Buying a Snowboard for the First Time?

One of the best ways to get in shape and stay in shape is by training for a physical activity that you really enjoy.  It is easier to motivate and stay committed to your workouts knowing that it will allow you to have more fun on the slopes.  I hope this post encourages you to go out, get a snowboard setup, and start snowboarding each season.  It is a very rewarding sport and a great way to stay in shape during the cold months, when 75% of weight gain occurs during the year!

So  you are ready to start snowboarding, but how do you choose a snowboard if you are a beginner?  The first question to ask yourself is “What kind of snowboarding activities do you want to learn?” and “Where will you be riding and what are the snow conditions like usually?”

Most people just want to snowboard, but keep in mind what direction you think you are most likely to head in; freestyle (trick in the park/pipe), groomed trails, deep powder, racing, or all of the above.  If you are not sure, an “all mountain board” is a safe bet, and what most people start out with because it is versatile and allows you to try different things.  I didn’t get a more specialized set up until my second time around.

Below are some practical guidelines to keep in mind while doing research.  Be sure to write down any questions you may have and consult a pro at your local shop.  This is the best way to pick out a board for the first time, as a good snowboard store/company should have someone knowledgeable on hand to answer your questions.  I would avoid buying online, unless you have already tried out your setup in person and are sure it is the right one.

I would also check out the buyer’s guide from Transworld Snowboarding Magazine, which is really awesome!  I buy it every year, even if I am not on the market for a new board, because I love reading about it.  They do a “Good Wood” test (many boards have a wood core), in which they test a bunch of boards that have no branding elements on them so the testers are unbiased.  Highly recommended reading J

One other bit of advice; many major snowboard companies will have demo days at certain ski resorts.  You can demo your new set up for a fee, before having to purchase.  If you have the time and money, this is the best way to be sure your new set up will be perfect.

Feet First

The first step is to stop thinking about the actual snowboard, and start thinking with your feet!  Your boots are the foundation of a good snowboard setup.  If your boot’s aren’t comfortable, you will not be able to perform well, in fact it will be hard to have fun at all.  A little toe pain goes a long way when it comes to snowboarding.

Also, the size of the boot is going one factor in determining the size of the board, so boots first.  Your boots, once strapped into your binding, shouldn’t stick out over the edge of the board, otherwise you risk TOE DRAG.

Before trying on boots, make sure that you cut your toe nails.  Your boots should be very snug, but not tight or uncomfortable.  The boots will pack out a tiny bit when broken in, but not more than maybe a ½ a size, probably less.

It is recommended to try on several brands, as each one cuts the shape of their cut differently, and uses different technology and materials to create a certain fit.  There are different lacing systems, different amounts of shocking absorption materials, and even different shapes depending on your style of riding.  Some of the boots will have heat molding; you can take out the inner boot, heat it up, and mold it around your foot.

Bindings Next

Your binding’s need to fit perfectly with your boots to assure optimal performance and safety.  Most brands of bindings in will work with most brands of boots, but I think it is a good idea to pick out the boots first, and then buy the same brand of bindings. I would also pick a board from the same brand too, just to keep things simple, as there are certain brands like Burton who have some boards that are only compatible with their own bindings.

Bindings come in different shapes, sizes, and materials; in general, the lighter/stronger ones will be more expensive.  Try finding bindings that are easy to use and avoid using plastic parts, which often break in the cold.  You should also be able to adjust your binding easily and take them off easily.

A quick note, I would completely avoid step-in binding/boot systems.  These basically allow you to step onto your board and be secured to it without having to strap on the bindings.  The convenience you get from saving 20 seconds strapping in is far less valuable than the cost of performance you will endure the rest of your time on the mountain.

Board Sizing

Picking the right size board depends on 4 main factors;

• How wide is your foot?
• How tall are you?
• How much do you weigh?
• What is your riding style and ability?

If you have a size 11 or larger, you will most likely need a wide board to avoid toe drag.  Not all boards come in wide sizes.  There are some boots now that are specifically designed to decrease the overall length of the boot, so people who can almost fit on a regular width board can wear these boots and don’t have to buy a wider board.

For quicker turning, transitioning from heel to toe edges, and more control (especially on groomed/hard pack trails), a narrower board a good sidecut is key.  (Sidecut is the shape of the edge of the board).  For floating on powder, a a slightly wider board is great.  For freetsyle riders doing tricks in the park, a shorter board makes it easier to rotate, and a twin tip board is ideal.  (Twin tip boards allow are shaped exactly symmetrical, which makes switch stance riding easier).

Again, most first timers will want to buy an all mountain board, which has a relatively symmetrical shape, but if you know you are going to be focused on riding in deep powder, you may want to get a more specialized board for that (which will be longer, have have a much longer/wider nose, and much shorter narrower tail, which helps to sink the tail into the powder and keep the nose and board afloat.)

This is a pretty cool calculator for finding the right size board.  I wouldn’t trust it blindly, but it will definitely put you in the right ball park: http://www.frostyrider.com/tips/size-guide.htm

Board Options & Technology

There are allot of options and styles of boards with new technology coming out each year.  Camber and Reverse Camber boards are currently the hottest new trend.  These boards play with the shape of the board by adding rocker.  Essentially, all board used to be slightly convex to the ground, but now companies are making boards that are perfectly flat or concave to the ground.  Some companies are playing with multiple kinds of camber in the same board.  As a beginner, I wouldn’t worry too much about this technology unless you know you want to be a freestyle snowboarder. But let me say that I love my new board’s reverse camber design; I find it makes flat landing slightly more forgiving, and helps me pop my ollies.

My New Snowboard. It is my 3rd snowboard, and is more speciailized to suit my riding style

Goofy Versus Regular

If you skateboard, wakeboard, or surf, you know already what stance you like.  There are 2 good tests for determining whether you are goofy or regular (Left foot forward or right foot forward).  One is to run and slide against a slippery floor on your sock.  Which foot do you naturally foot forward ?  That is your front foot.  The other test is to have someone push you while standing, which leg do you put backward?  That is your back food.  Don’t think to much when doing these tests, just let your body react.

Take a Stance!

You have the option to put your stance narrower or wider, and to turn out each foot to different angles, and on some new boards, the ability to move your stance forward or backward (closer to one of the edges.)  A great way to determine your stance is to (once you are a little warmed up) jump up as high as you can and try and land silently.  Your body will automatically put you in the position that you are most powerful in.  How wide are your feet?  How turned out is each foot?  This willl be pretty close to your ideal stance, although you may want to turn your backleg inward slightly if you are not planning on riding switch (with your oposite foot forward pointing downhill) to make you more comfortable on the board.

Seasonal Rentals & Pricing

One other thing to keep in mind; you may want to get a seasonal rental instead of purchasing a board your first year round.  Snowboarding can be totally zen, but it is equipment, money, and time intesive, and conditions vary on the weather.  If it is your first season, investing in buying a board may not be the best decision.  Many snowboard shops will have seasonal rentals. If you think you want to buy a setup, a good idea is to buy really comfortable boots and then get a seasonal rental for the board and bindings.  There may be an option to buy that board at the end of the season for a discount, and if not, you can pick out another board at the end of the season for a major discount. (Late March and April, a lot of equipment will be on sale, sometime for 50% off or more!)

In general, this is a great time to purchase equipment and clothing for snowboarding, if you can make it throughout the season without needing anything too much.  I bought my boots for 30% off in April, my gloves for 50% off in May, my jacket for %05 off, and my pants for 30% off.  Major savings J  Of course, if you want a very popular board or boot in a popular size, there is very little chance that it will be waiting for you at a discount, so keep that in mind. L

Surf the Earth

Now you are all set, and armed with information to pick out a great first setup and experience an amazing sport.  Snowboarding is total zen and one of the best ways to spend time outside in nature during the cold months.  If you are just getting started, I encourage you to get in the gym and start training for your time on the mountain.  The more conditioned you are, the more fun you will have.

In general, there is a 3 day learning curve for snowboarding, and I highly recommend taking a lesson the first day and not trying to keep up with your friends.  You should be linking turns and transitioning from your heel edge to your toe edge by the end of the first day, although this will vary from person to person.  (Most people will do what’s called a “falling leaf” in the beginning, which allows them to maintain control but prevents you from learning proper technique.)

Ideally, your first trip should be somewhere with fresh snow (for softer falls and slower “learning” conditions), and should put you on the mountain for 3 days in a short period of time (as long as you are relatively in shape.)  If you go 1 day a season, and wait a year to go again, that 3 day learning curve gets way longer.

I know you will find that snowboarding is a rewarding sport that will allow you to stay in shape and connected with nature during the cold months of the year.

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments below and I will get right back to you.

Take care, stay fit, and shred hard!

Johnny Fitness

Jonathan Angelilli aka Johnny Fitness has worked as a full time trainer for over 8 years, has completed 9 certifications, trains several celebrities, and is currently the Training Director of Dynamic Results, an upscale fitness and lifestyle company in NYC.  He is a fanatical snowboarder and loves spending time snowboarding in Vermont, out west, and in the Alps.  His best tricks to date are a back flip and a frontside 540 off a 12 foot hit.  Not bad for someone who only gets 15-20 days per year on the mountain!  He is very passionate about getting people in great shape to push their snowboardin

How to Avoid Being Fooled by the Deceptive Marketing of Unhealthy Cereals

It is sad but true. Most of us have a concept of healthy food that is severely biased by the marketing we have been exposed to. How healthy is your breakfast cereal? Are you sure?
Most cereal is glorified candy. You thought your Honey Nut Cheerios were healthy? Think again! With 10 grams of sugar per serving (only 1 cup), they only receive a nutritional index of 44 out of 100, and anything under 62 is considered unhealthy. This is certainly not the end of the world, but it’s not ideal either.

The Most Unhealthy Cereals Are Marketed the Most

And they are marketed specifically at kids!
Who do you think these guys are trying to talk to?

Yay! Eating tasty poison is fun!

Does anyone else see a major issue here? Many of these companies use websites with games for kids on them to keep kids in front of their marketing message. Scary.

If you really want to get angry, head over to http://www.millsberry.com/tour.phtml and watch the tour video. The company that makes the top 5 most marketed cereals (all of which are unhealthy) created the coolest website ever for kids, complete with a virtual world.

The 7 Most Marketed Cereals are All Unhealthy*

Below is a list of the 7 most marketed cereals, their nutritional index (based out of 100, 62 and higher is considered healthy), and the average # of ads viewed by kids over a 15 month period. By this standard none are healthy, but my standards, 6 out of the 7 are basically poison if eaten regularly. Childhood obesity and diabetes anyone? HELLO!
1. Cinnamon Toast Crunch nutritional index = 37 # of ads = 82
2. Honey Nut Cheerios nutritional index = 44 # of ads = 80
3. Lucky Charms nutritional index = 36 # of ads = 78
4. Cocoa Puffs nutritional index = 39 # of ads = 68
5. Trix nutritional index = 38 # of ads = 58
6. Frosted Flakes nutritional index = 43 # of ads = 58
7. Fruity or Cocoa Pebbles nutritional index = 38 # of ads = 54

Marketing of Candy Cereal Highlights True Cause of Health Care Crisis

If you think this is as bad as it gets, think again. These same candy cereals are being marketed with the food industry’s new “Smart Choice” label, a mark designed with a big check mark to assure consumers that they are buying a healthy product! Don’t we have consumer protection laws in this country? What’s the point of having these laws if they can’t prevent shady marketing like this from happening? It’s stuff like this that helps confuse consumers into eating garbage. Yes, of course, people need to practice self-discipline and common sense, but should the food industry and government be making it harder to make healthy decisions? Absolutely not!!! Here is where real prevention can be practically implemented, but our food source is not the major talking point that it should be in our health care debate.

Good source of Calcium & Vitamin D? Who cares!

Whole Grain Guaranteed? More like diabetes guaranteed!

In response to criticism, the companies say things like “but our cereal is a good source of vitamin A and C”. Really! Are you kidding me? We are a nation of obese people with heart disease and diabetes, not a nation afflicted with scurvy! Yes people need their vitamins, but you can’t mix vitamins into crap and call the crap healthy!!! DUH. But alas, that is what they do, and our government and we the people let them do it.

Even more upsetting, a major study just confirmed a link between eating candy regularly as a kid & being more VIOLENT in adulthood. (Click here to read study!)

Don’t Be Fooled

Here are some good general guidelines for picking a breakfast cereal:

1. The total sugar amount of the entire breakfast (including milk) should not be more than about 10 grams. (And the quality of milk is important too. The healthiest option is to find a local farmer who has grass fed organic cows that are put out to pasture, not injected with drugs, and the milk is minimally processed i.e. low heat pasteurization, non-homogenized, or raw). Here is a link to local farms throughout the country: http://www.localharvest.org/
2. Look for smaller, less well known companies who don’t need fancy marketing to create a successful cereal product.
3. Always read labels on the back! Avoid cereals with high sugar or high fructose corn syrup in them.
4. Stick to organic rice or corn flake cereals if you think you may be gluten intolerant. (Do you get gas after eating other grains besides rice, corn, millet, and buckwheat? All other grains have gluten, avoid them if you feel bloated after eating them.)

Take Action

In addition to eating a great breakfast, I encourage you to boycott all General Mills, Kellogg, and Post cereals, as these 3 companies lead the way in deceptive candy cereal marketing.   I hate to tell you, but KASHI is owned by Kellogg!  I hope you will share this post, and leave me some comments or feedback. Change isn’t led by politicians, it’s lead by the consumer, and how consumers vote with their dollars.  If we all work together, maybe the picture I created below will reflect a new kind of marketing integrity?  If you want to sell candy for breakfast, you can, but you have to call it candy.

Lucky Charms is candy. Feeding candy to your children for breakfast will make them sick and eventually cause disease.

Please leave some comment! Thanks.

Until next time, stay healthy and eat well.
Johnny Fitness

*Statistics based off of research provided by the Rudd Center For Food Policy and Obesity. This blog was inspired by the Time Magazine Article “Food Sweet Spot” by Bonnie Rochman *

Jonathan Angelilli has worked as a full time trainer for over 8 years, has completed 8 certifications, and is currently the Training Director of Dynamic Results, an upscale lifestyle consultation service in NYC.  He works hard to match up people, luxury buildings, private gyms, concierge companies, and corporations with a personalized team of empowering health and fitness professionals.  He has directly coached, managed, and mentored over 100 personal trainers in the last 5 years alone, and also co-owns a highly successful consulting company for personal trainers.

The Devil is in the Details

Just about ever body now realizes that fast food isn’t good for us.  But what a lot of us don’t realize is that fast food is NOT EVEN FOOD.  This is the discussion we should be having, not the health care debate.  When President Obama said that creating universal health care is the biggest step we can take to positively affect our Nation’s Health, he was DEAD WRONG.  The biggest thing he can do is change the commercial food industry, which is a major factor in our nation’s health.

Mcdonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese (Fresh from the Lab)

You may think a Mcdonald’s burger is food, albeit bad food, but that is just not true.  A burger isn’t a burger when the microbes and bacteria in our air, which feed off of ALL ORGANIC MATER, do not recognize it as food and will not digest it! It is ALMOST ALL PRESERVATIVES, and has CHEMICALS in it (See video below and the comments).  Can you imagine what kind of havoc this wreaks in your digestive system!?!?  And if the microbes can’t break it down, maybe it is harder for us to break it down once it is stored in our bodies as fat?

12 year old Macdonald’s Burger

Sick Care vs. Health Care

People were not dying just 50 years ago to the preventable diseases that they are dying from today.  Why are we so concerned with Sick Care, instead of creating actual health?  Because it is less profitable???

I don’t know about you, but I assume that you are like me; if given a choice, you would rather not get sick than get cancer but have great insurance.  Right?  I am not saying if we change our cultural norms no one will get sick, but there is no doubt that billions of dollars would be saved in insurance, which would make all the difference.

So why aren’t we more focused on prevention?  It’s a word the president likes in theory, but not in practice.  The sad part is that government regulation has helped commercialize “food” operations flourish (the subsidize this crap!), while creating incredible obstacles for the every day farmer who produces quality food.

Leave me some comments and show me you are alive!  How do you feel about the commercial food industry?  What needs to change exactly?  What should the focus be?

Until next time, keep your body and mind fit.

Johnny Fitness

Jonathan Angelilli has worked as a full time trainer for over 8 years, has completed 8 certifications, and is currently the Training Director of Dynamic Results, an upscale lifestyle consultation service in NYC.  He works hard to match up people, luxury buildings, private gyms, concierge companies, and corporations with a personalized team of empowering health and fitness professionals.  He has directly coached, managed, and mentored over 100 personal trainers in the last 5 years alone, and also co-owns a highly successful consulting company for personal trainers.

How to Exercise for Self-Mastery, Disease Prevention, and Lasting Happiness

My Dirty Little Secret about Exercise

When I was 16, I started working out to gain the affection of a girl.   Quite simply, SEX was my motivation! Kinda funny, right

I never really “got” the girl, but what I did “get” was way more important.  I discovered a version of myself that I never knew could exist; with exercise, I became way more confident, outspoken, and just felt better in general. It gave me a sense of empowerment, mastery, and self-control that I desperately needed. And as I matured, I became way more successful, in life in general, and with the girls too!

A passion for sharing exercise as a vehicle for self-empowerment and self-mastery arose from my experience. I have been working as a personal trainer and lifestyle coach ever since (Started training in 2000).

Funny Thing

I have had several clients who come to see me to “lose weight” or “be healthy”, but after spending some time with them, their big “WHY?” becomes more apparent; they want to find love, and are feeling either unworthy or unfit to experience love and happiness.  This reason “why” is one of the most powerful self-motivation tools you can tap into, and in my post How to Exercise I recommend writing out your reason why and taping it somewhere you will see it every day.

And yes, one of my clients in particular always comes to mind when I think wan about exercise and happiness.  She was able to find love, and we are both convinced it would not have happened if she wasn’t investing in herself with exercise.  Pretty cool.  She is now happily married.

So yes, as you know, exercise will make you more confident, which will help you create the life that you want and deserve.  But in addition to that, did you know that you CAN NOT BE HAPPY without exercise!

Exercise = Happiness? WTF!

Yes, you heard me correctly.  I am not saying you can’t experience happiness without exercise, and I am not saying that you will love exercise.  What I am saying is that your body/mind is built to be physically stimulated; when it is stimulated all the happy chemicals in your brain are optimized and synchronized (Check out the post Exercise and Depression for more.)  When it is not stimulated, it will begin to fall apart.  Disease.  Depression.  Sadness.

“Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness.”

-Earl of Derby

You can’t be happy without exercise because you can’t be healthy without exercise.  And I am not just talking about post exercise endorphins (“runners high”), I am talking about all the hormones and neurotransmitters in your brain and throughout the body being more optimized, stabilized, and in balance all the time because of a commitment to fitness (aerobic fitness in particular).

Why Lipo Sucks!

What got me thinking about this relationship between exercise and happiness was a comment a client of mine made last week.  She said “why can’t I just get Liposuction” and be done with it?  It’s a fair question, and I sense she was half kidding, but this is not the first time a client has asked me this question.  I really have only 2 answers, but they are damn good ones.

Number 1: you want to feel good, not just look good.  Yes, I am sure you will feel pretty damn hot right after you get liposuction, but how long will that feeling and the effects of the liposuction last?  How much would it suck to be really hot and still be unhappy or depressed!?!?

Number 2: you want to have a body that works, and doesn’t fall apart.  Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, the list of horrible things that exercise can prevent goes on and on.  How much would it suck to look really hot but need a cane to get around? Or have an amazing bikini body but cancer.  Seriously, that would suck.  What’s the point of a mega hot body that you can’t use?  It’s like being a diabetic in a candy store: ToRtUrE!

Happily Ever Abs

You don’t have to take my word for it; the latest research proves that exercise is an integral part of creating a lasting happiness.  If you want to learn more about it, check out this book about how exercise affects the brain, it is awesome. It’s called “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” and it is written by a clinical researcher and professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

So there you have it.  I encourage you to not only look fit, but actually be fit, so you can enjoy all the happy benefits that go along with being healthy.

So what do you think, what is your “why” for exercise?  What motivates you most?  Did you know exercise can make you happy?  Does this motivate you? Why?

Leave me some comments and show me you are alive!

Until next time, keep your body and mind fit.

Johnny Fitness

Jonathan Angelilli has worked as a full time trainer for over 8 years, has completed 8 certifications, and is currently the Training Director of Dynamic Results, an upscale lifestyle consultation service in NYC.  He works hard to match up people, luxury buildings, private gyms, concierge companies, and corporations with a personalized team of empowering health and fitness professionals.  He has directly coached, managed, and mentored over 100 personal trainers in the last 5 years alone, and also co-owns a highly successful consulting company for personal trainers.

A Motivational Fitness Video

Sorry, but if this kid can do 30 handstand pushups, so can you!

But seriously, isn’t he amazing?  I’ll admit, it is freaky, and a little scary when he starts posing at the end, but WOW.  Awesome.

Does this motivate you to exercise?  Exercise motivation is a critical element to attaining and maintaining your health and fitness goals.  How do you find the motivation to exercise?  Let me know.

I personally find this exercise video motivational because, while yes, this kid has awesome genes, they would never be able to fully express themselves without exercise.  The impossible becomes possible through motivation, exercise, and consistency.  I mean, did you seriously think it was possible for a BABY to do 30 handstand pushups before watching this video?

What superhero physique is waiting inside of you, waiting to be coaxed out as soon as you have the motivation to exercise consistently?

No, not all children need to be massively powerful gymnasts, but the research is clear; youth fitness is a critical aspect of overall physical development, as well as intellectual and psychological development.  Isn’t teaching kids to be healthy just as smart as teaching them reading, writing, and arithmetic?  (If you are interested in this topic, check out our article titled “Youth Fitness”.)

Check out this video, be inspired, and find the motivation to exercise; impossible is nothing!

Leave me some questions in the comments and I will get right back to you.  SHOW ME YOU ARE ALIVE!  Are you inspired?  Confused? Disgusted?

Until next time, keep your business fit.

Johnny Fitness

Jonathan Angelilli aka Johnny Fitness has worked as a full time trainer for over 8 years, has completed 9 certifications, trains several celebrities, and is currently the Training Director of Dynamic Results, an upscale fitness and lifestyle company in NYC.  He has directly coached, managed, and mentored over 100 personal trainers in the last 5 years alone, and owns a highly successful consulting company for personal trainers.  His coaching clients have achieved amazing results including making more money, helping more people, and creating more opportunities for their fitness business.