Intensity in the morning, strength in the afternoon

Wed, Jul  1, 2009 - By CXC Skiing

This time of the year we focus with our athletes on maximal strength. The goal here is to increase resistive load. There will be a decrease in the number of exer­cises to primarily focus on the muscle and movements of the sport. Core strength will be maintained and plyometric activities will be increased. Ski specific strength also increases significantly.

Distance training is about 50% ski specific and 50% general. Level 3 (threshold) training still prevails in period three but both Level 3 and Level 4 training increase. Ski specificity in intensity training starts to become more important this time of the year.

Distance and intensity training are generally more important than resis­tance training, so resistance training complements distance and intensity training. This is why the CXC Elite Team does intensity in the morning and strength in the afternoon. Greater importance is put on the morning workout. This general premise complements the hot summer months well. Try to get out early to do your intensity in the morning and then head indoors for strength in the hot afternoons - if at all possible.

Visit www.cxcacademy.com for training plan samples, technique videos and training advices.