Nadya Ochner: athletic preparation for snowboarding between functional training and the Olympics

Training and stages of athletic preparation for snowboarding

Athletic training in snowboarding however, it is obviously marked out in a different way throughout the year, varying in training methods and intensity as the winter season approaches: “On average I train approx 5 hours a day, 5-6 days a week – continues Nadya – In the summer I prepare athletically between 1 hour and a half and 3 hours in the morning and the same in the afternoon. As for thefunctional workout, I mainly focus on proprioceptive exercises on unstable bases (such as Duneball, tablets, bearings, Flying etc.). in combination with light weights or Flowbags, so as to mainly strengthen the legs, abs and adductors. From September onwards, however, the rhythm changes, because thesnow training: about 3-4 hours of snowboarding in the morning and 1-2 in the afternoon. I also followed this pattern to prepare for the PyeongChang Olympics, because it makes me feel good physically".

Nadya's achievements and the origins of her passion for sports

Already part of the Olympic team in the previous edition of Sochi 2014, Nadya Ochner also participated in the World Cup Stoneham 2013, Lachtal 2015 and Sierra Nevada 2017, also obtaining 6 podiums in the World Cup, including 3 victories in the specialty Parallel-Mixed-Team-Slalom. Like almost all sportsmen, however, Nadya's passion for snowboarding has distant origins: “When I had 5 years I saw my father go down the slopes and train between the poles with his friends and I liked it so much that I decided to try it too. I still remember the falls and tears while learning, but I never wanted to stop: I wanted to improve, and it still is today".

Goals in the near future

Precisely in this regard, Nadya also focused on next challenges that await you"The next big goal is definitely that of Park City World Cup, which will start in the USA in February 2019. I am trying to prepare myself at the best both athletically and technically, to start with some good World Cup races from December onwards and be ready for the Worlds".

THE FIVE MUSTS: FUNCTIONAL TRAINING FOR SNOWBOARDING

As rightly pointed out by Nadya Ochner, it snowboard it is a discipline made up of balance, stability, but also force e reactivity in the movements. Functional training it can therefore fulfill a fundamental role in preparing the athlete and in providing him with the foundations on which to build also at a technical level. Precisely for this purpose, before dedicating himself to specific training on the most requested movements in snowboarding, work to improve joint mobility, proprioception and finally general strength is essential. The exercises on an unstable base or with Flying and Flowbag mentioned by Nadya, which allow you to train your proprioception and reactivity, can perfectly fall into this phase. Only later is it advisable to continue with more specific objectives, located on the basis of the demands of the discipline in question. In this sense, i “Five Musts” identified by the WTA trainer Evgenia Babrovskaya (already trainer of the Italian snowboarder Corinna Boccacini) for this sport I am the Flyo Side balance, Kettlebell Side Skiing Squats, Kettlebell Swing, Flowbags Front Snatch & Lounge and Flowbags Side Swing & Halo.

1. Flyo side balance: perfect for introducing the control of one's center of gravity while performing a dynamic movement on an unstable base. The platform, due to its properties, is in fact particularly suitable for reproducing the conditions of snow sports.
2. Kettlebell Side Skiing Squats: allows you to train to transfer the fulcrum of the movement on the transverse plane to the hips, while keeping the knees as stable as possible which otherwise could wear out causing injuries to the ligaments.
3. Kettlebell Swings: it is part of a generic preparation program, being able to complete the flexion and extension movement of the hips which in snowboarding is perfectly reflected in the alternating movements of slalom. Through this exercise it is in fact possible to train the power of the extension of the hips.
4. Flowbag Front Snatch & Lounge: Coordinates the hips and shoulders in the sagittal and frontal planes, increasing body center control to counteract instability.
5. Flowbag Side Swing & Halo: connects the lower and upper parts of the body, but in this case on a more complex plane of movement than the Front Snatch & Lunge, i.e. the transverse one, which is particularly used in snowboarding. In this way the power of the hips (swing) is coordinated with a work on the mobility and traction strength of the shoulders (halo).