My Knees Are Cooked: A Preseason Snowboard Prep Plan
Today at a Glance
How I realized my knees weren’t as ready for snowboard season as I thought
Why I’m shifting from bodybuilding to more functional training this winter
A preseason knee-strength plan built from your Instagram recommendations
A reminder that knee health is a long game
Last week I hit the mountain for the first time this season, and lets just say it was humbling.
Every run felt like my knees were one turn away from disintegrating.
I’ve been snowboarding for years, but after five runs I shouldn’t have been feeling that bad. Once I got home, I knew I couldn’t keep ignoring it. If I want to make it through this season I was going to have to do something about it…. My knees were unequivocally cooked.
If you are like Quest you are yapping too much give me the exercises you can click this link to skip to the exercises.
How We Got Here
A few years ago, I had a snowboarding accident that left me with an injury on the inside of my right knee (MCL for my “doctors” out there). Of course, as a ignorant young man does, I ignored it, said it would get better with time and since then, I’ve kind of just dealt with it.
I’d take a few days off when it flared up, then go right back to lifting heavy, running, or boarding like nothing happened. I’ve always been someone who loves the gym and for most of my life, that meant heavy compound movements.
After my bodybuilding show, I knew I wanted to stay in the gym but do something different something that made sense for where I want my life to go. More balance. More longevity. More days on the mountain without feeling like my joints were made of dust.
So this winter, I’m shifting my focus to rebuilding my knees and really, my whole lower body for performance and sustainability.
The Plan
I put a story up on Instagram asking for people’s best tips, exercises, and routines for improving your knees and you all came through. These are the most recommended movements and approaches, along with a few adjustments I’m making personally.
1. Cutting Out Heavy Leg Movements (Bless up)
First off, I’m dropping the heavy leg day.
No heavy squats. No heavy deadlifts. No chasing numbers for a while.
Instead, I’m prioritizing control, tempo, and range of motion training for stability. The goal is to build strength where it actually matters, especially through single-leg work and balance training.
2. Warm-Up (10–12 Minutes)
I used to skip warm-ups or half-ass them, and that's likely part of the reason why I am here in the first place. So this is non-negotiable.
Foam Roll (1 min each): Quads, glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, calves
Dynamic Mobility Circuit (2 rounds):
Lateral leg swings – 10/side
Hip circles – 10/side
Deep squat with pause – 8 reps
90/90 hip openers – 8 reps/side
Optional Activation: Mini-band lateral walks or monster walks
3. Primary Strength (30–35 Minutes)
Goal: Controlled tempo, balance, and strength through full range of motion.
Goblet squats (full range)
Bulgarian split squats (why do these feel like someone wrote this in spite)
Squats (ass to grass)
Single-leg deadlifts
Single-leg squats (seated or freestanding)
Skater lunge
Step-downs from a small box or plate
Backward sled drags (one of the best knee-friendly moves out there)
I’ll start by doing this once a week and work up to twice.
4. Accessory Stability + Core (10–12 Minutes)
A few finishers to round out balance and control.
Banded hip stretch or reverse single-leg squat with band/cable
Copenhagen planks – 3 × 30 sec/side
Ab circuit (nothing fancy, just consistent core work)
Backward walking on an incline treadmill – 5–10 minutes
All in about an hour or so in the gym. I firmly believe being in the gym is not about how much time or even putting out maximum intensity, it's about consistency and perfecting movements.
If you are like Quest, I still don’t know what to do and want me to help you make this into an actual workout then message me on IG @Questtaylor
Why This Matters
Knee pain is one of those things that creeps up on you slowly, then all at once. You ignore it for a few years, and suddenly it starts affecting everything else.
It’s not glamorous. It’s not a “before-and-after” transformation. But it’s necessary.
For me, this isn’t about perfect knees it’s about being able to do the things I love for as long as possible: snowboarding, hiking, training, traveling, and eventually, just moving well as I get older.
Closing Thoughts
This is my snowboarding season experiment a mix of your recommendations, my own experience, and a commitment to doing the boring, necessary work that keeps us moving.
Improving your knees isn’t a quick fix. It’s months of effort and consistent focus and honestly, its boring and probably something that will need to be part of my training forever. But it’s worth starting now.
If your knees are practically toothpicks as well, take this as your sign to start small. Roll out, do your mobility, build balance, and actually warm up.
Your future self and your next powder day will thank you.