Gym workouts for carving

[Sultan Guy]

So...I am working out a few days each week with weights and stuff and thinking that I should do some carving specific leg strengthening exercises.

This way I can shred the early season. :)

I tried doing "clock lunges" with one foot fixed and one foot going to each "hour" then back. Hold some small weights in your hands. That felt good.

Share your secret workout or tips.

[Cousin of Beagle]

1. Back against the wall. Sit down. Your thighs are horizontal, the legs vertical.
   
2. Stand on the edge of stairs on the balls of your feet. You should be facing the top of the stairs. Up & down by flexing your ankles.
   
3. Static lunges. ie. do a lunge, but hold the position.

For shin splints (ie. anterior compartment syndrome):

1. Sit down on a comfy sofa. Extend legs and point your toes for a few seconds.
   
2. Then extend legs again, but flex your toes and feet up for a few seconds.

[davekempmeister]

Ride a bike and if you insist on staying in the gym - ride one of their bikes. Specifically, climbing. In the saddle, out of the saddle, whatever. That's what most contributes to my strength and stamina on the hill, what there is of it anyway. Running steps also. I don't really enjoy it much, but it's highly effective.

Oh yeah, and riding a T-board (Tierney). I find that some of that definitely helps with finding legs and feet at the start of a season. Helps condition muscles for the stance/body positioning of boarding.

[snowboardworm]

i've been walking 2 miles on the beach with the dogs and carrying 40 lbs in a pack sack. it seems to be working as the belt was tightened a notch today. i think i'll up the weight to 50 lbs and leave it at that weight for awhile.

i'm not a gym person so this is the easiest way to get strength for me

[Neil Gendzwill]

Box jumps

Hindu squats

Explosive back squats

[kieran]

not the best for absolute leg strength, but pretty damned good for stamina.

zero-impact exercise too, unless you kick someone.

[michael.a]

Squats squats squats squats

I have a weak back so I concentrate more on that and ride a bike/run for endurance, but it bores the hell out of me.

[slopestar]

Jumping rope here...

[icecarver]

I do a full body circuit. NOTE: diet is 70% of training. Eating right helps a lot and you feel better to boot.

--2-3 days at least one day of rest between workouts.

bw squats(slow decent, explosive up)

pushups

bw lunges(slow decent, explosive up)

chinups

shoulder press pushups

dips

reverse crunch(or some sort of core excercise like planks, hanging knee raises)

-- Do this three times

10-15 minutes eliptical

Other than that I stack fire wood, play with my four kids and I walk a lot at work. Important thing is not to forget your core. It will support your upperbody and aid in rotation and gelp balance while carving. For anyone who doesn't like to strength train the old fashioned way. I've had great results with Pilates in the past. It's a great alternative to weight/bodywieight training.

@benttech: I have a weak back as well. If I start to have any back pain at all I start a regemine of bent over barbell rows, pretty heavy, 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps. Always helps. If I had to pick only one excercise to do for the rest of my life... SQUATS!

[Guest]

I know you specified GYM work out, but if you're interested in an out of gym/at home work out check out INSANITY by Beachbody (same people who do P90x). Its an intense cardio workout with a ton of jumping and plyometric work. It feels a lot like two-a-day boot camps for volleyball back in the day.

Its a 60 day program, so its a good length to get ready for the season if starting now (I started it mid-September).

[BlueB]

Get out of the gym!

Get a slalom or a short LDP board. It would allow you to work on strength, cardio and technique at the same time!

[Keenan]

Get out of the gym!

Get a slalom or a short LDP board. It would allow you to work on strength, cardio and technique at the same time!

Blue,

It's fall in the PNW, too much rain. The parking garages are even wet.

[queequeg]

I hate gyms, so I Bike my ass off!

[BlueB]

It's fall in the PNW, too much rain. The parking garages are even wet.

We had pretty decent fall so far, up here in Van. Even running an informal slalom event tomorrow...

[MikeC]

I know you specified GYM work out, but if you're interested in an out of gym/at home work out check out INSANITY by Beachbody (same people who do P90x). Its an intense cardio workout with a ton of jumping and plyometric work. It feels a lot like two-a-day boot camps for volleyball back in the day.

Its a 60 day program, so its a good length to get ready for the season if starting now (I started it mid-September).

P90X person here. Try it, and it will kick your ass.

[Bobby Buggs]

P90X person here. Try it, and it will kick your ass.

Not the best leg work outs, upper body wise its outstanding

[Loc]

Find the power rack at your gym. Act smug towards those doing dumbbell curls while doing any combination of these:

Back squat

Front squat*

Pistol squat*

Forward* or reverse barbell lunge

360 dumbell lunge*

Deadlift

Romanian deadlift

Single leg Romanian deadlift*

Good mornings

I can't say if those are carving specific but having very strong legs and a very strong core must be worth something I put an asterisks next to what makes my core burn a little bit more due to balance requirements.

[Sultan Guy]

Well I should have figured that on this board I would get berated for doing workouts in a gym so let me set the record straight...

I run, hike, kayak, and/or stand up paddle every week. See some of my postings about these in Off Topic forum.

I hit my local gym two days per week, 9 months out of the year in an effort to keep my muscle mass up. Most guys over 40 lose their chest, shoulder, and arms but add it all in the gut. Bad plan.

Thanks for some tips that I can do in the gym those two days, otherwise I agree outside is the way to go. My core is rock solid from all the SUP I did this summer and now I want my legs beefed up for the upcoming carving season. Lots of hard core power hiking this fall has helped.

[Keenan]

Most guys over 40 lose their chest, shoulder, and arms but add it all in the gut. Bad plan.

When the lift breaks down and you are shivering I will sit there smugly as my gut keeps me warm.

[b0ardski]

I run, hike, kayak, and/or stand up paddle every week. See some of my postings about these in Off Topic forum.

My core is rock solid from all the SUP I did this summer and now I want my legs beefed up for the upcoming carving season. Lots of hard core power hiking this fall has helped.

Like you need some help:rolleyes:

squat lunges & lunge squats, i.e. burst out of a squat into a lunge, then lunge and slowly lower into a squat. I used to do this side to side in tele stance back when I skied on my tiptoes, explosive power & balance. For boarding for & aft would be more specific. Use weights in each hand in various arm positions to add instability for working fast twitch dynamic balance muscles.

Do your arm and shoulder free weights on a balance board or instability ball.

When the lift breaks down and you are shivering I will sit there smugly as my gut keeps me warm.

me too, now a days I'm old and lazy, I just stand there on the board and lean for the 1st couple weeks til my legs shape up. Besides I need that extra 20lbs of gut to bend the 185gs;)

[valsam]

Basketball!

[Beckmann AG]

Acquire an Airex balance pad, use it to destabilize your base while doing lighter free weights or agility drills.

Or stand on it one-footed while brushing your teeth/shaving (not for you straight razor aficianados...)

http://www.amazon.com/Airex-Balance-Pad-16-4in-20in/dp/B0011YY86G

[two_ravens]

Acquire an Airex balance pad, use it to destabilize your base while doing lighter free weights or agility drills.

Or stand on it one-footed while brushing your teeth/shaving (not for you straight razor aficianados...)

http://www.amazon.com/Airex-Balance-Pad-16-4in-20in/dp/B0011YY86G

Yup, the Airex pads are pretty cool, but I'm broke. My trainer suggested I use an old pillow - I stand on it one footed while doing my shoulder rehab and other drills. Works great.

[Beckmann AG]

Yup, the Airex pads are pretty cool, but I'm broke. My trainer suggested I use an old pillow - I stand on it one footed while doing my shoulder rehab and other drills. Works great.

Good point. In a pinch, I find the back seat (removed) from a classic Saab 900 works well.

Might look a bit funny in the gym, whatever that is...

[Race_Carver]

I'd stay away from all the shiny new "latest and greatest" weight machines found at most commercial gyms now. They are ok for rehab work if injured, but the muscle isolation they provide has very little carry over to athletic movements.

Compound movements with free weights that use multiple muscle groups have the most carry over to sports. Squats, deadlifts, and the overhead press will hit every major group in the body. Push ups, pull ups, and body weight dips are also excellent. If you can find a glute-ham raise station, where you use your hamstrings to pull up your body weight, that is much better than doing leg curls on a machine.

Two of the absolute best weight exercises that have incredible carry over to power sports are the Olympic Weightlifting Clean & Jerk and Snatch. Both exercises involve taking a barbell from the ground and exploding it to a overhead position in a matter of seconds. Nothing is better for power development. However, it is very hard to find a mainstream commercial gym that will let you do Olympic lifting.