I guess the title is a little misleading, because if like me you crave the crisp alpine air, a vin chaud at nine o’clock in the morning and eating lunch at 10,000 feet then there really is only one reason…SKI SEASON.
I say ski season it could of course now be called boarding season, or half pipe, aerials, slopestyle, moguls or even speed season. Whatever your chosen discipline the chances are you will have spent most of the past year wedged behind a desk. Despite this most of us will still expect to go and spend a week on the slopes smashing it up us if we were teenage Hermann Maier’s.
Maier, a man mountain of an Austrian was famed for his aggressive all or nothing approach to downhill skiing. This uncompromising and brutal approach regularly saw him smashing his competition but also ensured he spent lots of time in the back of an ambulance.
Let me remind you, ‘you are not Hermann Maier’ and six months in a rehabilitation centre is not an option. With this ground breaking revelation in mind, a more sensible approach is needed and as such, getting a little stronger and more robust is without doubt the first place to start.
So, let’s consider some facts that may have escaped you thus far.
- You’re unfit
- You’re weak
- You’ve spent the best part of the past year wedged behind the table in your office or the pub.
- Walking up 4 flights of stairs leaves you feeling like you’re attempting the north face of the Eiger.
- You are NOT Hermann Maier.
Now let’s consider some physiological and environmental issues.
- You’re travelling to altitude
- You want to partake in an aggressive, highly anaerobic andstrength endurance based sport at altitude in sub zero conditions
- You expect to be able to do this for up to 7 hours a day!
OK, so I’m being a little tongue in cheek but these really are the facts. Admittedly most of us are not intending on heading out to compete in a world cup event but we are spending a vast amount of our hard earned cash. At the very least you should be able to enjoy our time on the slopes.
Be honest, you dream of the perfect carve and slicing up the slopes from dawn until dusk, only for it to turn into a feat of endurance of the ugliest kind. After the first run you feel like your lungs are exploding and your thighs have been hacked into with a machete, and come lunch time on day one you just want the pain to end.
So, what can be done to prepare you for an enjoyable experience?
- Make time – 3 x 45 minute training sessions per week will really help.
- Get some help – Understanding how to make the most of your time in the gym is key. Invariably a well qualified coach is going to be an effective use of your money. Stumbling around in the dark doing bicep curls and a million reps on an abbcradle (do they still exist?) isn’t going to help.
- Make time – Starting your ‘get fit for the slopes’ programme one week before you leave for your trip isn’t going to make up for one year of over indulgence and lack of activity
- Tidy up your diet – some small changes will optimise your efforts on the exercise front.
- Stop thinking you’re Hermann Maier!
There’s more to follow in the coming weeks, including the ‘Top 5 living room ski drills’.
Our passionate, knowledgeable and friendly team will use innovative and sometimes surprising techniques to get you there faster. Combining the best in personal training and rehab in one clinic, our team of ex-athletes and strength & conditioning trainers give you advice and use equipment that’s the preserve of elite athletes.