Strengthen Your Core Like Olympic Skiers

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Article Date: 13 Feb 2010 - 1:00 PDT

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If you're going to hurl yourself down a mountain at speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour you'd better have a strong core. That's why Olympians like Ted Ligety, Lindsey Vonn and Sara Schleper work on developing strong "core" muscles all season long.

Most people know that having a strong core is critical for optimal skiing performance. What exactly defines your "core"? Many think the "core" refers to only the muscles around the mid-section (commonly referred to as a "six-pack").

However, the major muscles of the core reside in the area of your belly, the mid and lower back and peripherally including the hips (some physiologists include the shoulders and even the neck). Adding this 20-minute routine to your weekly workout may not win you an Olympic Gold, but it will help strengthen your core and allow you to ski more powerfully and efficiently on the slopes.

"Core" Workout
Band-Torso Rotation: 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions at a moderate to heavy intensity at a moderate tempo (rest 30-45 seconds between sets)

Band-Low to High: 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions at a moderate to heavy intensity at a moderate tempo (rest 45 seconds between sets)

Fit Ball Hip Extension: 3 sets of 8-15 repetitions at a moderate to heavy intensity at a moderate :tempo (rest 30-45 seconds between sets)

FAQ

1. What does a Moderate to Heavy Intensity Mean? For Strength Work a moderate to heavy intensity is where you are using a load or weight where you can easily perform one or two more repetitions at the end of a set. You might be using 80-90 percent of your 1 rep maximium (1 RM) for that weight.

2. What Does a Moderate Tempo Refer to? For strength work a moderate tempo is defined as a tempo where you would be moving the weight in a controlled fashion. Lower the weight in two seconds and push the weight back up in two seconds.

Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine

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