the same position.  Do a few jumps down to the left then to the right to work both sides.  Be sure to do your best ‘ninja landing’ with this drill – make sure you land soft as possible when coming down and jumping up – the aim is to keep your knees soft and your landings silent.

3.  Woodchops

The upper body drives the rotation in the lower body as you stand to come out of the turn.  The rotational aspect of skiing requires the upper body have powerful strength, control and endurance not only through the upper body but through the core as well.  Note that this is different than doing situps.  This is focused on rotational movements – meaning crunches might give you a nice ‘front abs’, but will do little to improve your ‘skiing abs’.  To do a woodchop take a cable from chest height, feet wide in stance and rotate away until the cable is almost touching your shoulder.  You should feel this in your abs but also the intercostal muscles found in the ribs as you twist.  Be sure to rotate to both sides as you go.

Above all, remember to do the above exercises in a progressive manner and mix it up with other activities.  For best preparation, be sure to work hard, but also to rest hard.

If you need that massage at the end of the day, take it!  Personal trainer orders

Interested in attending a Back Bowl Ski Conditioning 4 week Program?  Live in the Denver area?

POST UPDATE 09/01/2010!  New Location for Classes:  see www.fitnessbyatlas.com to read about the new setup for ski conditioning – it’s totally awesome!

Jamie Atlas – Master Instructor, Back Bowl Ski Conditioning on 720 203 3084 or email jamescatlas@yahoo.com

Regardless your skiing preference, your glutes are a crucial part of your turning power

The butt is the most important part of your ski turn.
These muscles must absorb the majority of shock and distribute it down the thigh and calf before exploding out to create the ‘ski turn’.  Without these muscles working properly, your front thigh muscles (the quadriceps) must do even more work which puts your knees and other joints at risk.
The exercises you will see makes use of my fifteen years of personal training experience and numerous consultations with various body-shaping coaches, physical therapists, movement specialists and other fitness professionals.
The exercises you are about to see can help you develop and tone your glutes for the action of skiing like nothing you have seen before.
Before I reveal to you my secret weapon, here is a quick and relatively painless explanation of how our muscles work (Warning: This next section may make you smarter than your personal trainer!)
Our muscles are like cables that pull – they are attached at two ends, and when we want it to achieve a movement they pull together to achieve a movement.
If you think about the line in which we move the bicep doing bicep curls, it is a straight up and down movement. We shorten our bicep through a full range of motion in a straight line (funnily enough, in line with the fibers of the muscle – this is your first clue).
To get the most out of a muscle we must exercise:

1. In the line in which the fibers are oriented
2. Through a full range of motion

If you missed ‘advanced human physiology 301′ in college (I loved this class, but all of my others… well, lets not talk about me – lets keep the focus on you
Here are some visuals to work with.
Your biceps fibers run in a mostly vertical direction


Your glutes… do not. They wrap around the butt at an angle.


If you look closely (go on, soak them in… I wont tell) you will see that the fibers run in ANYTHING BUT a vertical position.
It becomes plain to see that the fibers of the glute run at almost a 45 degree angle!
By this understanding, if we want to work the butt in the same way we work the bicep (through a full range of motion), would it make sense to work the butt in a different way than straight up and down?
Think about the motion of the bicep curl being up and down, and the motion of a lunge being… well, up and down.

This guys problem (apart from having misplaced his shirt) is that he is only working the glute through half of its range of motion and therefore half of its potential.
Now look at the pictures above. I agree that the muscle might be working, but is it working the way YOU want it to be working? At full range? To full effectiveness? To give you the full potential?

Can you see how the everyday lunge (shown above) is only working our glutes through PART of the range of motion?  Can you see how when you rotate your hips you use even more of this angulation?  Does it make sense that your butt is the most important part of your ski turn?
If you said yes, then print yourself off a personal trainer badge and pin it on. You’re hired.
Below is a 4 minute video that explains and demonstrates how your glutes move (put together by Jamie Atlas, master trainer for Back Bowl Ski Conditioning), but also shows a couple of exercise variations that you can do to REALLY work the butt.
Watch this video to work your butt to the max like never before!

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lHU50G0tmA if it doesnt show up on your browser)
If your gluteus maximus has been a little too much on the minimus side, then these exercises are what you have been looking for. These lunge variations (if done correctly and with good form) are your new best friend – or worst enemy, depending on how you look at it
If you don’t normally do lunges, then just do the basic ‘perfect lunge’ version – 2 sets of 15 reps each leg, 3/week (add weight if it gets too easy) for 4-8 weeks.
Then email me to say thanks – send me a thank you e-card if you would like
After you have gotten better at the basic version, try the intermediate version – but make sure you are feeling confident with the basic version first and have good form and no pain as you go through the movement.

If you have done all that and are ready for the advanced version, watch this video:

Get working with with this workout as part of your skiing routine and you will find yourself ruling the mountain in no time!

Jamie Atlas

Interested in attending a Ski Conditioning 4 week Program?  Live in the Denver area?

POST UPDATE 09/01/2010!  New Location for Classes:  see www.fitnessbyatlas.com to read about the new setup for ski conditioning – it’s totally awesome!

Jamie Atlas -  720 203 3084 or email info@fitnessbyatlas.com

Of course, would getting whacked at high speed make it more hysterical?  Check this poor guy:

Are you in need of ski conditioning?  Do you live in the Denver, CO area?

After completing one of the specially designedBack Bowl 5 week programs, you will experience the following:

• Improved speed and turn control
• The endurance to take turns all day and be ready for night skiing
• Be able to power through deep powder easily and effortlessly
• Greater core strength and upper body control
• Better coordination in unfamiliar territory
• Less falls
• Decreased risk of injury

If you are interested in being part of the next class, you can call now to book a place for classes through the month of October and November. 

5 week programs start up every two weeks. 

Call/Sign up today, because this class is only offered for a limited time!

Need convincing?  Have questions?  Like to get in on the next group?  Call 720 203 3084 or email jamescatlas@yahoo.com to check on availability for the next class.

When?

Classes happen through the month of October and November.  5 week programs are scheduled in two week increments.

Where?

Classes are run in the highlands area from an indoor studio or -weather permitting-a nearby park

How much?

2008 pricing is $360 for a 5 week, 3/wk program.  Classes are held before and after work

How do I sign up?

We recommend you call for a brief consultation so you can be placed in a class that best reflects your skiing and physical abilities to ensure maximal results and satisfaction.  Please contact Jamie Atlas on 720 203 3084 or email jamescatlas@yahoo.com to arrange your initial meet/phone consult.

To find out more please contact:

Jamie Atlas – Master Instructor, Double Diamond Ski Conditioning on 720 203 3084 or email jamescatlas@yahoo.com

If you are like most people, your ski season last year preparation probably consisted of a couple of deep knee squats next to the car before you head up the Gondola.

Hopefully you didn’t start off your first day anything like these guys:

If you recall, you probably had trouble walking a couple of days after your first few runs.

You might also have found yourself falling, gasping for air, apologizing to others and generally not enjoying yourself too much at all.

You might even find yourself injured or somewhat hobbled at some point – in part thanks to your poor preparation.

The first day of ski season doesn’t have to be a rite of passage.

There can be many things to hold you back from enjoying your day at the mountain:

• Chance of Injury
• Fatigue
• Lack of endurance needed to get through the day
• Inadequate balance to navigate tougher runs
• Tired legs

If you find yourself struggling to perform at your best as the day goes on, you may benefit from a conditioning program.  However, you should not settle for just any old workout.  Here’s a few things to consider:

As you land though a turn, you counter-rotate the upper body.  This upper body rotation lengthens the same-side gluteus muscle.

The #1 Mistake even the best skiers make when training:

If you are not training your hips to rotate as they squat, you are not training your legs to ski

Stand with your feet at shoulder width.  Bend your knees about 20 degrees.  Grab your butt cheeks.  Grab a good chunk of muscle of your right and left glute in each hand (try not to do this one in public – the people in the supermarket might wonder what is going on).

Now rotate your body to the left and try to look behind you.  If you noticed, your left glute switched on and lengthened a bit more than your right glute.  You use each glute differently with each turn, and you use each glute while in rotation.  Now ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you been training with rotation?
• Have you ever done a squat with rotation?
• Do you know how to do this exercise safely and effectively?

If the answer is no, you could be missing out on valuable strength, flexibility and power to help you keep those turns crisp and fast.

Abs of steel don’t help if that steel doesn’t twist

Now think about the action of a ski turn.  Does it involve rotation?  Does your core work consist of any rotational movements, or are they all simple crunches and side bends?  Do you know how to safely and effectively train the core to be strong while going through a skiing motion?  If you don’t, you may be putting your hips, low back and upper back at higher risk of injury.

What does the ACL do?  The ACL serves to control rotation of the upper body as it lands and explodes from the ski turn position.

If your hips and core cannot assist in the acceleration and deceleration of your upper body and hips, then your ACL is left to do the majority of the work.

Talk to your local physical therapist and they will happily tell you the number one ski injury is a torn ACL.  With the right type of training, you can give your body the best chance of preventing an ACL injury.

Promo Alert: Back Bowl Ski Conditioning Programs are designed to train the body to be strong, powerful and flexible in all the right places at the right times.

The Back Bowl Conditioning program is the best ACL injury prevention strategy on the market today!

This advanced level of movement science for ski conditioning has previously been the domain of elite athletes and international ski coaches.  The new training method now comes to you with all of the science, but has been adjusted such that this program is suitable for skiers of any level.  Heres why it works so well:

If you train the legs, hips and core to be strong in a ‘front to back’ sense rather than a ‘rotational’ sense, you have not only worked out inefficiently, you have done little to nothing to help protect your ACL (the guardian of injury for the ‘rotational’ movements).

If you are interested in preparing for your season to give yourself the biggest chance of success and the smallest chance of injury, be sure to look for a program that follows certain foundational principles:

• Qualified instructor(s)
• Trains each individual according to their specific needs
• Only trains small groups – no more than 7
• Understands the functional aspects and physiological needs of the body as it goes through a ski turn
• Is able to work with all levels of athlete

The next Back Bowl Ski Conditioning Small Group class will embrace all of the above.  After completing one of the specially designed 5 week programs, you will experience the following:

• Improved speed and turn control
• The endurance to take turns all day and be ready for night skiing
• Be able to power through deep powder easily and effortlessly
• Greater core strength and upper body control
• Better coordination in unfamiliar territory
• Less falls
• Decreased risk of injury

If you are interested in being part of the next class, you can call now to book a place for classes through the month of October and November. 

5 week programs start up every two weeks. 

Call/Sign up today, because this class is only offered for a limited time!

Need convincing?  Have questions?  Like to get in on the next group?  Call 720 203 3084 or email jamescatlas@yahoo.com to check on availability for the next class.

When?

Classes happen through the month of October and November.  5 week programs are scheduled in two week increments.

Where?

Classes are run in the highlands area from an indoor studio or -weather permitting-a nearby park

How much?

2008 pricing is $360 for a 5 week, 3/wk program.  Classes are held before and after work

How do I sign up?

We recommend you call for a brief consultation so you can be placed in a class that best reflects your skiing and physical abilities to ensure maximal results and satisfaction.  Please contact Jamie Atlas on 720 203 3084 or email jamescatlas@yahoo.com to arrange your initial meet/phone consult.

To find out more please contact:

Jamie Atlas – Master Instructor, Double Diamond Ski Conditioning on 720 203 3084 or email jamescatlas@yahoo.com

PS Don’t try this at home – or in the subway for that matter: