Free Ski Strength & Conditioning Program

How this ski training program works

Every week has the same four days: lower body strength on Monday, upper body and intervals on Tuesday, accessory work and long easy cardio on Thursday, and jumps, single-leg work and a "ski legs" finisher on Saturday. What changes is how heavy you lift, how fast you move and how long the easy cardio goes.

Weeks 1 to 4: Foundation

Moderate weights with a slow 3-second lower on the leg lifts, 2-minute intervals and 30 to 40 minutes of easy cardio. You learn the lifts and build the base everything else stacks on.

Weeks 5 to 8: Strength and Control

Heavy sets of 3 to 5 reps, a 4-second lower on Bulgarian split squats (sorry in advance), 4-minute intervals and up to 55 minutes of easy cardio.

Weeks 9 to 12: Power and Ski Legs

Lifting for speed, broad jumps, 1-minute intervals and 90-second to 2-minute "ski runs" for your legs. Week 12 is a taper, so you show up to opening day fresh instead of fried.

Why it's built this way

A ski day is hours of bent-knee work broken up by hard bursts. In one small study, recreational skiers averaged about 77% of their max heart rate over 75 minutes and hit close to max on the hard sections. Your quads spend a lot of that time holding and lowering, not pushing. So the program builds three things: a big aerobic engine, legs that can control a load on the way down, and enough strength for when the snow gets weird.

Straight talk on injuries: getting stronger makes skiing better, but nobody has proven that preseason training prevents ski injuries. The two things with the best evidence happen outside the gym. Get your bindings checked by a certified shop every season, and learn how to fall. The program covers both, and every source is listed in the back.

Who built this

I'm Anders Boyd, owner and head coach at Alpine Powerhouse in Reno. I came up as a college athlete and then worked on a wildland fire handcrew, where fitness isn't about how you look. It's about hiking all day under a load and still having legs at the end. Skiing asks for a lot of the same stuff.

Last year I gave a talk at Patagonia on strength and conditioning for skiers. This program is the plan I'd hand anyone in that room who wanted something they could start on Monday.

Free sample: Week 1, Day 4

Here's a full Saturday from Week 1 so you know what you're signing up for.

Warm-up, 2 rounds

• 2:00 easy bike

• 8 each leg swings, front to back and side to side

• 4 each inchworm to world's greatest stretch

• 10 each mini-band monster walk

Strength

• A1) 4x3 Box Jump, step down. Rest 1:30

• B1) 3x8 each Split Squat, 3 sec lower @ RIR 3

• B2) 3x8 each Single-Leg RDL @ RIR 3. Rest 1:30

• C1) 3x40 yd Suitcase Carry, each hand. Rest 1:00

Finisher: "Mogul Legs," 5 rounds

• :40 wall sit

• 8 each skater hops, stick each landing for 1 sec

• 1:00 rest

RIR 3 means you stop with about 3 good reps left in the tank. The wall sit burns like the bottom of a long groomer. That's the point.

Questions people ask

Is it really free?

Yep. Your first name and email get you all 12 weeks as a PDF. No credit card, no trial that turns into a charge.

When should I start training for ski season?

About 12 weeks before your first ski day. If the lifts open before you finish, keep going. Ski days count as conditioning, so skip that week's Thursday easy cardio.

How many days a week, and how long?

Four days, about an hour each. Thursday stretches to 60 to 90 minutes as the easy cardio gets longer. If a week only gives you three days, drop Tuesday.

What are the best exercises for skiing?

There isn't one magic lift. You want strong legs and hips you can control on one leg, the ability to absorb a landing, and a big aerobic base. That's why the program rotates heavy lower body lifts, split squats, single-leg RDLs, jumps and carries across the week instead of hammering one exercise.

Do I need a fancy gym?

Nope. A barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, a box, a pull-up bar, a band and a bike or rower. There's a swap for everything, and you don't need a sled or a ski erg.

I don't live in Reno. Can I still use this?

Yes. It works in any normal gym, anywhere. Whether you ski Tahoe every weekend or take one big trip a year to Utah or Colorado, the plan is the same.

I ski backcountry. Does this work for me?

Yes. The backcountry add-on takes the long cardio day uphill with your pack and adds an easy weekend hike. It gets your legs ready, not your judgment, so take an avalanche course too.

Will this keep me from blowing out a knee?

Nobody can promise that, and you should be suspicious of anyone who does. We borrow the landing, single-leg and hamstring work that cuts ACL injuries by about half in field and court sports, because the mechanics overlap. That's a reasonable bet for skiing, not proof.

Can I do this with a coach?

Absolutely. Train it in our small-group classes in Reno (five people max), 1:1, or with online coaching from anywhere. We're at 903 E 4th St, a short drive from Mt. Rose and the rest of the Tahoe resorts.