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Spenst Training
The following is an article the Chris Grover wrote for Master Skier last fall.
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\r\nSpenst Training
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\r\nChris Grover, U.S. XC Development Coach
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\r\nAutumn has arrived, and for serious cross-country ski racers its arrival marks yet another shift towards more specific training for skiing. For the athletes of the U.S. Ski Team, one very important weekly training session is the spenst workout. Over the years, I have seen many athletes and coaches (including myself) confused about the meaning of the word spenst and what kind of training it entails. Spenst is a Norwegian word that means “vertical jump”. Head National Team Coach Trond Nystad tells me that a person’s spenst is their “vertical leap”. So if we’re trying to improve an athlete’s vertical, we’re talking about training that must be explosive by its design. That’s what spenst training is all about; developing explosive strength in the legs.
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\r\nWhen approaching spenst training, think of it as maximal strength training for the lower body. The same principles apply. The work-load (or resistance) should be high, the movements explosive, the repetitions low, and the recovery long. How do you make the resistance high? Find a grass or dirt slope with good footing and an appropriate grade. When you want to make a workout harder, you shouldn’t increase the repetitions, but simply add another set or two. This ensures that the quality of each repetition stays high. For example, on an easy training week, the athletes here in Park City might do 4 sets of bounding strides without poles (10 bounds on each leg per set). During a hard week, we might do 6-7 sets but keep the number of repetitions static.
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\r\nOne problem with spenst training that I often see is confusing spenst training with other ski-specific modes of training such as ski-walking, “moose-hoofs”, technique work, etc. Ski-walking (with or without poles), moose-hoofs (a cross between ski-walking and bounding) and technique-work are all important modes of cross-country ski training, but they are not spenst. Whereas spenst denotes explosive movements, the others usually have a greater endurance component and are best used during distance or intensity training sessions. The confusion presents itself when you see these different entities entwined in the same workout. The problem is not that they are in the same workout, but that athletes (and sometimes coaches) don’t realize that different exercises have different goals. Spenst should be attacked at the beginning of a workout; when the athlete is fresh, and can perform maximally. If you’d like to work on technique or endurance afterwards, have at it!
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\r\nDue to its explosive nature, spenst training should be though of like you would speed training or maximal strength training. That is, when the quality begins to fade, it’s time to stop. For example, if you can do 7 high quality single-leg hops, but your 8th and 9th hops are significantly weaker, then you should be doing sets of 7 until your leg strength improves. The idea is to train explosive motions, not semi-explosive motions. When the quality begins to fade, the athlete moves from the realm of power development to that of endurance development.
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\r\nWhy is developing lower-body power important for cross-country ski racers? Cross-country has changed. It’s not a sport where one athlete starts every 30 seconds and disappears into the woods anymore. Cross-country ski racing is sprints and sprint relays, it is mass-starts and duathlons (continuous pursuit), it is scrambling to pass another skier on a steep uphill, and it is sprinting out of the start and into the finish to get a good placing. All of these formats require that the skier not only have good endurance, but the ability to deliver power as well.
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\r\nThe Workout
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\r\nOne of the keys to any workout that is explosive in nature is a complete warm-up. Traditionally, many cross-country skiers have warmed up for a spenst workout by going for an easy run. This may get the legs somewhat ready, but it does nothing for the upper body. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to use poles for the workout or not; spenst training recruits many muscles in the upper body. I first realized this when working with an athlete that had a pulled muscle in his ribs. Even though we weren’t using poles, spenst was the one activity that aggravated the muscle. It is that dynamic! Our spenst workouts here in Park City begin with a comprehensive total body warm-up, including:
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\r\n1.)10-15 min. Easy Run.
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\r\n2.)The Gary Gray Lunge and Reach Series. This is a series of lunges (sagittal, frontal, and transverse) accompanied by reaching, leaning and rotating with the upper-body. It is excellent for warming-up the many muscles of the core. I learned this routine from Steve Myrland of Myrland Sports Training. For more specific information, Steve can be reached at: mstllc@chorus.net
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\r\n3.)2-3 Critter Crawls. Something else I picked up from Steve. These crawls resemble the movements of a crab, an alligator, or an inchworm (the possibilities are endless) and are another way of warming up the core and arm muscles.
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\r\n4.)1-2 Sets of 6-7 light Plyometric exercises. Exercises that I like to use include, but are not limited to:
\r\na.forward skips
\r\nb.forward high-skips
\r\nc.cross-skips
\r\nd.side-shuffle with arm swings
\r\ne.fast-feet cariocas
\r\nf.backwards running
\r\ng.high knees
\r\nh.butt kicks
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\r\n5.)Ski-Specific Warm-Up. This includes a classic arm-swing (1 min.) and arm-swing with leg-swing (1 min. each leg).
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\r\nNow that we’re really warmed-up, it’s time to get down to business. Here are some of the spenst exercises that we use:
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\r\n1.)Bounding. This can be done with our without poles, and is done for distance, not height. The athlete should think of exploding off the foot and floating in the air. This is not running (it is much more explosive)! The time spent “floating” represents the glide phase in diagonal striding.
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\r\n2.)V1 Skate Bounds. The athlete explodes sideways off the foot and simultaneously up the hill, using V1 timing with the arms. Keep the repetitions short and practice right and left poling timing in subsequent sets.
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\r\n3.)Speed Skater Hops. The athlete turns 90 degrees from the slope of the hill, crosses the downhill foot in front of the uphill foot, and explodes off the new uphill foot laterally up the hill. Here we are trying to mimic a powerful skating motion. V2 timing can be added with the arms.
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\r\n4.)Double Jumps or Frog Jumps. These are two-footed jumps straight up the hill, using an explosive arm-swing. We usually mark these for distance and try to go as far on our last set as we did on the first.
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\r\n5.)Leg Drive Drill. The athlete begins in an extended diagonal stride position (standing on one leg with other leg behind body and same-side arm extended forward) and then uses the force of driving the leg through (past the other leg) to propel himself up the hill. The athlete should concentrate on feeling the power of the leg drive as in classic skiing.
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\r\n6.)Single Leg Hops. This exercise is similar to the Leg Drive Drill, but without the pause in between hops and without the good technique. This is hopping quickly up the hill on one leg.
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\r\n7.)Pete Vordenbergs. You can probably guess whom I learned this one from. This is a ski-walk at max velocity. The athlete keeps her hips level and her arms and legs moving as fast as humanly possible.
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\r\nAs you might guess, the possibilities for creating spenst exercises are limitless. It can be lots of fun to dream up and experiment with different exercises. Athletes can also increase the load during some exercises by using a weight vest or holding a medicine ball. The key is to keep the workout explosive and find exercises that mimic the demands of cross-country ski racing.
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\r\nAs I mentioned earlier, adequate rest between sets is critical in a productive spenst workout. Many athletes want to begin the next set the moment they have finished walking back down the hill. This is due to the misconception that spenst training is endurance training. It is not important to keep your heart rate in a given zone! By allowing for complete recovery from the previous set, the athlete insures that the next set will be of the highest quality, and that true spenst training is accomplished.
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\r\nAfter we have completed the spenst workout, we will typically move on to some technique work (generally ski-walking) and finish with 10-20 minute cool-down run.
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\r\nIf you’re not currently using a spenst routine as part of your training program, try to work one in each week during the fall. When the racing season arrives, you’ll be glad you did.
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Trond Nystad and Andrew Johnson showing some exemplary bounding technique!
Written By: CGroverDate Posted: 5/31/2004Number of Views: 391
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