Travis’ Workout Blog Week 2: Saturday Slow Long Distance!

Posted on 06/20/2012 by Travis G

So after a hard week of training with 4 to 5 days at the gym, and 5 days of intense bike rides/sprints, my Saturdays are the days where I can relax a bit and do some of the easier but long cardio workouts that are actually some of the more important workouts of the summer! Its really important to really work your “lower end” cardio early in the training period so that you build a strong cardio base, so that when you do those sprints and intervals all week you can work at a higher intensity level. We call these workouts “Slow Long Distance” workouts, and I usually like going on a fun adventure by going on a hike in the mountains! During these SLD workouts I try to keep my heart rate between 135 and 155 so it is pretty chill and I have to go slow on some of the uphills. However there is a huge payoff to doing these workouts outside on a hike rather than on a spin bike in the gym; you get to see some pretty amazing places and it is super fun! Believe it or not, some of the other skiers do these SLD workouts on a spin bike in the gym! This last Saturday I drove up to Lake Louise and did a three hour hike up above the lake to the Lake Agnes Tea House!

Marie and our borrowed dog for the weekend Milka rocking a Big Truck hat and enjoying the view on our Slow Long Distance!

Lake Agnes

And the Tea House!

These SLD workouts are my favorite workouts of the week and not a bad way to spend a day as an athlete getting out of the gym and into the mountains! So make sure to get outside and enjoy the amazing places that nature has to offer, and know that these kind of hikes are actually great workouts and really important for skiers like myself!

Next week Ill post about one of my lower body workouts!

-Travis

Travis’s Summer Training Blog

Posted on 06/13/2012 by Travis G

View from Kitzbuhel start hut This photo gives me motivation to get in the gym! (Looking out of the start hut at Kitzbuhel)

Ski season is officially over, and for many ski racers like myself, vacation season (time off) is also sadly winding to and end. This only means one thing; it is time to get back in the gym and start getting strong again for next ski season! Being on the US Ski Team for the last 7 years, I have learned a lot about how important it is to be strong in order to push the limits in our sport and in order to prevent injuries. Injury prevention might actually be the most important thing. The stronger, fitter, and more flexible I am, the faster I am able to bounce back from a crash. In the last training run at Kitzbuhel this year I crashed on the bottom side hill, and bruised myself up pretty good, but since I had worked the entire summer before on getting strong and on my flexibility, I was about to bounce back and have the best race of my career the very next day getting 12^th! I cannot stress enough how important it is to get fit and strong being a ski racer.

That’s me about to crash at Kitz!

Over the next 10 weeks I will be sharing a few of my workouts on this blog. All of my workouts are specifically programmed from my trainer at the US Ski Team, and are designed for my strengths and weaknesses, but feel free to try out a few workouts yourself.

Week 1

I have exactly 172 days until my first World Cup Race of the season at Lake Louise. That gives me 172 days to get stronger before next ski season. The main point that I want to make for this first blog is that it is very important to start your training slowly. There is plenty of time this summer to get strong.

So to start things off I really want to concentrate on my core and my cardio. The stronger I can build up these systems, the harder I will be able to work out later in the summer when I start doing the harder heavier lifting!

Here is my cardio and core workout from Wednesday this week!

Travis hiking at Mammoth Hiking for a threshold workout near Mammoth after skiing!

(P.S. The second exercise is meant to strengthen my patella tendon and I do it twice a day every day so it is also in my workouts)

Cardio

Bike 15mins A1
2 x 20mins at Threshold (if no pain) with 10mins A1
Bike 15mins A1

For this workout I usually go and find a nice steep trail or a ski run to run/hike up for the 20 minute effort followed by a slow walk back down the hill between the two sets. Or You can go on a nice hike and hike very slow for the A1 and jog slowly uphill for the Threshold session! (A1 means that your heart rate is between 130bpm and 145bmp. Threshold means that you work hard with a heart rate between 165 and 175 beats per minute)

Core Workout

1. Single Leg Eccentric Decline Squats 10186

Very slowly lower down with one leg on a 15-20% decline. Stand back up with two legs. This exercise is designed to reduce tendon pain but must be done at a pain level lower than 3/10. 3×15 Twice a Day.

2. Prone stabilization. 3 sets of 65 seconds

3. Single Leg Lowers. (Laying on your back lower one leg at a time slowy and then bring it back up. Do 3 sets of 12 each side)

4. SB roll out stabilization. Start in a squat possition and slowly roll out on your forearms on the swiss ball. Control your movement and roll back into the squat. 3 sets of 8 reps.

5. Hanging hip flexion. Hanging on a pull up bar lift your knees to your chest. Knees Tucked!

6. Back Extension Hold. You can do this on a swiss ball as well. Hold this position for 4 sets of 35 seconds

7. Prone hip extension. Hold your legs up for 3 sets of 30 seconds. You can do this laying and holding onto a bench as well!

8. Side Hold in Glute Ham (hands across chest). You can do this one on a swiss ball. Hold a side plank. 3 sets of 35 seconds

9. Side lying stabilization. Three sets of 35 seconds. Hold yourself up through your shoulder on your forearm.

10. Dumbell Side Hold. I use a 90lb barbell. The core workout is standing tall and resisting the weight pulling your to one side. 2 sets of 30 seconds.

11. Supine spine rotation. I like to call these windshield wipers. 3 sets of 10 reps.

12. BB rotation. Using a bar from a squat rack find a corner to put the base into. Then keeping your core contracted go side to side for three sets of 6 each side.

13. Woodchop (no rotation) . Using a cable machine attach a rope to the end of it. Then keeping your shoulders square, pull the cable from low to high in a straight line and then extend your inside hand up. Repeat for 3 sets of 6!

And that’s it! You are done! I like to finish each workout with a good meal or a smoothie and my body always feels better after doing a cold bath in one of our nice rivers or lakes!

Race Ski Testing 101

Posted on 05/03/2012 by Tyler Mearce

Spring is the time of the season that we begin testing skis and boots for the following season. Here are some key reasons why we stress testing now opposed to the summer time:

Snow: When testing products you should test it on a condition that is most similar to what you will be racing on during the season. This all revolves around the feel of the ski or boot. Depending on the condition you will find that there can be differences that will/can eventually add up to a time difference in the course and that can be the separation between you winning or losing.

Tune: Having the ability to test multiple different brands of products with the exact same Start Haus tune. This will result in you being eliminate the tune as being a variable in the test and making it easier for you to feel exactly how the ski feels.

Product: Ultimately you are testing skis or boots to see if you are faster than other brands. When you have the ability to test multiple different skis or boots in one day you are easily able to determine the differences between brands. This is easy because the snow conditions are the same, tune is the same and now the only differences will be product.

These three key elements are all necessary components to an effective test and deciding which brand is the best performing ski or boot for the athlete.

Ski camps will be taking place over the next few weekends through the Squaw Valley Race Program and Sugar Bow Ski Team; both camps will be open to all other programs as well. If you have any inquiries regarding these camps please contact Start Haus at 530.582.5781 or comment here and we will be happy to assist you the best we can.

Three easy tips to improve your pow skiing

Posted on 01/19/2012 by NASTC

Nothing is better than waking up and seeing 2 feet of fresh at lake level or the valley floor; especially this season! We’re all pretty comfortable with the light and fluffy stuff but sometimes when the “Pineapple Express” hits, the fresh snow can be dense and heavy. How do you approach these types of conditions? Here are three tips to help make your day more enjoyable if its not as light as you hoped:

1. Allow your skis to plane out of the snow, you may need to aim straight down the hill or at a diagonal to get some speed built up. It will help keep your skis on the surface.

2. Steer your feet and legs progressively, spend just a little more time in the fall line than what your instinct directs you to do. Big, aggressive twisting moves will bog you down and throw you off balance.

3. Shrink your turns to go slower and stretch out your turns to go faster, read the terrain and scope out your line, so you know where you will need to make adjustments to maintain fluidity and control.

And don’t forget to check out our selection of powder skis, all designed to make powder skiing easier and more fun with wide widths, rockered shapes and easier flex patterns: Shop Powder Skis

Tackling Man-made Snow

Posted on 01/02/2012 by NASTC

Skiing man-made snow is a far cry from those fluffy powder days that we dream about. But skiing firm man-made conditions can be fun too, especially when it’s the only snow around. The first thing you need is a good tune. Sharp edges and a smooth waxed base go a long way in these conditions. In order to take advantage of those sharp edges you gotta tip those skis over. Tipping action originates in the feet and ankles and then moves up the body to include the knees and hips – in that order. Practice rolling your feet and ankles side to side while standing in place, start mellow with just your feet and ankles, then work your way up the body. Next try gliding and tipping the ski side to side by initiating the movement pattern with the feet and ankles. The next move is to take the hill at a diagonal and practice rolling your feet down hill and back up hill as you go across the hill. Once you get comfortable with this move, try tipping the ski through a complete turn. If you ride the side cut of the ski without offering any guidance to turn shape from the legs, you are in for a very fast ride (depending on the radius of your ski). Tipping of the feet, legs and hips must be done in conjunction with guidance from the legs as to the designated arc path that the skis should follow. Good carving skills will give you more purchase on the slick man made snow surface.

Athlete’s Preferences for Parental Behavior During Competitiong

Posted on 12/12/2011 by Quincy

Parents often wonder what their role becomes when preparation for the race season is over and the competition season begins. New research published in the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology, investigates the athletes perspective on their parents behavior during competition. Competitive youth (age 12-15) tennis players were studied and although different from ski racing, the information has validity due to the ever present parent/athlete relationship in all youth sports. The findings are described below in order to guide parents to better understand what they can do help their child during the competition season.

Parents should focus on supporting the athlete’s involvement in the sport rather than the outcome of the competition. You want to give them support not put pressure on them . By focusing on the outcome(aka winning) the athlete may become nervous and their performance may decrease. In turn, this could make it even harder for them to focus on their next run or race.
Athletes don’t value technical or tactical tips from their parents if the parents have limited knowledge of the sport. Your athlete knows you are truing to help them but sometimes it just confuses the, causing lack of confidence in their own ability.
Athletes prefer feedback regarding effort and attitude. Athletes are aware when they don’t have their best race don’t need to be reminded by their parents that it was not their best.
Athletes notice when the tone of a parent’s voice does not match the comments made, or the body language. This may make the athlete feel under pressure and become distracted. By staying relaxed and showing support to your athlete they will relax and most likely their performance will improve.
Athletes expressed the need, and like when their parents provide practical support. Parents can help “prepare and recover” for their next race.

The relations between athlete and parent is always complex and the above findings are only a few suggestions to help athletes reach their potential. The most productive way to understand your athlete’s likes and dislikes during the race season is to simply talk about it. Ask your athlete about what helps them have the most confidence and have fun. By Helping them to achieve these two things the will be on their way to finding their potential!

Knight, C. J., Boden, C. M., & Holt, N.L. (2009) Junior Tennis Player’s Preferences for Parental Behaviors. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 22, 377-391.

Using the Ankle as a Hinge

Posted on 12/09/2011 by NASTC

It is important to maintain a centered stance over your skis to work the skis effectively. While standing on your skis on flat terrain, try moving your body forward and backward over the skis by using the ankle joint as hinge. This is how we want to re-center our center of mass over the skis. The goal is to maintain a perpendicular relationship of body to the skis. When approaching steep pitches it is natural to move your weight back because you are hesitant and maybe a little nervous. Unfortunately when this happens, you lose the ability to direct and work the ski effectively. You may find that you are suddenly going faster than you want and may be heading out of control. When skiing steeper pitches, concentrate on keeping your body perpendicular to the hill by hinging the body forward through the ankle joint, especially at the start of the turn. This will help to apply pressure on the front of your boots with your shins. The pressure on the front of your boots is conveyed to the tips or your skis and will allow you to control your skis with more precision. Skis are designed to perform best when strong forward pressure is applied to start the turn. It is amazingly easy to adjust the radius of your turns if your weight is centered over the skis. Don’t hesitate when you hit the steeps – be assertive, move your body down the hill and have fun.

Start Haus named one of the Country’s Best Boot Shops

Posted on 11/09/2011 by Tyler Mearce

What do most skiers say when they arrive at the Start Haus for their boot appointment? “Hey man, where are your boots?” Oh, there are plenty of boots—they just aren’t on display. The fact that there is no traditional boot wall in this race-focused bootfitting operation highlights the Start Haus philosophy that the boot-buying and bootfitting experience should be entirely athlete-based. Everything starts with an initial assessment of both the athlete’s performance needs and a close evaluation of their foot, lower leg and biomechanical range of motion that determine which boots will be considered for try-on. According to owner/operator and board-certified pedorthist Jim Schaffner, what starts with a bit of trepidation quickly turns to full cooperation as the shoes and socks come off. “We’re not about leading with specific products, instead we let the athlete’s story dictate the direction we go,” Schaffner said……..

Written By: Skiing Magazine

NASTC now an AIARE Avalanche Course Provider

Posted on 11/08/2011 by NASTC

Isn’t safety the #1 concern for all of us when it comes to skiing and riding in the slackcountry, sidecountry, or backcountry? True to NASTC standards, our avalanche instructors are of the highest quality, professionalism, and experience level. This is a 3-day education and certification class in which you earn your AIARE Level I (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education). It’s the minimum amount of know-how if you want to travel, ski, or ride out of bounds safely. There is time spent in the classroom and on the snow daily. Each year more resorts are lifting their boundary lines, allowing us to get to fresh snow and exciting terrain even after the resort itself is “skied out.”

However, the risk has never been greater. You need to know what you’re doing if you are heading out there. A friend may say, “oh I know some avalanche safety stuff…” but really? Do you want to rely on them, or have the knowledge yourself? In this course, among other skills you learn how to plan a trip, what are the “red flags,” how to recognize different types of avalanche terrain and avalanches, how to perform certain observations and snow safety tests, route finding and terrain management, and how to use your beacon.

So often accidents occur not as the result of one bad decision, but several. These human decision-making errors can be avoided. The snow science around avalanche education is truly fascinating, and the Level I curriculum has come a long way. The risk has never been greater, everyone is pushing the envelope. Get certified. You’ll enjoy it and be safer.

Dates for the NASTC AIARE Level I courses:
January 21-23 or February 11-13 $425 (includes instruction, AIARE fees, course manual and field notebook)

You can be an even better athlete this winter!

Posted on 10/24/2011 by NASTC

By: Chris Fellows

As director of the North American Ski Training Center and father of three active kids, I don’t have large chunks of time to spend in the gym. However my skiing performance and fitness is important to me. I’m guessing that’s the way you feel as a passionate skier too?

By staying healthy and fit throughout the season, I can provide my clients with solid skiing instruction and demonstrations and I can keep the wheels from coming off the cart mid-season due to overuse injuries, bad alignment, or illness due to lack of recovery time. Don’t forget well-fit boots and the right skis in your quiver complete the perfect relationship: good fitness, good equipment, and good technique = lots of fun, excellent skiing and reduced risk of injury. Thanks in advance for reading.

The following tips keep me moving athletically throughout the ski season and help prevent injury.

Exercise fads come and go. Make a commitment to keep fit and make exercise a part of your daily routine.
Posture, good or bad, can effect your athleticism. Pay attention to your sitting, standing, walking and exercising posture. Poor posture will result in poor performance; good posture will help you perform like a top athlete.
Focus on a strong core for stability and flexible hips for skiing mobility. Limited range of movement and weak core muscles can over-stress connective tissue. This will limit your performance and body durability.
In the winter, cold weather tells your body to pack on fat for survival. Don’t let it go too far. Eat fresh vegetables and fruits and don’t overdo the high carb foods. Diabetes runs in my family and I’ve seen the damaging effects of the disease. From a young age I have tried to eat healthy and exercise regularly.
The biggest technological breakthroughs in sports in the next decade will include advancements in human performance through food. This will come in the form of body enhancement foods or super foods. Like the tobacco industry 15 years ago, the food industry will be under the microscope over the next 20 years and will be expected to clean up its act. Athletes are ahead of the game and are adjusting their diets to exclude starches, sugars, industrial additives, pesticides and dyes. Athletes’ diets are rich in nutrients and proteins, like raw locally grown fruits and vegetables, nut, whole grains, yogurt and smaller portions of meat.
Change up your work out intensity. Mix up your high intensity days with low intensity days and don’t skimp on sleep for total body recovery.
Ski athletes focus on total body work outs. The best weight training program for ski athletes is NOT the muscle specific routines of bodybuilders, but instead sessions that work out the whole body.
Keep your aerobic engine active throughout the winter. You aerobic levels will slowly dwindle if you forget to get a run in, go for a cross-country ski or backcountry climb regularly. Your aerobic fitness is the furnace that fires your athletic abilities, without it you are running on fumes.
When crunched for time, up the intensity of your work out. Skip rope fast for ten minutes or do 100 split squats for a personal best time. High intensity workouts will force the issue and teach your body to adjust to high power output. Skiing is high power output.
Energize yourself with the youth! Work out with people younger than you. My kids force me out of my comfort zone. “Daddy try this trick on the tramp”, or “Dad, race me to that pole and shimmy to the top, let’s see who wins”. Younger partners will make you rise to a higher level of performance.

Most importantly, remember to have fun with your workouts. This is the single largest indicator that you will continue them regularly throughout the ski season and off-season.