Cross-country skiing is a demanding sport that requires a unique combination of endurance, strength, oxygen uptake, and technique. Although it is often associated with long-distance races, it also includes sprint skiing, which requires explosive power and speed. In addition, long-distance skiing, such as the Ski Classics series, requires skiers to have great speed and endurance. Most mass start ski races are won in the final sprint, and along the way, skiers often must sprint to make breakaways or close gaps.

To succeed in traditional distances, sprints, and long-distance skiing, athletes need to do specific speed-building workouts that improve their physical performance, often under fatigue, and optimize their best results on snow.

According to Maastohiihto.com, speed training and speed maintenance are extremely important because speed characteristics deteriorate with age. The speed of youth cannot be regained, but speed can be developed and maintained at an older age.

Traditional distances

Traditional distance races, such as 10km, 15km, and now 20km, require exceptional aerobic endurance, high oxygen uptake, and extreme speed. Athletes must maintain high cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance throughout the race. However, skiers must remember their speed, so speed-building exercises must be integrated into the overall training program.

Veteran athletes often ski only 5 or 10km, where speed is critical. If the veteran athlete focuses on these distances, excessive endurance training will not best serve that athlete’s goals.

Here are some common forms of training for speed development:

1. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): HIIT exercises involve short periods of intense effort during active recovery. In cross-country skiing, this may include short hill climbs or maximum skiing in the form of short intervals. To best develop speed characteristics, adequate recovery periods between intervals are important. HIIT helps to improve anaerobic capacity and lactate threshold, which increases speed capacity during races. 

2. Strength training: a strong upper body and core are essential for effective skiing technique and maintaining speed on flat sections and uphills. Strength exercises such as bench presses, chin-ups, and core exercises help build the necessary upper body strength and stability. 

Strength training should focus on maximal and speed strength, i.e., short repetitions with heavier weights. Sport-specific strength exercises, such as double poling on a steep hill, are also good. In strength training, with a view to speed characteristics, adequate recovery periods should be considered between power exercises.

3. Roller skiing: roller skiing is an excellent way to simulate skiing conditions and work on improving technique while increasing speed. Different training effects can be achieved by varying the resistance of the wheels on roller skis, and fast roller skis are a good way to do uphill speed exercises, even skiing faster than on snow. Care must be taken to ensure the performance remains technically excellent and efficient.

Also Read: Five videos to improve your roller skiing technique. 

Sprint skiing

Sprint skiing requires short, intense runs with maximum effort using agility and strength. Athletes need to develop explosive speed and fast recovery between the different sets. Here are some training methods for sprint skiing:

1. Plyometric exercises: exercises such as box jumps, squat jumps, and lateral jumps help improve explosive power and agility. These exercises mimic the fast, explosive movements required in sprint events.

2. Speed drills: short sprints on skis over different terrain improve the skier’s ability to accelerate quickly and maintain high speeds. These exercises help develop muscle strength and coordination. Short intervals can be done in sets with a recovery period in between or in short bursts during a session.

3. Developing technique: sprint skiing requires a highly fluid technique. Athletes should focus on mastering the best possible technique in different skiing styles and diverse terrain. Sprint skiers must practice the sport’s required technique as much as possible.

Sprint skiers should train in a group to simulate competitive situations and practice different tactical and strategic patterns. These qualities are difficult to develop when training alone. Training together also provides a good stimulus, which increases the athlete’s performance in competitive situations.

Long-distance skiing

Long-distance skiing requires less explosive speed than sprint skiing but still needs speed for the final sprints and breakaways. Long-distance skiing requires the ability to make intense sprints with tired muscles, which requires a special kind of training.

According to Swedish ski and cycling coach Mattias Reck, skiers often confuse speed training with interval training. Speed training can quickly become too hard if there is not enough recovery.

The coach’s bravado, known as Reck speed training, involves 40-second sprints with 20-second recovery. These are often done in conjunction with a long session. The sets should be brief if you want to develop speed, as they quickly become anaerobic exercises due to their short recovery. 

There are different variations of the Reck session, and they are very similar to the Rusko session, which is named after the coach Heikki Rusko. One version of the 40/20 is the 30/30, or 30-second sprints with a 30-second recovery. The recovery time can also be extended, in which case the exercise is aimed purely at developing speed. These short bursts with longer recoveries are also an excellent way to tune up your body the day before the race and even the morning before the start.

One of the most challenging workouts is the 15 sec/15 sec, i.e., a 15-second sprint at full speed and a 15-second recovery. You can try this exercise on skis or roller skis, for example. This exercise quickly becomes a power workout because lactic acid builds up in the muscles during full-speed bursts and does not have time to be flushed out of the muscles during the short recovery. 

Long-distance skiers often incorporate these short bursts into their long training sessions and into their ‘Vasaloppet-pass’ training, which involves skiing either on rollers or skis for 90-120 km in a single session with various power-intensive exercises. This exercise is designed to imitate a long-distance ski race and, in particular, Vasaloppet.

Physical effects of speed training

Speed training in cross-country skiing has different effects on athletes depending on the training methods and sessions:

1. Improved cardiovascular fitness: speed training increases aerobic and anaerobic capacity, which improves skiers’ ability to transport and use oxygen during intense effort.

2. Stronger muscular endurance: speed training strengthens the muscles, reducing fatigue during races.

3. increased speed and power: speed training improves performance in accelerations, maintains higher speed capacity, and helps to generate explosive power in sprints and long-distance breakaways.

4. Improved technique: speed training improves and refines skiing technique, as it’s performed at maximum speed, focusing on the best possible technique.

Speed training is essential to cross-country skiers’ preparation for traditional distances, sprint races, and long-distance skiing. Whether the aim is to develop endurance, explosive power, or technique, tailored training methods are the key to success in this demanding sport. Cross-country skiers achieve their best possible performance in competitive situations by combining different training methods and sessions.

Are you interested in traditional and long-distance skiing training? Click HERE and read more.