Training

Nordic skiing requires endurance, speed, agility, and upper and lower body strength. For competitive athletes, training year-round is important because, as the old saying goes, "strong skiers are made in summer." This page provides some general training tips. 

The best way to train to ski is to ski! Getting out on the snow as much as possible will help you improve your strength and endurance and practice technique.  During the late fall, several areas make snow, providing an early opportunity to get out on the snow. All Como skiers will get a pass to Battle Creek Regional Park, where they make snow. Snow-making also happens at Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington) and Elm Creek (Maple Grove) (both can be accessed with a Three Rivers Park pass) and at Theodore Wirth Park (which requires its own pass).

Dryland training

Running, hiking/bounding (with and without poles), biking, and roller-skiing are all great ways to build endurance, speed, and strength for Nordic skiing in the warm season. It's important to both build aerobic capacity and to increase strength and speed. Athletes can achieve this by mixing up workouts to include longer (1.5-3 hours), low-intensity workouts and shorter, high-intensity workouts that include intervals (e.g., short speeds) each week, and by mixing short intensity sessions into longer workouts. For a truly comprehensive discussion of different training intensities, see this link from one of the Norwegian Nordic Club Teams.

"Dryland training" combines pole-hiking, hill-bounding, and strength and balance drills to build endurance, strength, and ski technique. The only equipment required is a pair of ski poles (classic length). This video goes through a sequence of drills, with former Como athletes Saylor and Owen as demonstrators.

Strength training 1-3x/week is also important for Nordic skiing, and should focus on upper body, lower body, and core. There are numerous resources online that can be used to develop a strength training program that is specific to Nordic skiing. This video has some suggestions for strength training, with Como athletes Saylor and Owen as demonstrators. A basic strength routine that does not require any equipment could include 3 sets of 10-20 reps of each of the following:

Squats

Bulgarian split squats (using a low bench, couch, etc.)

Single Romanian dead lift (RDL) 

Calf raises (ground, curb, or stair)

Push-ups (ground or assisted with table or wall)

Dips (on the ground or a bench)

Pull-ups or assisted pull-ups on the monkey bars

Planks

Side planks

For more advanced skiers, roller-skiing is a fantastic way  to train for skiing on snow because it comes closest to using the muscles and balance that are required for snow-skiing. However, roller skis are expensive if purchased new and athletes should make sure they know how to approach roller-skiing safely. As with snow skis, different roller skis are made for different techniques - skate and classic. However, unlike snow skis, combi roller skis are perfectly good for training for both techniques, and are best for beginner roller skiers. This video goes through a sequence  of drills, with former Como athletes Saylor and Owen as demonstrators (you can find the same video here, with the annotated time stamps).

There are several local summer training programs for athletes who are serious about competition and interested in competing in regional and national races, including Endurance United, Loppet Nordic Racing, Minneapolis Ski Club, and others.