by Hans and
Franz;
Section 8: Late Season
The best way to prepare for any sport is to train on a
year round basis. The end of each ski season is a good
time to take stock and set training goals for the coming
year. Its also a good time to look at some of the principles
that contribute to an effective year round training program.
To begin, ask yourself if you were satisfied with your
level of performance during the past season in these key
areas: endurance and power. Endurance is the ability to
persist in the face of stress. Were you able to ski as
long as you wanted to without getting tired? Power is
the ability to work at a certain rate. Were you able to
ski as hard as you wanted to at any given moment (e.g.,
climbing up a long hill, or trying to match someone elseís
speed)? If not, then it is time to resolve to improve
your capabilities in these areas over the coming year.
To improve endurance you will want to work on the following
areas: aerobic fitness, anaerobic threshold, energy utilization
and efficiency of energy use. Increasing your aerobic
fitness will allow you to take in and utilize more oxygen.
Increasing your anaerobic threshold will raise the point
at which your muscles transition from aerobic to anaerobic
metabolism. More effective energy utilization involves
eating right (complex carbohydrates) to store more of
the right kind of energy (glycogen), and learning how
to balance the use of long-term (fat) and short-term (glycogen)
energy supplies while exercising. Improving efficiency
involves refining ski technique and fine tuning motor
skills.
Power depends on strength and speed. Strength training
involves activities that improve your ability to move
heavy objects. Usually this is done by training with weights.
Speed training improves the ability to move objects rapidly.
Plyometrics and skiing-specific exercises are preferred
for speed training.
In the other sections of this webpage you will find suggestions
for working on these areas that are part of an integrated
year-round training plan designed to help you improve
your skiing. When you see suggestions for working on the
areas in which you particularly want to improve, make
a special effort to work the suggested activities into
your daily schedule.
The principles behind this training program are widely
recognized as effective, and include the following concepts.
Adaptation: The body adapts to the subtle stresses imposed
by training improving its ability to do work. Overload:
Adaptations come from demands that increase the frequency,
intensity (load), and duration of training. Specificity:
Training exercises should simulate skiing as much as possible.
Progression: To achieve results using the overload approach,
increases in training must be made slowly and steadily.
Regression: Most of the benefits of training are reversible,
so training programs need to be designed to maintain hard-earned
improvements and progress toward higher levels. Warm-up:
Needed to increase muscle temperature, respiration and
blood flow. Cool-down: Proper cool-down reduces soreness
and susceptibility to illness and injury. Variation: Avoids
boredom and embodies the concepts of "work/rest"
and "hard/easy."
