Courtenay

Skippy, The emphasis for downhill skiing should be on leg and core strength, so your particular focus should be on exercises performed with legs close together, such as squats, lateral hops, hops forward at 45 degrees, jumps, wall sits or slides, and the like. I recommend that people start with a base of 4 weeks of cardiovascular endurance (to provide you with the leg endurance you need for a day of skiing; most people who do a summer activity like running or hiking will already have this base) and then move into strength training more specific to your sport. If your sport of preference is tele or rondonee skiing, your strength exercises will be of the single-limb variety for legs, including walking lunges with a short stride, forward lunges or dips, maybe even some step-ups or step downs. Check out the Body Results ski pages (www.bodyresults.com) for more information, or submit your current program so we can suggest additions/ alternatives. Happy skiing! Courtenay Schurman, CSCS

Hey Bob, Jim -- Yep, trail running is another good alternative, although I'd primarily recommend it for those with no prior knee or hip problems. Another wrinkle to try for those with delicate knees is to hike uphill with full water jugs in your pack; dump water at the top and then hike (or jog, if you prefer) back down. Scrambling up and down talus or boulder fields (for speed and agility) is an even more challenging twist, although you want to make absolutely sure you've done "regular" cardio and strength training before trying that. Happy climbing! Courtenay Schurman, CSCS

Hey there Daniel, Well, without being able to actually see what your legs/gait/calves/ankles are doing, it sounds like you have strained your calf muscle through overuse -- which you probably already guessed. Was there a specific moment or move where you felt sharp pain? Any time you do a lot of running and strenuous climbing (be it gym climbing OR alpine) the calves are heavily involved, and my first recommendation (besides RICE) is to develop a regular habit of stretching them thoroughly before and after climbing. Has it ever happened before? What's your stretching routine like, so I can recommend others? Do you have any orthotics in your shoes/boots? What do you do as a warm-up? Since light activity and stretching seem to help, I'd encourage you to keep up with that, but perhaps switch (temporarily) to a lower-impact activity (like the Precor, stairstepper, or bike) and get after it with stretching. Massage might help as well. Let me know what else you're trying and I'll include some calf stretches in our November Body Results newsletter. (If you'd like to receive a free copy on-line, send e-mail to trainer@bodyresults.com with "subscribe cc" in the subject.) CSchurman, CSCS

Hey all, Thought I'd help us get started: what are some of your common or recurring ailments related to hiking/climbing? We'll try to provide the board with tips to strengthen specific body parts and deal with injuries, as well as prevention of injuries in the first place. What would you like to see included? Courtenay Schurman, CSCS

Sure thing, Jim! There are even more ways to mix things up -- and this is a good place to learn about them in the near future! If you'd like additional tips, feel free to subscribe to our free monthly newsletter: just send "Subscribe CC" to trainer@bodyresults.com!

SherpaJim, As a conditioning specialist, I recommend that people do weighted hiking (or, in your case, weighted stair climbing work) 1-2x a week, but since you have not had any knee, ankle or hip problems, you might try the following for variety (and to challenge the muscles differently, to prevent any overuse injuries and keep your workouts fresh): 1) 1x/wk, do stair stepping (machine) with 40-50#; 2) 1x/wk, go outside to a steep hill and climb it (up and down, for intervals) with your weighted pack; 3) 1x/wk, go on a distance hike over more gradual terrain (longer than 45 minutes if you like, e.g. on weekends, and heavier if you like). That gives you the 3 times a week for endurance pack work. I'd also vary the weight, particularly in the off season, then ramp back up to the 50-60# closer to the time you'll need that particular level of endurance. That will give you more variety, recovery time, and also free up more time to do other things -- like get ready for ski season, for example. As always, if you begin to feel any strains in ankles, knees, hips, or lower back, then back off on the weight, frequency (maybe 2x/week would be optimal) or distance. Happy training! Courtenay Schurman, CSCS