Nordic Track redux

I read in a recent post in another subject about older posts
critisizing Nordic Tracks for promoting bad technique, so I went back
and read them. I agree and disagree..

Nordic Tracks are readily available at garage sales and second hand
stores, often very cheaply. (I bought three last summer for $45
total, all in good shape, and one of them the rare and very expensive
Elite model.) I think the reason they are dumped more often and
sooner than other home-use exersise equipment is that they're not easy
to learn to use for the novice. Old posts pointed out that people who
started out on Nordic Tracks and then moved onto real skis invariably
had problems, often called the "Nordic Track shuffle".

I first used a Nordic Track long after I learned to ski, and I think
because of that it hasn't caused me problems. Just like with roller
skis, especially classic, you have to be aware of what good actual
snow technique is and feels like, and then emulate that as much as
possible on the machine or roller skis. I especially try to
concentrate on weighting the ski and "setting the wax" when Nordic
Tracking or roller skiing. The specific ski muscle strength and
motion is worth the risk and limitation of diagonal stride only.

Since diagonal stride is used almost exclusively in uphills anymore, I
always have the Nordic Track angled up at least some, and raise it
with more resistance on the legs and arms for more intensity.

Yeah, it's boring, but sometimes it's all that's available, like on a
cold rainy dark late November night, with the racing season too near
for comfort. The machine lends itself well to tough intervals to break
the monotony, and I've developed the skill of flipping the handles
around once or twice, forward or backward, on their cords and catching
them in stride, just as a game. It's also about the only time I watch
any TV, not that that's a real plus.

Randy

Nice post. One year I was injured three weeks before the area's big
race and couldn't ski, but after several days could get on a nordic
track for an hour at a time (that's about all I could take). There's a
school of thought in x-c skier periodicals that is obsessed with
finding which motions in each sport mimic skiing in some way, and
pushing away those motions or sports that don't. I think it's more
important to accept different exercises as they are and have fun with
them.

rm

" wrote:

I read in a recent post in another subject about older posts
critisizing Nordic Tracks for promoting bad technique, so I went back
and read them. I agree and disagree..

Nordic Tracks are readily available at garage sales and second hand
stores, often very cheaply. (I bought three last summer for $45
total, all in good shape, and one of them the rare and very expensive
Elite model.) I think the reason they are dumped more often and
sooner than other home-use exersise equipment is that they're not easy
to learn to use for the novice. Old posts pointed out that people who
started out on Nordic Tracks and then moved onto real skis invariably
had problems, often called the "Nordic Track shuffle".

I first used a Nordic Track long after I learned to ski, and I think
because of that it hasn't caused me problems. Just like with roller
skis, especially classic, you have to be aware of what good actual
snow technique is and feels like, and then emulate that as much as
possible on the machine or roller skis. I especially try to
concentrate on weighting the ski and "setting the wax" when Nordic
Tracking or roller skiing. The specific ski muscle strength and
motion is worth the risk and limitation of diagonal stride only.

Since diagonal stride is used almost exclusively in uphills anymore, I
always have the Nordic Track angled up at least some, and raise it
with more resistance on the legs and arms for more intensity.

Yeah, it's boring, but sometimes it's all that's available, like on a
cold rainy dark late November night, with the racing season too near
for comfort. The machine lends itself well to tough intervals to break
the monotony, and I've developed the skill of flipping the handles
around once or twice, forward or backward, on their cords and catching
them in stride, just as a game. It's also about the only time I watch
any TV, not that that's a real plus.

Randy

I like the Nordic Tracks. Yeah, anything that's like skiing is good to
me!

Back in the day when I was fit I went into the big univ. gym to work
out and found a more robust version of the NT, as I recall. After
swimming and doing other circuits/weights, I would love to try to make
that thing explode. I wasn't actually abusing it, really. I would put
it up to the steepest and the most friction. And just go ape on it.
With good form. Turn into a sweat monster for 10 minutes. I thought
I'd show the other folks what a workout looked like. I mean, I don't
think anyone could've worked out harder on anything else in that
place. Someone could MAYBE have come close on an erg. But not really.
Maybe full-on heavy-bag action...nah... That was then...

--JP