01The plan
Eight Weeks To Snow Ready.
Snowsports work your body hard, and the first weeks of a course ask the most of it. The Snow Ready Fitness Programme trains the muscle groups skiing and snowboarding rely on: legs, core and arms. It also builds aerobic and anaerobic fitness, agility, balance and flexibility.
We created it for trainee instructors heading out on our ski instructor courses and snowboard courses. You can train from home with no equipment. All you need is 30 minutes to an hour, five days a week.
A well conditioned body is less likely to be injured, and it lasts the whole season, not just the first week.
- You
- and some space to move
- 30 to 60
- minutes a session
- 5
- days a week
- 8
- weeks before your course
What is inside
Everything You Need, Nothing You Have To Buy.
- An eight week plan, written for skiers and snowboarders
- Strength, agility, balance and endurance work
- Sessions for your legs, arms and core
- Advice to help you avoid injury
- No equipment, and suitable for beginners to advanced
- A cool down for stretching off after training
Off the snow
The best skiers and snowboarders train off the slopes as seriously as they train on them.
Arriving fit is now part of the job. It helps you enjoy the snow more, and it connects body and mind, so new technique settles sooner.
02Why it matters
Fit For The Whole Season.
Being properly conditioned before you arrive lowers your chance of injury and lets you reach your full potential on the course.
01
Fewer injuries
Strong, conditioned muscles hold you in position, protect your knees and support your spine.
02
Longer days on the hill
Endurance keeps you skiing well into the afternoon, when tired legs start to make mistakes.
03
More from your training
A fit body copes with four days a week on snow, so every session with your trainer counts.
03Your body
Six Things The Programme Trains.
Each part of the plan has a job on the mountain. Choose one to see what it trains and why it matters.
The most used muscle group
Your Legs Do The Most Work.
Your legs carry you down every run, so the plan gives them at least one full session a week. Strength and endurance here keep you on the hill for longer.
Your quadriceps hold you in position and protect your knees. Skiing and riding also keep you flexed forward from the hips, so your hamstrings and glutes work hard to stabilise your body.
What it trains
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
In the plan
- Curtsy lunges
- Jump lunges
- Single leg squats
Watch
See How Each Move Is Done.
Every exercise in the plan is demonstrated, so you can check your form before you start. Press play and the video opens here.
Open the Exercise Library ›
04When to start
Count Back Eight Weeks.
Put in the date your course starts, and we will show you the day to begin training.
Choose your course start date.
Your eight weeks fill in below.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Course starts
- Training session
- Rest day
- Your course
Five sessions and two rest days each week, then your course. Less than eight weeks to go? Message us on WhatsApp and we will help you make the most of the time you have.
05Nutrition
Fuel The Training.
Exercise and food work together. We don't set a diet in the run-up to your course, but our Snow Ready Nutrition guide explains what to eat before, during and after your time on the mountain.
If you stay at our Revelstoke house, our in-house chef prepares and serves a meal plan built on the same principles.
Read Snow Ready Nutrition- 01Lean proteinFor recovery between sessions, while you train and on the slopes.
- 02Complex carbohydratesKept high around training and on the hill, eaten every couple of hours to refill your energy stores.
- 03Healthy fatsThe third part of a skier or snowboarder's diet, alongside protein and carbohydrates.
Abbie wrote the Snow Ready Fitness Programme for our trainee instructors, combining years of coaching in gyms with her own time on skis and a board.
She has coached people of every age and ability, and supports the rehabilitation of fire service personnel as an exercise therapist with the Fire Fighters Charity. Her focus is functional fitness: strength that serves you in everyday life, and on the mountain.
- Sports science graduate
- Sports massage therapist
- Qualified nutrition coach
- Exercise therapist with the Fire Fighters Charity
- Skier and snowboarder
07Questions
Snow Ready Fitness Programme: Common Questions.
Straight answers to the questions people ask before they start.
Do I need a gym or any equipment?
No. The programme is built to be done at home, in a gym or outside, with no equipment. All you need is yourself and some space to move.
How much time does it take?
Between 30 minutes and an hour a session, five days a week, for eight weeks.
When should I start?
Eight weeks before your course starts. Put your start date into the planner on this page and it will show you the day to begin.
Is it for skiers or snowboarders?
Both. It trains the legs, core and arms that every skier and snowboarder relies on, with notes on how each one helps on skis and on a board.
I am not very fit yet. Is it suitable?
Yes. The plan suits everyone from beginners to people who already train hard, and builds up over the eight weeks.
Is the programme free?
Yes. The Snow Ready Fitness Programme is free to download from our Guide Hub.
What should I eat while I train?
Lean protein, plenty of complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Our Snow Ready Nutrition guide explains what to eat in the run-up to your course, during it and after a day on the mountain.
What Past Interns Say.
Get Ready For The Rest Of It.
Free guides for everything else before you fly, from what to pack to what to wear on the hill.
Fitness Guide
The full Snow Ready Fitness Programme, day by day, free to download.
Read the guide ›
What To Take
The packing list for a Canadian winter.
Read the guide ›
Clothing Essentials
Layers, gloves and what is worth spending money on.
Read the guide ›
Skiing Ability Guide
The standard you need for a course, in plain words, with a way to check.
Read the guide ›
Snowboarding Ability Guide
The riding standard you need for a course, and how to check yours.
Read the guide ›
The Real Cost Of A Canadian Season
The whole sum, from flights and insurance to food and kit.
Read the guide ›
What Nobody Tells You About A Season In Canada
What the brochures leave out, from people who have done it.
Read the guide ›
Insurance Guide
What cover you need, and what to check before you buy it.
Read the guide ›
How To Book Our Courses And Internships
From first chat to first chairlift, step by step.
Read the guide ›
Girls On Tour
For women heading out on a season, by women who have done it.
Read the guide ›
Emma
Rik
Rik
Emma
Rob
Iain
Cass
Mike
Abbie