Fitness coach Mikey Bell from Outdoor Adventure Training put together a routine built specifically for backcountry skiers and splitboarders, and it is worth paying attention to. The sport is unique in that it asks for prolonged endurance on the uphill, then explosive strength and stability on the way down. Most gym routines do not train both. This one does.
The five exercises Bell recommends are the single leg Romanian deadlift, the standard and multiplanar step up, the renegade row, the deep split squat, and the single leg hip flexor raise with band resistance.
The single leg RDL builds the posterior chain strength you need for kick turns and skin ripping. Bell emphasizes hinging at the hip, not squatting, and squeezing the glutes and hamstrings to drive back up. The multiplanar step up takes the standard movement and rotates it laterally, mimicking the external rotation demands your hips face on every uphill stride. Keeping the knee from collapsing inward is critical here, both for performance and ACL health.
The renegade row trains your core and upper back to stay locked in while carrying a loaded pack. Bell notes this is your one upper body movement in the five, and it earns its spot. The deep split squat, also called the ATG split squat, drives the front knee forward over the toes through a full range of motion. This improves stride length going uphill and builds the quad and hip resilience you want before long days in the mountains.
Last is the banded hip flexor raise. Bell calls weak hip flexors the number one thing that holds backcountry skiers back, and this single leg movement targets them directly while also forcing the standing glute to fire for stability. All five exercises blend mobility, stability, and strength in every rep. That combination is exactly what backcountry terrain requires.
