The best skiers make moguls look effortless—but mastering them is a whole lot of work. Ski & Snowboard Team, told Outside. That means it requires intense precision and specific technique that you can really only build by spending time on the slopes.
That said, the sport also involves athletic components that can be trained in the gym—including trunk control, lower-body muscular endurance, and the ability to absorb and quickly redirect force, Beck said. Trunk control—which in mogul skiing is basically the ability to hold your torso still while your legs quickly and abruptly change directions—helps you ski efficiently and also protects the low back from taking on too much stress as your body pounds over the bumps, Beck explained. Muscular endurance in your legs, especially the quads, helps you maintain control and withstand the impact of all those bumps, Beck said.
It also allows you to complete run after run without burning out, she added. Lastly, being able to absorb and quickly redirect force allows you to execute the rapid changes in direction that are integral to mogul skiing, she said. With that in mind, Beck outlined seven exercises that together hit on these three aspects of fitness.
Incorporate them into your workout routine now to improve performance and minimize injury risk this mogul season. These exercises can help you improve trunk control, lower-body endurance, and your ability to absorb force. The two exercises below are in every program that Beck develops for her athletes, including professional skiers and Olympic medalists.
They work two different aspects of trunk control. The dead bug focuses on core stability, while the Pallof press helps you resist rotation through your torso. You can add the dead bug and Pallof press to any workout, either as part of your warm-up or just before your cooldown.
The following mini circuit workout helps build muscular endurance in the legs, especially the quads. For this group of exercises, perform each one in the order listed below for 30 seconds, moving from one exercise to the next without any breaks. After you’ve done all three, rest for 90 seconds, then repeat once more for two total rounds.
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