Even if it is a little bit too late to participate in the Nordic World Ski Championships 2023 in Planica, you can still use this winter to get your body into top shape. With a combination of cross-country skiing and winter fitness, you will work on endurance and muscle strength. Processes that are easy on the joints and intense sessions are exactly the right way to develop core stability and to hone down on cross-country technique at the same time. Two approaches for your winter workout:
Project #1 Endurance through cross-country training
Before the training begins, the framework for the cross-country training should be defined. What’s clear is that the workouts need time. And they need motivation. Only those who have sufficient amounts of both will be successful. Even a simple training plan in the form of entries in your phone calendar can motivate you and allocate time for training.
Basic endurance
Every training project starts with basic endurance. By definition, this is referred to as “general aerobic endurance performance” and its purpose is to facilitate performance over an extended period of time, thus delaying fatigue for as long as possible. Working on this immediately brings about several positive things and improves:
- the cardiovascular system
- the blood flow and oxygen supply to the muscles
- the number of mitochondria delivering energy
- the size of the glycogen stores
- the regenerative capacity
- and many more
The basic endurance training usually takes place on well-known cross-country ski trails. You will ideally be accompanied by scientific analyses and data. However, there are also good rules of thumb which you can follow, at least roughly:
- Select a speed that means that you are always able to talk during the run.
- Use 80% maximum of your performance capacity (usually more like 50-70%)
- plan long sessions (>1 hour)
- the vast majority of endurance training should be basic endurance.
Intervals
Above all, interval training is helpful in preparation for a competition and serves to improve your own performance peaks. In sports science there are many approaches but, first and foremost, the aim is to develop the maximum oxygen intake. You can achieve this by doing intensive runs at 85 to 95% of your maximum performance capacity in one to three sessions a week. Intervals do require a lot more effort, which means personal development can be observed much faster.
Sprint
For particularly ambitious winter athletes and those who want to compete in cross-country racing, a third discipline of cross-country training awaits: the sprint. This will prepare you for the critical phases of competition and means you will have reserves when it comes to the last few metres. To make sure you're ready, you should incorporate a half hour session in the training plan at least once a week – to be done at 95 to 100 percent of your maximum performance capacity.
Project #2 core stability with Fisher Skiletics
Winter Wonderland instead of the gym: Skiletics by Fischer chases you out the door to pursue your dream of an athletic body. The programme is a collection of full body exercises which strengthen the entire muscular system. There is a separate training for each ability level, which is split into classic and skating exercises:
- Beginner
- Advanced
- Expert
All sets of exercises are available as a video on skiletics.com and available as a workout plan in a PDF download.
- Power – Terrain: rising, flat – 8 exercises
- PowerLoop– Terrain: hilly – 8 exercises
- High Speed – Terrain: flat – 7 exercises
- Interval 1 – Hit – Terrain: hilly – 8 exercises
- Interval 2 – Terrain: hilly – 8 exercises
- Speed Up – Terrain: flat – 7 exercises
- Skills – Terrain: flat, slightly downhill – 4 exercises (beginner only)
- Power – Terrain: rising, flat – 7-8 exercises
- PowerLoop– Terrain: hilly – 7-8 exercises
- High Speed – Terrain: flat – 5 exercises
- Interval 1 – Hit – Terrain: hilly – 5 exercises
- Interval 2 – Terrain: hilly – 5 exercises
- Speed Up – Terrain: flat, slightly falling – 6 exercises
The 54th edition of the Nordic World Ski Championships will take the athletes to Planica, in Slovenia. From the 21st of February to the 5th of March 2023, athletes will compete in cross-country skiing, in the Nordic combined and in ski jumping. The world championships are an excellent opportunity to gain a good dose of motivation and watch perfect cross-country skiing technique in action.
The right tools for training
Suitable equipment is not only a prerequisite for cross-country training, but also for the Fischer Skiletics programme. You will find the current cross-country skis and boots with your SPORT 2000 ski pro.
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