Getting in Shape

Now that I've dedicated myself to this sport, I need to admit that my body isn't the adaptible do-anything-anytime machine it used to be when I was in my 20's (I'm now 32). This isn't an age thing, it's a result of about 3 years of transitioning from an athlete to a sedentary old fogey. I am now officially one of those guys who complains about backaches and soreness in the joints without remedying the weight problem that put me here in the first place.

Well a couple episodes of hitting hard ice butt-cheek-first, showed me that no extra insulation in that region is going to protect me from breaking my hip if I did that a couple more times. Trying to get some air at this weight (!!! 212lbs - 15st - 96kg !!!) is not that easily done - and is a bit hard on the knees and achilles tendon (and the the wrists if you panic and use your hand to steady the board after a landing).

So I set out to the SCUK website and got some feedback from a post where I asked for snowboard specific workouts. The response was more professional and comprehensive than I thought it would be. So now I have a (very) detailed plan to work with. Besides at least two visits to the slopes a month (MK is always available to help get piste reps on the quick and cheap). Here we go:

Week 1-3 Muscle conditioning, flexibility and initial weight loss
- 10 minute warm up an quick stretch for 5 minutes
- 3 Mornings per week run 25 min (then 35 and 45 minutes respectively in week 2 and 3)
Stretch 20 minutes after run
-2 evenings a week (weights as follows low weights high reps= 3x18)
squats/leg curls/calfraisers/lunges
assisted pull ups/press ups/assisted dips/latrow/abductors/adductors
abs

Week 4-10 Building Core Strength in dynamic excercises
- 10 minute warm up and quick stretch for 5 minutes
- 2 Mornings per week CV 30 minutes each (rowing machine, running off road for 45 min, swimming) Stretch and abs blitz for 10 minutes each afterwards

- 2 evenings a week core weights and exercises 3x10
bridging/swiss ball ab curls/weighted press up twists/lat dumbell row from press up poisition/back extension/hanging leg cruches/incline press

pull ups/dips/step out lunges/sumo squats/leg curls, abductors and adductors/weighted ab curls/calf raisers on wobble board/deadlift/resistance leg lifts (you lie down with someone standing behind your head, you lift legs while holding their ankles and they push legs away from them as you try to stop them from hitting ground)

- one class yoga per week (mix it up - pilates, ashtanga, hatha, siv)

Week 11 - 20 (by now I am down to sub-200lbs and have conditioned my body to handle harder workouts. The core should be strong too, and thus the chance of injury decreases. I hope too that the muscle memory for snowboarding is there and so the brain is subconsciously using the same muscle combos I would use when riding. Now its time to work that Explosive Power and Strength)

- Yoga style warm up and stretch

- Morning CV keep it mostly anaerobic to learn to feel the burn of lactic acid
One day High Impact Interval Training - Rowing, Spinning, Swimming, Indian Run (5 on 2 off for 40 minutes)
Another day sustained high impact 80% max for 20 minutes (cycle, rower, off road running, skipping rope)

- African Martial Arts. Similar to Capoeira - lots of flying punches, flips, kicks and jumps (great to develop control in the air and power). Floor work great for legs. Uses weapons such as cutlasses and spears. Handling these will no doubt help to keep arms fresh if carrying a round a board all day.

- Weights 2 nights: All heavy weighted and done in sets of 12, 10, 8 unless otherwise stated

Night One Pull ups 3 x failure Core Press Ups 3 x 10 Incline Curls super sets 8 10 12 10 8 10 Power Cleans	Dips 3 x failure Core Lat Dumbells 3 x 12 Dead lift 3 x 10 Shrugs or Arm lifts Wrists and Forearms
Group B Squats Leg Curls Butt Kicks 3 x 30 Abductors Step Out Lunges	Abs (weighted) 3 x 10 (and below too) Abs (Hanging Leg Lifts; later, twisting) Obliques (Trunk twists on cb) 3 x 10 Adductors (Swiss ball) Obliques (Swiss ball) 3 x 10

So, there you have it. All I need to do know is stick with it at least 85% of the time.

Will keep you posted!!!