What You Are Missing in Your Ski Prep: Outer Hip Strength and Jump Training
Skiing is a multidimensional sport that demands a unique blend of strength, balance, agility, and coordination. Among the many physical attributes crucial for skiing, the outer hip muscles as well as jump training play vital roles in enhancing performance and preventing injuries this ski season. In this blog, we’ll explore why training the outer, lateral hip and exposing yourself to jumping is essential, and three levels of exercise you can incorporate into your training to address deficits in these areas.
Understanding the Lateral Hip Muscles
The lateral hip muscles primarily include the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae. These muscles are critical for stabilizing the pelvis and controlling hip movement. During skiing, they help maintain balance and proper alignment of the trunk, pelvis and knee while navigating turns and absorbing shock from varied terrain. This is why the lateral hip is crucial for preventing knee injuries.
The Importance of Jump Training
In addition to lateral hip strength, jump training is crucial for skiers. Jump training focuses on developing explosive strength and power. Being able to generate explosive power is vital for initiating turns and launching off terrain features. Maintaining a strong relationship between the core and leg muscles during jumping are essential for powerful movements in skiing - like change in direction.
Jump training improves agility, coordination and exposes your body to these movements before faced with sudden changes in terrain or unexpected obstacles on the mountain. Proper jump training also emphasizes landing technique, which teaches the body how to absorb impact efficiently. This skill is crucial for maintaining control during jumps, landings and sharp changes in direction on the slopes. If we can expose our body to these movements in a controlled way first, we can enhance confidence, stability and reduce the risk of injuries while skiing. Simply put, stronger muscles and more agile bodies are better equipped to handle the stresses and impacts of skiing.
The Risks of Neglecting These Areas of Training
Neglecting lateral hip strength and jump training can lead to various issues:
Injury: Weak lateral hip muscles and inability to control a landing or generate power can lead to compensatory movement patterns that increase the risk of injuries such as IT band syndrome, patellar tendinitis, and ACL injuries.
Poor Performance: Insufficient strength and/or power in the lateral hips and legs can lead to diminished control on the slopes, reducing overall performance and enjoyment.
Imbalances: A lack of focus on these areas of training can create muscular imbalances, leading to poor biomechanics, which can also ultimately lead to injury.
Incorporating Outer Hip and Jump Training into Your Ski Prep
Here are some effective exercises, levels 1-3, for the lateral hip and to initiate your jump training:
*It is important to note that this is not an exercise prescription for any particular diagnoses and is not suggested if you’re having pain with any of these movements. If you have pain, consider seeing one of our doctors for an assessment and more individualized treatment plan.
Level 1:
Side Lying Leg Lifts - Hip Abduction
Lie on your side with your legs stacked. Lift the top leg up and slightly back to target the side glute. Slowly lower it back down.
Repeat 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions per side
Static Lateral Lunge
Spread the feet wide and keep them in place throughout the exercise. Focus on sitting the hips back as you lunge and avoid the knee collapsing in towards the big toe
Repeat 3 rounds of 8-10 repetitions per side, adding weight as able
Side Lying Elevated Foot Clamshells
Lie on your side with your knees bent to about 90 degrees. Keeping your feet together lift the top knee while keeping the hips stacked without rolling back as you lift.
Repeat 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions per side.
Side Plank on the Knees
Be sure the hips are in line with the knees and shoulder and rotate the bottom hip up slightly to feel more activation in the side glute
Repeat 8-10 repetitions of 10-20 second holds per side, increasing hold time as able
Double Legged Squat Jumps
Focus on a soft, quiet landing without the knees collapsing inward. Progress by doing quarter turn landings to challenge your agility or increase the height of your jump
Repeat 3 rounds of 6-10 jumps
Level 2:
Standing Resisted Hip Abduction
Keep the core engaged and the standing knee slightly bent as you press the heel back at about a 45 degree angle to feel the corner of the glute. Do not allow the band to pull the standing knee inward - pressing the standing knee out will allow you to also feel the glute working on the standing side
Repeat 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions per side
Lateral Lunges
Start with the feet together so you are stepping to the side into the lunge. Continue to focus on sitting the hips back and avoiding the knee collapsing in towards the big toe
Repeat 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions per side, adding weight as able
Quadruped Clam Shell - Firehydrants
Keep the low back flat and the hips level to maintain good core engagement as the knee lifts. Lift the knee back at a 45 degree angle to feel the back corner of the glute. Progress with longer holds in the lifted position
Repeat 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions per side
Resisted Clam Shell Plank
Set up your side plank the same as before, but now with a band. Keep the hips high as you keep the feet together and press the top knee into the band
Repeat 8-10 repetitions of 10-20 second holds per side, increasing hold time as able
Lateral Bounding - Skaters
Jump sideways from one leg to the other, mimicking a skating motion. Continue to focus on a soft, quiet landing without the knee collapsing inward. Progress by increasing the distance between bounds or reaching down to the floor with each hop. This exercise targets both lateral hip strength and explosive power.
Repeat 3 rounds of 6-10 jumps per side
Level 3:
Single Leg RDLs with Opposite Side Weight
Use weight in the opposite hand of the working leg to challenge the standing side outer glute. Work on keeping the hips level and the low back straight
Repeat 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions per side
Curtsy Lunges
Cross one leg behind you into a lunge, but focus on keeping your standing knee still pressed out to the side to emphasize the outer glute
Repeat 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps per side
Standing Resisted Clam Shell
Keep the standing knee pressed out into the band to work both the standing outer hip and the moving outer hip
Repeat 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per side
Side Plank with Rotation
Keep the hips high to emphasize obliques in coordination with the outer hip
Repeat 2-3 sets of 6-8 rotations per side
90 and 180 Degree Single Leg Hops
Jump in 90 to 180 degree turns, from one leg to the other. Pause with each soft landing to catch your balance before pushing off again. Focus on hips staying back and controlling your knee. This exercise targets both lateral hip strength and explosive power.
Repeat 3 rounds of 6-10 jumps per side
Conclusion
Training the lateral hip and incorporating jump training are both fundamental components of a skier’s fitness regimen. Strong lateral hip muscles and explosive power not only enhance performance on the slopes but also will significantly reduce your risk of injury this winter. By integrating specific exercises that target these areas, you can improve your stability, agility, and overall technique. As you gear up for the ski season, make both lateral hip and jump training priorities in your preparation to unlock your full potential on the mountain. Happy skiing!