snowman123456

Being in reasonable shape doesn't really cut it for snowboarding based on my experience.

If you only snowboard once per year like myself then you really need to do specialized snowboarding exercises to prepare yourself. Last year was my first time and I didn't do any specialized training beforehand. After my first day snowboarding I felt like I had been assaulted in Central Park mainly because I was using muscles that I don't normally use.

Tonight I started focusing on torsion exercises. Torsion strength is key for snowboarding as I discovered last year. If your feet are strapped to a board then torsion is all you really have so you better be good at it. I've started doing torsion exercises on the FreeMotion machine. This works pretty well because you have complete control over the motions and muscles that you want to focus on.

One thing I'd really like to focus on is the motion of getting up on the board from the ground (both heelside and toeside). I don't live near snow or sand dunes so I'm limited in replicated training for this. How do you normally train for this? This is one of the key movements you need to be good at if you snowboard. However, it seems difficult to replicate in a non-snow/sand environment.

It seems like this could be a good niche for a piece of excercise equipment that is basically a strong rubber board with rounded edges and bindings and you just use it as a piece of exercise equipment to get up heelside and toeside. So does any sort of exercise equipment like this exist?

Toecutter

How about strapping onto your board on a grassy hill (or your living room if you're self-conscious) and getting up from your heelside? If not, then just do sit-ups or other core workout.

To get up from toeside just stand up from a kneeling position. Everyone should be able to handle this one without training.

wrathfuldeity

sit ups, crunches, squats or lay on the floor with your boots, board on and a 10 pound bag of sand duct taped on to the board and wave the board around in the air above your body.

or just don't sit down to strap in.

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Ever tried TRX?

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skip11

Squats, bulgarian split squat, lunges variations, deadlifts, romanian deadlifts, anti-rotation abs exercise (pallof presses, etc), rotational abs exercises (cable woodchopper), and TRX exercises. Crunches are generally useless. Those will strenghten the main muscles needed for snowboarding. I guarantee you will notice a difference once you start focusing on those main exercises. I never get sore once after snowboarding. For specific balance skill, just go snowboarding, longboarding, or skateboarding. Nothing can best replicate the movements other than by doing the sport itself.

KnoxBoarderX

I would do lots of core exercises like sit ups, and planks. I would also do lots of jumping squats and lunges. Push ups wouldn't hurt either.

grafta

Getting up from sitting is harder on the flat so doing it on a hill would be counter productive perhaps? You could also do Tricep Dips to help get your arms stronger for the initial push up from sitting. Wall sit exercises can get a good burn goin in the legs and i;m guessing they'd maybe target some useful muscles.
I'm with skip11, nothing can really come close to actual riding when it comes to boarding fitness.

Toecutter

Starting on a hill would be easier for sure, which would be good to start with until he has the strength to get up from flat. It doesn't help much to start from a flat and fail each time.

I totally agree, but the OP lives in TX (unless I'm confusing him with someone else named snowmanXXXXX) and only goes snowboarding a few days per year.

grafta

I prescribe 1x glass of harden up, and perhaps go boarding more?



Sorry monday mornings are not my happy place

Toecutter

Better yet, move out of TX to someplace with snow and chairlifts.