Ski instructor Bobby Murphy can sum up his ski conditioning philosophy with one four-letter word: jump.

That's right, jump. Side to side. Forward and backward over a line on the ground. Up and down on an exercise step, chair or box. From corner to corner in a square created with tape on the floor.

These power moves, known as plyometrics, help prepare the body for the mountain in ways that time on a treadmill or StairMaster can't, says Murphy, Keystone Resort's director of skier services and a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America National Alpine Team.

"One of the mistakes people make is to focus on cardio and forget about some of the power moves and the explosive moves important in skiing and snowboarding, and the muscles involved in supporting the forces in a ski turn," he says.

Plyometrics give skiers and snowboarders plenty of bang for their exercise buck with a relatively small investment of time, Murphy says.

"You don't do it for very long," he says. "That line-jumping, for example, you do for 30 seconds first time out - short-duration, high-energy. You work your way up to 45 seconds and then one minute, but you ease into it."

Skiers tend to spend too much time focusing on cardio work, then overtrain their quadriceps, Murphy says.

"People think they're the most important muscles in skiing. That imbalance tends to put your knees at risk," he says. "You're truly training the muscle in front to overpower the muscles in back. You're putting your (ligaments) at risk, and that's destabilizing your knee joint."

In addition to plyometric moves, Murphy's own exercise regimen includes planks and Bosu ball balance work for the core muscles, pushups for upper body strength and wall sit with special focus on engaging the hamstrings by pressing his low back against the wall.

When it comes to weight training, he has a favorite machine, the only one he likes to integrate into his conditioning circuit.

"That's the leg press. I don't do a lot of weight; I'll do line jumps for 30 to 45 seconds, then do the leg press for 45 seconds, then jump a square for 45 seconds," he says. "As far as machines go, the leg press integrates all the muscles working together."

Ski conditioning needs more lateral movement, while snowboarding requires more forward-backward work, says Murphy, who recommends toe raises, calf work and explosive jumps up and down on a box or step for boarders.

"You're trying to get those quads and hamstrings and glutes, calves, all the muscles evenly working together," he says.

"You're trying to train your muscles to be prepared."

Ryckmanl@RockyMountainNews.com

Stay healthy on the slopes

Tips from the American College of Sports Medicine:

* Keep your feet warm.

* Warm up with light exercise.

* Load up on carbohydrates and avoid alcohol and tobacco.

* Wear protection: a helmet, UV sunglasses and sunscreen.

Hit the circuit

Here's a ski-conditioning circuit from Bobby Murphy, Keystone Resort's director of skier services. These activities can be timed or not timed. All jumping drills focus on jumping off of both legs with both legs doing the same movements.

WALL SITS (find flat wall)

* Legs at 90 degrees

* Press heels into floor.

* Press lower back into wall.

LATERAL SLIDES (In the gym)

* No crossing legs over

* Basketball court-sideline to the side of the key

* Stay low and touch lines.

SQUAT JUMPS (in place or forward)

* Really explode, focusing on landing in a ski tuck

BOX JUMPS (put tape down on the floor, taping the corners about 21/2 feet apart)

* Jump off both feet.

* Mix up the order in which you hit the corners (i.e. top left to top right to back left to back right to front left, then switch to top right to top left to back right to back left to front right).

ONE-FOOTED OR TWO-FOOTED LATERAL HOPS

* Over a line in the gym

* Focusing on quick feet lateral more than vertical

* This can be done moving forward or in place.

* If you are doing the two-footed drill, make sure to jump off of both feet.

LATERAL BOX JUMPS

* Over the box on one side to the top of box to the other side and back

* Landing and exploding off of two feet

* Add another box or two for longer lateral movement.

STEP UP TO A HIGH BENCH (a normal weight bench as an example)

* Focus on working the hamstring/glute that you are stepping up with.

* Add hand weights.

HORIZONTAL LEG PRESS MACHINE (Jumps)

* Push (explode) off with force so your feet leave the platform.

* Relatively light weight

* Turn legs 45 degrees in the air with each jump, like skiing.

* Push with both feet.

LUNGES (forward and backward)

* Focus on keeping upper body upright and stable.

* Focus on pushing off the leg (through the heel) that is in front of you.

SKI TUCK HOLDS

* Get low in a ski tuck.

* Add bouncing, balancing over each leg for a few seconds, and jumping out of the tuck and landing back in it.

ONE-FOOTED SQUATS

* Use three levels of holds.

* Move from high to low stance then low to high, balancing at each level for a while. Holding at the deepest level is tough.

LATERAL LUNGES WITH ONE FOOT ON A BOSU BALL

* Do a set number on one side then explode out of the last one up and over to the other side to start the next set.

STABILITY BALL BALANCING (on knees and standing)

* While kneeling on stability ball, have someone throw you a tennis ball to catch.

* Focus on balancing on the knees, not letting the stability ball roll back to the feet for support.

* With both hands on ball, step onto the ball with one foot then the other, slowly moving to a standing position.

* While standing, try to have feet underneath hips, facing forward.

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