Your Ultimate Winter Sports Workout

by Anthony J. Yeung
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Your Ultimate Winter Sports Workout

Not everyone loves winter — it’s too cold, too snowy, too gray … you name it. But there’s one very good reason why countless people are excited: winter sports.

There’s nothing like hitting the slopes on a gorgeous winter morning and spending the day carving up lots of fresh powder. But whether you’re practicing on the bunny slopes or preparing for an intense backcountry expedition, you will benefit from a strong and fit body.

Make this ski season the best one yet. Use this winter sports workout to help you boost your strength, power, speed and conditioning so your body can thrive on the slopes. And instead of merely lifting heavy weights and potentially feeling stiff, we also include important exercises to improve your agility, mobility and balance.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

To conquer the slopes, you need strong, muscular legs. Your quads, hamstrings and glutes need to be able to withstand an entire day of fast speeds, bumps, turns and much more.

But you can’t just jog a few miles to build a rock-solid lower body; you need leg exercises that blast a lot of muscles and skyrocket your strength. That’s why we incorporate traditional staples like squats and deadlifts as well as single-leg exercises that improve your balance, mobility and stability for skating, skiing, snowboarding or life.

Next, we included exercises to develop a powerful upper body and core. Regardless of your sport, those will come in handy during a long day of twisting and turning. But you won’t find crunches or situps here; we focus on the ab exercises that help turn your body into a machine.


READ MORE > A QUICK AT-HOME BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT


THE PLAN

The routine is designed to start the week with a lot of volume followed by a slight taper for the remainder of the week — that way, your body has enough time to respond to the workload and recover so you can feel fresh for the next week.

Follow this 3-day-a week workout routine for 4–6 weeks. Make sure to take at least one day off between workouts so you can rest and recover.

CIRCUIT 1

FRONT SQUATS
8 sets: 5 reps, 60-second rest

Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly out. Start the movement by sitting backward and spreading your knees apart. Descend below parallel while keeping your lower back flat. At the bottom, drive through your heels and keep your knees apart. Keep your chest high and elbows up and squeezed together throughout.

CIRCUIT 2  

ALTERNATING DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS
8 sets: 5 reps, 60-second rest

Lie on a bench with your chest up, shoulders squeezed together and feet flat on the ground. Drive the dumbbells upward, keeping your shoulders back. Drive through your heels, as well, keeping your glutes on the bench.

WALKING LUNGES
5 sets: 5 reps, 30-second rest

Take a long step forward — long enough so your knees make two 90-degree angles at the bottom — and pull yourself back up with your forward leg.

CHEST-SUPPORTED ROW
5 sets: 5 reps, 60-second rest

Set an adjustable bench to a short incline and lie face down with a dumbbell in each hand. Start the movement by pulling your shoulder blades together and row. Don’t let your elbow pull past your ribcage.

CIRCUIT 3

FORWARD CRAWL
3 sets: 20 yards, 30-second rest

Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips; keep your knees an inch above the ground. Crawl forward by taking a small step with your right arm and left leg at the same time and alternate. Keep your hips low and your head up.

TURKISH GETUP
3 sets: 5 reps per side, 30-second rest

Drive through your right foot and roll onto your left elbow. Squeeze your right glute and drive your hips straight up. Pull your left leg underneath and behind your body, resting on the knee and ball of the foot. Move your torso straight up, then lunge to a stand. Keep your chest up and watch the weight the entire time.

About the Author

Anthony J. Yeung

Anthony, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, is a fitness expert at Esquire, GQ and Men’s Health and gets guys in shape for their wedding at GroomBuilder.

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