Condition your body for the slopes

Posted by bodybuilder

Posted: October 14, 2008 - 3:33 pm

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It's snowing as I write this and as sad as I am to see the green grass disappear and be replaced with a thin layer of snow, I'm excited to get outside and enjoy it on my snowboard.

Winter is here! Time for some snowboarding!

One of the mistakes I have made in the past is not keeping my body conditioned over the summer specifically for snowboarding and other winter activities that demand the use of different muscles than what I normally use. The whole body must be strong as well as flexible in order to keep up with the demands of snowboarding.

For many winter sports enthusiasts their gym workouts aren't geared towards what they will be doing when Alaska freezes over. Here are a few ways to condition your whole body for the days ahead that will be spent snowboarding, skiing, ice skating and sledding.

It's that time again

First, cardiovascular exercise is vital to ensure a long enjoyable day on the mountain. If you are huffing and puffing after your first run and fatigue is already setting in, you will most likely be the first one to head to the lodge for a rest. Work on your endurance and stamina by performing cardiovascular exercise at least 3 days per week at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate for 30-45 minutes. This will condition your heart and lungs for a nice long day of outdoor activity.

When you are in the gym, don't forget to work on your balance and coordination. Most people don't realize how simple this is, yet they ignore it in every workout. You can work on the Bosu Ball because doing so will challenge your balance and will build your confidence in working in an unstable environment.

Find a dumbbell or medicine ball that is a challenging weight and turn the bosu ball over so the black side is up. Carefully climb aboard and perform 2-3 sets of 20-25 reps of squats. Go as low as you feel comfortable going and come back up to the starting position. If holding weight is too challenging at first, simply use your body weight.

Bosu Ball Squats for balance training.

When you get on your skis or board, you will find you have more control while maneuvering down the mountain and are less apt to get injured because of the way you've been training in the gym. You surely don't want to be the one that falls down while getting off of the chairlift because you have neglected balance training do you?

In preparation for winter activities, make sure you are including important compound exercises such as the Barbell Squat, Stiff-legged Deadlifts, Lunges and even a Plyometrics. All of these exercise call up several different muscles to get the job done and are considered to be very functional.

Stiff-legged Deadlift

Box jumps are a great plyometrics exercise that challenges your balance, endurance and leg strength.

The 1-legged bench lunge is an advanced unilateral movement (working one side of the body at a time), that will help you develop balance and strength in your lower body and core. Find a bench where you have plenty of room to yourself, put one foot on it and the other on the floor (give yourself room away from the bench so you can get a nice deep lunge).

The 1-legged bench lunge

This exercise is exactly like regular lunges, you will just have one foot back on a bench. Keep your hands on your hips, shoulders back and chest up. Move at a slow and controlled pace in a full range of motion. Start with your body weight for 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps and work up to holding dumbbells as the exercise becomes easier. Make sure both legs work together and avoid coming up in segments as this will create poor body mechanics and will put added stress on your knees and ankles. Practice this exercise with caution, it's not for the weak!

Don't forget to stretch! This is just as important as lifting weights and working on your cardiovascular endurance. If your muscles are tight, this will inhibit a full range of motion while you are lifting weights which in turn will prevent you from using a challenging enough weight to build muscular strength as well as muscular endurance. It's important to include stretches for the whole body.

Stay hydrated, your body is 60% water and you lose water through sweating, breathing and elimination. Get a camelback for your days on the mountain to maintain hydration and ward off fatigue. Have fun and be safe!

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