Methods and terminology of ski training

Methods
For all readers of ProXCskiing.com, long-distance and traditional cross-country skiing is close to the heart. We thirst for more information on training, nutrition, athletes, events, equipment, and everything related to the sport. Many know how to train, what to eat, and what equipment works best. As the winter season turns towards spring and dryland training is about to begin, it is time again to review the various training methods and skiing terminology.
For all readers of ProXCskiing.com, long-distance and traditional cross-country skiing is close to the heart. We thirst for more information on training, nutrition, athletes, events, equipment, and everything related to the sport. Many know how to train, what to eat, and what equipment works best. As the winter season turns towards spring and dryland training is about to begin, it is time again to review the various training methods and skiing terminology.

The methods and terms of ski training have remained relatively unchanged over the years, even though the sport has evolved significantly. However, the principles of endurance sports have always remained the same, which also applies to skiing. Gustaf Korsgren, the former Team Ramudden Pro Team Director and husband of Lina Korsgren, the now Pro Team Director, has noted that endurance sports training hasn’t changed much in 60 years.

It goes without saying that mastering the double poling technique in long-distance skiing is crucial, and it should be practiced extensively, especially for those aiming to succeed in mass start races. In this article, originally published on Maastohiihto.com, we won’t focus on the technique; instead, we will outline the methods and terms of ski training, which are the fundamental elements for success. While many of these may be familiar to some, mastering the terminology is always beneficial. The English terms commonly used internationally are also provided in parentheses.

In all endurance sports, including skiing, the basic training methods are long aerobic workouts (long slow training, or LSD for short), pace/tempo training, interval training, fartlek (also used in English), long fast training (especially crucial for long-distance skiers), and strength training.

Long aerobic workouts at an easy pace form the foundation of training. As the name suggests, the goal is to exercise for several hours below the aerobic threshold. In skiing, particularly long-distance skiing, professional skiers often engage in training sessions lasting over five hours. Training sessions typically range from 2 to 4 hours for recreational and competitive skiers. Ski training during the summer may include roller skiing, Nordic walking and running, hiking, running (although this can be quite demanding), road or mountain biking, or other activities like swimming or rowing/canoeing.

As endurance capacity grows and experience accumulates, you can incorporate short, high-intensity sprints into long workouts to break the monotony and improve speed. This also prevents hitting the point of diminishing returns, where training no longer leads to improvement, no matter how much is done. In overly specialized training, a plateau is reached, and progress stalls.

Therefore, speed endurance and interval training are also necessary. Speed endurance training is simply training at the level where the body can remove lactate (a byproduct of carbohydrate metabolism) as fast as it is produced. Thus, lactate removal matches lactate production, avoiding the phenomenon of muscle fatigue.

The difference between speed endurance training and competitive skiing, especially long-distance skiing, lies in exceeding this threshold during competition, leading to fatigue as the race progresses. In speed endurance training, a consistent pace can be maintained for a longer period, even several hours for top skiers. The workout is done at or slightly above the anaerobic threshold, depending on the athlete’s fitness, experience, and abilities.

Interval training involves doing various intervals in short sets, alternating speeds, and efforts with recovery periods in between. Intervals are often performed at or above the anaerobic threshold, with recovery being low-intensity. The length of intervals varies depending on the goals of the workout.

In speed training, sprints may last 20-30 seconds, with recovery periods of equal or longer duration. Longer intervals, lasting 3-6 minutes, are used to develop speed endurance and may include uphill or varied terrain. Short recovery periods are employed for more race-like training.

The variation in training resistance and tempo increases heart capacity, raises training thresholds, and enhances the ability to tolerate race pace, facilitating speed improvement. Interval training raises lactate thresholds and, of course, increases oxygen uptake (VO2 max), thus expanding the speed reserve. This teaches the body to use lactate as energy without feeling the so-called burning sensation of lactic acid in the muscles.

Speed training, as mentioned above, is closely related to interval training. These workouts improve the body’s ability to ski quickly and make bursts of speed in a race, training the nervous system for fast skiing. Such exercises include 20-30-second sprints followed by recovery. Intervals may even last a minute, especially on favorable terrain or when using fast rollers.

Recovery is crucial in these workouts as the goal is speed development. Sets of sprints can be done with equal recovery periods, for example, 5 x 20-30 seconds, but such workouts can easily become too demanding, resembling more interval training and developing performance. Especially in winter, longer recovery between speed intervals is beneficial to ensure muscles and nerves are ready for the next speed session. In summer, short sprint intervals can be incorporated into long aerobic workouts to break the monotony and maintain speed qualities.

One method that combines both interval and speed training is fartlek. In this workout, the pace varies freely from slow to fast. Intervals and fast sections are either at speed endurance level or slightly above it, and the intervals between speed changes should be long enough and restorative. This is a good training method that also enhances mental endurance, especially suitable for recreational skiers for whom regular interval training may be mentally challenging.

Long fast skiing or prolonged speed endurance training is a workout where the skier maintains a high pace for an extended period, simulating race conditions. The pace depends on the skier’s level and weekly schedule. This is a typical workout for long-distance skiers, often incorporating various intervals and fast segments, with the entire session lasting over five hours, including hard efforts and speed endurance segments. This is known as a Vasa pass workout, included in the training programs of every Ski Classics professional team. It requires both strong physical fitness and mental resilience, with adequate rest being necessary after such a session.

Lastly, we move on to strength training, which can be done in a gym, at home as circuit training, or in a sport-specific manner, such as double poling up steep hills. For long-distance skiers, it’s crucial to strengthen the core to maintain proper diagonal stride technique despite creeping fatigue. Strength training or resistance training is a physical activity aimed at increasing muscle strength in a specific muscle group or individual muscle, using either external weights or one’s body weight. There are two types of resistance training: isometric and isotonic.

In isometric training, the athlete’s muscles work against an immovable object, such as the floor in push-ups or a bar in pull-ups. In isotonic training, muscles work against a moving resistance, such as in weightlifting. The importance of strength training has grown in modern skiing with increased performance demands and technical changes. Strength training can also be done in cycles or block training, focusing on strength acquisition during a specific period.

These are the ski training methods and terms briefly presented, necessary for every athlete regardless of age, fitness level, or abilities. The skill lies in integrating these forms into a functional whole in weekly and monthly training to achieve peak fitness during the competitive season. This naturally varies according to the athlete’s background and personal characteristics, but generally, endurance training should comprise 70-90% of total training, 10-20% should be high-intensity training, such as intervals and speed workouts, and 5-10% should be strength training.

Of course, this also varies according to the athlete’s age and experience, and many veteran skiers who have had long careers already possess such strong aerobic foundations that their basic training is quite effective, and their training speeds are relatively high. Consequently, their training volume, or the number of hours spent training, is often much lower than, for example, younger skiers, for whom strengthening their aerobic base is still a cornerstone of their training.

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