Preparing for a Ski Trip: A Six-Week Strength Plan for Skiers
Six weeks is enough time to arrive on the mountain with stronger, more durable legs, better endurance for long runs and fewer aching mornings. The plan below uses two strength sessions and one conditioning session a week, in three two-week phases: build a base, add load and endurance, then sharpen and taper so you travel fresh. It suits a recreational skier with a desk job who wants to ski every lift from first to last on day five, not just day one.
What six weeks can and cannot do
In six weeks you can make meaningful progress in leg strength, muscular endurance, and how well your knees and hips tolerate repeated bending under load. Much of the early gain comes from your nervous system getting better at using the muscle you already have, which is exactly what you want before a trip.
What you cannot do is fix years of inactivity or build a large amount of new muscle. If you have more time, start earlier. If you have less, the first two phases still help. The exercises themselves are covered in our companion piece on ski fitness exercises; this post is about how to put them together over the weeks.
The weekly shape
Three sessions, each 45 to 60 minutes, with at least a day between the two strength days:
- Strength A: two-legged emphasis (squats, hinges) plus upper body and trunk.
- Strength B: single-leg and lateral emphasis plus balance and trunk.
- Conditioning: intervals and sustained leg work, building towards the effort of a long red run.
A typical week: Strength A on Monday, conditioning on Wednesday, Strength B on Friday or Saturday, and walking on the other days. Upper body is not neglected. You still pole, fall, get up and carry skis, and a strong upper back helps all of that.
The plan at a glance
| Weeks | Focus | Strength sessions | Conditioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Base and control | 3 x 8-10, slow lowering, moderate load | 20 min steady bike or brisk incline walk |
| 3-4 | Load and endurance | 4 x 6-8 main lifts, longer timed holds | Intervals: 40s hard / 80s easy x 6 |
| 5 | Peak | Heaviest week, plus endurance finishers | 60s hard / 60s easy x 6-8 |
| 6 | Taper | Half the sets, same weights, crisp reps | One short session, no more than 15 min |
Weeks 1 and 2: base and control
The aim is to own the positions before loading them. Skiers often skip this and go straight to wall sits and jump squats, then wonder why their knees ache.
Strength A: goblet squat with a three-second lowering, 3 x 10; dumbbell Romanian deadlift, 3 x 10; push-up or dumbbell press, 3 x 10; seated cable row, 3 x 12; side plank, 3 x 20-30 seconds each side.
Strength B: split squat with the rear foot on a bench, 3 x 8 each leg; lateral lunge, 3 x 6 each side; step-up, 2 x 10 each leg; single-leg balance with a reach, 3 x 30 seconds each side; Pallof press, 3 x 10 each side.
Leave two or three reps in reserve on every set. Expect some soreness in week one, especially from split squats; it eases quickly.
Weeks 3 and 4: load and endurance
Now you add weight to the main lifts and start building the ability to stay low and working for a long time, which is what a long run actually demands.
Strength A: back squat or heavier goblet squat, 4 x 6-8; Romanian deadlift, 4 x 8; overhead press, 3 x 8; lat pulldown, 3 x 10. Finish with a wall sit ladder: 30, 45, 60 seconds with 30 seconds rest between.
Strength B: split squat, 4 x 8 each leg with a heavier load; lateral lunge to a slow return, 3 x 8 each side; single-leg Romanian deadlift, 3 x 8 each; Copenhagen plank (short lever), 3 x 15-20 seconds each side; suitcase carry, 3 x 30m each hand.
Inner-thigh and hip strength matter more than people expect on skis, because the adductors work hard to control your knees as you edge. The Copenhagen plank is the most efficient way I know to train them.
Week 5: the peak week
This is the hardest week of the plan, and it should be the hardest week before you travel. Keep the same exercises, push the main lifts to the heaviest weights you can handle with clean form for 5 or 6 reps, and add an endurance finisher to each strength session: 90 seconds of continuous slow split squats (alternate legs every 10 reps) or a 60 to 90 second wall sit holding a light plate.
Conditioning moves to 60 seconds hard, 60 seconds easy, six to eight rounds on a bike or rower. That one-minute effort is a reasonable stand-in for a long, sustained run where you cannot stop.
Week 6: taper so you arrive fresh
Many people train hardest in the last week and arrive tired. Do the opposite. Keep the same weights, halve the sets, and stop well short of fatigue. One short conditioning session early in the week is plenty. Your last session should be at least two to three days before you fly.
The fitness you have built does not disappear in a week of lighter work. Fatigue does, and that is what you want gone when you clip in.
Common mistakes
- Only doing wall sits. They build endurance in one fixed position. Skiing involves constant movement, absorbing terrain and recovering balance, so you need strength through a range, single-leg work and lateral control too.
- Starting with plyometrics. Jumping is useful for experienced skiers in good shape, but it is the last thing to add, not the first.
- Ignoring the upper body and trunk. A strong trunk helps you stay balanced over your skis and get up cleanly after a fall.
- Cramming. Doubling up sessions in the last fortnight leaves you sore, not ready.
On the trip itself
Do five minutes of easy leg swings, bodyweight squats and lunges before the first run each morning; cold, stiff muscles are a poor start. Drink water at altitude and keep lunch reasonable if you plan to ski the afternoon. If your legs are wrecked by midweek, take a lighter morning rather than skiing tired, which is when many injuries happen. The NHS exercise pages are a good reference for warming up and staying active safely.
If you have had a knee injury, back problems, a heart condition, or have not trained in a long time, check with your GP or physiotherapist before starting a plan like this, and again before the trip if anything flares up.
Training for the slopes in Highgate
Our private basement studio has the squat rack, dumbbells, cable station and air bike this plan needs, and the room is booked to you alone during the session. In practice, the value of coaching here is choosing loads week by week, adjusting single-leg work around old knee or ankle problems, and making sure the taper actually happens. You can read more about how personal training at The Highgate House runs, or email us with your travel date and we will work backwards from it.
Questions we get asked
I only have three or four weeks. Is it still worth it?
Yes. Do weeks 1, 3 and 5, then a light final week. You will get less from it than six weeks, but far more than nothing.
Can I do this plan at home?
Mostly. With a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a step, you can cover the leg work. Conditioning can be done on stairs or hills.
I am a beginner skier. Do I need all this?
Beginners spend more time in awkward positions and falling over, so stronger legs and trunk help even more. Use lighter loads and stay in phase one a little longer.
Should I keep training after the holiday?
Ideally, yes. Two sessions a week through the year means the next trip needs a short top-up, not a rescue.
If you would like this plan coached and adjusted to your knees, your fitness and your flight date, start with 1-1 sessions with Artem.
Book with The Highgate House
Ready to start training properly? Email us at [email protected] with the service and the day that suits you, and we will come back to you with times.
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