I’m a 51-year-old man who got back into skiing last winter and really enjoyed it. My main problem was that I didn’t have enough muscle endurance in my legs to stay on the mountain as long as I would have liked. What exercises can I do to help with this?

I’m a 51-year-old man who got back into skiing last winter and really enjoyed it. My main problem was that I didn’t have enough muscle endurance in my legs to stay on the mountain as long as I would have liked. What exercises can I do to help with this?

Sounds like you need to add some strength to your thighs and glutes. You’ve got a few months until winter, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

First off, let me say that I would like you to adopt a whole-body training program, one that targets every major muscle group – chest, back, shoulders, arms, thighs, calves and abdominal region. Training your legs for improved skiing is fine, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of the rest of your body. Balance is paramount to good health and good development in my book.

So, consider a split routine that looks like this:
Day 1 – Legs/Shoulders/Abs
Day 2 – Off
Day 3 – Back/Biceps/Calves
Day 4 – Off
Day 5 – Chest/Triceps/Abs
Days 6 & 7 – Off

For thighs specifically I want you to follow the workout I’ve outlined below. Where you see a rep range of “20, 15, 10” it means to do 20 reps for the first set, 15 for the second and 10 for the third, while increasing the weight used for each set. This routine should build both strength and stamina into your thighs – more than enough for the steepest slopes!

Ski-Ready Leg Routine
Exercise	Sets	Reps
Squats	3	20-15-10
Walking lunges	3	10 steps/leg
Stiff-legged deadlifts	2	15
Wall sits	2*

* “Sit” with your back flat against a wall and your legs at a 45º angle. Hold the position for as long as you can.