Pre-season snowboard training/conditioning...

Have you a back problem or have I misread the opening sentence?

As a snowboarder/boarder myself, I have asked these same questions. I believe the most important area is hip strength. As alan led to, the hips are a major function in rotary, ariel, landing and take off. A huge area that also needs to be developed is static/isometric strength of the lower limbs for free riding on the big slopes while maintaining a static posture. With landings, learning to absorb the large eccentric forces placed on the body is important. This is best completed using body weight landings off boxes ensuring mechanical efficiency while landing (knees not drawing together while triple flexing of hips,knees and ankles on the landing).

Another area of concern is the set up of foot placement and angle of toe point. This can place huge stress on the medial knee while landing so the lateral (outside) of the thigh needs a large component of strength and strength endurance.

Learning to jump and land ( 180's, 360's, ollies) without the board to improve technical mastery. not only will this improve skill level on the board but also improve power on the board. Balance training should be trained seperately to strength work as do not believe the full benefits can be produced while trying to squat on unstable surface. I suppose trunk training would be best used while completing balance training.

I also find having a conditioned upper body to push your self up when chest to floor or back to floor and also pulling yourself up holding the edge of the board.

I dont believe flexibility will be a big issue for boarding although mobility will especially around the hips and thoracic region. Also I cannot see how speed agility training will improve perfromance with both feet strapped to the board unless unstrapped and dodging other boarders on the slopes!

Metabolic condition is important as Alan stated. Intervals are good so you improve aerobic capacity and strength so you still the fitness to be explosive when necessary. Again it is all dependant on the type of boarding you are doing. The more ariel based boarding (half pipe and board park) need more explosive/anaerobic strength than free riding and boarder cross.

Thank for your comments. I'm actually just starting (back) up with snowboarding so all of the tips on the trickery don't apply to me just yet. 0)

The ankle is still not where I'd like it to be but I have just started back in the gym fulltime weights,cardio, a little yoga, a smidgeon of plyometric work.
I'm hoping that four days a week of all this should strengthen me up in time to try the sport again safely this winter. Clearly, I just simply wasn't prepared; heading from a desk to a chairlift without much preparation was a very silly thing to do.

That said, if you have any specific exercises to help this goofy rider, I would be happy to give them a try. (The searches I've managed recently haven't really turned up much in the way of 'dryland' snowboard training..)

Again, thanks from TO!