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Kettlebell Exercises for Skiing

Sep 13, 2011 | By Jeannette Belliveau
Kettlebell Exercises for Skiing
Photo Credit Jolyon Ralston/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

Kettlebell exercises can increase your total-body strength in a way perfectly attuned for skiing. These weights work what trainers call the posterior chain, the muscles on the back of the body from the calves to the neck -- the same ones you need to ski well. Kettlebells thus differ from weights that work the “mirror muscles” more attuned to looking ripped. Your exercises with these weights that look like a cannonball with a handle also provide a high-intensity cardio benefit equivalent to cross-country skiing uphill at a fast pace, the American Council on Exercise concluded in a 2010 study.

Kettlebell Swing

The swing motion of the kettlebell swing has no equivalent with other free weights. You select a weight that you can safely handle for 10 repetitions without losing control, which may be in the 20- to 35-pound range or lower if you are new to kettlebell workouts. Set the kettlebell on the floor slightly in front of you and spread your legs wide. Take your time grasping the handle carefully so you don’t lose your grip. Swing the kettlebell as high as your nose and back down between your thighs, keeping your gaze forward, and repeat. The swing may leave you breathing heavily and feeling the workout in your hamstrings and the rest of the posterior chain.

Kettlebell Snatch

Skiers also benefit from the whole-body workout of the snatch, considered a multisport movement since its explosiveness translates well to so many activities. The snatch resembles a one-handed swing that you take past eye level to what kettlebell trainers call an overhead lockout. Push into the kettlebell just before the end of the movement so the bell rolls gently onto your forearm, with the handle in your palm, recommends fitness trainer Dave Bellomo in “Kettlebell Training for Athletes.” Lower the kettlebell and repeat.

Kettlebell Rows

Rows, a training term for what are essentially pulls, help your upper back. One option for skiers is the bent-over row, performed with your left foot about two feet forward of the right. Bend over and grasp a kettlebell with your right hand, bracing yourself with your left hand on your left knee. Grasp the kettlebell, bring it to your ribs and lower it for each repetition. Repeat on the other side.

Kettlebell Ski Jumps

U.K.-based personal trainer Jason Garratt recommends ski jumps with kettlebells. Stack exercise benches to around your knee height. Hold a small kettlebell around chest height as you step up on the bench with one foot. Jump so this foot lands on the floor on the far side of the stack, and your other foot lands in the middle of the stack. Repeat for eight to 10 reps to start. You can perform this exercise in a crouch, as in slalom skiing. For variations, do ski jumps with your torso straight up and at an accelerated pace.

References

Article reviewed by David Bill Last updated on: Sep 13, 2011

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