Are You Ready to Shred (Part 1)

While the thrill of powder days and carving down the slopes are in sight, we wouldn’t be a proper physical therapy clinic if we didn’t offer up some recommendations to help you prepare for the demands of winter sports. One of the most common deficits we see in the clinic with our outdoor athletes is the lack of strength and stability in deeper ranges of the squat and subsequently with deceleration. While one can certainly make it down the mountain without this skill and have an amazing day on the slopes, improving in this area can better prepare you and assist with injury prevention leading to one spectacular season! 

Here’s 3 of our favorite strengthening exercises to help with strength deeper in the squat and deceleration:

1) Heel Elevated Goblet Squats

A staple in nearly every program I write for lower body strengthening and rehabilitation. If you can’t tell, I hold this exercise in high regards. The secret to this movement is holding the weight high to your chest to properly position the trunk upright. This in turn allows you to cue “bend at the knees” dropping lower in the range and deeper in the squat. Over time, as strength increases, you’ll find you get deeper and skill in this position improves.

2) Bulgarian Split Squats

Almost as commonly prescribed as goblet squats, bulgarian split squats are a close second. Comparable to the goblet squat, we cue “bend at the knee” and drop the weight on the middle of our foot to get lower and deeper in the range. The secret with this exercise is to find the optimal stance width. Too far and the movement becomes hip dominant, too narrow and we don’t have room to get lower. Exploration of this stance width is strongly encouraged to feel the different variations and optimize your goals of this exercise.

3) High Forward Step Ups

Finally we have high forward step ups. If you want to squat deep, start deep. This movement begins in a deep knee position, driving through the elevated leg for power development. We pair this with a controlled lowering to emphasize stability of the position. If you’ve only tried lower step ups, you’re going to love how this positions you and challenges you in a different variety.

As you gear up for the season, keep these in mind in your lifting and programming. Training a deeper squat and knee position might just be the key for to a fun and injury-free season.

If you are currently struggling with an injury or unable to perform in the activities you enjoy. Please follow the link below to schedule a consultation call to discuss how we can help you.