Any thought on which technique would have the best transference to the triathlon events. Very broad question.
Just my impression that skate skiing is harder.
Just go have fun skiing! The specificity nazi’s will tell you neither, and they would be correct for the most part. Go have fun, stay in shape, keep your weight down, use different muscles, meet new friends…
MAYBE skating would be better just b/c you’re not moving in a straight line motion like bike/run and you would develop some lateral strength in your core/hips/glutes. The effects would probably not be noticeable. Your swim might benefit from either technique with the extra work your lats/tris will get from poling.
Sorry I’m not much help, enjoy skiing for skiing.
sorry guys, skiing is by far my favorite pasttime and I use both techniques. I just like debate for the sack of debate.
I think of it this way:
skate skiing is more intense with a higher HR (akin to intervals or a tough climbing day)
classic is less intense but allows you to go longer (akin to a steady state ride or a longer run)
both are fantastic but they are quite different.
robert
Either is great overall training for any sport.
Technique-wise classic skiing is harder to do than skate skiing – plus the added complexity of waxing – so for novices who have access to groomed trail systems, skate skiing will provide the “earliest return on investment.” If you don’t have access to skateable tracks, classic is obviously the way to go. For novices new to classic skiing, I always recommend a waxless ski.
Physiologically, skate skiing loads up quads more and in a very rough sense is more of a strength endeavor.
So in a rough sense, skate skiing is going to help your bicycling a lot.
Classical skiing is aerobically more intensive plus engages a lot of the same muscle groups as swimming and running.
I would agree skate skiing loads the quad muscles more than classical skiing. One can also become “sore” in the groin area if the course is too hilly/difficult/long for their skating skill level. Like swimming, there is a technique one must master to become efficient.
here’s my 2 cents
Skate skiing translates well to cycling and classic translates well to running.
Skate skiing can be a lot “simpler” in that you can just put on glide wax (or no wax) and just go. Minimal prep time - especially if you get F4 liquid wax.
Classic (unless you are on waxless) is a quite a process to get the kick wax correct. If you get it wrong (very easy to do) then you will have almost zero propulsion and will not be a happy camper.
Personally I use skate skiing to supplement cycling and then keep running as is.
Some folks are saying skate is harder etc. I would tend to say that classic is actually more technical especially at the higher levels.
If your skate technique is sound you can cruise for a long time at relatively low heart rates.
sorry guys, skiing is by far my favorite past time and I use both techniques. I just like debate for the sack of debate.
I have used both techniques for years. Old enough to have cross-country skied when there was only one way to cross country ski. As other have said both offer great aerobic full body workouts with slightly different emphasis.
These days I let the snow conditions, the terrain, or who I am skiing with dictate what technique I am going to use on that day.
Examples: If it’s tricky waxing for grip around 0C, I most likely am going to skate. If the terrain is super hilly and I am not that fit, I most likely will classic. If the people I am skiing with are all skating, I will skate, or vice-versa with classic. And so on. I never think of it in terms of, “What is the best workout”. Note I don’t mind waxing for grip in tricky conditions - it’s just that these days I often have limited time to ski and would rather not fiddle around with wax for 30 minutes trying to nail the grip( believe me, I have done my fair share of that over the years!). With skating you just clip in and go( assuming good glide wax)
All that being said, on a sunny, -5C day on fresh snow with freshly groomed tracks and Swix Extra Blue under the foot, *nothing *beats classic cross-country skiing. Maybe my favorite physical activity situation of all time. I could do that all day!
Ah the great debate. I too prefer XC skiing over all other endurance activities and have been skiing since a time when there was only one technique.
But the answer to this question in my mind is: everyone should start XC skiing by doing classic. This gets the weight transfer down pat and makes you a better skater. It also helps you to get double pole technique right. If you watch classic races these days the skiers spend 50-60% of the time double poling and only kick up hills. Classic is also better on really cold days (under -15C) when glide waxes don’t work well. Classic is more like running from a cross training standpoint because of the hip extension and straighter knee. Classic is probably the harder technique to get proficient at. Skating is easier for a beginner. Is more like cycling because of the constant hip and knee flexion. Allows for the in-experienced to reach a higher HR with poor technique. Is a little faster (about 10%) when mastered (you need to have a good V2 to go fast skating). And works better when it’s hard to wax for classic (around freezing).
What would I recommend to a new XC skier who is doing it for tri cross training? Rent classic skis and take lessons for three days. When the instructor says you have the basics, rent skate skis and take a lesson. If you like it, buy skate equipment.
Cheers.
Deak,
I agree.
If you really want to get into it and take it seriously, the best route is to start out with Classic. The funny thing is, these days few seem to do this. My wife and I went skiing a couple of weeks ago. Other than the shufflers, we were the only people I saw on the whole trail network that were classic skiing - everyone else who seem to be a bit more serious, was skating. This on a day that was ideal for classic( -5C). My sense is that the trend these days , for newbies in Nordic is to just skate.
Ya it’s a shame. Classic is so much fun and in my opinion, more elegant.
As a cyclist who became an adult skier I began with skate. I have know fucus almost entirely on classic. The technique is very demanding. In my opinion anyone who thinks skating is a harder effort is doing classic wrong. During a moderate hill, when diagnal striding in a mannor to not shuffle but continue gliding my heart rate rockets. Even on lower slopes a high cadence single kick double pole will have you flying and sucking in air. Damn I can not wait for lunch to go ski!
- 19 celcius with 1 cm of new snow on the track. It will not be fast.
I came to XC skiing relatively late.
I found for classic skiing it was hard to get in a great workout until my technique improved enough.
For skate skiing I had a hard time going easy until my technique improved enough.
Now I can choose intensity with either, terrain and ski partners permitting.
I don’t think the specificity argument matters much unless you’re targeting a big race in May or early June. The 5-8 hours spent skiing a week is pure pleasure. That same 5-8 hours on the bike trainer or running in the dark would be pure hell.
Classic is easier to learn, more natural. Just look at my son’s first time on ski in the backyard. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ehhberg/5312718981/
I just bought some classic skis and the sales guy at the shop says that their skate ski’s sales are way up! I think the whole kick wax thing scares off a lot of newbies.
My wife and I just started this year and we picked skate. A couple reasons - one, it just looked more fun, and two, I already knew how to skate from doing it on alpine skis (yes it’s different, but not that different).
Having a blast so far. I didn’t realize how fast you actually go on those trails!
Classic is easier to learn, more natural. Just look at my son’s first time on ski in the backyard. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ehhberg/5312718981/
Dude, that’s freakin’ AWESOME!!!
Other than the shufflers, we were the only people I saw on the whole trail network that were classic skiing - everyone else who seem to be a bit more serious, was skating. This on a day that was ideal for classic( -5C). My sense is that the trend these days , for newbies in Nordic is to just skate.
My impression is that a lot of the new XC skiers are people who want to cross train - triathletes, cyclists, adventure racers… They’re attracted to the speed and power of skate skiing, and the fact that it’s easier (faster in the learning process) to “get a good workout”. The basics of skating are acquired much faster than striding (true striding - not walking with skis), and the “depth” of the technique is much shallower. While it does have a slightly steeper learning curve initially, it’s a much simpler technique as a whole. Because the focus and attraction of nordic skiing to many new participants is “the workout”, skate is naturally more attractive.
I personally prefer classic. But I do skate as well - (just not as well). 