Skiers SLS/PE1>iM - Edge of feet?

<<there are no words to describe my joy>>

Not for nothing I've been sore as heck this last week.

KeilaniG said:

L=1, R=2, L=3, R=4, etc

I've experimented with doing it the other way, but it's too much loading on the joints without enough stress on the muscles, if that makes sense.

Jerry Mangona said:

For what it's worth, this exercise changed drastically when I learned that it wasn't the knees which move to the side...it's the hip that moves to the side with the knees staying straight. Totally different feeling, and it actually replicates what I feel when skiing.

Excellent tip. I notice the difference right away. Hopefully I will progress very nicely. I can not say the same for the deck squat. Agh!

KeilaniG said:

L=1, R=2, L=3, R=4, etc

Hmmm, I was counting L+R = 1, L+R = 2 so I was getting 10 on each side per set.  It was contributing nicely to a little huff and puff alternating these w/ the deck squats especially on the days w/ 5 sets of both PE/iM.  Maybe I'll cut back to 5 reps on each side / set of the skiers since it sounds like that's the protocol.

fazool said:

Excellent tip. I notice the difference right away. Hopefully I will progress very nicely. I can not say the same for the deck squat. Agh!tj

I found as I progress, however slowly, on the Manna Tuck Up that I get better at the deck squat because the Tuck Up seems to make me stronger so I can more easily pull my feet to my glutes and bring my knees in closer to my body all of which makes me more rolly polly so I stand up  easier.

Sometimes I get a glimmer of Coach's genius when I start feeling the synergies between the exercises.

Thanks Dynamo.  I have been progressing nicely with the Manna Tuck Up.  Looking forward to the carry over to the deck squats.

wheezer said:

When I rise up out of skiers, I focus on driving my heels into the ground to straighten my knees - rather than driving my quads into the ground. It's more difficult strength-wise, but I find that it really accentuates the stretch on the Achilles.

The Achilles is quickly becoming my one step away from mastery, so would like to add more mobility. Is there a good supplementary exercise to stretch the Achilles tendon?

There are actually two muscles which insert/attach to the Achilles; the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles. Depending on what movements/exercises you feel you are limited in that stretch may or may not help you with your problem.

If you are having a hard time with bent leg ankle mobility (deck squats for example), then straight leg calf stretches (which stretch the Gastrocs) like the above mentioned one will not fix your problem. What you need is a bent leg calf stretch (which stretch the Soleus).

I like the kneeling Soleus stretch personally.