This is part three of a six-week program designed to help you improve your fitness level so that you are ready for the upcoming ski and snowboard season. During week one and two we introduced two important stretches and strengthening exercises and also talked about the fundamentals and importance of cardiovascular exercise. This week we are adding one more stretch and one more strengthening exercise to your routine.

For those of you who are just joining us, it is not too late to start. Simply check out our web site (www.karpfitness.com) to review the previous articles and join us as we get fit for an awesome season on the slopes.

Stretching (10 minutes)

After you complete your 5-10 minute cardiovascular warm-up perform the stretches that were outlined in the week one issue. This week add the following stretch to bring the total number of stretches that you perform to three. Remember to apply a gradual stretch to the specific body part and hold with a steady amount of force for a period of 15-60 seconds.

Rotation Low Back Stretch

Lie flat on your back on an exercise mat or blanket. Bend your legs to a ninety degree angle and keep your feet flat on the floor. With your arms out to the side and your shoulders flat on the floor roll both of your knees together down to the floor. A gentle stretch should be felt in the lower back. Hold for 15 to 60 seconds and repeat on the opposite side.

Strength training (10 minutes)

Strength training is important as increased strength improves your quickness and agility while on the slopes, especially in sub-optimal snow conditions, and provides you with the power needed for aggressive edging as you carve out those \”sweet\” turns. Muscle strength must go hand in hand with muscle balance in order to prevent injuries. When you ski and snowboard the muscles in the front of your legs, the quadriceps, do more work than the muscles in the back of your legs, the hamstrings. In order to prevent injuries it is important to maintain quadricep-hamstring strength balance. To ensure that this balance is achieved we are going to add hamstring curls to your routine this week. Continue to perform the two strength exercises outlined last week as well.

Hamstring Curls

Lie face down on a leg curl machine with your knees just off the bench of the machine. Hook you feet behind the roller pads with the pad positioned over your Achilles Tendon (below calf/above heel). Raise your heels up toward your buttocks without allowing your hips to come off of the bench. Your should feel your hamstring muscles and not your lower back. Return to the starting position in a slow, controlled manner. Perform 8 to 12 repetitions with a comfortable but challenging weight. Repeat three times. You can take a 20-90 second break between each set depending on your comfort level.

Cardiovascular Exercise (25 minutes)

These exercises should be followed by 25 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. If you missed the information in week one regarding cardiovascular exercise be sure to check it out as it contains some valuable details.

Your workout this week should take approximately 45 minutes to complete and should be performed three times this week with a day of rest in between each workout.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.