Westbound Boarder

On Monday we talked about the importance of getting in shape for the upcoming snowboard season and establishing a workout routine, and on Tuesday we laid out a nice beginner’s workout, so continuing with our Getting in Shape series we’re going to give a couple advanced workout tips for those of you who are looking for more of a challenge.  While wall sits, basic squats and lunges are a great way to start working out, if you have been doing them a while you might want to take things up a notch (at the very least, to make your workout less boring).

I’m a big fan of plyometrics, which is a type of training that combines traditional strength exercises with quick jumping movements, so essentially your pushing your body harder in the same amount of time, ultimately achieving faster results.  Plyometrics workouts are strenuous, but fun and a great way to amp up your routine, so below I’m going to highlight a few of my favorite plyometrics workout moves, plus a couple other tougher twists on your basic ab workout:

Plyo Squats: Start by standing in the traditional squat position.  Squat down but instead of standing back  up, jump up and then back down in the squat position.  Do two sets of 20.  Watch out, they burn!

Stair Hop: Stand facing a 1 – 2 foot wall or ledge (a step at the gym will work or a wall at the beach).  Jump up onto the wall and back down to complete one rep.  Do two sets of 12.  Alternatively, find a case of stairs and hop up each until you reach the top.

Plyo Lunges: Start by standing in the lunge position, right foot in front of your left.  Lunge down, but instead of standing straight up, in one swift motion jump into the air and switch the position of your legs mid air so that your left foot is now in front of your right.  When you land, go straight back into the lunge position.  Do two sets of 16 (8 on each side).

And now for some more advanced ab moves…

Reverse Crunch: Sit upright with your knees at a 90 degree angle to the floor, then lean your chest backward so that it is at a 45 degree angle to the floor, engaging your abs along the way, while also lifting your feet as well – your body should be making a V shape.  Then, lower your head and shoulders so that it is about 20 degrees from the floor while simultaneously stretching out your legs (this one’s about balance!)  Return to the starting position to complete one full rep, and do 2 sets of ten.  This will work your lower abs and build those muscles you really need to keep your core strong.

Dip Planks: Planks are one of the best ab and total body workouts you can do… as long as you do them right.  But holding planks for 1 – 2 minutes can be boring and tedious, so switch it up a bit by adding an extra challenge in between.  After holding the standard plank for 10 seconds, drop your knees while in the plank position so they almost touch the floor, then return to the plank position.  Do 10 reps.  Then, in your second plank, try moving stepping out your right foot and then your left so your feet are now double the width apart, then return your right foot then your left foot back to the normal, shoulder-width position.  Do 20 full reps.