I´ve come to the realization that also for xc-marathon and touring skiers (not just world cup athletes), double poling is an important part of a smart training regime (and of course the result of your efforts in the race). In my experience it´s really like having a second engine (besides the legs) in your arms and upper body, it´s a fast technique and it gives you great variation both when exercising and in races. That´s why I, without having spent any big money, installed my own practical double pole work out at home.
PS! The article is updated at the end.
I simply use a flexible resistance band attached to the wall. The double poling is simply done by pulling the band towards me from the wall as if it was double poling. And I can easily vary the degree og resistance, muscle groups, by changing standing position and how I perform the pulling/poling motion. It´s just up to your imagination, really.
The sessions or intervals I do are between 5 to 20 minutes, with a couple of minutes long breaks in between. Total time is usually between an hour and an hour and a half.
When it comes to intensity I noticed in the start that it was hard getting the pulse up to, or above, any more than about 110 beats per minute. But after a while I discovered that the pulse increased, and that it probably had to do with me not being in especially good shape or fit for that kind og exercise. Now, after about a year I can get the puls a lot higher, and keep on longer without getting worn out. I would say my max pulse now can get up to about 160-165 during an interval.
Standing indoors pulling a band can get quite boring and monotonous. Therefore, I´ve mounted the band in a room with a small TV, making me able to watch anything on TV when I work out.
Final point: after a while (a couple of months) my rubber band broke. I had litterally worn it out (it broke in one of the handles). I think the reason was that I had just gotten stronger, and used all the elasticity that this band provided (I mentioned under the image above that it eas level 3). SO, I went to the store with it, got a new one right away without paying, but the new one is level 5. This new one is not Adidas but Reebok – but I don´t think the brand matters too much because I was told from the salesman in the store that the band itself is the same – it´s just the name or brand that differs. But keep in mind that if you are strong in your upper body already and starts with this training form, you should probably get a level 5 band at once.
Steffen, turrenn.net/xc-marathon.com
Update 6th of may 2015: As the image below shows, the band just broke again (the piece down to the right in the image should sit inside the yellow piece just above in order to «hold» the resistance band itself). So, pulling and tearing these bands will eventually break them if you work them long enough… So, the conclusion has to be, they work for a while, especially if you don´t strain them too hard, but not long enough (I´d say 2-4 months, using them one time every tenth day).
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