So You Want To Race? Training For Downhill Skiing

One of the most anticipated sports in the Winter Olympics is Alpine Skiing. This type of extreme ski sport is commonly known as downhill skiing, particularly because it involves moving down or descending from snow-capped hills using thin and long skis fastened to each of the athlete's feet.

The younger generation's rising interest in winter sporting events, such as downhill skiing, is partly due to the increasing availability of television coverage of such sports. Aside from television coverage, many popular Hollywood movies have also highlighted the excitement and danger connected with this extreme sport. Downhill skiing provides an adrenaline rush and exhilarating experience to people who want to test their limit and courage.

If you are interested in joining the growing number of skiing aficionados, you need to learn the basics of this sport and recreational activity. Furthermore, if you want to join Alpine skiing races, you need to devise a plan that will involve grueling hours of practice, conditioning, and strength and endurance training.

Training Session Planning

The five important parts of the training program that are needed to prepare you for downhill ski races are: endurance training, strength training, quickness or agility training, reflex training, and balance and coordination training.

Endurance training helps in improving your ability to perform at your peak in an extended span of time. Biking, long distance running, jogging, walking and water polo are some of the activities that could help develop your endurance. On-snow exercises and drills that improve endurance are long giant slalom activities, free skiing in different types of terrain, non-stop or continuous free skiing and some technical skiing drills.

Strength conditioning or training is essential in making the performance of the athlete better. This also helps in preventing injuries that are common to skiing activities. Although you can utilize weight machines and free weights in pumping iron, other machines that use no weights, such as pulleys, can also be employed.

Stomach and leg exercises, circuit and weight circuit training, running around trees and in sands, and hill bounding are some of the dry land exercises used to develop muscles and strength. Meanwhile, on-snow activities such as obstacle course, long giant slalom and over length slalom in various terrains and in different rhythms are used for strength training.

Agility training develops the participant's ability to move parts of his or her body, such as the arms, legs, feet, body, and hands, as quickly as possible. This training is a vital element in preparing for most, if not all, racing competitions.

Quickness is achieved by running, different jump rope exercises, and stair climbing. On-snow drills that help the agility of the athlete include extremely fast freestyle skiing, ski exercises on medium steep or flat runs, and a number of drill courses, including pole drills and edging drills using wedges.

Reflex training is critical in Alpine skiing because such a sport needs a high level of motor skills, consistency, power and speed. If the action and reaction time of an athlete is slow, there is also a big chance of accidents happening, especially in downhill racing, slalom, Super G or giant slalom events. Soccer, basketball and other ball games help improve fast reflexes. Meanwhile, rhythm change maneuvers, ski bumps and flush drills are on-snow exercises that help improve speedy action and reaction time.

Balance and coordination training assists athletes in performing technical ski skills and movements perfectly. Activities that not only improve the posture of the participant, but also his or her balance include rope walking and balance beam exercises. Meanwhile, volleyball, soccer and tennis are essential in developing foot/eye coordination. Pole drills and bump skiing are some of the on-snow activities that are perfect in improving coordination and balance.

Training Program Implementation

After discussing the basic elements of training that you need in order to make you ready for a downhill race, the next step is put the program into practice. The key to a successful Alpine skiing training lies on your ability to implement the training program you have created. A perfect training plan, if not properly practiced or applied, could not help improve your chances of winning a slalom race, much less a downhill Super G event.

It is also important to note that the dry-land training is as important as on-snow preparation exercises. The dry-land exercises, which can be done even during the summer season, are important in honing your skills and preparing you for improving your Alpine skiing technical maneuvers and skills.