PowderStrong Online is back for 2021, with some big shifts and improvements.
If you’re looking for information on PowderStrong Online (the on-your-own version), keep reading.
If you’re looking for information on PowderStrong, in-person with our supportive community and professional coaches, we’ve got details here
PowderStrong is our seasonal program where we blend the best in strength and conditioning to give skiers and snowboarders their best-ever winter on the snow.
This isn’t endless squats and lunges – although we definitely use those exercises.
We also build strength in the hamstrings and glutes to ensure knees are good-to-go all season. We build the postural muscles of the back so they don’t fatigue with long days in the powder and moguls.
We even build the shoulders and arms for stronger poling on the skin track, and for the durability to not get hurt from a crash.
And yes, we train the core. Oh, so much core.
PowderStrong sessions are all about 60 minutes long, and start with a “flow” phase to get the major joints of the body moving. If it’s early and you just got out of bed, or it’s the end of a day spent sitting in the computer, you need to address that stiffness before getting into more challenging work.
You then go through a warm-up, usually about 10 minutes long, that addresses the muscles that you’ll use during that session.
Next, there’s a block of strength work – focusing on two or three muscle groups or body parts, usually for about 20 minutes.
Then you spend another 20 minutes or so working on athleticism (jumping, explosiveness, balance, etc.) and/or chassis integrity (core strength from the hips to the shoulders).
Some sessions will feel harder than others, but every workout is designed specifically to build on the one before it, and to prepare for what’s coming next.
And every session is focused on preparing you for your strongest, fastest, and most fun winter in the snow.
Ready to get #PowderStrong? Register here.
Delivery: Each weekend, you’ll gain access to the next week’s workouts, so you can schedule them as you like. We deliver workouts as written training agendas, complete with demo videos to help you tweak your technique.
These aren’t live workouts: I don’t want you to be tied to someone else’s schedule.
These aren’t follow-along videos: I don’t want you to be committed to someone else’s pace, nor do I want to charge what I’d have to for nearly 60 hours of video content.
Instead, you get to schedule workouts when it works for you; you can even break up training sessions if necessary. You can do workouts at home, or in a gym, or anywhere else you like. And you get to work at your own pace – even bringing a friend along for the ride.
Weekly Schedule: Each week, there are three workouts programmed, and you’ll need to decide whether to do 2 or 3 sessions each week; it depends on what else you’re doing, and how much time you have available.
Three sessions per week will give you the best return on investment, and the greatest progress. If you’re looking for overall health and fitness improvements, 3x/week is usually the right answer, especially if you don’t have a lot of other movement built into your weeks. However, if you regularly run, ride, climb, hike, etc., then two sessions each week may be your best bet. PowderStrong workouts are designed to augment the other stuff you’re doing. A good rule of thumb is to have at least one recovery day between sessions; in the past, M/W, T/Th, or M/W/F schedules have worked best for our athletes.
Required Equipment: There are three versions of each workout – “full-blown” (if you have access to a commercial gym), “standard” (this is what we do at WFA, or if you have access to dumbbells, kettlebells, etc.), and “spartan.”
The spartan versions of workouts are intended to be very light on equipment; having a backpack you can load with books or rocks, a stable surface to jump up onto, a jump rope, and a few resistance bands will make the workouts as effective as possible. I’ve put together a minimal shopping list from Amazon for the spartan workouts, which will cost you less than $150, and will last you well beyond the PowderStrong season.
Cost: PowderStrong Online 2021 is $250 for the entire 17 weeks of training.
Ready to get #PowderStrong? Register here.
First, we’re expanding the timeline of the program. In 2019, we trained specifically for skiing for the entire 10 weeks of the program.
Second, we’re adding more athleticism work to the entire program. Movements like jumping and landing, lateral movement, speed, and balance will be integrated into the program from day one. At various times they’ll make up more or less of a complete training session, but they’ll never be absent – even on our heaviest of strength days.
Third, we’re integrating components of two other programs (from other authors) into PowderStrong.
Fourth, we’re expanding the options available in the PowderStrong programming, for those who are completing it outside of Wasatch Fitness Academy. There are three tracks to choose from for each workout:
Fifth, we’ll have an open line for questions and answers, both through a Facebook group, and via a weekly Q&A video.
Ready to get #PowderStrong? Register here.