Three-time Ski Classics champion and the male skier with the most Pro Tour race victories, Andreas Nygaard, trusts simplicity in his training.

Pro Team athlete training method

He advocates the KISS method, which doesn’t refer to worshipping the legendary rock band or painting face masks before training sessions but keeps the training program’s content clear and simple – keep it simple stupid! In this article, the skier who finally won Marcialonga this year talks about his training, Team Ragde Charge, and the level of today’s Ski Classics. At the same time, he gets excited about developing skiing further, bringing new thoughts and ideas to the table.

One of the world’s best long-distance skiers, Andreas Nygaard, sounds cheerful and talkative on the phone again with Maastohiihto.com. However, the skier has had some trouble as his appendix was removed after the ski season, which meant his training started quite cautiously.

There is good news too, as he is engaged to his girlfriend and they will marry next summer. His studies in medicine at university are on hold for now, and the skier is fully focused on his career. In November, he turned 34, still a great age for a long-distance skier, so focusing on his career makes perfect sense.

His career is one to be reckoned with in the Ski Classics series. Andreas has achieved victories in various Pro Tour races for nine consecutive seasons, and his victory tally is now 20, making him the second most successful skier of all time after Britta Johansson Norgren. In addition to this impressive achievement, he is a three-time overall winner, a two-time Vasaloppet winner, and a three-time Birkebeinerrennet winner, the latest being this winter – Marcialonga. Despite these remarkable results, the skier doesn’t consider himself the most talented in the sport.

“I’m not the most gifted in the sport, but I must be doing something right since I’ve been successful. My training philosophy is simplicity, the KISS method: Keep It Simple Stupid! I know what I need to do and what my body needs to succeed in the winter races. Early-season competitions work well as training for me to get into peak condition,” Andreas explains his training method.

Also Read: Nygaard and Fleten winners of Marcialonga 2025

Ski Classics Must Not Become a B-League World Cup

Ski Classics is on its sixteenth season (season 13 was skipped in the numbering due to the unlucky number no one wants to carry), and the brand value of the series has increased over the years, with the skiing circus firmly established, although changes and experiments are still made almost every year. As a series veteran, our skiing hero has the perspective and experience to analyze the Ski Classics series.

“Ski Classics is now a good concept, but there’s always room for improvement. We could try or think about small changes. For example, the number of races before Christmas and at the end of the season, the placement of the hill races and iconic climbs in the races, like in Birken, where the iconic climb should either come right after the first long climb or at the very end, but not where it was now, after a flat section. That was just silly!”

Andreas continues discussing the future of the series, saying that Ski Classics should not become too much like the current FIS World Cup.

“We must be careful not to make this a B or C League World Cup, where we’re looping short circuits in a small area. These Criterium races, where we do one lap, must be very well planned, and the referees need to be much more precise with their yellow cards to avoid unnecessary skating. I don’t think even the Ski Classics skiers who do well in these short races want to ski a 6 x 5 km loop in some small valley high above sea level. That’s not why they became long-distance skiers.”

Also Read: Epic Marcialonga win for Andreas Nygaard

Ultraski Doesn’t Really Exist

Short races and prologues are, of course, a topic of discussion, but we also talked about the inclusion of truly long ski races in the Pro Tour. Andreas has won the world’s longest, 220km, Nordenskiöldsloppet three times, and he knows what a race that lasts nearly half a day demands.

“Nordenskiöldsloppet could be included, but it should be the last race of the season. And if it comes into the calendar, it should be the full 220km, not shorter. Today, people want things and challenges that are really impressive and grand. They shouldn’t happen every weekend, but enough. Even I, a huge sports fan and lover of skiing, wouldn’t want to watch Criterium races on a five-kilometer loop in some valley I’ve never heard of. I think races with history and background, like the Tartu Marathon, should be part of the Pro Tour.”

Andreas gets excited about developing new ideas that could also interest the viewers. He suggests replacing short Criterium races with SkiErg races, where the top athletes would compete head-to-head, and their lactate levels and heart rates would be visible on the screen at all times. Another option could be roller ski races with equal skis, which of course are part of the summer training for skiers.

Skiing doesn’t really have ultra-long distances, apart from the aforementioned Nordenskiöldsloppet, like in running, cycling, or triathlon, where athletes go clearly beyond five or six hours even at the highest level. Could there be a place for ultradistances in skiing?

“I believe there’s room for ultraski. People are interested in these extreme challenges. I think there should be longer races in skiing, and we professionals train so much that it would make sense to have tougher challenges. 100 kilometers is no longer what it used to be.”

Training Shouldn’t Be About Tricks

Top athletes’ training has always been simple, with no room for unnecessary tricks. Early-season competitions work for him as tough training sessions before the official race season begins.

“If you never push hard during interval training before the race season, your body won’t be able to perform at its maximum level. It’s a physiological truth. Races are the best maximum training and have a developmental effect on your body. If I can get certain sessions done during the training season, I know I can perform well in the races. After the pandemic, I’ve kept my feet on the brakes a bit more in training than in previous years. I know what my body needs in terms of intensity, endurance, and strength training, and if I balance these well, I can achieve good results,” Andreas elaborates on his current training.

Andreas admits that winning is never a guarantee. The general level in Ski Classics has risen over the years, but winning has always been hard.

“I don’t think winning races now is any harder than before. When Petter Eliassen was at his best, Anders Aukland ten years ago in Birken, or Tord Asle Gjerdalen in Vasaloppet, or other top skiers in their prime, beating them was just as difficult, if not harder, than winning those races today. The level has, however, risen outside the top ten, and nowadays, getting into the top 50 in a race is much tougher than before. Especially in big races, making the top 20 is much harder, but winning races has always been just as challenging.”

The Ski Classics Legend acknowledges that every year, he has to think about his training and consider whether something should be done slightly differently. If training isn’t developed, progress can easily go backward.

“I’m not the biggest talent in endurance sports, so the fact that I’ve been able to maintain this level for years is a sign that I’m doing something right. I can change a few small details, but my training philosophy remains the same. I keep my training fairly simple, and I know what works for me. If I change anything, it’s mainly to keep myself motivated so I can train better. Ultimately, training is quite clear. You need to do a certain number of hours, a certain amount of endurance training, and a certain amount of power training. And if you stay healthy and don’t get injured, results usually come.”

Andreas says in the interview that he takes inspiration from cycling, where the current “Zone 2” training, where lactates are at 1.5 millimoles, is very popular to raise anaerobic levels.

“Training isn’t like a switch you flip to get instant results. It’s more like a dimmer that needs fine-tuning. Training itself is not easy, but you can execute it efficiently. Once the foundation is solid, you can focus on fine-tuning, such as the type of intervals you do and why. There are many options, but the key is to do these workouts consistently. If your base fitness isn’t strong enough, you can reach peak form quickly, but it won’t last long. Developing aerobic endurance takes a long time, and anaerobic training provides the sharpness needed to win races and perform at your maximum potential. I only need a few anaerobic sessions to fine-tune my race form, but I can’t do too many of them.”

Andreas’ typical training weeks consist of around 20 hours of training from June to January. During the week, one or two hours are more intense, but lactate levels are carefully managed to avoid excessive buildup. Training camps naturally increase the weekly volume, after which recovery is prioritized, keeping the average training load around 20 hours per week.

Team Ragde Charge: Strong Chemistry Among Skiers

Our discussion shifts to his Pro Team, which he has represented throughout his long-distance skiing career. Team Ragde Charge underwent significant changes this spring. Among the men, medalists Johan Hoel, Kasper Stadaas, and Andreas Nygaard remain, while other skiers have left. A new addition is Stina Nilsson.

“I can’t say I’m happy about these changes, but I understand why they were made. It would have been great if all the men and women could have stayed on the team. However, sometimes tough decisions have to be made. Personally, I wish Karstein Johaug and Torgeir Hovland were still with us. They played a crucial role last season, making it possible for the three of us to succeed. Not all skiers can win races; we need athletes who push in training, bring energy to the team, and provide support during competitions. Professional sports don’t operate on a ‘right for everyone’ basis—sometimes, financial decisions must be made. Our team management decided on these changes, and for some, leaving was straightforward as their contracts ended and their performance levels were not quite what was expected. For others, it may have been more difficult, but that’s part of sports.”

Team Ragde Charge secured all three podium spots in the overall standings last season. Was their success a surprise to the experienced skier?

“Before the season started, I knew Kasper had the ability to win races, but I was slightly surprised by how dominant he was early in the season. He started like Emil Persson the previous year, winning every race. Johan, on the other hand, has always been close to the top in almost every race and training session, so I knew he was in great shape. He may not be the fastest skier in the group, so he doesn’t win as often, but it wasn’t a big surprise that both of them performed so well last season. Of course, our overall success was a pleasant surprise because you can never predict exactly how a season will unfold—there are so many variables, from ski conditions to daily form.”

The story was initially published on Maastohiihto.com.