Balance Board Training - Part 2

A few months ago I did a post on using a homemade balance board to fiddle around with rail tricks or just master the finer points of balance.  With any homemade creation, and especially with training exercises, a visual demonstration is always much more valuable.

Braving the 110ºF heat, I managed to get a couple of minutes of footage showing both my homemade balance board setup and how I use it to practice tricks.  It isn't pretty, but training and learning new things rarely is:

So you can see what I mean when I said to try jumping right into tricks.  I also tried a variety of tricks, including 50-50s, boardslides, 270s, switch-ups, nollie on, and a few switch tricks.  My biggest focus with each one is keeping the board nice and flat.  Especially with boardslides, spins and switch-ups, I pay special attention to where I turn my head, and how I manipulate my arms, hips, and shoulders.

You can also see my homemade setup. The deck I have is old, beat up, and practically snapped; if you have friends that skate, or especially if you skate yourself, chances are you have one of these lying around.  The tube is just a 4' long, 4" diameter black PVC pipe I bought at Home Depot--I don't recall there being a choice, but make sure you buy thick so it doesn't buckle when you jump on it.

As mentioned in the first post, balancing these tricks is actually much easier at speed, and I can honestly say I owe a lot of my confidence and the successful outcome of many on-snow attempts this season to the time I put in with my balance board.

Hopefully having this visual example clears up any confusion about balance board training...at least my homemade version of it.  So go find $10 and give yourself something to do while you wait for next season.

Snowboarders Don't Workout: Ledge Hops

Snowboarding is highly physical, and often summer finds us shredheads buried indoors with the air condition cranked and the television remote handy; not a pretty picture when next season comes around. Riding out of shape means not only having to work extra hard to catch up to where you were, but can also leave you open for injury.

The Snowboarders Don't Workout is nothing more than a bunch of exercises meant to work the muscles we use when we ride without expensive equipment or fancy gym memberships.  Today's exercise, ledge hops, is a simple exercise meant to build strength and explosiveness in your legs as well as improve your timing and bodily awareness.

Your first task is to find a suitable ledge or similar object, the fallen tree behind my house works great.  Ideally, you want something high enough that it takes a bit of effort for you to jump onto it--something about knee height or maybe taller if you are in good shape.

Straight Jumps (50-50s)

Start with straight jumps.  These are pretty self explanatory; stand at the side of the ledge like you would to ollie into a 50-50.  Imagine you are approaching this feature on snow... you would load up the tail and pop up onto it, catching the rail lightly with your heel or toe (depending on your stance) to keep from sliding off the other side.

Try doing 5 repetitions of this--frontside and backside--for a total of 10; then do it switch.


Spin Jumps (180-on)

Spinning onto rails and boxes can be a challenge.  A lot of it has to do with being able to trust your body to complete the rotation on.  Practicing this stationary on a ledge is a low consequence way to dial in how you position your head, arms, and shoulders to lock in a proper 180-on.

Again, visualizing that you are riding up to a real feature on snow, do 5 rotations spinning frontside and backside (a total of 10) and then repeat switch.

As you get comfortable with this, start throwing in 180-pretzel-outs where you spin the opposite 180 of the feature that you did on to it (landing in your original stance).  You can even take it one step further to 360-pretzel-outs.

One-legs (boardslides)

While doing this exercise won't teach you how to lock in or balance a boardslide, it can help you become more confident approaching taller feature.  It will also build up the muscles in each leg individually.

From your imaginary stance, ollie onto the ledge and shift yourself so you land sideways on your lead leg.  You will have to play around with your arms and shoulders to get the balance just right.  Especially with frontside boardslides, play around with your upper body.

Watch some videos and try to emulate the body position of your favorite riders' boardslides; Lucas Magoon has a killer front board:

Do these one-legs 5 times both frontside and backside, then repeat switch.  Feeling saucy? Throw in some 270-outs to nail down your technique.

If you follow this workout to a T, you will have hopped onto your chosen ledge or feature 60 times. Feel free to add or subtract repetitions as you see fit.

Even if this exercise won't necessarily help you land these tricks, a day of shred equals jumping hundreds of times; doing ledge hops onto a feature much higher than what you generally hit will leave you far more prepared for your first run of 2011.

Skateboarding

One thing all snowboarders have to realize is that the sport as we know it would not exist if it weren't for skateboarding.  All of the tricks, all of the features, all of the style--it was all pioneered from skate influences; so, returning to our roots makes perfect sense once the snow melts.  Take a look at the most obvious off-season activity a snowboarder can partake in: skateboarding.
Skateboarding itself has many different variations depending on your skill level and what you are looking to get out of it going into the season.  You get to choose between shortboards, longboards, and a more recent snowboard-inspired alternative called the Freebord.

Shortboarding is by far the most accessible option for most.  Complete decks are relatively affordable, and with several options for deck width and wheel size you can customize your shortboard for just about any riding style be it cruising around town, ripping up transition, or technical rail and flatland tricks.

Shortboards serve as great off-season trainers due the technical movements required to land tricks.   Mastering even basic tricks with a shortboard will have a dramatic impact on your overall balance, timing, and help make control of your lower body (hips, knees and ankles) more precise.

If where you live summer temperatures average 115ºF--like say, the desert--grab your shortboard and look for an indoor skatepark nearby... just pray that their AC is working.

Remember that shortboards aren't very stable when you start going fast, and while some of the more talented skaters can take on the steepest hills of San Francisco at full speed, the rest of us will more then likely be paying a visit to the hospital or at the very least the local drugstore to buy up their stock of band-aids and Neosporin.

If you love to point it down double diamonds and high speed snowboarding is your thing, consider a longboard instead.

Longboards are much wider, much longer, and therefore much more stable than their shortboard counterparts.  Turn any local hill into a full speed snowboard run with a longboard so you can experience the wind in your hair and the thrill of carving with every turn.  They also work for cruising.

The downside to longboarding is usually the cost.  Most run at over $100.  Also keep in mind that since these boards let you get going pretty darn fast, which can turn into something really painful if you aren't experienced.

A few years ago some engineers got together and incorporated the lateral slide (sliding sideways) that makes snowboarding so unique into longboarding to create the Freebord.

The motions of Freebording are by far the closest you can get to snowboarding on pavement, which is why they have been slowly but surely catching on in the industry.

Freebord Team Highlight Reel from Freebord Mfg. on Vimeo.
  

Three things that are holding the invention back: first, the start up cost is close to and in many cases over $200; second, friction from sliding sideways wreaks havoc on urethane wheels and you will likely need to replace them often; third, controlling a Freebord is not anything like controlling a snowboard where you manipulate edge pressure to create turns and can teach some bad habits.

Even so, there is no denying that Freebording is a fun new alternative to ease that snowboard craving during the summer months.

Well, what are you waiting for?  We've still got a few months of summer ahead of us; head to your local skate shop and get at it!

Snowboarders Don't Workout: Standing Spins

Snowboarders do not workout.  What business do we have being couped up in a gym? Besides, it's about agility; being able to make quick, precise movements.  What good are 15 reps of heavy squats going to do you when you need to be able to squat hundreds of times per day?  Standing spins work on your endurance, explosiveness and train the muscles that help you spin.

First, go outside where there is a ton of room and nothing to destroy, and let's start this exercise with 180ºs.

In a strong athletic stance (knees bent, weight centered, and back straightened to engage the core) Jump up and rotate 180º frontside or backside, then again back to the starting position; do this 20 times--10 switch, 10 regular.  Now rotate to the opposite side and repeat.

Try to imagine things as though a board were attached to your feet; think about loading your ollie and what edge you would take-off or land on.  Lift your knees up as high as you can to your chest, and focus on making your rotations smooth and controlled.

Ready for 360ºs?

Once again, start in a good, strong stance.  Get ready to really explode; 360ºs require a little bit more airtime and a much faster spin.  It may help you to pre-wind slightly by countering your shoulders opposite the direction you want to spin, turning you body into a kind of loaded spring that will release as you jump and add momentum to your spin. 

Do 10 reps in all four directions: frontside, backside, switch frontside, and switch backside.

Again, think about your edgework; if you were on a snowboard, what edge are you taking off from? What edge should you land on?  Also, take notice of when you are able to spot the landing.  Seeing and knowing where you are going to land is crucial to keeping your spins steezy-stylish.

That's all for standing spins... a total of 80 reps, which can be a lot at first.  Feel free to fudge the numbers as you see fit, just make sure you do an even number of spins in every direction.

Doing this exercise at least a couple times a week will do more than you think.  Of course, spinning will come easier, but overall you'll be able to turn quicker, and absorb choppy terrain better.  With your legs and core all trained up, you won't get nearly as tired nearly as quickly, so no more excuses not to ride until last chair.

Balance Board Training

 

Pushing further into spring, we have ushered in the era of slush; with the size of jumps shrinking in proportion to the amount of speed you can't get to clear them, springtime works great for getting reacquainted with the various jibs our resorts offer... Take advantage of these sunny skies and all of that soft slush by using a balance board to really step up your rail game.

Balance boards provide a safe, controlled way to practice all of the precise movements needed for today's standard rail tricks.  Being able to try these tricks mere inches from the ground takes the pain out of getting things wrong; play with and perfect your body position and weight displacement with very little consequence when things go bad.

Now, owning a Vew-Do or an Indo balance board would be nice, but that's a lot of cash money for what is essentially a skateboard deck and pipe.  Speaking of, find yourself an old skateboard deck and buy a 4"+ diameter PVC pipe at your local hardware shop. Add straps to the deck for that snowboard type feel.

OK, it's trick learnin' time!

If this is your first time on a balance board, or you are not comfortable ollieing into boardslides on a box or rail, you may want to start by setting the board on the pipe and rocking into things; this is a mellow way to get familiar with how a balance board moves while improving your balance. From there you can even add an extra progression by hopping onto the board while it is placed in position.

For those riders comfortable with most spins and slides, try jumping right into tricks.  Visualize the PVC pipe as a rail and set your approach accordingly.  Build your confidence to try any number of tricks; boardslides, 50-50s, spins on, spins off, and don't forget nollies and switch.

Pay attention to your shoulders, where you turn your head, the placement of your arms, hips, and your overall weight distribution (more on your toes or heels, etc).  Most important play with these things to see how they help or hinder your tricks.

Finally, take it on the hill.

First things first, if you are new to sliding then you want to start with wide ride-on boxes.  Take the time to get used to the sensation of sliding so you will be able to adjust your balance accordingly when try more advanced tricks and features later on.

With that out of the way you can trust yourself to slide; all you need to focus on is manipulating your head, shoulders, hips, and arms the way you practiced on your balance board.

Any trick you land on a balance board can be done on the hill.  Just like a bicycle, it's easier to balance in motion than standing still, so if you can land 270s on a stationary balance board then you'll have the upper hand when you take it to a real feature.  That PVC is also round if you haven't noticed; flat boxes and rails are a way more stable sliding surface.

As always, make sure you pick the appropriate feature and trick to your ability. Balance boards are a tool to aid progression; they won't help you skip steps.

Otherwise, get creative! Really, anything you do on a balance board will translate into more control and stability the next time you strap in.

Snowboarders Don't Workout - Philosophy

Photoshopped?

How much is too much? Where do you draw the line between workouts that will benefit you come snowboarding season and those that further hinder performance? The Snowboarders Don't Workout is designed around an important philosophy: the best way to train for snowboarding in the off-season is to emulate it.

All of the exercises to be presented in the Snowboarders Don't Workout are broken down into specific muscles used when riding, all of the conditioning exercises (burpees, squat jumps, etc.) are meant to promote speed and agility in those muscles, and all of the activities (skateboarding, swimming) are targeted towards working out those specific muscles as a whole. Each individual exercise will go into more detail about what its designed to strengthen and how that will improve your riding, but the most important thing is to realize what snowboarding is as a whole...

Whether you are into powder runs and you use your whole body to whip turns and control speed; whether you are a euro-carver that makes quick, precise movements to negotiate terrain; whether you are a rail kid able to quickly distribute bodyweight and hold your balance; whether you are a pipe jock hucking spin after spin after flip after spin with textbook execution...

Success in all of these aspects of snowboarding centers on your ability to maneuver your bodyweight quickly, powerfully and repeatedly (literally hundreds of times a day). This concept is especially important with weightlifting exercises; you should be able to do sets of 12-15 reps with the weight you choose to lift. Snowboarding fitness is not a matter of how much you can lift one time, but how much you can lift many times.

Another part of the Snowboarders Don't Workout philosophy, and perhaps the motivating factor in posting this information is to keep muscles loose, limber and injury free into the season. The number one reason most professional snowboarders have routines is to avoid serious injuries and long rehabilitation times.

Next to come in the Snowboarders Don't Workout: How To Utilize the Exercises

Snowboarders Don't Workout - Introduction

With the snow melting, resorts closing and temperatures rising the focus now shifts from snowboarding to ways to keep our minds off snowboarding. We surf, skate, wakeboard or weightlift to stay in shape in anticipation of the next season.

The big project for the summer here at Deserts Don't Snow is going to be a comprehensive series of posts outlining ways to stay fit and ready for the coming season without succumbing to the label of "gym jockey".

Let's face it, we are snowboarders. We don't spend three to four hours in the gym every day downing protein smoothies and Human Growth Hormone. We are more likely to be found eating $1 cheesburgers from McDonald's while skating the local mini ramp.

The goal of Snowboarders Don't Workout is to isolate the most important and influential parts of the body we use in snowboarding and present several effective exercises to develop and maintain them. These "exercises" will range from minor weightlifting (dumbbells, sandbags), body weight exercises (Push-ups, pull-ups), cardio routines (burpees, squat jumps) and awesome activities (skating, basketball, swimming).

Using any combination of these exercises will have you strengthening everything you use when you ride while at the same time hopefully keep your mind off of the fact that you can't go snowboarding for months... on top of that, you will be able to do them without spending hundreds of dollars at some fancy gym:

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Look out for upcoming posts with the title "Snowboarders Don't Workout"!