Alex's Journey

Stoked for snowboarding, but no snow yet? Perfect let’s get in shape so we can fly higher and move quicker. Let’s look at some muscle groups that we both can agree are worked in snowboarding and skiing as well:

• Abdominals: used for making turns
• Quads, Hams and Glutes: definitely used for crouching and taking off a kicker
• Calves: Keeping on our toes and making sharp movements.
• Heart: Face it we’re on a mountain and sooner or later were going to have to walk up a steep section. And who doesn’t want to have the stamina to board all day!

Besides strengthening muscles, and probably more important is fat loss. Taking that extra 10 pound spare tire off your gut can improve your endurance and your ability to move. Check out my Fat Loss article for simple and effective fat loss techniques.

Often times after snowboarding I’ve found my muscles to be sore. Hey the hills where I live are only open for a little over 90 days. You’d be lucky to get more time in than that. Let’s get prepared and make the most of it.

Let’s look at my favourite cheapest and most effective method of getting in shape for the slopes.

#1 HIKING! Incline Incline Incline, go to the nearest hike local to you  and make sure its steep and short! Hiking burns calories and promotes fat loss, will strengthen your calves, quads, hams, glutes, and even lower back. Do this, replace those pizza pops and microwave dinners with some brown rice and green beans then your halfway there!

If you have a gym membership then let’s look at the most effective exercises.

Let’s start with cardio as a great warm-up to our weightlifting routine. Use a moderate intensity for 20-30 minutes. Treadmill is best, elliptical is fine, both are better than the stationary bike.

#2 Squat: This is the king of exercises for muscle growth, yet it’s the exercise people look forward to the least. It’s hard, it’s painful, and you’re going to want to take the elevator tomorrow morning. But after enough sessions your legs won’t get so sore and you’ll be adding plates onto the bar. Aim for 3 sets of 12 reps with a heavy enough weight to make that 12^th rep a brutal chore. This is great for our quads, hams and glutes. I suggest finding a high rated youtube video for learning how to use proper form. Do this once a week.

Stretch between sets to promote flexibility and prevent injury.

Crunch: No not a sit-up, a crunch. If you don’t already know, sit-ups work your hip flexors along with your abs. We’re going to concentrate on our abs and oblique’s.  We’re going to do crunches twice a week.

Exercise #3 Crunch:  Much like a sit-up we are lifting our back off the floor however unlike a sit-up you only lift your upper back. This isolates the ab muscles. Lie flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your head, feet steady on the floor. Lift your upper back up off the floor and leave your lower back touching the floor at all times. Pretend like your aiming to drive your shoulders towards your pelvis. Hold for a half second, then slowly lower, without letting the tension off your abdominals repeat this motion. Breath out when you contract your abs and in while your lower yourself. Aim for 12-15 if you can go higher than this, try to hold a 10 pound weight behind your head while doing the motion. 3 sets, after squats.

Exercise #4 Bicycle Crunch: This crunch is geared towards our oblique’s which contract to turn our upper body. Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands behind your head, bring your knees up to a 45 degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then touch your right elbow to your left knee. Breath. Aim for touching each knee 12-15 times. If this is too easy, do it immediately after regular crunches with no rest. Do 3 sets after squats.

#5 Calf raise
Calves are a stubborn muscle to stimulate, to stimulate the calves make sure your getting the full range of motion and your going to have to go extra hard to get those last few reps. Use a calf machine or the smith machine bar with a block for your toes to lower and raise yourself. 3 sets 12-15 reps, if you don’t feel it tomorrow increase the amount of sets and reps.