How can you incorporate functional training into a snowboarding workout?

1 Benefits of Functional Training for Snowboarding

Functional training can help you develop the skills and abilities that are essential for snowboarding, such as improving core stability and posture, increasing lower body strength and power, enhancing upper body mobility and flexibility, boosting cardiovascular and muscular endurance, and reducing the risk of injury. These benefits are vital for maintaining balance and control on the board, carving, jumping, turning, absorbing shocks, and sustaining long runs. Furthermore, strengthening muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints can help correct any muscle imbalances or weaknesses.

2 How to Design a Functional Training Program for Snowboarding

Designing a functional training program for snowboarding requires consideration of your goals, level, and availability. Generally, you should train at least three times a week for 45 to 60 minutes, and include components such as a warm-up, strength and power section, balance and coordination section, and mobility and flexibility section. For the warm-up, you can do dynamic stretches, light cardio, and activation exercises for your core and glutes. The strength and power section should focus on building lower body and core muscles with exercises such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, step-ups, kettlebell swings, and plyometrics. You can also add some upper body exercises like push-ups, rows, pull-ups, and shoulder presses. The balance and coordination section should challenge your stability and proprioception with exercises like single-leg squats, single-leg deadlifts, single-leg hops, planks, side planks, mountain climbers; you can also use equipment such as BOSU balls, stability balls, balance boards or TRX straps. Finally for the mobility and flexibility section you can do static stretches, foam rolling or yoga poses for your major muscle groups.

3 How to Adapt Your Functional Training Program for Snowboarding

To adapt your functional training program for snowboarding, you need to monitor your progress and adjust your variables accordingly. Intensity, volume, rest periods, frequency, and specificity can all be manipulated to meet your goal, performance, and recovery. Intensity can be measured by the weight, speed, or resistance used; volume is determined by sets, reps, or duration; rest periods should be adjusted based on energy and fatigue; frequency should be increased or decreased depending on muscle and system training; and specificity should reflect the movements and demands of snowboarding.

4 How to Incorporate Functional Training into Your Snowboarding Schedule

Incorporating functional training into your snowboarding schedule requires planning your workouts around your snowboarding sessions and seasons. It's recommended to follow a pre-season phase of 6 to 8 weeks prior to the start of your snowboarding season. During this phase, you should do 3 to 4 functional training workouts per week with moderate to high intensity and volume, and short to medium rest periods. For the in-season phase, which lasts for the duration of your snowboarding season, do 1 to 2 functional training workouts per week with low to moderate intensity and volume, and medium to long rest periods. Additionally, active recovery sessions like swimming, cycling, or hiking can be beneficial. Lastly, the post-season phase should last for 4 to 6 weeks after your snowboarding season ends. During this time, do 2 to 3 functional training workouts per week with low intensity and volume, and long rest periods. Recreational activities such as surfing, skating, or climbing can also be a great way to restore health, balance, and well-being.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?