By JAMES RAIA
www.ByJamesRaia.com

As a four-time Olympian, former U.S. Ski Team member Cindy Nelson had great and varied success on the slopes. But in one respect, Nelson was no different than any recreational or weekend skier.

During the off-season and while not competing on the international World Cup circuit, Nelson’s most difficult task each year was first getting into shape and then maintaining her fitness throughout the competitive season.

“I would start each season in good shape,” recalled Nelson, who now owns a marketing company in Vail, Colo. “But as the season progressed, I would get out of shape. All you really have to do during the season is race, and the easiest thing about skiing is going down the mountain.”

“ What Nelson eventually learned was a simple, common sense concept. And for the past several years, U.S. Ski Team coaches and trainers have touted a similar routine, a multi-component conditioning program during the off-season and a more specific workout routine off the slopes during the season.

“I would come home from a break in the season exhausted,” said Nelson. “But after a days, I would start to increase my fitness level again and when I got back on the circuit, I would immediately know I was in better condition.

“Your mind, heart and body have to be in balance. I believe all racers pretty much have the same physical ability. But it’s how they put all three components of fitness together that’s the most important. If any of the three components gets out of balance, your concentration is not at its optimum level.”

Melinda Roalstad, medical director of the U.S. Ski Association, established an individual workout program for each team member. The routines included a four-step program - general conditioning, general strength, power strength and plyometrics (jumping).

General conditioning activities include rollerblading, hiking, running, cycling and swimming. Endurance weight training, and lighter weights using more repetitions comprises general strength conditioning,. Power strength is heavier, intense weights for specific muscle groups. Plyometric training includes jumping exercises to build explosive strength.

According to Roalstad, such diverse off-slope (dryland) training is beneficial to skiers of all levels, although the intensity of workouts can drastically vary. As skiers’ abilities improve, the need for total fitness doesn’t decrease. In fact, the opposite is true.

“The thing that amazes me is that there are athletes at the highest levels of skiing who don’t know how their bodies function,” said Roalstad, a former competitive triathlete. “We have athletes out there competing, but they don’t know how to prepare for a full season of skiing. If they could just learn how to do this more effectively, they could be much better athletes.”

Beginning with a general conditioning routine, recreational skiers should build aerobic (oxygen) capacity with steady, consistent workouts at least three times per week. Long-distance running, cycling, swimming, rollerblading and hiking are all considered efficient endurance activities, providing the activity increases and maintains the athlete’s heart rate for prolonged time periods.”

If an athlete is recovering from an injury, Roalstad recommends less stressful activities such as swimming or cycling instead of hiking or running.

General strength or power strength weight training should be approached with consistent workouts. In general, less weight and more repetitions provide endurance or aerobic strength. Heavier weights with less repetitions and using specific muscle groups is for power or anaerobic strength.

Plyometrics, the last part of the four-component workout, can include such activities and “volleyball approach jumps,” “forward long jumps,” “twisting jumps,” standing “triple jumps” and “circle” or “360” jumps.

“We like to develop the aerobic base of our athletes so that we can training them harder anaerobically,” said Roalstad. “If you are not in very good shape aerobically, you can’t recover from the anaerobic workout (skiing down the mountain) very quickly. So that’s where developing an aerobic base comes into play. It’s very important to be able to recover.”

Although U.S. Ski Team coaches were once far removed from the dryland conditioning of athletes, they now realize the importance of complete and balance conditioning.

“If a skier has gone through 10 runs in a a day, you don’t go through a tough strength training routine that same day,” said Dennis Agee, former U.S. Ski Team alpine program director. “But it’s a rainy day or if conditions have prevented a full skiing day, then it’s a good day for strength training.

“Conditioning is as important, if not more important than going down the mountain,” continued Agee. “Every coach I know goes into a venue and the first thing they ask is ‘where’s the gym?’ not ‘where’s the course.’ ”