Off-Season Tempo Training

During the winter, focused training can help ensure your next hiking season will be even better than the last—and help snowsport performance, too. Tempo training allows you to zero in on issues like shaking quads on descents, sore glutes after ascents, or tender calf muscles. Complete the following workout once or twice a week.

- LEE WELTON

Tempo Training

This workout method slows down each repetition, putting your muscles under tension for longer periods of time. Tempo training builds strong tendons and ligaments while boosting muscle strength and endurance. Every exercise movement includes eccentric (lowering), concentric (raising), and two isometric (contraction without movement) phases. Tempo training focuses on the eccentric—or elongating—part of the movement to create positive physical stress that makes you stronger overtime. This type of movement can cause increased muscle soreness, so use less weight than you typically would for each exercise.

3 eccentric

1 isometric

2 concentric

0 isometric

This “code” indicates how many seconds you should spend in each phase of an exercise, and applies to all the following movements (except the warmup). Pay attention to the phases for each exercise. The zero indicates that there is no rest in between reps.

Warmup (Three sets)

1) 10 Jumping jacks

2) 10 Bodyweight squats

Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees and bring your butt toward the floor while maintaining a braced core and an upright torso. Squeeze your glutes and return to standing.

3) 10 Good mornings

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees bent slightly. Keeping your core tight, hinge at your hips, allowing your torso to move forward. Once your torso is parallel with the floor, squeeze the back of your legs and glutes to stand.

Workout

Perform two sets of eight repetitions of each exercise for four weeks, then increase to three or four sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. Pay attention to the 3-1-2-0 timing as you progress.