# getting in shape



## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

n2i1c3k7 said:


> i need to seriously get into shape for snowboarding, im the farthest thing from fat, but im also the farthest thing from muscular, i want to build leg strength the most for landing jumps and stuff, what are the best exercises to do for this, BESIDES SQUATS,
> 
> thanks in advanced for the answers.



google "300 workout from hell"


good luck.


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2009)

Swimming is easier on joints and I think you get well rounded.


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

Play soccer.


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## Guest (Jun 23, 2009)

fuzzysnowboard said:


> Swimming is easier on joints and I think you get well rounded.


how often do you think you would have to swim though to build muscle?


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## n2i1c3k7 (Jun 23, 2009)

what about bike riding? would that be beneficial at all as far as strengthening the quads/hams


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## laz167 (Nov 27, 2007)

legallyillegal said:


> Play soccer.


 I second that, I started playing couple months ago at pickup games and it's the best cardio ever. Bike riding is also good but be careful it can take a toll on your knees if you over do it.


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## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

Biking, strength training in the legs, trail jogging.


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## bakesale (Nov 28, 2008)

Hell, do anything active. Weight training helps to build muscle mass, running will build your endurance as will swimming (easier on the joints), Skate, play tennis, soccer. 

Just get active, it's really nothing too complicated unless you want to understand the finer points of your activity of choice.


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## DC5R (Feb 21, 2008)

n2i1c3k7 said:


> i need to seriously get into shape for snowboarding, im the farthest thing from fat, but im also the farthest thing from muscular, i want to build leg strength the most for landing jumps and stuff, what are the best exercises to do for this, BESIDES SQUATS,
> 
> thanks in advanced for the answers.


I'm not too sure I understand what you're trying to do. The thing is, stronger leg muscles may not necessarily help you land jumps and stuff. It has more to do with technique than leg stregth, unless your upper body weighs so much now that you can't support it with your legs, in which case leg strength will defintely help.


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## alaric (Aug 28, 2007)

I sit on my ass, and look at pictures and watch videos until the first day comes. Then I put on my gear and strap up.
I don't work out for boarding, I just go with the flow. Boarding is something I want to have fun with, I don't want it to be a chore


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## Woosenheimer (Nov 13, 2008)

I agree w/ alaric. But I rarely get to ride anywhere nice and last year I went to Big Sky for 5 days and wanted to get as much out of it as I could, The first 4 days were fine but halfway through the last day I could barely stand up. I had no real fatigue before that It just snuck up on me. My legs couldnt take it anymore so before I go anywhere next year I'll just do some wall squats the month leading up to it to make sure I get my full vacations worth.


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## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

alaric said:


> I sit on my ass, and look at pictures and watch videos until the first day comes. Then I put on my gear and strap up.
> I don't work out for boarding, I just go with the flow. Boarding is something I want to have fun with, I don't want it to be a chore


There's also that approach. Spend 8 or so solid hours on the hill on your first day of the season. You'll be sore the next day or three, but since the 8 hours just conditioned your legs, once that initial pain is gone, you can board all day without batting an eye.


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## RidePowder (Oct 30, 2008)

beat it while standing up..


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## Willy36 (Dec 29, 2008)

squats. dead lifts.


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2009)

well any kind of running (aka soccer) will help to strengthen your legs...you use completely different muscles when you snowboard. so no matter what you are going to end up with sore legs the first couple days...thats just how it is

i like to skateboard in the off season. it really helps keep my balance and center of gravity where i need it to be ( and the sensation of being on a board ).

but whoever said that strength in your legs is not necessarily make you a stronger rider is totally correct. along with technique, its a lot of core strength. you use your core as much as your legs while you are riding. as well as stretching. being really flexible helps a lot.

i suggest doing yoga once or twice a week. its not only good for your snowboarding, but your body in general. it strengthens everything in your body while increasing flexibility and calming your mind. it really does wonders


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## RidePowder (Oct 30, 2008)

I longboard, pump carving really works the same muscles in my experience.


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## n2i1c3k7 (Jun 23, 2009)

HeartSnow31 said:


> well any kind of running (aka soccer) will help to strengthen your legs...you use completely different muscles when you snowboard. so no matter what you are going to end up with sore legs the first couple days...thats just how it is
> 
> i like to skateboard in the off season. it really helps keep my balance and center of gravity where i need it to be ( and the sensation of being on a board ).
> 
> ...


ok thanks. will improving my balance do me any good? wont that help when doing rails and stuff?


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## SS_Pow_Rider (Jun 12, 2009)

*Some suggestions...*

I am not a fan of running so Trail Running is what keeps me out there running. Plus it give's me the opportunity to keep my reflexes sharp and agility up. Trail running just like road running is very hard on your knees and you have the added danger of negotiating certain boulders, rocks, and other obstacles; But this why I like to hit the trails. 
I also would suggest reading this article Core Training - Good Core Training Takes More Than Ab Exercises . I used core training to get ready for a MMA fight about 5 years ago and had great success with this training method. No matter what you are looking to do (add mass,lose mass) it will keep you in tip top muscular shape.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2009)

try some rope jumping , works your legs and its good for your general condition en core strenght

also: balance boards are a great way to increase balance and core strenght


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2009)

n2i1c3k7 said:


> ok thanks. will improving my balance do me any good? wont that help when doing rails and stuff?




yeah it will absolutely help with jibbing and especially anything dealing with spinning. when you use your core to power through spins it will look and feel way more natural (and waay less hucked, which is the goal eh?) but it definitely helps even free riding and just playing around doing flat ground stuff.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2009)

Boxing classes,

Does wonders for your Cardio, legs, and core, plus overall fitness


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

"_Strength in your legs is not necessarily make you a stronger rider is totally correct. Along with technique, its a lot of core strength. You use your core as much as your legs while you are riding. As well as stretching. Being really flexible helps a lot_."

The above is dead on. Also, if just do excercises, you will tone your muscles, not build them. To really want to build muscle then you also need to be mindful about your diet, too. You need to eat A LOT. Like so much so that you will put on some fat weight, too. Once your muscles get to where you want them, you then do a boat-load of cardio to get rid of the fat weight. The reason most diets fail (to add or loose weight) is because people do not have specific goals in place, or a realistic plan about how to reach that goal. They just say/think "I want to lose/gain weight." That is like saying "I want to go to China" and just walking out your front door and wandering around till you get there. It just wont work, and after awhile you'll get frustrated and loose motivation. The key to ANY excercise plan is consistency. Once motivation is gone, you can kiss consistency good bye. 

Also, buy a fixed-gear bike and ride it everywhere. Esp up hills. They do wonders for your leg muscles.


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## RidePowder (Oct 30, 2008)

I said I wanted to lose weight last year without any plan or workout plan... lost 24lbs in 2 months...

had two jobs and ate 1 time a day or less... I wouldnt recommend it


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

RidePowder said:


> I said I wanted to lose weight last year without any plan or workout plan... lost 24lbs in 2 months...
> 
> had two jobs and ate 1 time a day or less... I wouldnt recommend it


And my guess is that a chunk of that was also muscle loss, not just fat loss. Moreover, unless you alter your diet long-term, that will all just come back.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2009)

sedition said:


> "_Strength in your legs is not necessarily make you a stronger rider is totally correct. Along with technique, its a lot of core strength. You use your core as much as your legs while you are riding. As well as stretching. Being really flexible helps a lot_."
> 
> The above is dead on. Also, if just do excercises, you will tone your muscles, not build them. To really want to build muscle then you also need to be mindful about your diet, too. You need to eat A LOT. Like so much so that you will put on some fat weight, too. Once your muscles get to where you want them, you then do a boat-load of cardio to get rid of the fat weight. The reason most diets fail (to add or loose weight) is because people do not have specific goals in place, or a realistic plan about how to reach that goal. They just say/think "I want to lose/gain weight." That is like saying "I want to go to China" and just walking out your front door and wandering around till you get there. It just wont work, and after awhile you'll get frustrated and loose motivation. The key to ANY excercise plan is consistency. Once motivation is gone, you can kiss consistency good bye.
> 
> Also, buy a fixed-gear bike and ride it everywhere. Esp up hills. They do wonders for your leg muscles.


QFT 

personally i dont do diets and stuff like that, i work out a bit and train my balance. but i dont go all hardcore with diets and stuff since that would suck the fun out of it immediatly  
snowboarding is just my motivation to do some cardio training and some muscle training but i dont go overboard with it ( ive never been much of a fitness nut  )


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

megamold said:


> but i dont go all hardcore with diets and stuff since that would suck the fun out of it immediatly


See, here is the deal with that stuff. It is kinda like learning to ride a bike. it sucks at first. It is a pain in the ass. But once you get a good understanding of how much, how often, and what you should be eating, then it just becomes second nature and there is almost no thought into it at all. Moreover, it is something you don't have to relearn again when you "fall off the wagon." The truth is, once you get to a certain age it is either work out or pork out. IMHO, it is better to do/learn all that shit _before_ the day you suddenly realize you can't see your feet anymore. That way you never have to worry about it.


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## n2i1c3k7 (Jun 23, 2009)

thanks guys for all the responses, this helped out a lot. from what i am understanding, when you work out, it wont help nearly as much as if you work out and eat right, and strengthening my legs wont do very much but strengthening my core and balance will.


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

n2i1c3k7 said:


> thanks guys for all the responses, this helped out a lot. from what i am understanding, when you work out, it wont help nearly as much as if you work out and eat right, and strengthening my legs wont do very much but strengthening my core and balance will.


If you want a really detailed explination of a proper diet / excercise routine, shoot me a PM. I was really, really close to getting my personal trainer certificate awhile ago, but bailed before the test.


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## Music Moves (Jan 23, 2009)

I've been lifting weights avidly for a strong while now... just started back on my core routine a few weeks ago and I will move into a calisthenics routine soon and significantly reduce the weight lifting.

My diet stays on point!

STRENGTHENING YOUR LEGS WILL HELP n2 !!!! It's just that people frequently neglect the core which is just as important and sometimes more depending on the subject.


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## BoardTheSnow73 (Apr 25, 2009)

Snowboarding is much more based on Endurance than Strength. Building tons of leg strength will allow you to ride&flex a stiffer board which will give you more pop off of jumps (in addition to the extra pop from your strong legs). However, this will probably not be a big enough performance increase to justify spending countless hours doing heavy squats for the casual rider (although I still do them). 

I would stick to the Endurance/Core/Balance training.
*For Endurance, pick something you like : Basketball, soccer, biking, jump rope, ect.
*For Core, do some Russian Twists and Bridges in addition to normal crunches.
*If you feel your balance needs work, the balance board seems like a good idea (I usually feel like one mellow run down the mountain at the biginning of the day gets me calibrated)
*Wall sits are a great snowboard specific activity. Hold some weights in your hands to make them more strength oriented vs endurance. I would also suggest some STRICT FORM Straigt Legged Deadlifts or Good Mornigs. These will work your lower back to complement your ab work, and will work your hamstrings. The wall sits are very quad-dominant exercise, and if you build your quads without the hamstrings, you can develop knee problems.

All of these can be performed without getting a gym membership.


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## n2i1c3k7 (Jun 23, 2009)

BoardTheSnow73 said:


> Snowboarding is much more based on Endurance than Strength. Building tons of leg strength will allow you to ride&flex a stiffer board which will give you more pop off of jumps (in addition to the extra pop from your strong legs). However, this will probably not be a big enough performance increase to justify spending countless hours doing heavy squats for the casual rider (although I still do them).
> 
> I would stick to the Endurance/Core/Balance training.
> *For Endurance, pick something you like : Basketball, soccer, biking, jump rope, ect.
> ...


thanks, this helped alot.


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## BoardTheSnow73 (Apr 25, 2009)

sedition said:


> To really want to build muscle then you also need to be mindful about your diet, too. You need to eat A LOT. Like so much so that you will put on some fat weight, too.


Exactly. 
Workout like crazy + Eat nothing but lettuce = weaksauce 
Workout like crazy + Eat nothing but fat = weak tub 
Workout like crazy + Eat well balanced diet = GnarShredder 

My super summary of nutrition:

Protien - the main macronutrient required to build the body's tissues (including muscle). Also a secondary energy source. In the bodybuilding community it is usually advised to eat 1 or more grams of protien per pound of bodyweight per day. If you are not working out very hard, you could get away with less. 0.75grams per pound would be fine.

Carbohydrates - primary energy source. Also help with recovery if taken soon after working out (especially when combined with protien). Excess basically turns into bodyfat.

Fats - All fats are not bad. You need healthy fats for your joints, hormone production, and many other body functions. Nuts(mmmmmm... peanut butter), fish oil, and olive oil are your best bet. Also a secondary energy source.


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## Music Moves (Jan 23, 2009)

n2i1c3k7 said:


> thanks, this helped alot.


Back extensions are also good for the lower back. Boardthesnow gave you some great ideas!


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## n2i1c3k7 (Jun 23, 2009)

just wondering, why would being flexible help?


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## alaric (Aug 28, 2007)

Spins, butters, being able to move freely. Watch a someone who is stiff try to snowboard, then watch someone who is relaxed snowboard.


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## n2i1c3k7 (Jun 23, 2009)

im thinking about doing yoga, but dont know what kind of yoga i should be doing for snowboarding or where to find it online, any suggestions?


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