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Outside Magazine December 2004

Bodywork: Cross-training for winter
So Wrong It's Right
Snowboarding

By Ted Spiker

Intro | Downhill Skiing | Snowboarding | Nordic Skiing | Hockey

YOUR SPORT IS: SNOWBOARDING
CHANGE-UP REGIMEN: STRENGTH WORK
THE CONNECTION?: UPPER-BODY POWER
"A weak torso is the snowboarder's nemesis," says Kipp, because the torso bears the brunt of any falls. To help your cause, you want exercises targeting the muscles that cushion spills—the shoulders, chest, and triceps.

Working these muscles will also give you better control. "In situations where you're out of balance, it's your upper body that helps hold you steady so you can regain it," says Park City–based Andy Walshe, assistant athletic director for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team. "Being able to move quickly and powerfully could save you from a wipeout in the first place."

The Exercise: Try three sets of 20 push-ups, with a clap at the top of each one. Follow with three sets of 20 bench presses with light weights on a Smith Machine—a weight machine in which the barbell slides up and down on a track. Using a spotter, throw the weight off your chest and catch it on the way down. With every set of each exercise, vary your hand placement from narrow to shoulder width to wide. That way, your joints are better prepared to absorb impacts from a variety of angles.

Next Page: Nordic Skiing

Intro | Downhill Skiing | Snowboarding | Nordic Skiing | Hockey


TED SPIKER teaches journalism at the University of Florida.
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