Olympic Skier Alex Hall Swaps Gym for Mountain Hikes

Olympic slopestyle skier Alex Hall didn't win gold in Beijing by spending hours in a weight room.

Instead, the three-time Olympian builds his championship stamina through ski touring, a workout that combines hiking uphill with skis and skiing back down. Think of it as winter's answer to rucking, the fitness trend where people hike with weighted backpacks.

"People think that we don't work too hard because it's a pretty relaxed sport," Hall explains. "But I think the way we work just comes in a different shape and form."

That unconventional training paid off when Hall nailed the "pretzel" at the 2022 Beijing Games, a jaw-dropping trick involving a 1080-degree rotation, followed by a reverse 900-degree spin in the opposite direction. He landed it backwards and took home the gold.

Hall spends tons of time on the mountain skiing and less time lifting weights. His priority is core strength and stamina, built through movements that mirror his sport rather than generic gym exercises.

The ski touring workouts give him serious cardio while keeping him outside, something he values as much as the physical benefits. "You hike up with your skis and ski back down with them," he says. "That's a pretty good cardio workout."

Why This Inspires

Hall's approach flips the script on what elite training has to look like. You don't need a fancy gym membership or complicated equipment to build Olympic-level endurance.

His success proves that matching your training to your goals, not following someone else's playbook, can take you all the way to the podium. For anyone stuck in a fitness rut, that's permission to get creative.

Don't have a mountain nearby? Hall suggests hiking for 20 to 30 minutes with a 20-pound backpack to get similar benefits.

The takeaway is simple: the best workout is the one that gets you outside, keeps you consistent, and actually fits your life.