Snowboarding
Train Like a Pro: Ben Ferguson
Elite snowboarder Ben Ferguson, who finished one step off the podium at the 2018 Olympics, talks about how he keeps his mind and body sharp.
In Pyeongchang, the Oregon resident made his Olympic debut on the U.S. snowboarding team, finishing fourth in the halfpipe. “I was stoked to be there, but man I was tired after doing so many competitions,” recalls Ferguson, who first hopped on a board when he was 6 and sees himself riding professionally into his 40s. Now he’s reconnecting with his love of the sport. “You don’t just have to compete to make it as a snowboarder,” he says. “I’m filming a badass video, so my focus is on that.” Still, with Beijing 2022 looming, his approach to training is no joke.
NUTRITION
"I keep it pretty simple. I’m not on any kind of crazy diet."
"I try to be aware of what I’m eating—it’s a lot of protein and greens. Before boarding, I’ll have a couple of hard-boiled eggs, whole-grain toast with almond butter and maybe a protein smoothie. I try to stay away from processed sugar and to only eat carbs if I’m going to need them. Bread is a weakness—and I love beer, too. I went all last winter not drinking very much at all. It was an Olympic winter. This winter I’m taking it a little easier."
FLEXIBILITY
"Instead of just randomly stretching, I’ve become more consistent with a routine."
"I’m definitely getting a bit older and get sore more easily, so stretching every day after a workout has been super helpful. It not only helps reduce soreness; it also strengthens my core and prevents injuries. I try to stretch for three minutes in each position, so it takes a while to go through the whole routine. Sometimes I get into a real meditative state where I count my breaths and let my mind go blank for a bit. Other times it’s just casual before bedtime and I’ll stretch while I watch a movie or hit Instagram."
ATTITUDE
"If you’re not having fun then you’re not doing it for the right reason."
"When it’s time to work you have to put in the time and bust your ass, but I try to remember to always have fun doing it. If I’m not having fun, I take a couple of laps to reconnect with that feeling. That’s how I keep it going. The best moments come when I nail some crazy trick that I’m not good at and I know it. My mind slows down Matrix-style and I see myself grabbing the board and I’m in the perfect position the whole time and I know where the landing is the whole time."
Ben Ferguson
© Aaron Blatt/Red Bull Content Pool
CROSS-TRAINING
"Leading up to the Olympics, I hit the gym hard to work on my core."
"In season I snowboard every day as much as I can. Depending on the weather and how my body feels, I’ll ride for five or six hours a day. The past two years I started going to the gym a lot to work with a specialist on my core—building core-rotational strength and developing my inner and anterior core and doing one-legged exercises. This has made me stronger and more durable."
OFFSEASON CARDIO
"When winter is over, I stay active skateboarding and swimming. I need to build quick, high-pace endurance, so I do a lot of bike intervals. I also like to run at this spot in my hometown—it’s pretty short and I’ll go as hard as I can for the whole loop, maybe eight minutes."
