Training for Ski Racing: A Physical Therapist’s Guide to Speed, Strength, and Staying Healthy

Ski racing is one of the most physically demanding sports out there. It’s explosive, technical, and unforgiving—combining high speeds, powerful turns, uneven terrain, and massive forces through the lower body. Whether you’re a junior racer, a collegiate athlete, or a masters competitor, smart training is the difference between shaving tenths off your time and sitting out the season with an injury.

From a physical therapy perspective, ski racing training should focus on performance and durability. Here’s how to build both.

1. Build a Bulletproof Foundation

Ski racers live in a semi-squat position, absorbing constant forces while resisting rotation and lateral movement. That demands strength—but not just in the obvious places.

Key areas to prioritize:

• Quads & glutes: Primary power generators for turns and acceleration

• Hamstrings: Deceleration, knee stability, and balance

• Core (especially anti-rotation): Keeps the upper body quiet while the legs work

• Hip stabilizers: Crucial for edge control and injury prevention

Go-to exercises:

• Split squats and rear-foot elevated squats

• Deadlifts (trap bar or single-leg variations are gold)

• Lateral lunges and skater squats

• Pallof presses, dead bugs, and cable chops

Strength should be built progressively, with good movement quality always coming first.

2. Train Like You Ski: Power and Eccentric Control

Ski racing isn’t slow strength—it’s rapid force production and controlled absorption. That’s where power and eccentric training come in.

Why eccentrics matter:

Every turn loads the outside leg as you fight gravity and speed. Poor eccentric control is a major contributor to ACL injuries.

Performance-focused drills:

• Box jumps and lateral bounds

• Depth drops with controlled landings

• Eccentric-focused squats and Nordic hamstring curls

• Single-leg hops with stick-and-hold landings

Quality > quantity here. Fatigue leads to sloppy mechanics, which defeats the purpose.

3. Mobility Where You Need It (and Stability Where You Don’t

More flexibility isn’t always better. Ski racers need targeted mobility and rock-solid stability.

Common problem areas:

• Ankles: Limited dorsiflexion affects stance and edge control

• Hips: Especially internal rotation and extension

• Thoracic spine: Helps with counter-rotation and posture

Meanwhile, the knees and lumbar spine benefit more from stability than mobility.

Daily mobility work doesn’t have to be long—10 intentional minutes goes a long way.

4. Balance, Agility, and Reaction Time

Ski racing is chaos management. Courses change, terrain varies, and mistakes happen fast.

Training ideas:

• Single-leg balance with perturbations

• BOSU or foam pad work (used intentionally, not randomly)

• Agility drills with visual or auditory cues

• Reaction-based hopping or cutting drills

These help translate gym strength into on-snow control.

5. Injury Prevention Is Performance Training

Knee, hip, and low back injuries are common in ski racing—but they’re not inevitable.

A smart program includes:

• Proper warm-ups (dynamic, not static)

• Regular movement screening

• Hamstring and hip strength balance

• Adequate recovery and sleep

Pain is not a badge of honor. Small issues addressed early prevent season-ending problems later.

6. In-Season vs. Off-Season Training

Off-season:

• Build max strength and power

• Address asymmetries and mobility deficits

• Higher training volume

In-season:

• Maintain strength (lower volume, higher intent)

• Emphasize recovery and tissue health

• Keep power sharp without overloading

The goal during race season is to feel fast, not fatigued.

Ski racing training should be intentional, individualized, and progressive. The best athletes aren’t just strong—they move well, recover well, and stay healthy long enough to peak when it matters.

If you’re training hard but not seeing results—or you’re dealing with nagging aches—it may be time to rethink your approach. A physical therapist who understands ski racing can help bridge the gap between rehab and performance, keeping you on the mountain and out of the clinic.

Train smart. Ski fast. Stay