While your initial reaction to feeling rundown may be to skip your workout, don’t avoid the gym. Unless you’re sick or you’ve been overtraining, a truncated workout is better than nothing.

Ate

Start your workout with dynamic stretching. (). During your dynamic warm-up, you may start to feel more energized. If you feel up for a full workout at this point, go for it. If not, cut out any explosive or technique-intensive moves and dial down the intensity of your normal workout by decreasing sets, reps and weight.

A great way to avoid letting fatigue sidetrack your workout is to hit the gym in the morning. The day’s workload and stress hasn’t come into play yet, so you’ll be able to give your all in the gym. If an afternoon or evening workout is your only option, take periodic breaks from your desk, stay hydrated, and eat healthy snacks every 2 to 3 hours to keep your energy up throughout the day and increase your chance of making it to the gym.

— Kevin Elsey

Related Articles

The post Is it better to skip a workout or tone it down when I’m too tired? appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.

Along with avalanche training, a game plan, an experienced partner, and supplies, a fit body should be on your list of essentials for ski mountaineering. If you’re not in good enough shape, the trip could be treacherous and downright dangerous.

Ate

Here are a couple keys to focus on:

1. Your level of conditioning. This will have the most impact on your performance. Depending on the intensity of the exercise, your body uses different energy systems to supply power to your muscles. Improving these systems can help you avoid fatigue and build the power needed for quick reactions and difficult turns.

To condition all your body’s energy systems, perform an interval training session twice a week leading up to your trip. ().

2. Whether you’re Alpine skiing, telemarking, or snowboarding, single-leg strength and stability are crucial for navigating the climb and the descent. Use these moves:

• Split Squat – Back Foot Up: Place your back foot on a bench and step out into a lunge, holding dumbbells at arm’s length at your sides. Lower your hips toward the floor. Without letting your back knee touch the ground, return to the starting position by pushingwith your front leg.
• Box Blasts: Stand with one foot flat on a box, the other on the floor behind you, and your arms back with elbows bent to 90 degrees. Jump vertically by swinging your arms forward and exploding through your front hip, knee and ankle. Switch legs in midair so you land with the opposite foot on the box. Without pausing, repeat the movement, exploding back up with your opposite leg.

— Darcy Norman

Related Articles

The post What’s the key to training for ski mountaineering? appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.

Experienced endurance athletes can blast past plateaus with a few tweaks to their nutrition and training. Use these tips to set a new personal record:

Ate

Eat and drink more. To improve your performance and speed recovery, fuel your body with a pre- and post-workout snack. Choose snacks with 10 to 30 grams of protein and 30 to 90 grams of carbs (chocolate milk, toast with peanut butter). Also hydrate with 16 ounces of water two hours before you train and 6 to 8 ounces of water every 10-to-15 minutes during your session. For intense workouts lasting more than an hour, opt for 20 ounces of Gatorade.

Do massage on recovery days. The most important day of your week is your day off. In addition to plenty of downtime and light stretching, give yourself a massage. Using a foam roll or tennis ball, spend 30 to 60 seconds working through sore spots. This will help your body recover faster and perform better.

Change up your tunes. If you speed up the number of steps you take per minute, you can cover more ground in less time. You can use your favorite music to set a goal pace of about 90 steps per minute. Find a song that has 90 beats per minute (BPM) and practice running with the beat of the music. .

Train faster. If your training primarily focuses on long, slow runs, it’s time to vary your pace. Incorporating interval training can make you a stronger, more efficient runner. Twice a week, perform an interval training session. Click for a sample interval routine.

– Darcy Norman

Related articles

The post What is the easiest way to lower my marathon time? appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.

To set up a training plan, first determine how far or long you plan to walk each day during the event. For instance, if you have seven days to walk 200 miles, your training goal would be to build your work capacity—that is, the muscle endurance needed to walk for hours each day—up to about 28.5 miles a day. If you have a month, obviously you won’t need to walk as far each day. But sticking with the seven-day example, and assuming you have a good fitness base already and a month to prepare, try the walking schedule below. Then take a day or two off to rest prior to the big event.

Ate

Week 1
Monday – 20 miles
Tuesday – 10 miles
Wednesday – 20 miles
Thursday – 10 miles
Friday – 20 miles
Saturday – 20 miles
Sunday – off

Week 2
Monday – 25 miles
Tuesday – 15 miles
Wednesday – 25 miles
Thursday – 15 miles
Friday – 20 miles
Saturday – 25 miles
Sunday -off

Week 3
Monday – 30 miles
Tuesday – 15 miles
Wednesday – 30 miles
Thursday – 15 miles
Friday – 20 miles
Saturday – 30 miles
Sunday -10 miles

Week 4
Monday – 30 miles
Tuesday – 20 miles
Wednesday – 30 miles
Thursday – 20 miles
Friday – 30 miles
Saturday – 30 miles
Sunday – 10 miles

In addition to walking, aim to lift weights at least twice a week to build strength and stability, and help your body recover with daily massage and stretching sessions. You’ll also want to break in a few pair of shoes for the walk. For more race tips, visit .

– Paul Robbins, metabolic specialist for Core Performance

Related Articles

Want to learn more about how to get fit for backcountry hikes? Check out our online course on , where ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ+ members get full access to our library of more than 50 courses on adventure, sports, health, and nutrition.

The post How can I train for a long hike? appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.

Superb flexibility doesn’t necessarily make you more injury-prone unless you also lack stability. A combination of great mobility and poor stability is a recipe for injury because it’s harder to control your movement when you run or do any activity.

Ate

If you have Gumby-like flexibility, use it to your advantage by spending extra time working on the stability of your hips, torso, and shoulders—also known as your “pillar.” Every workout should include moves for your pillar like bridges and planks. For a routine to strengthen you pillar, check out these workouts at .

– Sue Falsone

Related articles

The post Can being super flexible make runners more prone to injury? appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.

Check with your doctor to see if it’s okay to swim. Doing the front stroke or back stroke is often okay with an MCL injury, but do not perform the breast stroke as it will stress the knee and exacerbate the injury.

If your doctor does not want you to swim and you can only do upper-body exercise, check for one of two bikes in your gym: An Airdyne or upper-body ergometer. The Air-Dyne has pegs that stick out on the front wheel where you can rest your feet and push and pull with your arms. The ergometer is an upper-body bicycle made specifically for your arms.

— Sue Falsone

Related articles

The post What aerobic workout can I do using only my upper body? appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.

Hiking up and skiing down is incredibly taxing on your body, requiring more strength, endurance, and power than skiing at a resort.

In the backcountry, you won’t have the luxury of taking a break and grabbing food in a lodge so plan your nutrition and hydration ahead of time. Also, in terms of your gym training, think about incorporating conditioning work into strength and power circuits. Here’s how:

• Perform full-body workouts in which you’re performing upper body, lower body, and explosive medicine ball moves in circuit fashion—that is, do one move after another with minimal rest between exercises. (For hundreds of moves, check out .)
• At the end of each circuit (say, 5 to 6 exercises), challenge your cardiovascular system with a minute bout of intense activity. For instance, you could walk or run on a treadmill set at a steep incline, or hop on an elliptical or bike at a heavy resistance and low RPMs, or do sled drags.
• Rest briefly and repeat the circuit 2-4 times.

This approach will help you maintain your strength and muscle endurance even after you become fatigued from the climbing and skiing.

— Craig Friedman

Related articles

The post What are the best exercises to get in shape for backcountry skiers? appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.

Start by adding jumping drills to your workouts twice a week using the schedule below. You’ll begin with drop squats and progress to more challenging movements once you’re comfortable with the technique.

The more technically difficult jumps pose greater challenges to your hips, knees, and torso, so become proficient before progressing in order to get the most benefit and reduce your risk for injury. You may feel like you’ve honed your mechanics after a few workouts or several weeks. So move at your own pace, but always focus on form.

Week 1-2 – Exercises: Drop Squat, Off Box Stabilization, Squat Jump – on-countermovement
Week 3-4 – Exercises: Off Box Stabilization, Squat Jump – Non-countermovement, Box Blast – Non-countermovement
Week 5-6 – Exercises: Box Blast – Non-countermovement, Squat Jump with Countermovement, Drop Squat to Jump and Stabilize

EXERCISE DETAILS

1. Drop Squat
How to: Stand tall with your arms bent and your forearms pointing straight up. Rapidly drop down into a squat by bending your knees, pushing your hips back and down, and throwing your elbows back behind you. Start with 1 set of 5 reps. .
Coaching Tip: Allow your feet to lift slightly off the floor as you squat.

2. Off Box Stabilization
How to: Stand on a box with your arms at your sides and your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Step off the box and land with your hips back and down, and arms pulled straight behind you. Repeat for a set of 5. .
Coaching Tip: Anticipate the ground and land softly with your chest up and hips back.

3. Squat Jump – Non-countermovement
How to: Stand tall with your hands behind your head and feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Drop your hips back and down into a squat position. Next, jump straight up, pulling your toes toward your shins in mid-air. Land in the squat position and pause. Stand and repeat the move for 1-2 sets of 5 reps. .
Coaching Tip: Land softly with your chest up and hips back. Stabilize yourself and reset before each repetition.

4. Box Blast – Non-countermovement
How to: Stand with one foot flat on a box and your elbows cocked back and bent to 90 degrees. Jump straight up, exploding through your front leg and swinging your arms up. Land softly with the same foot on the box. Do 1-2 sets of 5 reps with each leg. .
Coaching Tip: Think about moving through your hips and knees at the same time as you jump and land.

5. Squat Jump with Countermovement
How to: This move is similar to its non-countermovement counterpart. Stand tall with your arms bent in front of you. Squat back and down while drawing your arms behind you, and then immediately jump straight up, extending through your hips and swinging your arms forward. Land softly in a squat position, stand, and repeat the move. Perform 1-2 sets of 5 reps. .
Coaching Tip: Push your weight through the arches of your feet to explode up.

6. Drop Squat to Jump and Stabilize
How to: Begin by performing a drop squat (see above). Once you arrive in the squat position, without pausing, immediately leap straight up. Generate force by swinging your arms forward and extending through your hips, knees, and ankles. Land softly with your knees bent, hips back, and arms straight out behind you. Continue for 1-2 sets of 5 reps. .
Coaching Tip: Land in the same position as you take off, absorbing the forces through your hips.

–Craig Friedman

Related Articles

The post What’s the best exercise to improve my vertical? appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.

Muscles often tighten up because your body is trying to create stability where it’s lacking. For instance, you might think your hamstrings are tight, but the underlying issue could be an unstable core. So if you simply improve the flexibility of a tight muscle, you may actually be removing your body’s point of stability. As a result, your body can become more unstable, increasing your risk for injury.

Ate

In the case of your hamstrings, instead of only using traditional stretch-and-hold techniques, try performing dynamic movements that boost flexibility and challenge your stability at the same time. An active stretch like the Inverted Hamstring Stretch (see below) will lengthen your hamstrings while training the muscles around your hips and torso to keep you balanced. Add the Inverted Hamstring Stretch to your warm-up, and include Romanian Deadlifts in your strength routine to improve strength, stability, and flexibility.

Inverted Hamstring Stretch
Stand on your left leg with your arms raised out at your sides. Keeping your back flat, slowly bend forward at your waist while reaching your right heel back and toward the sky. Pause when you feel a stretch in the back of the upper thigh of your down leg, then return to the starting position and repeat. Do 4-5 repetitions on each leg. .

Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
This movement is similar to the Inverted Hamstring Stretch, but hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs with straight arms. Do 2-3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions with each leg. .

– Sue Falsone

Related Articles

The post How can I improve hamstring flexibility? appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.

You have a lot to react to as a goalie. To train for it, let’s start with simple off-the-field drills and then progress to more complex drills.

Here’s a sample progression:

1. To begin, stand facing a wall. Have a teammate stand behind you and throw a tennis ball off the wall so it comes back toward you quickly. Your training partner can change the speed and angle of the throw to keep it challenging.
The benefit: This drill works on developing hand-eye coordination to speed up your reaction time. It takes you out of the game in a sense, since you’re not reacting to athletes but focusing on the ball and how you move to it from different directions.

2. Repeat the same drill, but this time set up so that you can cover more ground, taking a step or two in either direction to reach the ball. Mix it up so that you start in different positions, such as lying on the ground. Or try it with a lacrosse ball and stick instead of the tennis ball.
The benefit: In a game, you have to recover quickly, transitioning from off-balance positions to react to the ball. This will begin to prepare you to transition from one position to another when you’re out on the field.

3. Continue working on the same drill, shifting your weight from side to side to become comfortable changing direction. Crank up the challenge by increasing the complexity of your starting position. For instance, try doing for 4-6 seconds before your partner throws the tennis ball.
The benefit: You’ll teach your brain and body to work together, linking hand-eye coordination work to a drill that helps you stay aware of your posture while performing dynamic movements.

4. Ready to step it up? Go outside, set up agility cones in a shape, and repeat the base pogos, but this time have your partner point to various cones or tell you which cone to move to so you’re reacting to what you see and hear. .
The benefit: This adds an element of conditioning to an already challenging reaction drill. It’ll help you improve reaction time and fitness with a fun drill.

More from Core Performance

The post What exercises will help improve my reaction time as a lacrosse goalie? appeared first on ¹ú²ú³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Online.