XC Ski Drills and Exercises Illustrated
Prepared By J.D. Downing, XC Oregon Coach/Director
Important Note: All training and technique information posted on xcskiworld.com are suggestions only and should not be considered a substitute for supervised fitness programs. Use of such material is done at your own risk with full knowledge of the inherent risks of any fitness or exercise program. Before beginning and throughout any exercise or workout plan, readers should regularly consult with your physician, follow all reasonable safety precautions, have complete knowledge of all equipment, exercises, locations, and methods as well as your own fitness and ability levels.
Jane Fonda Exercise
No one is certain if Jane Fonda actually came up with this exercise, but the name has stuck in many circles. We've also heard it called "Angry Cats" from the position your back gets into as you adduct your arm and leg towards your torso. This is a very simple "old school" core exercise that can be done literally anywhere...and is fantastic for the lower back.
What To Do: On any comfortable surface (grass, running track, mat), get on your hands and knees. From the ready position, extend one arm out in front of your head and extend the opposite leg out behind your body. The remaining arm and knee/leg thus hold up your body weight. Once fully extended, adduct the extending limbs back towards your body to an almost touching position to the limbs holding the weight. Repeat the extensions to a certain rep or second count. Switch sides as often as you like.
The motion should be very smooth both in extending and retracting the limbs. You don't have to do this motion super slow or fast to get full benefit. Just imagine a nice smooth diagonal stride rhythm when out on snow. Try not to let the extending limbs touch the ground when they are in the work phase (limits how much stabilization work your core will get in).
Real World Caution: Make sure you use a comfortable surface or put down some kind of towel/mat for this exercise. Particularly in really hot or wet weather you can get really uncomfortable holding up your weight doing this if you don't have a nice surface.
Good luck and happy training!
