Blake Huegel is a Vancouver, Washington-based entrepreneur who owns and operates a network of assisted living facilities, including Cedar Highlands Care, which he started in 2012, and Belamour Care, a six-facility network he founded in 2020 to provide memory and assisted living support, including end-of-life hospice care, to seniors with dementia and paralysis. Before entering senior care, Huegel spent four years as a foreman overseeing contracted commercial projects ranging from tiny houses to modular home-building. He is active in his professional community through the BNI Networking Group and a local Battleground organization, and has earned honors including the Park College Rising Star Award and the Business Entrepreneurship Award. Outside of work, Huegel is an avid snowboarder who also enjoys snowmobiling, hiking, flying, motocross, and camping, interests reflected in this feature on building core strength for better snowboarding performance.
Building Core Strength for Better Snowboarding Performance
Snowboarding requires coordinated strength, explosive rotational control, and balance while keeping the feet locked to the board. Building core strength allows snowboarders to have more enjoyable experiences.
The core, which comprises the entire trunk system, acts as a bridge, transferring power from the legs to the upper body and helping snowboarders resist unwanted rotation. It also protects the spine during hard landings and carving.
The core helps snowboarders achieve force, transfer, and stability because snowboarding requires coordinated transfer of force between the lower and upper body during jumps, tricks, and carving. Having a stable, well-timed torso improves a snowboarder’s ability to generate, direct, and absorb these forces.
Trucks and directional changes require producing rotation and resisting unwanted rotation. Training the core for anti-rotation and rotational power improves control of angular momentum.
Core training also improves jump and throw power and balance. Trunk control reduces stress on the spine and lower limbs during falls and landings.
Before commencing a structured core-training program, snowboarders establish objective baseline measurements that show whether their strength, stability, and rational control are improving. Record plank hold time to determine trunk endurance and ability to ensure spinal stability under fatigue.
Perform three sets of 10 pallof presses on each side and pay attention to how much your torso resists rotation as you note any form of compensations or wobbling. Assess rotational power with a medicine-ball rotational throw as you measure the distance of every throw, the distance of each throw, or the speed at which your partner receives the ball.
An ideal core routine should include exercises that build stability, balance, and rotational control. Anti-rotation movements like the Pallof press train the body to resist twisting forces, helping snowboarders achieve better balance and upper-body control when carving or absorbing bumps.
Also, foundational drills like dead bugs and bird-songs also reinforce pelvic stability by conditioning your core to stay steady. At the same time, your arms and legs move independently to maintain proper alignment on the board.
Snowboarders benefit from exercises that closely mirror the twisting mechanics used on the mountain. Medicine ball rotational throws, wood chops, and slams train the explosive rotation needed for quick spins and controlled turn initiation. These movements help riders generate power through their core and hips, directly supporting performance on the terrain park and steep terrain.
Additionally, snowboarders rely heavily on lateral stability and single-leg strength. Side plank variations and single-leg RDLs strengthen the muscles that keep the body upright during sharp carves and off-balance landings.
Adding balance training through tools like balance boards or Bosu trainers improves the body’s ability to react quickly to unstable surfaces. Exercises such as single-leg hops and balance board squats prepare riders for the constant micro adjustments required on snow.
On snow practice ties these gym gains together. Controlled carve holds teach riders how to keep their torsos stable while their lower bodies drive the turn. Small-rotation drills on gentle slopes help riders link upper-body rotation with hip and leg engagement.
More advanced riders can challenge themselves by sliding on one foot to sharpen reactive balance and stability.
Proper recovery and mobility work keeps progress steady and reduces injury risk. Thoracic mobility supports healthy rotation patterns, while hip and ankle mobility help maintain smooth movement during turns. Foam rolling and light mobility sessions after training ease muscle tension.
Strengthening movements like side planks, single-leg bridges, and multi-directional lunges support joint stability and prepare the body for a long and healthy season.
About Blake Huegel
Blake Huegel is a Vancouver, Washington-based entrepreneur who owns and operates a network of assisted living facilities. He started Cedar Highlands Care in 2012 and later founded Belamour Care in 2020, a six-facility network providing memory and assisted living support, including end-of-life hospice care, to seniors with dementia and paralysis. His background includes four years as a foreman overseeing commercial construction projects. He is a member of the BNI Networking Group and a local Battleground organization, and has received the Park College Rising Star Award and the Business Entrepreneurship Award. His personal interests include snowboarding, snowmobiling, hiking, flying, motocross, and camping.
