Sean Hartel
Q. I want to build up strength in my legs – what exercises would you suggest? Mark - Tulsa, OK
A. Well Mark, if you’re trying to strengthen your legs for an action sport like skiing, snowboarding, or even surfing I would recommend a few exercises. For any sport that involves quick turns and reactions, you want explosive power rather than heavy lifting power. So the next time you hit the weights try the following: instead of doing a set with a counted repetition using heavy weight, use a bit lighter weights and do as many repetitions as you can in one minute. After the first week try to increase the weight slightly. Another thing you want to focus on is the way you lift; rather than a slow steady lift, think explosion on the outward lift and slow on the return. For example: if you’re doing a leg press, explode up using your quads first and then your calves, and let the weights down slow and steady.
Another great way to strengthen your legs for any sport is road biking. It will improve strength, endurance, and get the fluids in your knees going which is extremely healthy. This is especially good if you’ve had any knee injuries in the past because it promotes healing and is a no-impact exercise. I try to bike 10-20 miles every day.
If you’d like some exercises that are more specific to skiing, let me know!
Q. What do you do to maintain endurance and stamina for your competitions? Tamara - Evart, MI
A. Hey Tamara, There is an obvious change that occurs inside me on competition day, I like to call it “hot sauce”. Adrenaline is a huge source of energy and due to the format of ski competitions, I naturally add a little more hot sauce as the day goes on. In addition to the natural craze, I’m usually pounding my Pure Fuel energy drinks at the top of every run, and I have a double dosage of the Pure Energy Greens with MSM at lunch time (part of the Inner Balance line by Anthony Robbins, produced by Twinlab).
I also train in preparation for competitions with lots of road biking and hiking the halfpipe every day rather than taking the lift.
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