The Key Muscle to Train for Stronger Knees on the Slopes

Your ski training plan probably includes plenty of lower-body and glute work, but the gluteus medius is often left out. We talked with an orthopedic surgeon to learn how to strengthen this muscle and why it matters.

Strong legs are essential for skiing safely. Yet many standard strength programs tend to emphasize the larger muscles in the lower body, such as the quads, hamstrings, and gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in the butt.

That leaves the smaller muscles undertrained. One in particular, the gluteus medius, which makes up part of the side of the butt, deserves attention if you want to lower your risk of knee pain and injury on the slopes.

ACL tears are among the most common skiing injuries, which is why Dr. Gregory Lichtman, an orthopedic surgeon in northern California and a physician for the U.S. women’s ski team, places major emphasis on strengthening the glute medius. In his view, it is one of the most important muscles for both safety and performance.

Lichtman says even elite athletes can have a weak glute medius. Unlike the quads, hamstrings, calves, and glute max, which can build naturally through activities such as road running and hill climbing, the glute medius usually has to be trained on purpose.

Keep reading to see why this small muscle matters so much, Lichtman’s preferred way to train it, and other key injury-prevention tips.

What does the glute medius do in skiing?

The glute medius is a small muscle on the outside of the hip that activates when you move your leg away from your body, a motion called hip abduction. It also helps keep the knee from collapsing inward, a position known as valgus, during movement. In addition, it supports balance on one leg, which is especially important when loading your downhill ski, Lichtman says.

In skiing, getting into the back seat, meaning shifting your weight backward instead of staying centered over your skis, while the knee moves into valgus can cause the tibia to rotate inward. “And that’s where the ACL tears occur,” Lichtman says. Even without a full ACL tear, this valgus position can contribute to patellofemoral pain syndrome, or pain at the front of the kneecap, he says.

Training the glute medius helps it resist valgus in the first place, which can reduce the risk of both ACL tears and general knee pain.

There is also a performance benefit. “A strong gluteus medius also really allows you to stand on your downhill ski a little bit more aggressively and really make a more aggressive turn,” Lichtman says. When you put most of your weight on the downhill ski, gravity and force try to push you down the mountain. A strong glute medius, together with strong quads and core muscles, creates a powerful pillar on the outside of the hip that helps you handle those forces, he says.

How to strengthen the glute medius

A classic way to work the glute medius is to wear ankle weights, lie on your side, and raise and lower the top leg. Lichtman says this can definitely strengthen the muscle, but it is not his top choice because it mostly isolates the glute medius and does not reflect how we move in sports.

He prefers exercises that activate the gluteus medius along with other muscle groups, since that better matches athletic movement. His favorite option is the monster walk. This move activates the gluteus medius while also working the core, hamstrings, quads, and glute max, he says.

Monster Walks:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, place a resistance band around your thighs just above the knees, and bend both knees to about 45 degrees. Tighten your core.
• Step sideways with one leg, then bring the other leg along. That counts as one rep. Continue in the same direction for about five to 10 reps, or as much space as you have, then repeat in the opposite direction. Keep your legs apart so the band stays under tension the entire time. Continue until your muscles are too tired to keep going. As Lichtman puts it: “Go till you blow.”
• After reaching fatigue, rest and repeat. Do three total sets.

Include this exercise in your workouts three times a week, with at least one day of rest between sessions so the muscle has time to recover and rebuild. To avoid boredom and work different parts of the hips and quads, vary the monster walk during the week. Instead of stepping straight to the side, try moving forward, backward, or diagonally. As long as your form stays solid and your legs remain spread enough to keep band tension, “all directions can be effective,” Lichtman says.

Lichtman recommends doing monster walks both before ski season and throughout the season. “One of the big pitfalls is that we will all get ready for ski season, and then taper off our dry land training,” he explains. “If you’re one of the fortunate few who can ski five or six days a week, you’re probably getting enough exercise, and you probably don’t want to stress your body out any more than that. But for those of us who are skiing two to three days a week, finding some time to do some cross-training and continue to work on our core and our hip abductor strength is really important because those are the less commonly used muscles during skiing.”

Once the exercise starts to feel easy, increase the challenge by using a stronger resistance band.

A strong glute medius is just one part of injury prevention

A strong glute medius can help keep you safer on the slopes, but it is not the only fitness factor that matters.

Strong core and quad muscles, along with solid overall endurance, are also essential. One major part of an ACL injury pattern in skiing is getting pushed into the back seat. While the gluteus medius helps prevent knee valgus in that position, it does not stop you from ending up in the back seat to begin with, Lichtman explains. What does help is strong core and quad strength, plus good endurance. Together, he says, these three elements are fundamental to staying out of the back seat.

When it comes to endurance, the goal is to feel as fresh after lunch as you did after breakfast, Lichtman says. Fatigue is a clear risk factor for ACL tears, he says, because tired skiers are more likely to slip into the back seat and get injured. For that reason, dryland training should not be limited to weightlifting alone: “A balance of endurance and strength training is integral for a skier preparing for ski season,” Lichtman says.