Fit for winter #8: Downhill squat training

Goal in sight! Experienced ski instructors together with  SportboXX founder Günther Matzinger have put together a range of effective exercises that will put your body and mind into shape. Get going and set off into the winter season with full power.
The programme:

With Thomas Vau

“With a stable squat position you’re not only fast but you can also make short carving turns.”

How it works:

Each of the workouts trains a specific group of muscles. Those who want to see noticeable fitness improvement should not miss out any exercises. All you need to exercise: a thermal mat, motivation and a love of winter.

    • Warm up before every workout
    • Choose the number of exercises you want to practice, according to your abilities and the desired intensity
    • Ideally start training about 3 months before your ski holiday and do 2 to 3 sessions a week
The colour-coded levels give an overview of the three stages of difficulty.
Use the colours to define the number of times you need to repeat the exercise according to your level of fitness

Wall squats

The wall squat exercise.
Wall squats are the ideal preparation for the downhill squat
    • Lean against the wall in a sitting position
    • Make sure that your legs and knees form a right angle and your back is straight
    • Try to hold the position without sinking
    • Relax
    • Repeat the exercise as recommended according to the 3 levels of difficulty

Jumps

The jumps exercise.
Jumps strengthens the leg and buttock muscles plus core muscles
    • Place your feet shoulder width apart
    • Get down onto your haunches and touch the floor with your hands
    • Jump as high as you can, throwing your hands up into the air as you do so
    • Relax
    • Repeat the exercise as recommended according to the 3 levels of difficulty

Sumo squats

The sumo squat exercise.
Sumo squats strengthen the inner thigh muscles more than classical knee bends
    • Starting position: Feet are slightly wider than shoulder width apart, the toes are turned outwards
    • Lower your upper body, bending your knees to a right angle, your thighs parallel to the floor
    • Keep your back straight; the knees should not bend over the toes
    • Relax
    • Repeat the exercise as recommended according to the 3 levels of difficulty

Congratulations – when you have completed all eight sets of exercises, you are now ready for the piste!

You want to do more for your fitness or you missed an exercise? You can find all eight workouts here

 

I have always loved snow but winter in England was usually more grey than white. Now living in Austria, my kids have inherited my passion for skiing and we make most of every winter, getting out in the snow whenever we can!

 

More adventure & travel inspiration
Sign up for our newsletter and discover summer & winter activities with special deals for you.