Monday, November 29, 1999

Snowboarding Boost

Many snowboarders cherish their somewhat deserved reputation as authority-defying counterculturists. But, make no mistake, beneath the baggy clothes and wraparound sunglasses worn by the sport’s elite ripple the well-toned physiques of true athletes.

“Snowboarding is the ultimate expression of balance, strength, power and flexibility,” says Kevin Wentz, co-owner and head trainer at the Competitive Athlete Training Zoen in Pasadena, California. In addition to the balance required simpky to remain upright on the board, competitive snowboarders continually turn, jump and contort their bodies while hurtling down steep mountains at breakneck speeds. This takes serious athleticism.

Even at the amateur level, this sport calls for feats of strength, courage, and general disregard for one’s well being. The best way to ensure your safety on a snowboard-and definitely the only way to improve technique and endurance-is to train in the gym.

“You’re dealing with a lot of motion,” says Wentz, who trains both professional and beginning athletes in various sports. “Obviously your leg and gluteus strength is important, but you can’t forget about the importance of your trunk. Your core really is where your balance comes from.”

Wentz explains that snowboarders must demonstrate strength, from many different, unfamiliar angles, holding, twisting and propelling themselves from difficult, gravity-defying positions.

The following three exercises, while certainly not a complete workout, will help you strengthen many of the muscles used in snowboarding and will also improve your overall balance and stability.

“True balance is not just being abe to remain steady over your center of gravity,” says Wentz. “You must be able to maneuver away from your center and have the control and strength to rein the weight back in.”

These exercises simulate a variety of motions encountered on the mountain and should be performed only after a complete warm-up routine.This routine mimics the movements of a typical snowboard run. It is designed to strengthen your trunk and legs.

Take a wide stance on top of a 2x4, as if you were standing on a snowboard. (If you don’t have a 2x4, simply stand on the floor in a wide stance.) Hold a five-pound dumbbell in each hand, resting them on your hips. Balance on the balls of your feet and bend your knees slightly.

Now shift your weight to the right so that your hips move over your right foot, push your butt out and try to touch your chest to your knee. Keep your head up. At the same time, extend your right arm straight out to your side, parallel with the board. The dumbbell in your left hand remains on your left hip. Hold the position for a beat to demonstrate that you are controlling the movement.

Now shift your weight across center and bring your right hand back to your right hip while extending your left arm straight out. Continue moving your hips across your center, until they’re over your left foot. Attempt to touch your chest to your left knee. Keep your head up.

Hold for a beat and lunge back to the right. As you cross your center, you’ve completed one repetition. The motion should remain constant for 10 reps. You can vary the movement from set o set, incorporating different trunk rotations and arm movements. Do three sets of 10 reps three times a week.

Many quick, powerful movements are required to get down a mountain on a snowboard. The split squat jump is designed to improve your lower-body strength and agility.

Take a giant step forward with your left foot so that you’re in a deep lunge position. Your arms should be hanging, with your hands about eight inches above the ground, and your right knee should almost be touching the ground. This is your starting position. Now explode skyward as high as you can, throwing your arms straight above your head for thrust. In midair, switch the position of your legs so that when you land, your right leg is forward and your left leg is back. You should now be in a deep lunge with your right foot forward and your hands about eight inches above the ground.

Repeat the jump and leg switch. This is one repetition. Do 10 reps three times a week.

At first, you likely will struggle to jump and land while maintaining balance. As you get better at the exercise, your focus should become landing and jumping back up as quickly as you can. You want to spend as little time on the ground as possible while still getting into the deep lunge position with each landing.

Advanced athletes perform this maneuver clad in a 20-pound weight vest; you should not.

The spins and leaps displayed by top snowboarders require serious upper-body contortions. The chop lunge is designed to improve torso strength and balance.

Stand with your left foot forward in a semi-lunge position. Hold a 15-pound dumbbell in both hands and rotate to the left and lean forward until the weight is hanging outside of your left knee. Your starting position is similar to that of a discus thrower. All of your weight is on your left foot, with your right toes helping to balance.

Explode upward, swinging the weight up and to the right while shifting your weight to your back foot. Extend the weight as fast and far as you can over your right shoulder. Your shoudlers, trunk and hips should all twist until you’re basically facing the opposite direction. Keep your left toe on the floor.

Now bring the weight back around and down as if you were chopping wood. Finish at your starting position with the weight outside your left knee. This is one rep.

Do 10 reps and then switch your upper body position and direction. Your left foot remains forward, but now you are rotated forward and to the right. Explode the weight up and to the left across your hips and shift your weight to your back leg. Extend as far around and back as possible. Reverse chop back down to your starting spot. This is one rep of 10. Now switch your feet and do 10 more reps in each torso position. Do the two sets of 10 reps three times a week.

Real Edge, Fitness