Build stronger legs, improve your balance, and develop the power and control you need to ride all day in the Colorado mountains.
For snowboarders in Denver, winter is something worth preparing for. Whether you're carving down groomers at Breckenridge, riding through the trees at Winter Park, hitting jumps at Keystone, or chasing powder at Copper Mountain, Colorado offers some of the best snowboarding in the country.
But before you strap into your bindings and head up I-70, it's worth asking yourself one question: Is your body ready for the demands of snowboarding?
Snowboarding requires a unique combination of strength, balance, coordination, and endurance. Unlike skiing, both feet are secured to a single board, which creates different demands on your hips, knees, ankles, and core. Your body must constantly manage rotational forces, transition between heel-side and toe-side edges, and absorb impact from uneven terrain, jumps, and unexpected falls.
Whether you're a beginner working on your turns or an experienced rider looking to progress to more challenging terrain, preseason preparation can make a significant difference in how you feel on the mountain.
At Revo Physiotherapy & Sports Performance Denver, we believe the best snowboarding season starts in the gym. Building strength, improving movement control, and developing sport-specific conditioning before the first snowfall can help you ride with greater confidence and spend more time enjoying the mountain.
Here are five of the best exercises to include in your preseason snowboarding training program.
1. Goblet Squats: Build Lower-Body Strength and Endurance
Why they matter: Snowboarding requires you to maintain an athletic, semi-squat position for extended periods. Your quadriceps, glutes, and hip muscles work continuously to maintain stability, absorb terrain changes, and control your board.
Goblet squats are an excellent way to build foundational lower-body strength while reinforcing proper squat mechanics. They train the muscles responsible for maintaining your riding position and managing the forces associated with turning and navigating variable terrain.
Stand with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell against your chest.
Keep your chest upright and your core engaged.
Sit your hips down and back while bending your knees.
Lower into a comfortable squat position while keeping your heels planted.
Push through your feet to return to standing.
Recommended dosage: 3 sets of 10–12 repetitions.
Make it more challenging: Increase the weight gradually or incorporate a 2–3 second pause at the bottom of each squat to build strength and positional control.
Revo tip: Snowboarders spend considerable time in a flexed-knee position. Focus on developing strength throughout your available range of motion rather than simply lifting heavier weights. Your goal is to build legs that can handle an entire day on the mountain, not just one strong repetition.
2. Lateral Lunges: Develop Side-to-Side Strength and Mobility
Why they matter: Snowboarding involves constant transitions between your heel-side and toe-side edges. Your hips and legs must be capable of producing and controlling force in multiple directions.
Traditional squats and forward lunges are great exercises, but they don't fully address the lateral demands of snowboarding.
Lateral lunges strengthen your quadriceps, glutes, and adductors while challenging hip and ankle mobility. They also help develop control when shifting your weight from one side to the other.
Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart.
Shift your weight toward your right leg while pushing your hips backward.
Bend your right knee while keeping your left leg relatively straight.
Keep your right foot planted and your knee tracking in line with your toes.
Push through your right foot to return to the starting position.
Repeat on the opposite side.
Recommended dosage: 3 sets of 8 repetitions per side.
Make it more challenging: Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest. Once you develop sufficient strength and control, progress to more dynamic lateral movements.
Revo tip: Pay attention to how your knees and hips move throughout the exercise. Good lateral strength and mobility help you control your body as you transition between edges and navigate uneven terrain.
3. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts: Improve Balance and Posterior Chain Strength
Why they matter: Snowboarding requires excellent balance and control, particularly when riding through uneven terrain, recovering from an unstable landing, or navigating technical sections of the mountain.
Single-leg Romanian deadlifts strengthen the hamstrings, glutes, and hip stabilizers while challenging your ability to balance on one leg.
They also help develop posterior chain strength, which is essential for controlling your hips and managing forces throughout your lower body.
Stand on one leg while holding a dumbbell in the opposite hand.
Maintain a slight bend in your standing knee.
Push your hips backward while extending your free leg behind you.
Lower the weight toward the floor while keeping your back neutral.
Maintain a level pelvis and avoid rotating your hips open.
Drive through your standing foot and squeeze your glutes to return to standing.
Repeat on the opposite leg.
Recommended dosage: 3 sets of 8–10 repetitions per leg.
Make it more challenging: Increase the weight gradually or slow down the lowering phase to increase the balance and strength demands.
Revo tip: This exercise is particularly useful for identifying differences in balance, hip stability, and strength between your two legs. Work toward consistent control on both sides rather than allowing your stronger leg to compensate for your weaker side.
4. Lateral Skater Hops: Develop Power and Landing Control
Why they matter: Snowboarding isn't just about maintaining a stable riding position. It also requires the ability to generate power, absorb impact, and react quickly to changing terrain.
Whether you're landing a jump, riding through bumps, or making quick adjustments in the trees, your body needs to efficiently absorb and redirect force.
Lateral skater hops develop explosive lower-body power, single-leg stability, and landing mechanics. They are a great way to introduce more dynamic movements into your preseason training.
Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
Push off your right leg and jump laterally toward your left.
Land softly on your left leg with your knee and hip slightly bent.
Maintain your balance and control your landing.
Hold briefly before jumping back to the opposite side.
Continue alternating sides.
Recommended dosage: 2–3 sets of 5–6 repetitions per side.
Make it more challenging: Gradually increase the distance of your jumps or reduce the time between landings once you can consistently demonstrate good control.
Revo tip: Focus on the quality of your landing. Your knee should remain aligned with your foot, your hips should stay controlled, and your landing should be quiet. If you struggle to stabilize, reduce the jumping distance or return to controlled lateral lunges before progressing.
5. Pallof Press: Build Core Strength and Rotational Stability
Why they matter: One of the unique challenges of snowboarding is managing rotational forces while both feet are secured to the same board.
Your trunk plays a major role in controlling your upper body relative to your lower body. As you initiate turns, transition between edges, and navigate uneven terrain, your core muscles help stabilize your spine and transfer force throughout your body.
The Pallof press is an excellent anti-rotation exercise that trains your abdominal muscles and obliques to resist unwanted rotational movement.
Attach a resistance band to a sturdy anchor at approximately chest height.
Stand sideways to the anchor and hold the band with both hands in front of your chest.
Step away from the anchor until you feel tension in the band.
Brace your abdominal muscles and keep your hips and shoulders facing forward.
Slowly press your hands straight out in front of your chest.
Resist the band's tendency to rotate your torso toward the anchor.
Bring your hands back toward your chest and repeat.
Turn around and perform the exercise facing the opposite direction.
Recommended dosage: 3 sets of 10–12 repetitions per side.
Make it more challenging: Increase the resistance or extend your arms for a 2–3 second hold at full extension.
Revo tip: The goal isn't to move the band as far as possible. It's to prevent your body from rotating as the resistance pulls you sideways. Focus on keeping your hips level and your trunk stable throughout the movement.