Sunday, December 31, 2006
Nordic Walking - Ski Readiness Training Program (Week 5)
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I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
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Happy New Year! And welcome to Week 5 of our 10-week ski readiness course. No doubt like ourselves! - you are full of resolutions to regain figure and vigour in the new year, so let’s kick off 2007 with a brisk week of training.
First, a word for those who have not seen our earlier postings on ski readiness:
This course is intended mainly for those joining our February cross-country skiing holiday in Norway (for details see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm . But it will also benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness.
The course is progressive. So if you missed the last three weeks, please go back to our posting of 4 December where you will find the rationale for the course, as well as an explanation of the three “categories” that we refer to below. Please also remember that in earlier postings we have described mobilisation exercises for you to do before every workout, and muscle stretches for you to do after every workout.
Nordic Walking
For the last two weeks we have been adding “bursts of speed” to some of your Nordic walking sessions. This week we want you to continue to do the speed-work. And in addition we want you to introduce some gentle hill-work into just one of your weekly Nordic walking sessions.
Nordic walking on hills is great exercise. It raises the heart rate and it tones all the main muscle groups. But you need to be careful with it – in two respects.
- First, you need to select a very gentle hill. The ideal slope for our current purpose would be so gentle that you would allow your ten-year old child (or grandchild) to bicycle down it without using brakes. It would also have a good surface, with no hummocks or potholes. And it would be about 200 metres long
- Second, you need to take things easy. Don’t work on the hill until you have warmed up by walking for ten minutes or more. Climb the hill at a steady slow pace. And stop immediately if you feel dizzy or very breathless.
As usual we will work in the categories selected in Week 1:
CATEGORY A
This week, like last, do three Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus two sessions of 60 minutes. Include a two-minute burst of speed in each of the three 30-minute sessions.
In addition, do some hill-work in one of the 60-minute sessions. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat ten times.
CATEGORY B
This week, like last, do two Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus one session of 60 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed in both of the 30-minute sessions. In addition, do some hill-work in your 60-minute session. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat eight times.
CATEGORY C
This week, like last, do one Nordic walking session of 30 minutes plus one session of 45 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed in the 30-minute session. In addition, do some hill-work in your 45-minute session. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat five times.
Muscle toning
As usual we continue to work on mini-squats, which are great for toning the legs.
Last week we asked you to do three “sets” of 10 “repetitions” of this exercise in the course of the week. This week we want you to increase the intensity just a little, by increasing the number of repetitions in a set to 12:
CATEGORY A
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of ten.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY B
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of five.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY C
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of three.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
Muscle toning and balance
This week, like last week, let’s also use mini-squats to help our ski-balance. We’ll do exactly the same routine as last week. (Remember to hold on to the back of a chair if you feel wobbly during this exercise.)
Here is the routine once again:
1 Squat slowly down into the basic position. Hold it for a count of three.
2 Without standing up, shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the left foot. (In moving across, you mainly pivot at the ANKLES.) You should achieve a position in which your left foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
3 Now shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the right foot. In doing this, you achieve a position in which your right foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
4 Now shift your body weight a little forward, over the balls of your feet. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
5 Now shift your body weight a little backward, over your heels. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, then stand up and take a well-earned rest.
Try to find time to do this routine five times during the course of the week.
Happy New Year - and happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
=====================================================================================
Have you booked your place on our holiday yet? There is still time to book! ALL Standards including beginners very welcome. For full details visit:
http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm
=====================================================================================
=====================================================================================
I am very grateful to Stuart Montgomery for putting together this training course.
As well as being a fellow INWA Nordic Walking Instructor Stuart is a Director of Tour Operator XCuk Ltd http://www.xcuk.com the company who are providing the Nordic Walking News cross-country skiing holiday to Norway this coming February.
=====================================================================================
Happy New Year! And welcome to Week 5 of our 10-week ski readiness course. No doubt like ourselves! - you are full of resolutions to regain figure and vigour in the new year, so let’s kick off 2007 with a brisk week of training.
First, a word for those who have not seen our earlier postings on ski readiness:
This course is intended mainly for those joining our February cross-country skiing holiday in Norway (for details see http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm . But it will also benefit anyone who wants to improve their fitness.
The course is progressive. So if you missed the last three weeks, please go back to our posting of 4 December where you will find the rationale for the course, as well as an explanation of the three “categories” that we refer to below. Please also remember that in earlier postings we have described mobilisation exercises for you to do before every workout, and muscle stretches for you to do after every workout.
Nordic Walking
For the last two weeks we have been adding “bursts of speed” to some of your Nordic walking sessions. This week we want you to continue to do the speed-work. And in addition we want you to introduce some gentle hill-work into just one of your weekly Nordic walking sessions.
Nordic walking on hills is great exercise. It raises the heart rate and it tones all the main muscle groups. But you need to be careful with it – in two respects.
- First, you need to select a very gentle hill. The ideal slope for our current purpose would be so gentle that you would allow your ten-year old child (or grandchild) to bicycle down it without using brakes. It would also have a good surface, with no hummocks or potholes. And it would be about 200 metres long
- Second, you need to take things easy. Don’t work on the hill until you have warmed up by walking for ten minutes or more. Climb the hill at a steady slow pace. And stop immediately if you feel dizzy or very breathless.
As usual we will work in the categories selected in Week 1:
CATEGORY A
This week, like last, do three Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus two sessions of 60 minutes. Include a two-minute burst of speed in each of the three 30-minute sessions.
In addition, do some hill-work in one of the 60-minute sessions. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat ten times.
CATEGORY B
This week, like last, do two Nordic walking sessions of 30 minutes plus one session of 60 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed in both of the 30-minute sessions. In addition, do some hill-work in your 60-minute session. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat eight times.
CATEGORY C
This week, like last, do one Nordic walking session of 30 minutes plus one session of 45 minutes.
Include a two-minute burst of speed in the 30-minute session. In addition, do some hill-work in your 45-minute session. Find a slope like the one described above. Walk up it (for about 200 metres) and then immediately turn around and walk back to the bottom. Repeat five times.
Muscle toning
As usual we continue to work on mini-squats, which are great for toning the legs.
Last week we asked you to do three “sets” of 10 “repetitions” of this exercise in the course of the week. This week we want you to increase the intensity just a little, by increasing the number of repetitions in a set to 12:
CATEGORY A
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of ten.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY B
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of five.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
CATEGORY C
- Hold each mini-squat for a count of three.
- Do 12 repetitions in a set.
- Do at least three sets in the course of the week.
Muscle toning and balance
This week, like last week, let’s also use mini-squats to help our ski-balance. We’ll do exactly the same routine as last week. (Remember to hold on to the back of a chair if you feel wobbly during this exercise.)
Here is the routine once again:
1 Squat slowly down into the basic position. Hold it for a count of three.
2 Without standing up, shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the left foot. (In moving across, you mainly pivot at the ANKLES.) You should achieve a position in which your left foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
3 Now shift your body weight straight across until it is almost all over the right foot. In doing this, you achieve a position in which your right foot, knee, hip and shoulder are all in line vertically. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
4 Now shift your body weight a little forward, over the balls of your feet. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, without standing up, and hold it for a count of three.
5 Now shift your body weight a little backward, over your heels. Be careful not to fall over: this is not a stable position. Hold for a count of three. Return to the basic position, then stand up and take a well-earned rest.
Try to find time to do this routine five times during the course of the week.
Happy New Year - and happy training!
Stuart Montgomery (Director - XCuk Ltd)
=====================================================================================
Have you booked your place on our holiday yet? There is still time to book! ALL Standards including beginners very welcome. For full details visit:
http://www.nordicfitnessonline.com/blue/nordicskiing/nordicskiing.htm
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