onthefence

I'm looking to get in better shape before the season starts, specifically the muscles that I use while snowboarding. Can anyone recommended some exercises, or better yet tell me what muscles are used in toe and heel turns?

snowklinger

Hiking is pretty good at hitting the majors. Ankle strength, feet, calves and quads all benefit alot.

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is it late october yet?

ttchad

Squats and lunges. Weights are not necessary to start out. Also read on proper form and stretching.

Frozen

In Colorado this is probably true but in a lot of places in the country hiking is just walking which (and I dont care how the fuck you look at it) is not exercise and it doesn't do shit.

If you belong to a gym try and find that machine that looks like a really short escalator. It is NOT the stairmaster machines, it actually looks like steps that are moving. Get on that thing. Do like 5 min at first, then try and get to 10 min. Then grab a 15 pound dumbell and carry that when you go on there. You'll never be tired when you snowboard again from my experience anyway.

tylerkat89

I'm a nationally certified personal trainer. I'm also a kinesiology major for sports care and physical therapy, so here are my two cents:

you want to do exercises on balance ball/pads. Building up muscle memory is the most important, and obviously the best way is on a board itself, but being on balance pads/balls gives your muscles the twitch memory of having to balance/stabilize, making it easier once you're on a board again. Doing strength exercises (squats) while working those twitch muscles will help simulate the same stresses as when on a board while building up strength and conditioning.

Basically any leg exercise you would do in the gym will build up lower body strength. Don't be afraid to throw in some dead lifts as well, those will develop and strengthen your hamstrings and lower back, while squats will build your quads, glutes, and calves. But I agree with ttchad, squats and lunges are most beneficial

key note: If you want REAL progressive results, stay the f*** off the cardio machines. There are a list of reasons why doing cardio outside is WAY more beneficial. And quite frankly, Frozen is wrong. Walking at a constant rate will burn more calories than a spurratic run (i.e. slow jog...run...slow down again...run again), but unfortunately you're not a middle aged woman with excess body fat that just needs to lose calories, so that will not help so much (or so I assume)

Frozen

Well that's unfair to say. I wasn't comparing walking to "spurratic" running. I said walking doesn't do shit. Neither does spurratic running apparently.

tylerkat89

Walking burns more calories, spurratic running develops muscle conditioning if you're trying to shorten your mile time. both can help, just in different ways, but you're right I kinda cornered you haha

Frozen

When I read the OP question the first place I went is squats and deadlifts. Then I realized that the OP is likely a casual exerciser and that they aren't going to do squats and deadlifts.

You're a nationally certified personal trainer and also a kinesiology major for sports care and physical therapy so you know that new people are afraid of squats and deadlifts.

Just explain to me how getting on the stairs of infinity with or without a 15 lb dumbell is bad advice. That shit ISN'T cardio in my opinion. I've done it and it is very difficult and not in a cardio sense.

tylerkat89

In the end, any advice for exercise is good advice! (don't get technical on me) Plus he asked what are the best, so I answered. Scared...then man the fuck up, or quit complaining. I say cardio machines are BAD because A.) The atmosphere in which you're training is not the same, especially when it's an air conditioned/filtered gym. Ever try running in the gym, then outside and realized it's way fuckin harder? Another reason for that is, the motions the machine creates eliminates any extra work your muscles would benefit from. Eventually, the machine will end up moving your legs for you, thus becoming counter productive, which is why walking up hill trails is more productive. My cardio on machines consists of me wearing my weight vest on the stair machine/running. Any form of cardio is beneficial in the long run, but doing the same exercises outside will give you much more results because you will be using more muscles, harder.

Frozen

Oh yes, I definately have and this only applies to treadmills. I'm talking about the stairs that keep going around and around that you never addressed. Fuck it, SHUAN WHIT!