Ever wonder how the top riders on the Freeride World Tour train to stomp massive airs or stay on their feet blasting down a line at terminal velocity? Here’s your answer:
If you want to get explosively fit for winter sports, or any sports for that matter, you must train. Jones riders Mitch Toelderer and his wife Bibi know all about training hard as they both spent many seasons on the Freeride World Tour and Mitch won the FWT world title in 2011. They both still ride a ton and they also help other athletes train for competition at Bibi’s LOFT 41 physio/training space in Innsbruck, Austria and through their website FunctionalSportsTraining.com
Mitch and Bibi just released a new training series designed for winter athletes. The series focuses on functional movements and is specially designed to improve your performance in real life, real shredding situations. The exercises they recommend (like that double slackline medicine ball butt-kicker you see above) work your balance and strength across multiple muscles at once just like snowboarding does.
The complete Function Sports Training series is available by private membership only but Mitch and Bibi have shared a few of the first steps in the program with us. Check out these sample exercises and then head over to FunctionalSportsTraining.com to sign up for the whole program.
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Power Turn
The focus of this exercise is on core stabilization while rotating the upper versus the lower body. Your line of vision is straight forward with an upright upper body position. Out of this position you do deep lunge jumps without giving the back knee a rest on the mattress; at the same time rotate your upper body (if your right leg is in front you rotate to the right and vice versa). Start without additional weight and add some weight if you feel comfortable with the movement and hold a good form while performing this exercise. You don’t need a lot of weight: the more extended your arms the harder it gets! Always warm up before doing exercises like this! - Mitch
Focus Your Run
This exercise improves your coordination, endurance and focus. For a time interval of about 90 seconds (the average duration of a top to bottom run), take a deep riding position on the slacklines. Your partner gives you commands to change the position of the medicine ball continuously to challenge your body to keep the balance. Your partner could also throw the ball and gives you a command for positioning right after. Always warm up before doing exercises like this! - Bibi
Check out several more functional exercises in this video:
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