Power-endurance key to being a fit skier
By Kelley McMillan, Outdoor
According to personal trainer Carolyn Parker, if you want to make the most of your ski season, you need to bolster your lower back, core, and glutes through a rigorous power-endurance routine.
Power-endurance is, essentially, the ability for your muscles to work near maximum output for a sustained period of time — a combination of short, explosive power and more drawn-out endurance. And that’s the focus of Parker’s ski program, which she uses for clients ranging from elite ski-mountaineering racers to recreational skiers at her training facility, the Compound, in Albuquerque.
Nicknamed Blitzkrieg Barbie for her blond hair and take-no-prisoners attitude, Parker, 44, is a certified CrossFit, Gym Jones, and AFAA trainer. Her background as an accomplished skier and climber and a trainer makes her particularly appealing to winter athletes seeking a workout that yields real results.
“Being a skier and a trainer, I take the knowledge base I have and apply that to each individual,” Parker says. “That’s going to result in a more specific and beneficial approach to their particular sport.”
Though no program is one-size-fits-all, there are excellent circuits that can benefit almost any snow enthusiast.