Training for Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Skiing, and Surfing

These four sports represent the ultimate test of spatial awareness, body control, and balance at high speeds. Rarely do those who enjoy these sports use a sports training program to enhance their skills, but there are many ways in which workouts can make you a better skier, snowboarder, skateboarder or surfer.

Here are our suggestions.

Board Sports Strength Training

What all of these sports also have in common here is that their training can be made to be extremely sport-specific, and A LOT of fun.

Here is a breakdown of the sport-specific priorities:

Skiing - Leg strength is king for skiers, in part for better performance but also to protect the oft-injured knee joint. A combination of typical strength training drills combined with isometric lower body work is ideal.

Hip mobility helps with posture and also takes pressure off the knees, so it should be another main focus of your workouts.

Skiing stresses the entire body, so it is important to include core and upper body work into your training, as well.

Some supplemental skills that can be added to a quality skiing workout include balance drills, plyometrics, and vision training.

Snowboarding - Rarely used by amateur snowboarders, strength training can allow you to ride harder and longer without fatigue while landing bigger and better tricks.

Core and leg strength should be emphasized to acquire the benefits mentioned above, along with a strong dose of balance work to increase board control. Some advanced level concepts can ususally be used here, as athletes in this sport are often very good at body control.

Upper body strength work should also be done (with higher repetitions) to develop strength in tendons and ligaments, as opposed using heavy weights to build big, bulky muscles. A particular emphasis should be placed on upper back strength to help the shoulders move quicker during rotations. Other than this one area, a relatively balanced approach should be maintained with the rest of your upper body training.

Plyometrics and mobility work will also improve your ability to do better tricks, and to develop more fluid movements in all directions.

Skateboarding - In a very similar manner to snowboarding, skateboarders will improve riding stamina and be able to land bigger tricks when using strength training to their advantage.

All the same training needs apply here, too, with one notable addition. Since lower leg muscles are put under a greater stress while riding, more time should be spent strengthening and conditioning them with a combination of plyometrics and isometric drills.

Surfing - This is a far more physically demanding sport than it is often given credit for. Many physical skills can be enhanced through training for better performance.

First, a functional movement screen and implementation of any needed exercises to correct flexibility and balance problems can make a world of difference on its own.

If your balance and mobility are at least average, then you should focus on integrating higher level wobble board and other unstable surface exercises into your strength training.

Explosive total body power is a must for surfing, so plyometrics, medicine ball work, and even Olympic Lifting are recommended strongly.

Core stability is a need for all athletes, but for surfers it will increase total body stability on the board and help you to pop up with more power. Upper body strength work will also help you pop up with more speed.

Board Sports Speed Training

Speed in these sports is unique compared to the others on our list. Most of the speed development we speak of here is tied to building the attributes of strength and power, not actual sprint and agility footwork stuff.

The one notable exception is for skiing, where a solid base of conditioning can help them continue to move well as they get into the bottom of the course. A base of aerobic work followed by intense interval training would serve you well here.

For everyone else, it is critical that you stay active as often as possible, particularly in your younger years. Any other movement-based activities you can do besides riding or getting out on the slopes will enhance your overall coordination, which will have long-lasting sport and life benefits.

Injury Prevention for Board Sports

One thing all four of these sports have in common is a relatively high rate of broken bones. Total body strength training is one of the best ways to lessen your chance of breaking a bone.

The following is a list of the more sport-specific injury concerns.

Skiing - ACL tears have increased by 172% in the last five years for skiers, as oddly enough all other injuries have decreased by 50% during that same time.

Hip mobility, leg strength, and elite balance (many of the tears happen during falls) will lessen your risk of knee problems as well as anything else you can do. MCL and meniscus tears are also common, and they can be prevented with the same training priorities.

Younger, lighter, less experienced skiers are most likely to get hurt. On top of getting into a training program as early as possible, they also should limit their training volume while out on the mountain. Most accidents occur at the end of the day when you get tired, and fatigue becomes a factor.

Tightness in any lower body muscle can also lead to overuse injuries like tendonitis. This can alter natural movement patterns, causing more stress to be placed on muscle groups that are not capable of taking on a greater load. These problems can be fixed with corrective exercise techniques.

Snowboarding - The #1 snowboarding injury are wrist fractures, as falling with your feet locked on the board can cause some very awkward landings to take place from time to time. Elbow dislocations and rotator cuff tears can also result from unsafe landing positions.

Strength training for the upper body is the best way to build up the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments that are often injured while snowboarding.

Skateboarding - Over 50,000 skateboarding injuries are treated in US emergency rooms each year. Many involve broken bones, often times to the wrists, elbows and fingers.

Once again, strength training the upper body to build up all the connective tissues (bones, ligaments, etc) is your best protection. Increasing your balance skills can also help prevent falls.

Ankle sprains and leg fractures also occur on a fairly regular basis. Strength and balance training will help to prevent these, or at least to minimize their severity.

Surfing - Fewer injuries occur here than in the previous three sports, but the ones that do can be very serious. Back and neck sprains, plus shoulder, knee and ankle injuries can occur while surfing.

Weight training can not only enhance performance, but also potentially lessen the damage if a serious fall ever happens to you. And again, balance work can keep you on your board more often.

Beginners sometimes experience tendonitis in the shoulders from popping up on their board. Rest can be your best medicine, with proper strength work being a good way to ensure it doesn't crop up again later in your career.

Mental Toughness Development for Skiing, Snowboarding, Skateboarding and Surfing

Mental toughness is a term that everyone seems to use, but no one can really define.

The problem is that everyone just thinks of the 'toughness' part, and not the mental part.

All sports whose athletes perform individually go through intense pressure in competition. The ones who handle it best tend to enjoy their sports experiences more, and are almost always the ones who come out on top.

Our revolutionary new athletic intelligence program focuses on developing the mental side of toughness. We will show you how to put ice water in your veins while making competition more fun and less stressful.

Check back for its Fall 2010 release, and how it will help New England athletes achieve maximum success.

Board Sports Training at Power Source

All skiers and boarders located in or near Massachusetts would receive all of the injury prevention and performance benefits listed above in a personalized training program with us. We offer age-specific programs for athletes in high school, middle school, and even a balance and coordination development program for elementary school kids.

Our Active Kids Fitness programs for all ages would be beneficial for those who want to stay active, but in a fun, friendly and laid back environment that does not have the extreme structure of team sports programs.