Walt wrote:

DJ Kim wrote:

Although I do spinning, weight lifting, cycling during off-season in
preparation of the upcoming ski season, I noticed that those exercises
do not actually help the muscle that is extensively used in skiing -
the one that flexes the legs. I don't know the name.

Spinning, weight lifing, and cycling all help tone the leg muscles
that extend the legs not flex the legs.

Which weight training, or exercise, helps the muscles that flexes the
legs?

I'm not at all a fan of exercise machines (I'd rather be out doing
*something* than spinning discs and stretching bands on a machine in a
gym), but the Skiers Edge exercise machine seems to get at the skiing
muscles.

Here's something I posted a couple of years back - I still love this
machine for ski fitness:


The exercise that I think is best for it is on what I think is called
the Rotary Hip machine at my gym.

You stand on a variable height platform facing a large wheel. There's an
arm on this with a padded handle and you can adjust the position of the
arm out of the vertical. I set it at the 4 o'clock position and then do
4 exercises on it:

1. Facing the wheel with the handle outside and just above the left
knee, lift the leg straight out to the side as high as you can go,
slowly and in control (that applies to all these moves). Keep the
supporting knee slightly flexed, not locked out (again for all these
moves) and only use the handrails to steady yourself, don't pull on them
or use them to balance, that way you work the supporting knee's muscles
as well as the big muscle you're exercising.
Repeat 12-15 times, adjust weight so this is about the most you can do
comfortably, not too heavy so you have to jerk the moves, do them slowly
and in control both on the way up and back down again.
Again for all moves, adjust the height of the platform, and stand so
that an imaginary line extending from the wheel's axle passes thru the
rotation point of the hip. Adjust the handle for your height.

2. Handle inside and above right knee, cross right leg in front of left
and squeeze it as high as you can. Gentlemen adjust your jockeys BEFORE
attempting this. Again 12-15 reps.

3. Face to right, handle behind and above left knee, push the leg out
straight and behind. This exercises the butt, not the hamstring. 12-15
reps.

4. Face to the left with the handle just above the right knee. 12-15
slow knee lifts.

Move the handle to the 8-oclock position and repeat all the above in the
reverse order on the opposite leg so that you always switch to the other
leg after each exercise.

Hope this helps

Cheers Roger