Important muscles to use when skiing?

[emmthorpedo]

Beginner skier but experienced cyclist and horse riding nut. I like to think my anatomy knowledge is average and whilst I’m never going to win any yoga prizes, my body awareness is decent. My husband is a runner with better cardio but a different body type (he’s tall and lanky where as I’m a pear). Not posting to show off but he’s generally tiring quicker and he’s complaining the muscles especially in his lower half are aching a lot the day after we ski. I feel like I’ve worked out after skiing but I’m never exhausted and I’m not feeling this ache he’s reporting in my lower body so I’m worried I’m firing the wrong set of muscles? Which muscles would you say are key skiing muscles, would my cycling and horse riding help? and have the more experienced skiers learned how to hone in and use them better over time while the ski and work out?

 

[Pequenita]

Why do you think you're the one who is skiing incorrectly?

 

[emmthorpedo]

My husband is fit from running and joked I wasn’t working hard enough if I’m not feeling anything :-) I just wondered whether minor aches and pains are healthy signs you’re hitting the spot

 

[Serafina]

I haven't found anything that uses the same set of muscles that skiing does. Horseback riding definitely doesn't, just as nothing seems to use the same set of muscles that you need in the saddle.

My knees definitely ache a bit after I've been skiing, and if I've been doing a lot of carving, my obliques might be feeling like they had a workout. And my feet get tired and might be achy. But that could be because I'm in my 50s.

If his thighs and butt are sore, it's because he's going into the backseat. If his calves are sore he should get the fit of his boots checked. If his knees are sore, well, that happens.

And as far as "working hard", unless you start getting into competitions and stuff, the better you get, the less work it is to ski.

 

[Abbi]

My husband is fit from running and joked I wasn’t working hard enough if I’m not feeling anything :-) I just wondered whether minor aches and pains are healthy signs you’re hitting the spot

No pain no gain is so old school! I walk and trot in the summer and it is not any of the same kind of work I do skiing! I agree with Pequenita!

 

[emmthorpedo]

I haven't found anything that uses the same set of muscles that skiing does. Horseback riding definitely doesn't, just as nothing seems to use the same set of muscles that you need in the saddle.

My knees definitely ache a bit after I've been skiing, and if I've been doing a lot of carving, my obliques might be feeling like they had a workout. And my feet get tired and might be achy. But that could be because I'm in my 50s.

If his thighs and butt are sore, it's because he's going into the backseat. If his calves are sore he should get the fit of his boots checked. If his knees are sore, well, that happens.

And as far as "working hard", unless you start getting into competitions and stuff, the better you get, the less work it is to ski.

Thanks that’s useful. His quads are hurting but I don’t think he’s using his hams and glutes. I’ve suggested a massage as I think that’s often overlooked. Don’t get me wrong I feel like I’ve had a workout but just wondered why his body has reacted differently while we’ve been learning. I do work out more with weights where as he prides himself on being a cardio bunner / marathon runner

 

[emmthorpedo]

No pain no gain is so old school! I walk and trot in the summer and it is not any of the same kind of work I do skiing! I agree with Pequenita!

He’s too old school that’s half the battle

 

[Serafina]

Thanks that’s useful. His quads are hurting but I don’t think he’s using his hams and glutes. I’ve suggested a massage as I think that’s often overlooked. Don’t get me wrong I feel like I’ve had a workout but just wondered why his body has reacted differently while we’ve been learning. I do work out more with weights where as he prides himself on being a cardio bunner / marathon runner

If you aren't skiing bumps and heavy loose snow, and his quads are hurting, he's in the backseat. Talk him into taking a lesson - that will probably be one of the first things the instructor sorts out for him.

 

[Pequenita]

My serious answer is that horseback riding trains your core to micro-adjust to changes in balance more than running and has also trained you to be in a more forward position. Cycling, too (forward position). I don't think it's a strength or conditioning thing at this point, but rather positioning.

Don't sell yourself short on being able to catch on to a new sport quicker than your spouse!

 

[Gloria]

He’s probably just getting into shape in terms of strength for skiing. Running Simply isn’t a strength exercise and the muscles are used differently during skiing. Distance running uses a lot of slow twitch fiber where skiing incorporates more fast twitch.

 

[Powgirl]

I find different muscles are sore each year, depending on what I am working on. My quads used to hurt, but I corrected my backseat stance, so my quads rarely get sore now. Last year, I was focusing on pressuring/engaging my tips, and my calves were sore. This year, I am working on separation and rotation and my hips and glutes hurt after a day on the hill.

Overall, for me, I ski best with a strong core...

 

[emmthorpedo]

Thanks. I will try and coax him into another lesson as he is getting a little frustrated with it all. As mentioned above he is probably in the backseat as his quads shouldn’t be burning afterwards. Being honest I’m a little bit disappointed the way he’s reacted with skiing so far. This was a journey we were suppose to try together and support each other. I’m really enjoying it and because I am picking it up quicker he’s made a few comments to try and put me down a peg. I can appreciate some men are competitive but I would hope he doesn’t feel emasculated. A few bitter / weird comments have just suggested otherwise. I think he genuinely thought his long distance running would give him the upper hand but I can’t see any similarities to skiing so far.

 

[liquidfeet]

He’s probably just getting into shape in terms of strength for skiing. Running Simply isn’t a strength exercise and the muscles are used differently during skiing. Distance running uses a lot of slow twitch fiber where skiing incorporates more fast twitch.

I do short, slow, distance running all summer long. It builds enough muscle tone so that I never ever start the season with sore quads, or sore anything really. Running is a fine way to get "in shape" for skiing. As others have said, nothing uses the exact same muscles as skiing, so building good endurance and general muscle tone is a pretty good plan.

It's not quad strength that a skier needs, unless we're talking about a serious racer dealing with enormous forces that result from high speed turns. It's knowing how to position oneself over the skis.

Sore quads (and sore knees too) are pretty reliable predictors of back seat skiing.

 

[liquidfeet]

Thanks. I will try and coax him into another lesson as he is getting a little frustrated with it all. As mentioned above he is probably in the backseat as his quads shouldn’t be burning afterwards. Being honest I’m a little bit disappointed the way he’s reacted with skiing so far. This was a journey we were suppose to try together and support each other. I’m really enjoying it and because I am picking it up quicker he’s made a few comments to try and put me down a peg. I can appreciate some men are competitive but I would hope he doesn’t feel emasculated. A few bitter / weird comments have just suggested otherwise. I think he genuinely thought his long distance running would give him the upper hand but I can’t see any similarities to skiing so far.

It's common for one member of a skiing couple to ski "better" than the other. If the "better" skier tries to "help" the other one, sometimes relationships suffer.

Skiing separately, taking lessons separately, and avoiding making suggestions about how to "fix" problems may be a good plan. You can ride the lifts together, and take breaks together, and eat meals together. If you both take lessons, you can do that in separate groups... and get to know others skiing at a similar level in your group so that you can meet up with them to practice what you learned in the lesson.

Eventually you'll both reach a comfortable level of skiing, and in all likelihood, that will be different for each of you. You'll need to come up with a plan for how to deal with this. Always wanting to ski the same terrain at the same speed is not likely to be the norm for any couple.

 

[VickiK]

Mountain biking is supposed to be the best cross-training for skiing. I wonder if road cycling comes close? Paging @Little Lightning ...

 

[kiki]

Agree with @liquidfeet On the giving space during the learning phase

 

[Serafina]

Thanks. I will try and coax him into another lesson as he is getting a little frustrated with it all. As mentioned above he is probably in the backseat as his quads shouldn’t be burning afterwards. Being honest I’m a little bit disappointed the way he’s reacted with skiing so far. This was a journey we were suppose to try together and support each other. I’m really enjoying it and because I am picking it up quicker he’s made a few comments to try and put me down a peg. I can appreciate some men are competitive but I would hope he doesn’t feel emasculated. A few bitter / weird comments have just suggested otherwise. I think he genuinely thought his long distance running would give him the upper hand but I can’t see any similarities to skiing so far.

I hate it when men do this. I hope he gets over himself soon.

Running would have given him the upper hand if you had gotten into NORDIC skiing, but not downhill.

 

[Obrules15]

Depending on how you ride, posting would also improve your eccentric strength and improve your small knee stabilizers. There's a lot more that goes on in riding besides just sitting on a horse. I think you are selling yourself short.

 

[emmthorpedo]

I hate it when men do this. I hope he gets over himself soon.

Running would have given him the upper hand if you had gotten into NORDIC skiing, but not downhill.

I agree with the comments on giving each other space while trying out new things so it doesn’t become competitive. That said, it happens too often when we cycle too that he seems to feel challenged. It then comes out in pointed or snappy remarks. He’s a great runner and I constantly remind of that but not sure we should pander to their social conditioning on other things.

 

[emmthorpedo]

Mountain biking is supposed to be the best cross-training for skiing. I wonder if road cycling comes close? Paging @Little Lightning ...

Would def agree with that. I did a lot of downhill in the summer and wasn’t great but still helps. Cycling off road involves a lot more than just your main leg and core muscles and requires you to constantly make changes to your balance and positioning. Pelvic tilts, body positioning and bike handling all important.