Jeff's Off-Season Workout Guide
As an ex-pro snowboarder and serious cyclist, I have experienced way too many injuries over the years. A big reason why? Lack of preparation for the race season, the right way, by increasing body strength and flexibility (vs all cardio) contributed to why I got injured. So, I have learned the IMPORTANCE of building core body strength and mobility. You do not need a gym membership; I do this all at home. Riding my bike trainer and doing body weight or light weight exercises have become my go to. These exercises that I rotate through works for me. I am always adding and trying new exercises to improve my performance as I get older. Especially because I love beer.
- Build that booty! A big problem for many is they focus too much on the upper body. By working your glutes, legs, lower back and lower core more you will improve stamina for longer ski days, and balance… a key to better performance on the hill.
- Don’t forget stretching. Daily yoga and Pilates has become my go to for pain relief. It helps with my continuing goal to become more flexible. Foam rolling is key to your stretching routine. I usually foam roll at night.
- Use of dynamic moves (plyometrics) in your workout can help you take those unforeseen and usually sudden impacts better. So, make sure you are adding them in. (Look up plyometric exercises and add them in carefully, because they can stress your ligaments.
I focus on different areas of my body each day. Also, I generally pick 4-6 exercises of each focused area in a 3 round super set.
I use 5lb, 10lb and 25lb dumbbells, resistance band, 10lb. Medicine ball, yoga mat and frisbee’s (which act as slides on my carpet).
In my younger years I rarely stretched and was very inflexible, especially in my hips, legs and lower back. In the last year due to various injuries, I have gotten much better at stretching. It is amazing how much better my body feels now that I am doing it consistently.
With minimal equipment, I have been able to keep in shape! You can too! Just takes a little creativity and discipline!
The 3 set supersets I do usually take between 25 and 40 minutes.
Dumbbell deadlift (10 reps) Lateral Band Walk (30 seconds moving back and forth) Fire Hydrant (15 reps each side) Lateral Bounds (60 seconds) Weighted Glute Bridge (10 reps)
Forearm Plank (60 sec.) Knee to elbow plank (60 sec.) Russian Twist (30 sec.) Side Planks with dips (10 reps on both right & left side) Burpees (10 reps) Plank Climbers using slides (60 sec.)
Standing overhead press (10 reps) Push ups using balance board (10 reps) Lateral Bounds (60 sec.) keeps the heart rate up Dumbbell Lateral Raise (10 reps) Plank shoulder tap (60 sec.)
1-2 hours of biking 30 min stair stepper
Exercise how too’s:
Legs/ Booty
Box jumps (dynamic move)
- Stand in an athletic position with feet shoulder-width apart and at a comfortable distance from the box.
- To initiate the movement, bend your knees and push your hips back while swinging your arms behind you.
- Push your feet off the floor explosively to propel yourself onto the box.
- Jump and land softly to absorb the impact into your glutes and hamstrings, landing in a partial squat with your back flat, chest up (don’t round!), and your knees tracking over your toes. If your feet are making a lot of noise, something’s wrong—and you likely need to back up and try a lower box or strengthen with step-ups first.
- Step down and do it again.
Dumbbell deadlift
- Pick up a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip and hold them in front of your sides.
- Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet placed shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the hips and knees, lowering your torso until it’s almost parallel with the floor.
- Allow your arms to hang down in front of your knees and shins. Make sure you keep your back in a neutral position, taking care not to round it. You should lower yourself into position slowly, in a controlled manner.
- From this position, stand up straight without changing the shape of your back. Squeeze your glutes as you straighten, pushing through the ball and heel of your foot.
Sumo Squats
- Hold dumbbells securely at your shoulders.
- With toes pointing about 45 degrees outward, stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Your hips should be rotated outward.
- Take a deep breath in, push your hips backward, lowering into a squat keeping your core tight, back straight, and knees forward.
- Exhale while pressing back to a standing position. Focus on keeping your weight evenly distributed throughout your heel and mid-foot.
Weighted Glute Bridge
- Lie down on an exercise mat with your arms straight at your sides.
- Set a weight plate on your hips and hold in place with your hands.
- Place feet flat on the floor about a foot away from your buttocks (about as close to your butt as is comfortable). This is the starting position.
- Next, begin exercise by squeezing your glutes and raising hips up until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Hold for at least 5 seconds, then lower back down.
Single Leg Deadlift
- Stand straight with both feet on ground and legs straight, hands hanging down in front of you.
- Press into the supporting leg as you slide the non-supporting leg back, allowing your upper body to move forward with your hip as the hinge. If at any point during the exercise you start to lose balance, simply touch the free-floating leg lightly to the floor to regain balance.
- Keep the support (balancing) leg straight or allow a slight, gentle bend to the knee. Keep folding forward until your fingers reach the dumbbell, then grab the handle by wrapping your fingers around it.
- Complete the movement by pulling the weight with the muscles of the backside of your body—the hamstrings and butt muscles.
- Complete the movement with your body upright and the support leg fully extended. Make sure to finish the full range of motion by pushing your hips forward at the top of the movement, so that your butt muscles are firm.
- Take a slight pause to assure you have full control of your balance, then lower the dumbbell back to the floor under control.
Burpee (dynamic move)
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hinge at the hips and bend knees to squat as deeply as you can and place your hands on the floor.
- Jump feet back to come into a high plank position (top of a push-up).
- With your core engaged, bend elbows to lower chest to the floor, like a push-up.
- Press back up as you jump your feet back into a deep squat and jump (or stand) right back up, landing on the balls of your feet.
Reverse Lunge Knee ups (dynamic move)
- Plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart.
- Inhale. Take a big step backwards with your right foot. As you plant your foot on the floor, bend both knees to approximately 90 degrees, ensuring that your weight is evenly distributed between both legs. If done correctly, your front knee should be aligned with your ankle and your back knee should be hovering just off the floor.
- Exhale. Extend both knees and transfer your weight onto your left foot. At the same time, elevate your right foot to bring your knee into your chest.
- Inhale. Lower your right leg to return to the starting position, but without resting your foot on the mat. Complete half of the specified repetitions on the same side, before repeating the remaining repetitions on the other side.
Lateral Bounds (dynamic move) - great to keep yourself moving between sets.
- Stand on your right leg.
- Jump laterally to your left.
- Land on your left foot.
- As soon as you land on your left foot jump back laterally to your right foot. Try to land as soft and controlled as possible.
- This completes one repetition. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.
Jumping Lunges (dynamic move)
- Prepare to jump by bending your knees and sinking down into a deep lunge. Lean slightly forward and contract your core muscles. Maintain core muscle engagement throughout the exercise.
- Quickly sink your weight down and then explosively drive both feet into the floor and launch your body upward, fully extending your knees and hips.
- As you jump into the air, bring your feet quickly together and switch positions as you begin to land. You should also switch arms as you do this.
- As you land, maintain a balanced foot position. Your forward knee should be over your forward foot and not beyond. Attempt to land softly on the forward mid-foot and let your heel come in contact with the ground. Avoid remaining on the toes of the forward foot. Keep your hips back and allow your hips and knees to bend deeply to absorb the landing. Don't lock your knees.
- Drop to a deep lunge position as you prepare to start the next jump lunge.
- Repeat the jump lunge movement for the duration of your exercise time. Aim for a few reps to begin and work up to a full 60 seconds.
Fire Hydrant (resistance band)
- Loop a mini band just above your knees.
- Start in an all-fours position with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
- Without shifting your hips, lift your left knee out to the side. Keep your core engaged so your body does not rotate open with your knee lift.
- Slowly return to your starting position for 1 rep.
- Do all your reps on one side, then switch to the other side.
Lateral Band Walk (resistance band)
- Place the band around your ankles.
- Stand in a quarter-squat position (a shallow squat), with your feet about hip-width apart, and your hands at your chest or on your hips.
- Take a step to the right with your right foot, so that your feet are wider than hip width. Follow with your left foot so that your feet are hip-width apart again.
- Take three steps to the right, and then three back to the left. That’s 1 rep.
- Complete all your reps.
Donkey Kick (resistance band)
- Loop a mini band around the bottom of your left foot and right ankle. Start in an all-fours position with your knees under your hips, wrists under your shoulders, and your core engaged.
- Keeping your knee bent and left foot flexed, kick your left leg up toward the ceiling. Hold for 2 seconds at the top.
- Return your left knee to the floor for 1 rep.
- Do all your reps on one side, the switch to the other.
Core
Planks (Plank variations: Plank w/ shoulder touch, Forearm plank(low), knee to elbow plank, plank hip dip, plank climbers on slides.)
Forearm Plank
- Begin lying on the floor with your forearms flat on the floor, making sure that your elbows are aligned directly under your shoulders.
- Engage your core and raise your body up off the floor, keeping your forearms on the floor and your body in a straight line from head to feet. Keep your abdominals engaged and try not to let your hips rise or drop.
Plank climbers
- Start in a high plank—hands shoulder-width apart (or wider if that's how you usually do push-ups), shoulders above wrists—with your toes on a set of gliders.
- Engage your core and dig your right foot into the floor as you slide it forward, bringing your right knee to your chest.
- Slide your right foot back as you slide your left foot forward, bringing your left knee to your chest.
- Continue to alternate, moving quickly. Make sure to keep your core engaged and back flat throughout.
- Move faster for a bigger cardio challenge. If you have trouble maintaining form, slow down.
Knee to Elbow Plank
- Lay face down on the ground with extended legs.
- Point your toes while you place your hands beneath your shoulders.
- Push yourself up into the forearm plank (low) position.
- Maintaining a tight core and flat back, bring your left knee to your right elbow.
- Pause and slowly return each to the starting point.
- Repeat with the other side and keep alternating.
Side Planks with dips
- Begin in a side elbow plank on your right side with straight legs and your feet stacked.
- Inhale and lower your pelvis to the floor, so your right hip hovers just off the floor.
- Exhale and press up through your right waist to lift your pelvis and return to side plank. Pull your right shoulder blade down your back to stabilize your shoulder.
- This completes one rep.
- Do 10 reps on each side.
Russian Weighted Twist
- Grab a medicine ball, dumbbell, or weight plate and sit on the floor with your hips and knees bent 90 degrees.
- Hold the weight straight out in front of you and keep your back straight (your torso should be at about 45 degrees to the floor).
- Explosively twist your torso as far as you can to the left [1], and then reverse the motion, twisting as far as you can to the right [2].
- That’s one rep. I do this for a 30 count. So right around 30 seconds. Other exercises I swap out for sometimes:
- CORE
- Bird Dog
- Body Saw to Pike
- Upper body
Standing overhead press (dumbbells)
- Stand upright and keep the back straight.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand at the shoulders with an overhand grip. Thumbs should be on the inside and knuckles facing up.
- Raise the weights above the head in a controlled motion while exhaling. Pause at the top of the motion.
- Return the dumbbells to the shoulders while inhaling.
- Repeat for eight to 12 repetitions as desired.
Push up
- Start in a high plank with your palms flat, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the floor.
- Push through the palms of your hands to straighten your arms. This is 1 rep.
2 arm bent row
Curls
Decline push up
Push up using balance
Stretch (Yoga)
Childs poses
Cobra pose
Pigeon pose
Bridge pose
Supine twist
Downward dog
Prone quad stretch
Butterfly
Happy baby
Supine figure 4
Cardio
I ride my bike 5-10 hours a week (Usually a couple trainer rides, a gravel or road ride and as many Mtn. Bike rides I can fit in with my busy schedule). I also do several 20 to 30 min sessions on my stair stepper for some cross training for bike.
In general, 3 good cardio sweat sessions of your choice a week, 30-60 minutes long is plenty for a normal tuneup and also is great to mix in with other exercise days.
- Jeff Perry
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