A little work now. More to bring to the mountain.
Squats, single-leg hinges, side-to-side work, calves, core, and time outside. Four weeks of the basics Tomas does before every season: two short strength sessions a week, a couple of outings, and a little more each week. Nothing fancy. Your legs will thank you on the first long run down.
Start where you are.
All you need is a bit of clear floor, a mat if you like, and a chair or wall for balance. No weights to start.
Work at a steady effort: finish each set feeling like you had two or three good reps left. The goal is to show up on opening day with legs that hold a stance all morning, not to wreck yourself in November.
Your week, with room around it.
| Day | The plan |
|---|---|
| Monday | Warm up → optional jump practice → strength routine → easy walk to finish. |
| Tuesday | 20 minutes of comfortable biking or brisk walking. Shorten it if needed. |
| Wednesday | Rest, or an easy stroll. |
| Thursday | Repeat Monday’s routine, without jump practice at first. |
| Friday | Rest. Get the weekend kit together. |
| Weekend | One 20–30 minute walk, ride, or easy local hike. Keep the other day open for recovery. |
Move days around to fit your week; just keep a day between strength sessions. Missed one? Skip it and carry on. No doubling up.
First, get moving.
Five minutes of easy walking, marching, or spinning. Then a few shallow squats, hip hinges, calf raises, and side-to-side weight shifts. You’re just waking things up.
Doing jumps? Do them now, while you’re fresh. Otherwise go straight to the strength work.
Optional / before strength
A little spring. A quiet landing.
Skiing is a lot of absorbing: bumps, rollers, the little drop at the bottom of a glade. Small jumps teach your legs to land softly. New to jumping? Stick with controlled squats and side steps for now. The routine works fine without them.
Start with 2 sets of 3 small vertical jumps, once a week. Jump from both feet and land on both feet, with knees following the toes. Pause for 2–3 seconds after every landing to settle and reset. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets, or longer until ready.
Once those feel easy, swap in small two-foot hops side to side: three hops per set, alternating direction. Keep it small for these four weeks. No boxes, no extra height.
Jump on a nonslip surface with room around you. Stop when landings get loud or sloppy, and skip jumps on days you’re sore. No-jump option: two sets of three controlled side steps each way.
The Treeskier routine / week one
Five moves. Done well.
Do 2 sets of each exercise below. Finish both sets of one move before going to the next. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets and exercises; take longer if your breathing or technique needs it. For single-leg work, complete both sides before resting.
The drawings show the shape of each move, not how deep you have to go. Move smoothly; slow is fine.
01 / Squat.
2 sets × 8 reps
Stand about hip-to-shoulder width apart. Bend at the hips and knees, keeping your heels down and knees tracking with your toes. Lower only as far as you can control, then stand.
On skis: This is your athletic stance. Stronger quads and glutes mean you can stay low through a long run without your thighs giving out by lunch.
Make it easier: Use a shallower range or sit to a stable chair and stand.
02 / Single-leg RDL.
2 sets × 6 reps per side
Soften the standing knee. Send the other leg back as you hinge at the hip; keep your back long and hips facing the floor. Return slowly. Six on one side, then six on the other.
On skis: Skiing is a one-legged sport. Most of your weight rides the outside ski in every turn, so single-leg balance and strong hamstrings pay off on every run.
Make it easier: Keep the back toes down in a staggered stance, or use a stable support.
03 / Lateral lunge.
2 sets × 6 reps per side
Take a wide stance. Sit into one hip and bend that knee while the other leg stays long. Push back to the middle, then switch. One left plus one right counts as one rep on each side.
On skis: Edge to edge. Pushing off sideways and sinking into one hip is the motion of linking turns, and it builds the inner-thigh strength that keeps your knees steady.
Make it easier: Start shallow. Reduce the stance width if you cannot keep both feet grounded.
04 / Calf raise.
2 sets × 10 reps
Use both feet. Rise onto the balls of your feet, pause briefly, then take about two seconds to lower. Keep ankles from rolling outward.
On skis: Your ankles make constant small corrections inside the boot. Strong calves help you stay balanced over the middle of the ski.
Make it easier: Hold a wall or stable chair. Use a smaller comfortable range.
05 / Forearm plank.
2 sets × 15–20 seconds
Place elbows under shoulders and extend the legs. Hold a long line through your trunk while breathing normally. End the hold when your hips sag or you cannot maintain the position.
On skis: A steady core keeps your upper body quiet while your legs do the work. That’s half the secret to looking smooth in bumps and trees.
Make it easier: Put your knees on the floor. Keep the same shoulder and trunk position.
Finish with a few minutes of easy walking, and jot down what you did. Already on a full-body program? Swap this in for your leg day rather than adding it on top.
Bike. Hike. Take a brisk walk.
Pick two outings you’ll actually do: a ride, a brisk walk, an easy hike. Go at a pace where you can still talk. A flat loop around the neighborhood counts.
Make the weekend one a good one. Fall in the Northwest is short and beautiful, and the trails are quiet. The in-between season has ideas.
Four weeks. One change at a time.
Move up only when both sessions felt controlled and you’d recovered before the next one. Otherwise repeat the week. The weeks are steps, not deadlines.
| Week | What changes |
|---|---|
| 01 / Learn | Use the starting routine: 2 sets, 8 squats, 6 RDLs and lunges per side, 10 calf raises, 15–20-second planks. Keep both outings comfortable. |
| 02 / Repeat | Keep strength and jumps unchanged. If recovered, add 5 minutes to just one cardio outing. |
| 03 / Build | Keep 2 sets. If ready, use 10 squats, 8 RDLs and lunges per side, 12 calf raises, and 20–25-second planks. Keep cardio and jumps unchanged. |
| 04 / Settle | Repeat week three. If still recovering well, add 5 minutes to the other cardio outing. No extra sets or jump repetitions. |
After four weeks, keep going at the level that feels good. Once the season starts, count a ski day as a hard workout and ease off around it, and don’t try a big new session the day before your first day.
Your session note
Date: __________ Week: ____ Sets / reps completed: __________
Variation used: ____________________ Effort: easy / moderate / hard
How I felt next day: ____________________ Next time: repeat / reduce / progress
Next, give the equipment an evening too: the first-storm gear check.