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.
V2 Bound, In Place
The basic V2 Bound is an excellent drill/exercise for all ability and age levels. It can be performed on a soft track surface (as shown), grass, dirt, sand, and mat rooms. The versatility in locations makes this exercise particularly good for field circuit workouts as well as strength elements added to distance or intensity sessions. The only limitation...make sure the surface is fairly smooth (i.e. no rocks, sticks, holes in the grass, etc.). It is easy to roll an ankle if you really push off and land aggressively with this exercise.
What To Do: Start the V2 Bound with good double pole upper body position and load the outside leg just like you were going to push off on skis. Just after you start to "pole through", initiate the push off and bound onto the opposite foot. You then balance on that landing foot while recovering your arms to initiate the poling/bound motion on the opposite side. The exercise can be performed at a variety of speeds and effort zones...but always the emphasis should be on proper ski form.
How much effort you put into this bound depends on fitness, age, ability, agility, and type of workout. You can make this exercise into a plyometric drill by making the bound more agressive. You can also make the exercise more of an endurance strength drill (many reps( by using less power output. On soft surfaces (such as sand) you'll find that very little power output on the bound will still raise your heartrate quite a bit. You can also experiment with different "load" positions with your legs. Example: A lower position will utilize the quads more and simulate a deeper V-skate load.
Real World Caution: Do not go crazy with this exercise if you have not been doing a considerable amount of ski specific bounding, spenst, or other plyometrics over many weeks. This is an excellent "base builder" for more aggressive motions, but you still need to use patience. Start with 30 second to 1 minute sets using a very light bound and slowly build time and/or effort.
Good luck and happy training!
