Build Your Lats To Increase Poling Power
By Amy Pakula,
The following exercises and drills emphasize the lats while maintaining a hollow body or scoop position which mimics the position of the torso during skiing (see photo). Proper upper body position while skiing allows for powerful muscle recruitment and maximises forward momentum. When working on technique, many skiers grasp the way correct body position should ‘look’ without acknowledging the way it should ‘feel’. These exercises will help skiers ingrain the correct muscle firing sequence and strengthen their core positioning.
Dr. Amy Pakula Momentum Physical Therapy
If you’ve struggled to feel your lats work during poling or with upper body pulling motions in the gym, here are a few drills and exercises that will help.
The latissimus dorsi or lat muscle is one of the largest muscles of the back, running from your shoulder to your pelvis. The lats are prime movers in most pulling motions and therefore incredibly important to nordic skiing. They’re also integral to helping protect the shoulder joint from unnecessary stress. In some circles, the lats are even referred to as the glutes of the upper body because they are so important to performance and injury prevention.
The following exercises and drills emphasize the lats while maintaining a hollow body or scoop position which mimics the position of the torso during skiing (see photo). Proper upper body position while skiing allows for powerful muscle recruitment and maximises forward momentum. When working on technique, many skiers grasp the way correct body position should ‘look’ without acknowledging the way it should ‘feel’. These exercises will help skiers ingrain the correct muscle firing sequence and strengthen their core positioning.
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*Perform using parallettes or boxes/chairs of equal height
These exercises and drills are intended to improve muscular endurance and neuromuscular patterns, so I recommend the range of 2-3 sets for 20-30 reps for each movement.