Jim Galanes on why a training year should change the dose of aerobic, threshold, VO2max, speed and strength work, and never remove any one of them entirely.
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This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers. If you value coverage like this, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription. Part two of a two-part series. Read part one here. A parent once cornered Adam St. Pierre to complain that he was letting the kids play games. St. Pierre had ten-year-olds on skis running sharks and minnows, shrieking and chasing each other across the snow, and the parent was...
Inside the Masters Skier’s Training Equation: Recovery, Strength, and the End of Hero Workouts
Jim GalanesMay 29, 2026
This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers. If you value coverage like this, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription. A Different Equation Masters’ athletes are often told to “train smarter, not harder,” or the current version: “Go easy on the endurance sessions so you can go hard on the intense sessions.” Those phrases get repeated so often they’ve lost context and meaning. But there is a real physiological reason...
Ask most endurance athletes what quality they’d like to develop in their sport, and many would say “I want to be stronger.” Ironic, then, because “stronger” means different things to different athletes. To one, it means durable: able to withstand continued stresses and discomforts. To another, it means powerful: able to generate greater force in less time. To still another, it means actually stronger: able to move a heavier weight (regardless of the speed of the movement)....
Cross country ski trails—and the grooming strategies that prepare those trails for race events—have changed dramatically in recent seasons, especially since artificial snow became commonplace at Nordic venues. Commensurately, skiing speeds have increased, and so has the reliance on upper body power for propulsion. This has been most visible in classic skiing where technique zones are put in place down to the junior level to ensure that striding remains part of the sport. These changes...
Introducing a New Series: Ask the PT
Rachel PerkinsJanuary 19, 2022
When I began skiing halfway through high school, I remember my coach telling our team that cross-country skiing was a “lifelong sport”. Now, more than a decade and a half later, I don’t have to look far to see the truth in that statement. While out for a ski on local trails, I might see a 65 year old retiree who is training for the Korteloppet, a 50 year old former bike racer who has...
Building a Better Skier Part 4: The Shoulder
Ned DowlingAugust 30, 2021
This is Part 4 of a series delving into how biomechanics and movement patterns affect skiing technique. If you haven’t already, start with the introduction, Part 1 which introduces the concept of a neutral spine posture, Part 2 which describes spine stability and mobility, and Part 3 on single limb stability. ——————————————– Upper body power is a major contributor and perhaps even a determinant of cross country skiing performance. Poling accounts for up to 60%...
This is Part 3 of a series delving into how biomechanics and movement patterns affect skiing technique. If you haven’t already, start with the introduction, Part 1 which introduces the concept of a neutral spine posture, and Part 2 which describes spine stability and mobility. The ability to balance and be stable on one leg is where the rubber meets the road (or ski hits the snow). True, we generate propulsion with strength and endurance,...
Making a Healthy Transition to Running as the Seasons Change with Jessica Yeaton
Rachel PerkinsApril 30, 2021
Last year at this time, I was primarily gym-ridden. After roughly five months on snow, my fitness was high but my tolerance for the impact and specific demands of running were low. Throwing better judgement to the wind, I gave in to the allure of warm days, rapidly drying trails, and beloved road loops around town, and paid the price. Despite running between zero and ten miles total between December and the end of February,...
Developing Single-Leg Stability for Improved Glide
Rachel PerkinsDecember 11, 2020
If you’ve found your way here, you are likely familiar with the three tenets of cross country skiing: push off, weight transfer, and glide. Whether it’s diagonal stride in the track or V2 on the corduroy, your ability to experience a complete weight transfer, ride a flat ski, and carry momentum is heavily dependent on the stability of your standing leg. Why is developing that balance and stability a challenge? For those who choose...
Wednesday Workout: Strong From Home with Carolyn Parker of the Ripple Effect Training Center
Rachel PerkinsApril 29, 2020
Like many mountain towns, Carbondale, Colorado is a magnet for athletes. The definition of that word is used broadly — though there are plenty, it is not just home to the uber endurance junkie. Within 30 miles, you can find world-class rivers for whitewater kayaking or fly fishing, five ski resorts, a variety of rock climbing and bouldering objectives, and miles of single track to be run, hiked, or ridden. With this unbelievable backyard, we...
A new reality is setting in. As a nation, we are isolating ourselves at home, minimizing our contact with others to flatten the curve. Depending on your geographical location, you may still have access to scarcely populated nearby ski trails, routes to run, or bike paths to ride while still socially distancing. However, with schools closed, gyms shut down, and the challenges of working remotely, you may be finding that maintaining your usual exercise routine...
VERNON, British Columbia — There are a lot of master blasters who are training hard all year. There are a lot less that progress from one season to the next. This strength program is designed to help one group of masters ski faster as they age. Eric de Nys, the program director and head coach at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club (who previously
Wednesday Workout: Killer Ski-Specific Strength with the HardCore Training Center
FasterSkierMay 23, 2018
This week’s workout comes from Bill Nurge, head coach and owner of the Click on this link for more information. *** You can blame Matt Liebsch for this workout … and for making me a better skier! Last August, my wife and I joined Coach Matt, and 25 other nordic tribe-mates, on the Haig Glacier for what turned out to be a bucket-list topper in every regard. One of the biggest takeaways from skating a dozen...
Wednesday Workout: Change Up Your Strength Routine (Videos)
Peter MindeSeptember 20, 2017
Whether you’re an elite athlete or a master blaster, you want to be strong enough to ski at your fastest in your target event. If strength training isn’t part of your training plan, you’re missing an important fitness component. “Functional training is considered to be training that attempts to mimic the specific physiological demands of real-life activities.” — Ives et al., Psychophysics in Functional Strength and Power Training (February 2003) There are many great fundamental...
Editor’s note: This week’s workout was submitted by a company specializing in performance training. We were not paid for this, but chose to run it based on its merit and anticipated value to readers. *** Race-Season Prep: Building the Posterior Chain Race season is here! Are you ready for explosive, double-pole starts and mid-race attacks? How about sprint finishes? With race season already firing up across most of North America, SISU Strong wants to make sure you’re...
US Biathlon's Tim Burke leaves nothing up to chance as he preps for the upcoming race season. The 34-year-old team veteran recently explained he's not averse to double pole training and has been perfecting his shooting from one of the Jedis of American sport shooting.
One of APU's newest members, Chelsea Holmes explains what exactly she does for strength training and how she tackles her weaknesses. "My strength sessions often address numerous muscle groups and modes of training and development within a single session," she says.
In her first year of dental school, Audrey Weber, 27, has less time for ski-specific training and instead shifted her focus to the gym, where she's found success with CrossFit. "Currently, I am 13 months into my own personal case study called, 'How Fit Can an Ex-Cross Country Ski Racer Stay on Four Hours of Training Per Week?' " she says. "Some preliminary results are in, and the findings are quite interesting." she says.
Wednesday Workout: Perfect the Pullup
Alex KochonOctober 2, 2013
Pull-ups are one of those strength tests as old as time that most of us want to accomplish at some point in our lives. If you're already there, great, but there's probably room to improve or bust out more repetitions. Never done one before? Now's your chance.