The Complete Backcountry, Splitboarding, and Freeride Fitness Formula
- Brainz Magazine
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Written by Jon Addison, Performance Coach
Jon Addison is a specialist in surf and snow sports performance. As the founder of Mtnwave Fitness, he provides tailored online fitness coaching for ocean and mountain sports, in addition to organizing adventure coaching tours that integrate his rider-focused training with incredible surf and snow experiences.
Splitboarding and freeride snowboarding demand more than just technical skill. They require endurance, strength, stamina, and mental grit. Long ascents, splitting, hiking, heavy packs, and unpredictable snow conditions can break even experienced riders if they’re not physically prepared.
This is where training for the backcountry truly begins. Building your endurance, stability, and total body strength before winter hits will allow you to climb efficiently, ride powerfully, and stay injury-free all season.
In this article, we’ll break down The Complete Backcountry, Splitboarding, and Freeride Fitness Formula, a focused approach to developing the key physical attributes needed for your backcountry missions. Whether you’re skinning long routes, hiking steep terrain, or riding deep powder, this formula will help you build the strength, mobility, and resilience to perform at your best all season.
The goal isn’t just to survive your next tour, it’s to enjoy it to the fullest. When your body is conditioned for endurance, your legs stay strong, your transitions stay sharp, and you conserve energy for the descent. With the right preparation, you’ll move faster, recover quicker, and ride every line with confidence, finesse, and control.
My journey into backcountry and freeride training
By no means am I a pro splitboarder, but I’ve spent enough time exploring the backcountry to know how physically demanding it really is. Whether it’s long days hiking lines, skinning up ascents, or riding deep powder from first light to last run, the backcountry exposes every weakness in your fitness.
When I first started venturing beyond resort boundaries, I quickly learned that typical snowboard fitness didn’t cut it. The leg burn was real, especially on long ascents or back-to-back powder laps, and my cardio struggled to keep up on the hikes. By the time we reached the top and started transitioning for the descent, I’d often still be catching my breath while everyone else was clipped in and ready to drop. That kind of fatigue doesn’t just slow you down, it affects your focus, reactions, and ultimately the quality of your riding on the way down.
I already knew I could ride pow with ease, but I wanted to feel strong enough to enjoy it fully, to hike longer, recover faster, and still have energy left for the biggest descents. That’s when I started putting more emphasis on backcountry-specific training in the lead-up to those parts of the season. Through consistent, targeted work, I built the stamina, strength, and resilience that once held me back. These days, whether I’m hiking, splitting, or riding deep lines all day, my body feels ready for it, fit and stable on the climb, recovered at the top, then strong and powerful all the way down.
Here’s how you can build the physical foundation for your next splitboarding or freeride season.
1. Build endurance for the ascent
Uphill efficiency is everything. Whether you’re skinning, hiking, or boot-packing through deep snow, your aerobic capacity and lower-body endurance decide how well you move in the mountains. Splitboarding and freeride hiking both rely heavily on strong glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves to keep you climbing efficiently without fatigue setting in too soon.
Start by developing a solid aerobic base with low-intensity cardio such as step-ups, hiking, running, or cycling. These movements build stamina without overloading your joints. Then progress to weighted pack hikes, stair climbs, or sled drags to simulate the resistance and demand of touring under load. The goal is to train your legs and lungs to keep a steady rhythm for hours while conserving energy for the descent.
2. Strengthen core stability for balance and control
A strong core is essential for balance, posture, and overall body control, especially when navigating uneven terrain or carrying a heavy pack. In the backcountry, you’re often standing sideways on a hillside, loading the inside edge of one foot and the outside of the other. This constant imbalance challenges your hip stabilizers and transverse core to keep you aligned, balanced, and efficient on every step. Without this strength and control, fatigue builds quickly and technique breaks down on traverses or sidehill climbs.
Incorporate exercises such as dead bugs, bear holds, planks, and rotational band work to strengthen your trunk and build endurance through the midsection.
Add adductor planks and clamshells to target the glutes and improve hip alignment. This kind of stability training not only protects your spine but also enhances power transfer through every movement, from hiking uphill to absorbing impact on the ride down. The stronger your core, the more stable and controlled every line will feel.
3. Develop explosive lower-body power
Freeride descents demand strong, reactive legs that can absorb impact, stay stable through variable terrain, and generate force on demand. Whether you’re dropping cliffs, carving through chopped powder, or driving turns through deep snow, power and control come from how well your legs can produce and resist force at the same time.
The key is to train for both power and deceleration, being able to explode upward or forward, and then land or brace with stability. Kettlebell swings, jump squats, and split-squat variations develop that explosive drive, while box drops with controlled landings, tempo squats, and plyometric step-downs train your body to absorb force efficiently. Both are crucial for maintaining control when your legs are under heavy load on descents or compressing through deep turns.
Focus on moving with intent and control, not just speed. Quality power training builds not only stronger legs but also quicker muscle response and joint stability. The goal is to create strong, responsive legs that stay powerful through every turn, drop, and long powder run, even on the hike out after a demanding day in the mountains.
4. Train balance, agility, and movement awareness
Backcountry terrain is never predictable. From icy traverses and uneven skin tracks to windblown ridgelines and deep powder, your ability to stay balanced and react instantly is what keeps you upright, efficient, and in control. Training your balance and coordination teaches your body to adapt to these constant changes without hesitation.
Incorporate single-leg balance drills such as clock lunges, single-leg squats, BOSU ball work, and both frontal-plane and lateral hops. Kettlebell flows, rotational movements, and snowboard-specific drills like 180 box drops or controlled landings are also excellent for challenging your coordination and stability under fatigue. Exercises inspired by Animal Flow, yoga, or snow-style transitions help build proprioception, your body’s awareness of where it is in space, which is critical for quick adjustments and staying fluid on your board.
Think of balance training as movement refinement. It’s what allows you to link powerful turns smoothly, recover quickly from awkward positions, and flow naturally through varied terrain. The goal is to move with precision and confidence, maintaining control even when conditions shift beneath your feet.
5. Restore mobility and prioritize recovery
Mobility is what keeps your body efficient, balanced, and pain-free through long days in the mountains. When your hips, spine, and ankles can move freely, you’re able to transition, absorb impact, and adjust to uneven terrain without strain or stiffness. Limited mobility, on the other hand, leads to fatigue, poor mechanics, and a greater risk of injury over time.
Focus on hip openers, spinal rotations, and ankle mobility drills to restore movement through your key joints. Incorporate CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations) or joint circles to actively strengthen end ranges of motion and maintain control throughout the movement. These drills improve joint health and prepare your body to handle the repetitive loading that comes with touring and freeriding.
Include yoga-based stretches such as downward dog, pigeon pose, and gentle spinal twists to release tension and lengthen tight muscles after riding. Combine this with active recovery techniques like foam rolling, breathwork, and hot and cold exposure, such as saunas and ice baths, to boost circulation, reduce inflammation, and speed up recovery.
Finally, don’t overlook the simple recovery essentials, hydration, nutrition, and sleep. Replacing fluids, refueling with nutrient-dense meals, and getting consistent rest are the foundations that allow all your training and mobility work to pay off. When these elements are in place, your body can recover faster, rebuild stronger, and stay ready for whatever the next adventure demands.
Be prepared to take on the backcountry this season
Splitboarding and freeride snowboarding reward the right preparation. By following this complete fitness formula that combines endurance, power, and mobility, you’ll build a body capable of handling everything the backcountry throws at you. When your strength and stamina match your skill, every climb and descent becomes more effortless, fun, controlled, and enjoyable.
If you want a clear path to follow this winter, our new 30Days/30Ways Snow Fit Series is now available. No guesswork, no fluff, just practical tips, proven strategies, and clear methods to help you ride stronger, recover faster, and unlock more progression this season.
Read more from Jon Addison
Jon Addison, Performance Coach
Jon Addison is a performance coach, surf and snowboard instructor, and former snowboard athlete specializing in fitness, rehab, and readiness for ocean and mountain sports. As the founder of Mtnwave Fitness, he helps athletes and enthusiasts overcome frustrations, plateaus, and pain through personalized coaching programs designed to elevate their performance. Jon’s own journey of injury recovery and sustainable fitness has fueled his commitment to helping others unlock their potential. With a focus on functional movement and sport-oriented fitness, he is dedicated to helping riders reclaim and enhance their abilities in surf and snow sports.
