Wednesday Workout: Power Endurance with Team Hardwood

This week’s strength workout comes from Team Hardwood Head Coach and Technical Director Ron Howden. Based in Barrie, Ontario, Hardwood consists of “45 national-level skiers to high school and elementary skiers who all have a passion for the sport,” Howden writes. Submit your own workouts to info@fasterskier.com with the subject line: ‘Wednesday Workout’.

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Team Hardwood demo video

This is a Power Endurance and intensity workout combined; the athletes love to do this workout as a group as it really challenges them. We have designed this to build on the previous strength and Zone 3 intensity workout we have done through the summer. Athletes have all said after a couple of weeks, they feel more powerful and learn to pace themselves and work through pain in their upper body and legs. The goal of the workout is to get them ready for more specific strength when the snow arrives.

Start: with a 20-minute warmup: 10 minutes on the Ski Erg and a 10-minute run. Then 10 minutes of dynamic stretches.

Once warmed up and good to go: Do 2-4 sets of the following depending on the athletes’ age and development:

– 3 minutes on the Ski Erg at Zone 3 (as shown in video above)

– 1 min. weighted step ups (see video above)

– 1 min. weighted walking lunges

– 1 min. lateral steps over boxes

– 1 min. weighted step ups

– 3 min. rest

Tips:

1. During the 3 minutes on the Ski Erg, you want to look at the average watts and encourage athletes to pull the max possible in 3 minutes without sacrificing technique and to maintain that for 4 sets. In the beginning they will pull hard for 1 set then tail off, as they get better the will learn how to pace themselves to pull hard for 3 minutes.
2. We put mirrors in front and to the sides of the Ski Erg, it helps them ski with good technique and focus on the pacing and not on the digital display.
3. When they are doing legs we use weight vests rather the dumbbells.

It’s a great workout and the first time will take a bit to recover from, but after one or two workouts they will feel tired at the time but will be ready for training the next day.

About Team Hardwood:
With its base at Hardwood Ski and Bike north of Toronto, Team Hardwood is one of Ontario’s most successful developmental cross country ski racing clubs. Its athletes regularly progress to Canada’s national development centres and university teams. It includes current NST member Lenny Valjas and several top Junior and National Talent Squad skiers on its roster for the 2014-2015 season.