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Thanks Adrian for volunteering this exercise to begin the discussion of the pros and cons of a variety of exercises that are relevant to skiers and why. Check out this demonstration with the assistance of Sochi the skeleton, my trusted helper since 2014. This video is an extreme range of motion example of a Nordic Hamstring Curl.
This is an excellent exercise to gradually work towards. I highly recommend doing just that, as it is a bit aggressive to jump right into without some proper build up. Keep tuning in for tactics that will help you learn how to find your ideal exercise progressions for your skiing objectives.
Instead of me simply telling you the steps involved and the reasons why, let's try opening up a discussion in the comments...
Who would this be an appropriate exercise for?
What would be some basic recommended prerequisites before attempting this exercise, and why?
Why would this be helpful specifically to skiers?
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I do a slightly different and less extreme version from a 90 degree kneeling position with heels anchored then slowly lowering gradually and as far as possible for a slow count of 5 until failure.
A good strength foundation would be essential for this exercise.
It trains the eccentric contraction of the posterior chain which is somewhat what we are asking our bodies to do, especially making long performance turns at higher speeds. This is my understanding at least.
@adrian_hamilton, that sounds like an excellent version of it! How many reps/sets/ days per week do you like to do it? Is it something you train consistently year round or when do you add it in your routine in relationship to the start of the season? If you are adding it in… are you able to begin with that right away? Or break it down into bite size pieces to work up to it? I’m curious what works best for you 🙂 @Tammy Laminski and @Olemau have you tried this exercise before? What are your thoughts about it? @whiskico-guy @j-s-forget @Mark Sedgwick,… Read more »
I’m not doing it currently until after my surgery as it creates a lot of pressure. It’s an exercise I’ve used on and off for a couple of years and incorporate it into at least one strength session per week. Warren Jobbitt also recommends it if I remember correctly. I usually stick with 3 x 5 reps. The changing parameters are how low and slow you can go. I use 2 variations, one where there’s genuine failure and you fall forward so have a mat to land on. The other is to go as far forward as you can while… Read more »
@adrian_hamilton, smart. That’s right, the surgery. Yeah, good call, I wouldn’t do that before that surgery either. It’s certainly an excellent exercise to bring up! Thanks for volunteering it for discussion 🙂 There are literally millions of ways and numbers that this exercise could be applied… each and every way could be useful… depending on what it’s for. To me, the key is understanding WHY the application you are using makes sense for the scenario. I like what your doing and it makes sense to me for your purpose with skiing. This is what I would be tempted to add… Read more »
This is excellent Adrian – I don’t know if I could pull off the Sochi version, as demonstrated here, but I like your suggestion of a modified version. As someone who suffers from very tight hamstrings (like all my life), I am thinking about the relationship between strengthening and flexibility, both of which I have started to work on this season with Jessi. In less technical terms, I am thinking of skiing with a ‘long leg,’ particularly at hight speeds, as you suggest.
haha yeah Matt, even the modified version is quite challenging! I was playing with it more today for fun and it’s a tough one that’s for sure! Thanks again Adrian for volunteering it for discussion! Matt, I love how you mentioned the long leg! I’ve actually been in the process of prepping a blog on dryland training for this very thing for a bit now. Stay tuned, it will hopefully be published sometime this week! I built it with one of my own skiing habits to improve in mind, active and dynamic legs.