Workout Of The Week 12/12/14 by Jenny Wolfrom

With just about 12 days until the big holiday, it seemed appropriate to program in a 12 days of Christmas themed workout to help you get a head start on burning off those cookies and candy canes. With some extra time off around the holidays, you may find yourself heading out for a ski tour on Teton Pass, a snowshoe with the family, or a skate ski up Cache. The stamina workout below is designed to help you train both mentally and physically for activities that require increased endurance and cardio-vascular strength. In-gym stamina sessions elevate the heart rate and minimize resting time, while increasing muscular strength and encouraging mental toughness- something that is heavily tasked on a challenging tour, ski, or hike.

The stamina session for Friday focuses on light weight, high volume exercises that work all the major muscle groups that are used in endurance activities. We’ll end the workout with a session of Hamstring Hell, a move that strengthens your hamstrings without putting a lot of pressure on your knees or back. Many snow-sports enthusiasts are what we refer to as quad dominant athletes, meaning their quads and hipflexors (front of the legs) are stronger than the hips and glutes. This imbalance can be a recipe for serious injury. Hamstring Hell helps to strengthen the posterior chain, creating more stability in your lower body and reducing stress on your knees, specifically your ACL while going downhill.

5 Minutes ladder drills

12x Hippity Hops

11x Calf Raises

10x Weighted Sit Ups