Good pre-ski warm up / Pro Ski Coach Water Ski Forum

Seversoles · #1 Sun, Jun 21, 2009 2:17 AM

Hey everyone, just joined today and have a quick question. What are a few good stretches to do before skiing? I know the normal pre run stretches and everything, but im looking for something more targeted at your upper back. Whenever I cut around the bouy and when i'm pulling across the wake a muscle in my upper back gets really worked. It right under my shoulder blade and its kept me out of skiing for the past 3-4 days. Is there something that I could do with my style that would stop this or do I need to warm up more before going out?

And just a little background about me. My name is Stanton and I just joined here today. I'm from Georgia and have been on the water all my life, but have been skiing for the last year. I've been on a course for about a week and am running 15 most of the time. I'm 15 years old and am 6'1 and around 155lbs. I ski on an old Obrien TRC(was my dads), but one of the people at the lake im that watches me and coaches me gave me a fin thats alot newer probably 2-3 years old, but still different than the fins now. But the first time I skied on it I got alot better of a turn and pull than the old fin and that when the shoulder pain started happening. I'm thinking that because of the new fin i'm getting a much better turn and pull and its working the muscles in my back alot harder than i'm used to. Is it something that i will just get used to or is it my style thats causing the problem?

Thanks for the help.

Last edited by Seversoles (Sun, Jun 21, 2009 2:19 AM)

MattP · #2 Sun, Jun 21, 2009 12:32 PM

Seversoles where is the course that you ski on? I am in Georgia also,

Seversoles · #3 Sun, Jun 21, 2009 12:54 PM

Southern Waters, right in the middle of Ga, near Macon.

ColinBuchanan · #4 Sun, Jun 21, 2009 1:06 PM

Sever if your back is hurting you then your technique is not where it needs to be. Maybe try to not have such a quick turn so that it can be more progressive with out the rough hookup from the boat.

PFG · #5 Sun, Jun 21, 2009 1:32 PM

Google rhomboid and/or subscapularis stretch.
Two links below of value.
After pain resolved, wide grip pull-up 3 days week (build up to 4 sets of 6-10) is a good way to condition.

http://www.floota.com/RhomboidStretch.html

http://www.floota.com/SubscapularisStretch1.html

h20dawg79 · #6 Sun, Jun 21, 2009 2:15 PM

Seversoles,
As I write, I am sitting here with a severe spasm and pain in the same general area. Mine is located between my lower Rt. shoulder blade and my spine. I have had a broken Back (T10 vert.) and I Can aggravate this area very easily "IF" I turn too hard and get pulled back up at the end of the turn. As opposed to making a fluid turn that I can smoothly transition into a healthy Pull position...

If I don't Fall back and away from the boat, with my shoulder blades slightly pinched, chest slightly out and my spine slightly arched I end up getting absolutely beat up by the boat. For me, the ideal "Pull" position Is a very well leveraged position that really takes little to No effort to achieve Maximum results... However, being a typical guy I somehow always find a way to employ All my vanity muscles and end up paying for it like I'm doing right Now! (Happy Fathers day to me!!!)

Recommendations: Take any back pain more seriously, and respect what your body is saying more than any other muscle type pain.

Ice works far better on the back then Heat alone. Ice, Heat, Ice every 5-10 min.s is the best after the first 24 hrs.

I would seek out a very good Chiropractor just to make sure their isn't anything that is out of alignment. ( if there is, it will take twice as long to get the muscle(s) back to norm.)

Check out the PSC video or on site coaching to establish good (efficient) Turn and Pull technique...

2gofaster · #7 Mon, Jun 22, 2009 1:32 AM

Sounds like you might have strained or pulled a Rhomboid. I tore my left one last year. Although it only put me off the water for 6 weeks, it took a solid 9 months to where I didn't feel pain.

One really good stretch is to place your hands on something about waiste high and then walk your feet back and bend over til your upper body and arms are parrallel to the ground and your legs are straight up. Basically, you'll be in an L. Once you are in that position, twist one hip backwards. It will stretch that those muscles around your scapula on the side you twist back. Hold it for 30 seconds. Then repeat with the other side. Just relax the side you just twisted back and then twist the opposite direction.

Seversoles · #8 Wed, Jun 24, 2009 1:55 PM

Thanks for the help guys, I googled some of those stretches and found a couple of good ones and I have started doing some pull ups, too

So h20dawg, your saying that im trying to pull to hard out of the turn as opposed to making a good fluid turn and then getting into a good pull postion?

BuoyChaser · #9 Wed, Jun 24, 2009 3:43 PM

That is certainly an interesting site, amazing all the step-by-step pictorial stretching tips, VERY COOL http://www.floota.com

Will definitely have to try out both the Rhomboid and Subscapularis as those both have been bothering me on my right shoulder before and after surgery.

h20dawg79 · #10 Thu, Jun 25, 2009 1:02 AM

Seversoles wrote:
Thanks for the help guys, I googled some of those stretches and found a couple of good ones and I have started doing some pull ups, too

So h20dawg, your saying that im trying to pull to hard out of the turn as opposed to making a good fluid turn and then getting into a good pull postion?

Well, I can only say its "possible" that you are turning a harder quicker corner then you actually need, and if thats the case you will then get pulled up ( a little, towards the boat) out of your turn position at the end of the turn. This puts tremedous strain on your arms, shoulders and upper back especially as you try to out muscle the power of the boat thats heading straight down coarse, while your trying to try to maintain a hard Pull position towards your next buoy.

Personally, I Absolutely love the feel of busting a turn in the mouth by just laying out and Banging it hard! Free skiing, I can do this on my time table and if I get pulled up, it doesn't effect me because I have No particular place to be and I can continue on without a hitch... But, in the coarse I do have some place to be and very little time to get there. So when I do get pulled up in the coarse, I end up carrying the tremedous load that I cause in my upper Back as I fight to try to make the next buoy. ( too many times of this, causes me much pain...)

Irregardless, A more patient and Fluid turn will allow for a much better and more Leveraged pull position and this will cause little to No strain on the upper Back while accelerating you even quicker to your next buoy...

RuralHack · #11 Thu, Aug 13, 2009 12:27 PM

The best pre-ski warm up is something you have to develop to get the best out of you. There are is no magic set of moves for this. Personally, I stretch out and activate the muscles and bones that I have injured in the past, then I remember the hardest thing to do: RELAX. (Remember, your brain can be like a clenched fist too.) Arc it or Park it... this is my first post Ski Ya!