Nordic skiing is tough!  Much of the time we only talk about alpine skiing or snowboarding. If you haven’t tried it cross-country skiing deserves a look. This brings me to the “Get Your Back Into It” workout.  Nordic skiers require very strong and powerful back muscles to propel them through their course. They must also be able to sustain long bouts of muscle use or what is technically known as “muscular endurance”.  For those of you not familiar with Nordic skiing, imagine pushing yourself to the ski lifts but the lift is 5 miles away.  Now that’s some serious work!

The primary muscles that are engaged in Nordic skiing vary depending on your method; classical or skate skiing.  For this article I am going to focus on the muscles that both forms utilize.  The lats (the big muscles that look like wings if they are well developed) the mid trap muscles (thick muscles that help depress the scapula), the rhomboids (deep muscles that kick in both before and after other back muscles fatigue) and the erector spinae muscles (low back).

Get Your Back Into It
The Workout

Sets: 3-4
Repetitions: 5-15 or 1-2 minutes depending on exercise
Number of Exercises: 4
Rating of Perceived Exertion or “RPE”: 7-9
Frequency: Once a week
Number of Weeks: 4

I suppose you’re wondering what all the jibber jabber above means?  If you have read my articles before then you probably have a good idea, but for those who haven’t let’s recap.

Set: A group of repetitions.  There are typically 1 to 50 or more repetitions in one set.

Repetitions: The full completion (or partial in some cases) of an exercise movement.  For example in a biceps curl, you start with your arm full extended at your side with a dumbbell in your hand.  You then bend the elbow curling the weight upwards toward the upper portion of the body.  That follows with lowering the weight back to its original position.  That is considered one repetition.

Number of Exercises: This simply refers to the number of exercises you will be performing in any given workout.  For example, in this workout you will be performing four exercises.  The straight-arm pulldown on a bosu ball, the lat pulldown, the deadlift, and back extensions.

RPE: Otherwise known as rating of perceived exertion, the RPE is used to define your intensity level.  For example an RPE of 1 would mean you have turned into a couch potato.  An RPE of 10 would mean you are trying to beat the words best triathelete.  For this workout I recommend an RPE of 7-9.  Why the range?  When training for power you want to complete the repetitions quickly and explosively.  Therefore using a maximal weight that you have to move slowly is not advantageous.  For this reason an RPE of 7 which allows you to choose a weight that you can comfortably perform the suggested number of repetitions, however still have 3 –5 left at the end of the set.  An RPE of 9 means you are close to maximal effort.  Anytime I recommend a 10, it normally means you will need a spot, because you won’t have one ounce of strength or energy left at the end.

Frequency: The frequency refers to the amount of times you will be “getting your back into it” during the week.  For example, this workout requires one day per week of your time.  That doesn’t mean you should only workout once a week.  It simply means that this workout is done only once per week.

Number of Weeks:  Should be self-explanatory.  You will be performing this workout for four weeks.

Below you will find the specific exercises and their corresponding repetitions, sets, RPE, etc….  Have fun!

Back Extension
Sets: 3
Repetitions: 12-15
RPE: 9

Exercise Description

1. Begin by lying flat on your stomach, relaxing the arms and legs.
2. Slowly extend the arms and legs upward toward the ceiling.  You should feel your glutei muscles and lower back muscles flexing.
3. After completing the movement, slowly let your body relax to a flat starting position.
4. Repeat for the suggested number of repetitions

Straight Arm Pulldown
Sets: 4
Repetitions: 1 minute
RPE: 8

Exercise description

1. Begin with the Bosu Ball flat side up.  Stand on the ball and get comfortable with your balance.
2. Contract the abdominals while beginning to pull the band toward your midsection. Maintaining straight arms, keep pulling with your lat muscles.  Extend the arms beyond your glutes to get a full contraction of the lat muscles.
3. Return to the beginning of the movement by slowly releasing the bands to their initial position.  Motion is stopped just before your muscles relax.

Lat Pulldown
Sets: 3
Repetitions: 8-10
RPE: 9

Exercise description

1. Seated on a lat pull-down machine, lean back from the hips.
2. Grip the bar with your hands positioned about 6 inches outside the shoulders.
3. Contract the abdominals while beginning to pull the bar down. Keeping your arms straight, begin to pull the arms toward your body.
4. Continue as far as you can control.  Contract the lats at the bottom of the movement.
5. Return to the beginning of the movement by slowly letting the bar rise to its initial position.  Motion is stopped just before the muscles relax.

Dumbbell Deadlift
Sets: 3
Repetitions: 5
RPE: 7

Exercise description

1. Begin by squatting down with your feet just outside of your shoulders.
2. Grip the dumbbells with your hands positioned about 6 inches outside the shoulders.
3. Contract the abdominals while explosively lifting the dumbbells from the floor to just below your hips.
4. Finish the movement by shrugging the shoulders upward flexing the traps.  
5. Return to the beginning of the movement by slowly lowering your body to its initial position.  
Note: This is one powerful movement.  It is to be performed that way and not in segments.

Perform this workout once a week in place of you normal back routine and you will see both your power and power endurance improve.  Now get your back into it, the snow is waiting!

Stay Fit Skiing!
Andrew Hooge, CSCS