Strength Training for Skiing: Benefits & Training Program

Note: this article is about alpine or downhill skiing. If you want info about strength training for cross-country skiing, this is the article you’re looking for.

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Alpine skiing demands more from your body than most sports. It’s a test of strength, balance, and stamina wrapped in breathtaking mountain views.

But the difference between an exhausting day on the slopes and an exhilarating alpine adventure often comes down to what you do the weeks and months before you click into your bindings.

To prepare your body for everything the mountain can throw at you, you must take your off-slope training as seriously as your time on the slopes. That means priming your body with the right kind of training: strength training.

This article details the benefits of strength training for skiing, key areas to focus on, the best exercises for improving your skiing performance, and a complete 15-week weight training program.

Benefits of Strength Training for Skiing

For an alpine skier, strength training is like strapping a turbocharger to your legs and core. Here’s why hitting the gym is essential:

Power and Speed

Strong legs equals strong runs. More leg strength means a more powerful push-off at the start and greater acceleration out of turns. When you hit the weight room and do squats, lunges, and different kinds of jumping movements, you build the strength and explosiveness you need for quick transitions and aggressive downhill sprints.

Stability and Balance

Training the core muscles through all planes of motion allows you to keep your upper body stable while your legs handle the moguls and turns, and having extra oomph and reserve power in your quads, hamstrings, and glutes allow you be the one in control even when the terrain gets bumpy and rough.

Injury Prevention

Skiing is not necessarily a dangerous sport, but it does have a greater risk of injury than some others. Joint injuries like ACL tears are not that uncommon.

Weightlifting strengthens the muscles around your joints for an extra layer of support and stability.

Stronger muscles (and ligaments) absorb shock, reduce the risk of those sudden twists that you can’t predict, make it easier to recover from near falls, and keep your knees happy and healthy on the slopes.

Speaking of ligaments, strength training also builds up connective tissues, which absorb some of the shock from jumps and hard landings. Building up connective tissue takes a lot longer than building muscle, but the time and effort are well invested if you are in for the long haul with your skiing.

Muscular Endurance

If you’re out on the slopes for hours, even the most well-trained skier gets tired. However, strength training conditions your muscles so that they can handle long periods of hard work and conquer long courses. You feel pleasantly exhausted at the end of the day instead of like a bowl of Jell-O. Or, even worse, fatiguing mid-run.

Better Technique

Lifting weights doesn’t directly improve skiing technique, but stronger legs and core mean that you can control your form and positioning with more power and ease, which, in turn, leads to sharper and more precise movements.

Also, strength training, especially free-weight exercises and unilateral training, improves body coordination and proprioception (you can sense where your body is in space without looking), allowing you to make quicker adjustments on the fly during fast downhill runs

​Confidence Boost

​Last but not least, simply knowing that you have done what you can to make your body strong and capable is a huge confidence booster when you’re getting ready for a black diamond run (or a blue square run, for that matter) or during competitions.

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In short, strength training isn’t just a nice-to-have for alpine skiers—it’s the turbo button that keeps you shredding down the mountains with enough strength left to après-ski.

How Often Should Skiers Strength Train?

For the best results, skiers should strength train 2–4 times per week, depending on experience and fitness level, in the off-season, then taper down to 1–2 weekly sessions during the competitive season.

For most recreational skiers, 2–3 strength training sessions per week is the sweet spot. That allows you to build strength effectively without overtraining. Try to space out your training (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday) to give your muscles time to recover and adapt.

• It’s a good idea for beginners to start with two (max three) strength sessions per week and focus on basic, compound movements. As you build strength and coordination, you can gradually progress to more complex lifts and power exercises.
• Intermediate and advanced skiers can strength train 3–4 times per week off-season, dialing down to 1–2 times per week in-season while focusing on maintenance and injury prevention.

Off-Season (Preparatory Phase)

This is when you should focus on building a solid strength base with 2–4 strength training workouts per week, again depending on your level (advanced skiers can usually do more strength work). Your workouts should include heavy, compound lifts (like squats, deadlifts, and lunges) to increase maximal strength and build muscle.

Pre-Season (Transition Phase)

Your strength training should shift to a more sport-specific focus, with 2–3 sessions per week, continuing to build maximum strength while including power training and explosive movements.

In-Season

During the ski season, you want to decrease your strength training frequency to 1–2 sessions per week and focus on maintenance rather than growth. You’ll be doing more demanding training and drills outside the weight room, and this low-frequency, high-intensity approach allows you to maintain your gains and stay fresh for skiing without overly taxing your body.

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In all phases, you want to prioritize lower body strength, core stability, and balance work to meet the demands of the slopes. Flexibility and mobility exercises should be staples year-round, even if they fall outside the realm of strength training.

Key Areas to Focus On

In addition to technique, skiing challenges almost all your physical capacities. You need strength, power, stability, endurance, coordination, balance, and mobility.¹

The good news is that strength training improves almost all those factors like nothing else.

Here are key areas a cross-country skier should focus on:

Lower Body Strength and Power

Your legs are the foundation for all your movements. Your quads and glutes give you the power to handle turns and allow you to maintain control during descents, and your hamstrings and calves absorb shocks and provide balance and push-off strength.

Example exercises: Squats, lunges, Bulgarian split squats, step-ups, box jumps, Romanian deadlifts, leg curls, calf raises.

Core Stability and Strength

Your core is like a bridge between the upper and lower body. It controls rotation, transfers force from your lower to upper body, and allows you to maintain a good posture.

Example exercises: Ab wheel rollouts, planks (with variations), leg raises, rotations like wood chops, anti-rotation presses (e.g., Pallof press).

Lower Back and Posterior Chain

The posterior chain is the muscles along the back of your body, including your lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. They help you when you bend your body, lift things, and jump.

When you’re on a pair of skis going downhill, the posterior chain supports posture, balance, and power transfer from the legs through the back and is essential for holding your body position.

Example exercises: Deadlifts (regular and Romanian), back raises, kettlebell swings, Nordic hamstring curls.

Balance and Stability

Skiing requires you to make constant body adjustments to stay in control. Unilateral strength training (where you train one side of the body at a time) is great for improving balance, stability, and body control.

​Example exercises: Split squats, lunges, single-leg deadlifts, step-ups.

Explosive Power

Explosive power from strength training helps you push off faster and make powerful turns, quick, dynamic movements and jumps. The result on the slopes: you maintain speed and can handle sharp changes in direction better

Example exercises: Explosive moves like jump squats, box jumps, and all Olympic lifts like power cleans and snatches.

Hip Mobility and Strength

If your hips are strong and mobile, your knee bends can be deeper and require less effort to hold. Your edge control and flexibility goes up, and your risk of injury goes down.

Example exercises: Deep squats, hip thrusts, side lunges, split squats.

Upper Body Strength

While your legs and core do most of the work in alpine skiing, your upper body doesn’t just tag along for the ride. Having some reserve upper body strength helps with control and balance, pole plants, and with parrying unexpected movements.

Example exercises: Pulldowns, bench presses, push-ups, rows, and shoulder presses.

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A well-designed strength training program for skiing includes exercises from all of the above areas.

And speaking of training programs…

Strength Training Program For Skiing

This is a training program for skiers who want to develop their maximum strength and power to improve performance on the slopes. It’s suitable for off-season and pre-season training.

This program works best if you already have some strength training experience. It features many different, relatively complex exercises, and if you have never lifted weights before, it might be too much for you to jump right into.

If you’re new to the gym, start with one of our beginner programs, like the Beginner Barbell Training Program. You train three times per week, alternating between workouts A and B.

Workout A

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Squat	3	8–10
Bench Press	3	8–10
Barbell Row	3	8–10

Workout B

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Deadlift	3	6–8
Lat Pulldown (or Pull-Ups)	3	8–10
Overhead Press	3	8–10

In other words, you’ll train workouts A B A week one and B A B week two, then go back to week one and keep alternating between the two.

This beginner program (any many more) are available for free in our workout log app, StrengthLog.

You can use the strength you gain on the slopes, and you train your muscles, brain, and nervous system to play together, allowing you to move on to more complex programs.

If you do have some weight training experience, you’re ready to boost your skiing performance with Strength Training Program for Alpine Skiing.

Strength Training Program for Alpine Skiing

This program will run for 15 weeks, divided into two phases, separated by a deload week:

1. Strength and Hypertrophy Phase (Weeks 1–8): Focus on building a solid foundation with muscle and strength gains.
2. Deload Phase (Week 9): Reduced training volume and intensity to recover from the first phase and prepare for the second.
3. Maximal Strength and Power Phase (Weeks 10–15): Increase maximal strength and integrate power training to prepare for the slopes.

You can pick which days you hit the weights to fit your schedule, but take at least one rest day between each strength training session. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is the most common approach, but feel free to mix it up.

Try to add weight or do one more rep each workout. When you can do the designated number of reps for each set, increase the load the next time you hit the gym.

Follow This Training Program in StrengthLog

This program and many more are in the StrengthLog workout tracker app. The app is free to use, forever, with no ads. This program, however, is a premium program (it offers built-in progression and advanced periodization), which means it requires a premium subscription.

We offer all new users a free 14-day premium trial. You can activate it in the app without any strings attached.

Download StrengthLog and start tracking your workouts today:

The exact set and rep details (the tables below are snapshots of a single week) along with the planned intensity and volume progression route, are available in your StrengthLog workout tracker app.

Note that this is, for obvious reasons, a generalized training program designed to benefit as many skiers as possible. If you are an advanced skier, you might want to tweak it to fit your individual needs. For example, speed skiers might place more emphasis on maximal strength, while technical specialists might focus more on power and improving quickness.

Phase 1: Off-Season (Hypertrophy and Strength Focus)

Duration: 8 weeks

Goal: Build muscle mass, muscular endurance, and foundational strength.

Frequency: 3 days per week

Weekly Structure:

• Day 1: Lower Body (Moderate weights)
• Day 2: Upper Body (Moderate weights) + Core
• Day 3: Lower Body Eccentric and Explosive Work + Core

Weeks 1–4

Sets/Reps: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps (moderate weight)

Workout 1

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Squat	3	10
Deadlift	3	6–8
Barbell Lunge	3	10
Leg Curl	3	10
Calf Raise	3	10

Workout 2

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Bench Press	3	10
Dumbbell Row	3	10
Overhead Press	3	10
Lat Pulldown	3	10
Plank with Leg Lifts	3	30–60 secs

Workout 3

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Box Jump	3	10
Bulgarian Split Squat	3	10
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift	3	10
Kettlebell Swing	3	10
Hanging Leg Raise	3	12
Wood Chop	3	12

Weeks 5–8

Sets/Reps: 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps (increase weight)

Workout 1

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Front Squat	3	8
Romanian Deadlift	3	8
Step Up	3	8
Hip Thrust	3	8
Calf Raise	3	8

Workout 2

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Bench Press	3	8
Dumbbell Row	3	8
Overhead Press	3	8
Lat Pulldown	3	8
Pallof Press	3	12
Ab Wheel Roll-Out	3	Max reps

Workout 3

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Box Jump	3	10
Bulgarian Split Squat	3	8
Leg Curl	3	8
Side Plank	3	30–60 secs
Ball Slam	3	8

Week 9: Deload Week

Duration: 1 week

Goal: Reduce volume and intensity to allow for muscle recovery, and maintain movement quality and readiness for upcoming training.

Frequency: 2 days

Intensity: Low to moderate (reduce weight by ~40–50% of your usual working weight).

Workout 1

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Front Squat	2	10
Romanian Deadlift	2	10
Step Up	2	10
Hanging Leg Raise	2	10

Workout 2

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Bench Press	2	10
Lat Pulldown	2	10
Overhead Press	2	10
Kettlebell Swing	2	12

Phase 2: Maximal Strength and Power Phase

Duration: 6 weeks

Goal: Increase maximal strength and introduce power training for explosive performance on the slopes.

Frequency: 3 days per week

Weekly Structure:

• Day 1: Lower Body (Heavy)
• Day 2: Power & Jump Training + Upper Body (Light) + Core
• Day 3: Lower Body Eccentric/Power + Core

Weeks 10–15

Sets/Reps: 3–4 sets of 3–6 reps for strength exercises, 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps for power exercises.

Workout 1

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Squat	3	3–6
Deadlift	3	3–6
Walking Lunge	3	8
Calf Raise	3	6

Workout 2

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Box Jump	3	10
Power Clean	3	8
Jump Squat	3	10
Bench Press	3	10
Lat Pulldown	3	10
Wood Chop	3	8

Workout 3

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Bulgarian Split Squat	3	10
Kettlebell Snatch	3	10
Leg Curl	3	6
Ab Wheel Roll-Out	3	Max reps
Hanging Leg Raise	3	12

Strength Training Exercises for Skiing

Here are detailed descriptions of all the exercises in the Strength Training for Alpine Skiing program in the order they appear.

Squat

The barbell squat is often called the king of exercises, and it is the best thing you can do in the gym to improve athletic performance.

Squats build strength and power in your lower body – your quads, glutes, and adductors – and that’s essential for carving deep, aggressive turns. The more strength you have in these muscle groups, the better you can control your speed and direction on steep slopes.

How to Squat

1. Place the bar on your upper back with your shoulders blades squeezed together. Inhale and brace your core slightly, and unrack the bar.
2. Take two steps back, and adjust your foot position.
3. Squat as deep as possible with proper form.
4. With control, stop and reverse the movement, extending your hips and legs again.
5. Exhale on the way up or exchange air in the top position.
6. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Deadlift

The deadlift is a great exercise that makes your body stronger from head to toe. It works almost every muscle you’ll be relying on in the slopes.

Deadlifts train your posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, and lower back), which is essential for the tucked position and explosive power in skiing. Think of it as your engine. The stronger your posterior chain, the more stability and endurance you have, which translates to smoother and more controlled runs.

How to Deadlift

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your toes pointing slightly outward. The barbell should be over the middle of your feet, close to your shins.
2. Bend at the hips and knees to reach the bar. Grip the barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. You can use an overhand grip (both palms facing you) or a mixed grip (one palm facing you and the other facing away).
3. Keep your back straight and chest up. Engage your core and ensure your shoulders are slightly in front of the bar. Your hips should be higher than your knees but lower than your shoulders.
4. Pull the bar close to your body, with a straight back, until you are standing straight. Keep the bar close to your body, and your arms straight throughout the lift. The bar should travel in a straight line vertically.
5. Reverse the motion by hinging at the hips and bending the knees. Lower the bar to the starting position in a controlled manner, maintaining a straight back.
6. Reset your position if necessary.
7. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Lunge

Lunges build strength, stability, and balance in the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. You can do them with a barbell on your back or holding a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells in your hands.

Lunges give you the one-legged strength and balance needed in skiing. As you push off with one leg and balance, your body has to stabilize, which is exactly what you need on bumpy slopes.

In addition, lunges improve the flexibility in your hip flexors in a dynamic way that’ll help you stay low and controlled while descending.

How to Do Lunges

1. Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing inwards or with a barbell on your shoulders. Or, it you’re doing bodyweight lunges, simply hold your arms comfortable at your sides.
2. Lower your body towards the ground by bending your front knee and lowering your back knee until it almost touches the floor.
3. Return to a standing position by pushing yourself up with your front leg.
4. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions, switch legs, and perform the exercise on the other side.

Leg Curl

The leg curl is an effective isolation exercise for the hamstrings.

Unlike the Romanian deadlift, which works your hamstrings through hip extension, leg curls work them by flexing the knee joint. Including both types of hamstring exercises in your routine develops your hammies optimally.

Your hamstrings support explosive leg movements and complement the quadriceps when you transition from ski to ski. They also protect your knees, which are very vulnerable in downhill skiing.

When doing leg curls, focus on lowering the weight slowly for eccentric strength.

Both seated and lying leg curls are great exercises, but the seated variant is a bit more effective, so pick that machine if you have access to one.

How to Do Leg Curls

1. Adjust the machine so that you are correctly positioned. Your knees should be in line with the machine’s joint.
2. Lift or push the weight down (depending on whether you chose the lying or seated leg curl) by bending your knees as far as possible.
3. Slowly lower or let the weight back again.
4. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Standing Calf Raise

The calf raise is arguably the best exercise for your calves.

In downhill skiing, your calves take on much of the load to maintain balance and control. Leaning into turns, controlling speed, or absorbing terrain changes rely on your calves constantly adjusting and stabilizing. Strong calves also reduce fatigue, so you can keep those edges locked in longer without tapping out.

The standing calf raise is a very simple movement, and your calves are very strong muscles, so don’t be afraid to use heavy weights. As long as you don’t compromise your form, that is: get a deep stretch and hold for a second or two at the bottom and squeeze your calves at the top.

How to Do Standing Calf Raises

1. Place your toes and the ball of your feet on the foot support. Place the shoulder pads against your shoulders and stand upright in the starting position.
2. Lower yourself down by bending your ankles in a controlled movement.
3. Push yourself up by extending your ankles.
4. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Bench Press

The bench press is a compound exercise for the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It is sometimes called the king of upper body exercises because it is so effective for building strength and muscle.

While skiing is leg-heavy, your entire body helps maintain balance, steering, and bracing against wind resistance. Bench presses strengthen the muscles that allow you to keep a stable upper body.

In addition, a strong upper body, especially the chest and shoulders, helps absorb shocks when you’re turning, recovering from a bump, or taking a tumble.

How to Bench Press

1. Lie on the bench, pull your shoulder blades together and down, and slightly arch your back.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Inhale, hold your breath, and unrack the bar.
4. Lower the bar with control, until it touches your chest somewhere close to your sternum.
5. Push the bar up to the starting position while exhaling.
6. Take another breath while in the top position, and repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Dumbbell Row

The dumbbell row is an excellent exercise for building a strong back, which makes for improved balance and posture as you carve down the slopes.

Dumbell rows target your lats, rhomboids, traps, and rear delts: the muscles that keep your torso stable as you shift weight and handle high-speed turns.

How to Do Dumbbell Rows

1. Place a dumbbell on the floor beside a bench or some other sturdy object. Stand facing the bench and place your left hand and left knee on top of it.
2. Grip the dumbbell with your right hand. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back flat and your torso roughly parallel to the floor. 
3. Engage your core muscles to stabilize your torso throughout the movement. 
4. While maintaining the position of your upper body and keeping your elbow close to your side, inhale and pull the dumbbell up towards your torso by retracting your shoulder blade. Focus on squeezing your back muscles as you lift.
5. Continue pulling the dumbbell until it reaches the side of your torso. Row it closer to your hips to target your lower lats. Squeeze your lats at the top of the movement, ensuring a strong contraction in your back muscles.
6. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position while exhaling, maintaining control and good form throughout the descent.
7. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions, switch sides, and perform the above steps rowing with your left arm.

Overhead Press

The overhead press works your shoulders, traps, and upper chest muscles and builds the upper body and core stability you need to maintain your stance and be ready to handle changes in speed and direction when you’re leaning forward on your skis.

How to Do Overhead Presses

1. Place a barbell in a rack at about chest height.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and step close to it.
3. Tighten your abs, unrack the bar and let it rest against your front delts while you step back from the rack. This is your starting position.
4. Push the barbell up, extending your arms fully, while exhaling.
5. Bring the weights back down to your shoulders, slow and controlled, while inhaling.
6. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Lat Pulldown

Lat pulldowns build a strong upper back, lats, and rear delts, keeping your torso stable as you carve down the mountain. Strong lats stabilize your shoulders and make it easier to resist forces trying to push you out of position.

In addition, they stabilize your shoulder joints and act as shock absorbers when you encounter bumpy terrain or sudden jolts.

How to Do Lat Pulldowns

1. Sit on the lat pulldown machine and adjust the thigh pad to fit snugly against your thighs.
2. Reach up and grasp the wide bar attachment with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you), slightly wider than shoulder-width. Ensure your grip is secure and comfortable.
3. Keep your feet flat on the floor and sit with your back straight and chest up.
4. Take a deep breath and engage your core strength to maintain a stable torso throughout the exercise.
5. Begin the movement by pulling the bar down towards your upper chest while keeping your elbows pointed to the sides. Imagine bringing your shoulder blades together as you pull down.
6. Continue pulling until the bar is below your chin or touches your upper chest. Maintain control and avoid using momentum to swing or jerk the weight.
7. Squeeze your lats in the contracted position, slowly release the tension, and allow the bar to rise until your arms are fully extended. Maintain control and proper form throughout the entire range of motion.
8. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Plank with Leg Raise

The plank is a static ab exercise that improves your core strength and endurance. Planks help you maintain a low and controlled skiing position, absorb shocks, and handle quick turns without tipping over. Plus, a strong core prevents lower back fatigue, which, as every skier knows, builds up during a day on the hills.

This variant of the plank keeps your core under tension while introducing a leg lift to slightly throw your balance off, forcing your body to stabilize.

How to Do Plank with Leg Lifts

1. Begin by getting into a standard plank position. Place your elbows directly under your shoulders, legs extended straight behind you, and toes pressing into the ground. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels.
2. Brace your core, keep your back flat, and avoid letting your hips sink down or lift too high.
3. Slowly lift one leg off the ground to about hip height without bending the knee. Keep your leg straight during the movement.
4. Hold the lifted position for a moment, then gently lower your leg back to the starting position. 
5. Repeat the lift with the opposite leg, ensuring you maintain a strong plank position throughout the movement.
6. Continue to alternate legs for the chosen amount of time.

Box Jump

Box jumps are an exercise with plyometric elements where you jump onto a box or platform with as much explosiveness as you can muster, then step or jump down.

Alpine skiing demands bursts of energy, and box jumps enhance the fast-twitch muscle fibers in your entire lower body, including your quads, glutes, adductors, abductors, hamstrings, and calves, giving you that explosive edge.

How to Do Box Jumps

1. Select a box that is appropriate for your fitness level and jumping ability.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, a few inches away from the box. Your knees should be slightly bent, and your hips pushed back in an athletic stance, like a mini squat.
3. Engage your core and swing your arms back to generate momentum. Keep your chest up, and your weight balanced evenly across your feet.
4. Push through the balls of your feet, extending your hips, knees, and ankles as you jump up. Swing your arms forward and upward to help propel yourself onto the box. Jump with both feet leaving the ground at the same time.
5. As you land on the box, aim to have both feet hit the surface at the same time. Bend your knees slightly to absorb the impact, keeping your chest up and back straight.
6. Once you’ve landed on the box, stand up tall, extending your hips completely to finish the jump.
7. Step off the box one foot at a time, and reset your stance before attempting the next jump.
8. Repeat the movement for your desired number of jumps.

Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat combines balance, strength, and coordination—all essential for alpine skiing—into one movement. It hits the quads, glutes, and adductors, plus the stabilizer muscles that help with lateral movement.

Skiing demands tip-top stability as you shift weight side-to-side. Bulgarian split squats are great for unilateral balance because you work on one leg at a time, and you can then use that improved control when navigating unpredictable slopes.

How to Do Bulgarian Split Squats

1. Place a bar on your upper back or hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands.
2. Stand with your back turned against a bench, which should be about knee height. Stand about one long step in front of the bench.
3. Place your right foot on the bench behind you.
4. Inhale, look forward, and squat down with control until right before your right knee touches the floor.
5. Reverse the movement and extend your front leg again, while exhaling. Your back foot should only act as support.
6. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions, then switch side and repeat with your right leg forward and your left foot on the bench.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

The single-leg Romanian deadlift is a fantastic exercise for the posterior chain. Doing it on one leg also involves the stabilizer muscles from your hips to your knees and ankles.

Alpine skiing is full of single-leg demands, like weight transfers and lateral forces your body has to absorb. The single-leg Romanian deadlift strengthens your body in a way that helps it stay steady on uneven surfaces or when shifting weight quickly.

Also, more balance and stability around your ankles and knees equals lower risk of injuring yourself on unpredictable and bumpy surfaces.

How to Do Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts

1. Stand upright and hold the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart.
2. Brace your core, and lift one leg off the ground.
3. Keep the back straight and start to lean forward by hinging at the hips. Lower until you feel a stretch in the standing leg’s hamstring. Make sure to keep your hips still, you don’t want the side with your lifted leg to start rotating upwards.
4. Return to the starting position. Finish all your reps on one side first, and then repeat on the other leg.

Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is a ballistic hip-hinge movement that involves large parts of the posterior chain, including the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. As a skier, you rely on these muscles for stability and power.

Hip mobility and strength are essential in skiing for maintaining balance and a strong athletic position while descending, and for preventing injury from the tremendous forces the slope puts on your body, and kettlebell swing are great for reinforcing hip hinge mechanics.

How to Do Kettlebell Swings

1. Place a kettlebell on the ground, about one or two feet in front of you.
2. Take a wide stance, lean forward, and grip the kettlebell.
3. Brace your core slightly, and swing the kettlebell back between your legs while inhaling.
4. Swing the kettlebell forward by extending your hip while exhaling.
5. Try to swing the kettlebell to about chest height.
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps and put the kettlebell back on the ground when you’re finished.

Hanging Leg Raise

The hanging leg raise is a great exercise for building core strength. It trains your abs, hip flexors, and obliques, which work together to maintain stability, absorb impacts, and control your movements on the slope.

Note: if hanging leg raises are too challenging, you can do hanging knee raises instead.

How to Do Hanging Leg Raises

1. Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, shoulder-width apart.
2. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
3. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
4. Raise your legs towards your chest, as high as you can, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
5. Slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
6. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Wood Chop

The wood chop teaches you not only to chop down a tree for firewood but also how to handle the twisting forces and lateral movements common in skiing when carving down the slopes.

Wood chops hit your core muscles, including the obliques and transverse abdominis (deep core stabilizers). As a bonus, they force your shoulders and hips to stabilize and drive the movement. You reinforce the rotational movement pattern you need for downhill skiing, and develop your ability to transfer power from your lower body to your upper body.

Note: you can do this exercise with either a resistance band (like in the video demonstration above) or a cable pulley system.

How to Do Horizontal Wood Chops

1. Fasten an elastic band at shoulder height. Grip the band with both hands, step away, and stand sideways to the band’s anchor point.
2. With almost straight arms, make a sweeping, horizontal movement to your other side.
3. Return to the starting position in a controlled manner.
4. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Front Squat

The front squat works the same muscles as the barbell back squat and is a fantastic lower-body strength builder. However, the front-loaded nature requires a more upright torso position, which is great for maintaining balance and power transfer from the legs to the snow.

In addition, front squats demand and improve ankle, hip, and thoracic spine mobility, helping you stay low and flexible through turns and react as fast as possible when the terrain changes from smooth to bumpy, keeping you from face-planting into a snowdrift.

How to Front Squat

1. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Step forward and place the bar on the front of your shoulders: on top of your clavicles, and tight against your throat.
2. Inhale and brace your core slightly, and unrack the bar.
3. Take two steps back, and adjust your foot position.
4. Squat as deep as possible with good technique.
5. With control, stop and reverse the movement, extending your hips and legs again.
6. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift hits your posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, and lower back), and a strong and flexible posterior chain is just what the doctor ordered for stability and power on the slopes.

Your push-off strength improves, allowing you to explode out of turns with more force, and having strong hamstrings and lower back will reduce the risk of common skiing injuries and back strain.

How to Do Romanian Deadlifts

1. Get into the starting position by deadlifting a barbell off the floor or by unracking it from a barbell rack. Stand feet hip-width, inhale, and brace your core slightly.
2. Lean forward by hinging in your hips. Keep your knees almost completely extended.
3. Lean forward as far as possible with good form (no rounding your back). You don’t have to touch the barbell to the floor, although it is OK if you do.
4. Reverse the movement and return to the standing position. Exhale on the way up.
5. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Note: The dumbbell Romanian deadlift is a viable alternative to the barbell variant.

Step Up

The step-up is a gold medal pick for skiers; it’s like it was specifically designed for strength and performance on the slopes. It hits many of the most important muscles you use in skiing, including your quads, adductors, hamstrings, and glutes, and builds strength, balance, and coordination all in one.

If needed, hold a pair of dumbbells or wear a weighted vest or backpack for added resistance

​Lower yourself down slowly and with full control to emphasize the eccentric phase of the movement.

How to Do Step Ups

1. Stand in front of a bench, an elevated platform, or step. A step that is approximately knee height or slightly lower is appropriate for most people. 
2. Place your right foot on the step, ensuring your entire foot is in contact with the surface.
3. Use the strength of your glutes and leg muscles to drive your body upward and lift your body upward onto the platform. Avoid using momentum or relying on your back foot to assist you. You want your glutes to do as much of the work as possible.
4. Fully extend your right leg, straightening your knee and pushing your hip forward as you rise.
5. Lift your back foot off the ground and bring it up onto the step, fully extending your leg.
6. Lower yourself in a controlled motion. Maintain control throughout the descent and resist the downward movement with your glute and leg strength.
7. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.
8. Step onto the platform with your left foot and repeat the steps above for the opposite leg.

Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is an incredibly effective exercise for building up your glute strength. It also works the lower back, hamstrings, and quads, in that order of activation.

A strong glute and hamstring complex makes all the difference in alpine skiing performance. It is responsible for everything from explosive movements during quick transitions between turns to general power and stability and power transfer between the upper and lower body.

How to Do Hip Thrusts

1. Sit on the floor with your back against a sturdy bench.
2. Roll the barbell up over your thighs, until it is placed over your hips.
3. Place your feet on the floor, about shoulder-width apart, with bent knees.
4. Place your hands on the bar to stabilize it.
5. Push the bar towards the ceiling by extending your hips. Your knees should form a ~90 degree angle at the top.
6. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the thrust like you’re trying to crack a walnut before lowering the weight.
7. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Pallof Press

The Pallof press trains your transverse abdominis and obliques for core stability and anti-rotational strength, both of which are a boon for alpine skiing.

During carving or when you’re on uneven terrain, your body faces constant forces trying to twist or destabilize it. Including Pallof presses in your workout routine trains your body to maintain control and power on the slopes and refuse to give in to those rotational forces.

How to Do Pallof Presses

1. Attach a handle in a cable machine at chest height and stand with your side facing the machine.
2. Grab the handle with both hands and stand with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
3. Pull the handle to your chest, engage your core, and then press your arms straight out in front of you without rotating your torso.
4. Hold briefly, then bring the handle back to your chest in a controlled motion.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

Ab Wheel Rollout

The ab wheel rollout is one of the best core exercises you can do, hitting the rectus abdominis (the “six-pack”), transverse abdominis (deep core stabilizers), and obliques (side abs), which stabilize the spine and prevent unwanted motion when you’re going downhill at max speed.

Ab rollouts involve both concentric and eccentric muscle actions and help you hold your upper body position stable while your lower body navigates the terrain.

In addition, when performed correctly, they strengthen the deep core muscles that support your spine and help you withstand the repetitive stresses of skiing.

Note: not many people can do the standing ab wheel with proper form, but if you’re one of those with enough core strength to handle it, go right ahead. And congratulations on being in the top tier of core power.

How to Do Ab Wheel Rollouts

1. Start by kneeling on the floor with your hands on the ab wheel, placed directly in front of your knees.
2. Engage your core and slowly roll the wheel forward until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your head.
3. Be sure to keep your back straight and your core engaged throughout the entire movement.
4. Reverse the movement, roll the ab wheel back towards your knees, and return to the starting position.
5. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Side Plank

The side plank is a static exercise that improves strength and muscle endurance in the obliques. It helps you resist lateral forces when turning and maintaining balance on uneven slopes, can reduce the risk of falls, and improves your ability to handle quick direction changes.

How to Do the Side Plank

1. Stand on your side, leaning against one elbow.
2. Place the foot of the top leg in front of the other foot.
3. Brace your core, and try to form and hold a straight line from your head to your feet.
4. Hold the position for the chosen amount of time.

Ball Slam

The ball slam works the legs, core, and upper body all in one explosive movement, improving many aspects required for skiing: core strength, coordination, and transfer of power and force between most major muscle groups in your body.

How to Ball Slam

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, your knees and hips slightly bent, holding the ball in both hands at chest height. Engage your core, and keep a good posture.
2. Extend your knees and drive your hips forward while simultaneously lifting the ball. Aim for being as tall as possible, the ball overhead, arms up, hips slightly forward, and on your toes from the force of your drive.
3. Use your core and arms to slam the medicine ball straight down between your feet with as much force as possible. Press your hips back and bend your knees to further power the slam. Exhale as you slam the ball down.
4. Squat down to pick up the ball from the floor, then immediately move into the next slam by repeating the movement.
5. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Walking Lunge

The walking lunge works the same muscles as the stationary lunge. However, this time, you’re moving forward, requiring more coordination between your core and lower body as you transition from one lunge to the next.

How to Do Walking Lunges

1. Stand with your feet at shoulder-width apart, with a slight bend in the knees. Make sure that your core is engaged.
2. Step forward with one of your legs, bending both knees at the same time. Stop the movement just before the back knee touches the floor, you should have about a 90-degree angle in both knees.
3. Drive through your front foot and extend the knee until you get back to a standing position.
4. Continue by repeating the movement on the other side. 
5. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Power Clean

The power clean is a multi-step, full-body lift that requires coordination between the upper and lower body. It develops explosiveness in the lower body and teaches body awareness and neuromuscular timing—great qualities for alpine skiers who need quick, reactive movements, bursts of power, and recoveries after sudden drops.

Consider working with a coach if you’re new to Olympic lifts—they’re technical but very rewarding and some of the best exercises you can do for athletic performance.

How to Power Clean

1. Step up close to the bar, so that it is about over the middle of your foot.
2. Lean forward and grip the bar with an overhand grip, about shoulder-width apart.
3. Hold your breath, and brace your core slightly.
4. Lift the bar in a smooth but fast motion. Bend your knees slightly and receive the bar on the front of your shoulders.
5. Stand up on straight legs again.
6. Lower the bar in front of you, with control.
7. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Jump Squat

Squat jumps build explosive strength in your quads, glutes, adductors, and calves and only require your body weight for resistance. They are great for quick, powerful responses and pushes when navigating slopes or powering through moguls at breakneck speed, trying not to yard sale your way to the bottom.

How to Jump Squat

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your chest lifted, shoulders back, and core engaged. Position your arms at your sides or in front of you for balance.
2. Bend at your hips and knees, pushing your hips back as if you are sitting in a chair. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor or as low as comfortable.
3. Extend your hips, knees, and ankles, and jump into the air by explosively pushing off the ground.
4. Swing your arms up to help propel your body upward for more height.
5. Land on the balls of your feet, absorb the impact by bending your knees and hips and return to the squat position.
6. Once you’ve landed and regained your balance, immediately go into the next squat and repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Kettlebell Snatch

The kettlebell snatch is a classic kettlebell exercise that translates beautifully to alpine skiing as it builds explosive power and full-body strength in a unilateral movement.

It strengthens the core for stabilization and balance, builds posterior strength with the hip hinge motion, and works the shoulders and upper back in a dynamic way during the overhead portion of the snatch.

How to Kettlebell Snatch

1. Stand with your feet fairly wide apart, with a kettlebell about 20 inches in front of you.
2. Grab the handle with one hand and tilt the kettlebell towards you, then powerfully swing the kettlebell back between your legs.
3. Stand up in a strong and explosive movement. The kettlebell will start to move forward. 
4. Pull on the kettlebell with your arm, as if you’re starting a lawnmower, to force the kettlebell into a path closer to your body. 
5. As the kettlebell reaches your head height, let it fly upwards while you sneak your hand underneath it. 
6. Catch the kettlebell at arm’s length above your head. 
7. When reversing the movement, begin by pushing the kettlebell forward. As it starts to fall, ease your grip to avoid forming unnecessary bulges as the handle rotates. 
8. Remain upright as the ball falls downward. Just as your hand approaches your groin, let your hips move backward. Guide the ball so it travels far back, not downward. 
9. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions, then let the ball swing forward and set it down.

Strength Training for Skiing: Final Words

You have reached the end of this guide to strength training for skiing. ⛷️

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you have enjoyed it and learned things that will benefit your skiing.

To follow the training routine in this article, download our workout log app and start tracking your workouts today:

Here’s a summary of the benefits of strength training for alpine skiing:

• Builds powerful legs to help you stay balanced and in control on steep and uneven slopes.
• Strengthens your core to keep you stable and avoid faceplants during sharp turns.
• Increases muscle endurance and allows you to maintain your performance throughout a day on the slopes.
• Builds up your muscles, joints, and ligaments to protect against skiing injuries.
• Develops better muscle control and coordination, helping you make smoother, quicker, and more precise movements and reactions.

Strength training is your ticket to a safer and faster experience on the slopes. A stronger, more powerful body makes you equipped to handle more challenging runs and to stay in control at all times, and the best way to transform yourself into that stronger and more powerful you is to hit the weights.

When the mountain is calling, you’ll be ready to answer. See you at the summit!

Reference

1. Front. Physiol., 21 December 2018. The Training of Olympic Alpine Ski Racers.