Plyometric Exercises for Snowboarders

On the slopes, having enough energy and power to negotiate the piste, execute your jumps or glide through the powder is something most boarders will suffer with come the end of your weeks holiday. But how to improve your strength for next time?

For snowboarding, plyometrics exercises will help you increase your leg strength as well as maximise your explosive power in a way that weight training by itself can't. So you are right on the money if you are thinking now that the right plyometric exercises will help the height of your jumps and execution of tricks on the piste.

How Do I Do Plyometrics?

When working out, you need to focus on making your leg muscles contract as fast as possible, whilst overloading them. This creates explosive power and strength and control under tension.

Boarders need this specific strength for jumps, for landings and for very uneven terrain and ground. Plyometrics are great exercises, but should only be used as part of your training schedule once or twice a week.

What Plyometric Exercises Should I Look For?

Typical plyometric training workouts include step or box jumping (a 4 inch height is plenty) or simply squat jumps.

You may also be surprised to find that skipping ropes are a good plyometric exercise that also benefits your cardiovascular system also.

So look for box jumps, skipping, squats and burpees or standing long jump type exercises.

How Best to Workout?

Times per week

A maximum of once or twice a week and never on consecutive days

Duration

A combination of one or two exercises with 3 sets of 10 reps should take 10-15 minutes

Activities

Your weight is the resistance - the exercises for fitter and more advanced boarders are the jumping side to side and the chair jumping

Plyometric Exercises

Not an exhaustive list by any account, but the more common ones that anyone can use to start that workout.

Squat Jumps

Squat down and touch the ground, then explode upwards as high as you can. Land lightly, repeat ten times

Hopping

Ten hops on each leg, as far forward as you can go

Two Legged Jumps

Jump as far forward as you can go - repeat ten times

Jumping side to side

No equipment needed, you can use something as simple as a crack in a paving stone as a line to jump over. Keep your feet together throughout. Repeat 20 times

Chair Jumps

Exactly as it sounds, jumping on and off of a chair, bench or stair. Repeat ten times

By Will Smith