In our case – it’s best if we simply go surfing. Cool.
But how about when there are no waves? Like right now, the island has not ‘turned on’ the wave pump. In fact most of my crew have not surfed in six weeks due to the pitiful nature of the wave conditions this season. Mother nature is quite happy to leave us wave-less.
How can we condition ourselves to surf better and remain surf fit when there are no waves? Here are some fundamental options to consider.
Surf Training Option One: The best surfers are good surfers. So… ‘surf’ anyway you can – go skate, get on a flow rider, wake board – have fun.
Surf Training Option Two: The best surfers are surf fit. What does that mean? Well… from a training and performance perspective, fit surfers have paddle power, paddle endurance, good cardiovascular (aerobic and anaerobic) conditioning and are blessed with excellent co-ordination and timing. They typically also benefit from good alignment, flexibility and a strong core. Plus an ability to focus and build confidence. I could go on… but hey… you get the picture, there are many components you can add into your surfing workouts to enhance your surfing fitness and performance.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
Surf Training Option 1 – Just surf, skate and board. This is a brilliant lifestyle – one that I love to live myself. However if this is all you do year in – year out, the science indicates that ‘just surfing’ will probably lead to muscular skeletal imbalances, joint wear and tear and injuries. Just look at how many surfers over the age of 45 that grew up only surfing, skating and boarding and are still in the water today with good postural alignment, no niggling injuries and surf with the energy of Kelly Slater. Look around. Not many.
Surf Training Option 2 – Specific surfing fitness. This is where a lot of surfers go wrong, thinking that any old training will do. Or even worse, thinking that by jumping onto an exercise ball or an Indo board, that is ‘surf training’.
Now while these items may have a place in surfing workouts, they are not the be-all and end-all of surfing conditioning. In fact – they come in pretty low.
Specific surfing fitness that delivers solid results teaches surfers to follow protocols similar to these; alignment, body weight basics and core with cardiovascular conditioning. I call these the fundamental ABC’s of surfing training.
You see if you just ‘surf train’ without addressing these fundamentals, you are probably going to end up with the same problems that arise from following Surf Training Option 1. That’s not good. Especially if you are paying someone to condition your body.
Surf Training Option 1 is fantastic and most of us love it, however, if you want more bang for your buck, supplementing with Surf Training option 2 (when performed correctly) can greatly benefit your surfing body for the long-term and thus enhance the quality of your surfing and your life – especially as you age. Find out more by downloading a copy of your free Surf Training e-book at SurfTrainingSecrets.com.
Fast Surfing Fitness
In a nutshell the following points are highly recommend to supplement into your surfing workouts alongside your surfing, skating and boarding lifestyle.
Improve your swim technique and include water drills to develop power and speed with some basic endurance work thrown in. Add in some funky breathe work to help with lung capacity.
Work on your physical alignment and muscular skeletal balance – inclusive of quality breath and mind work. Yoga, Pilates, stretching. (Also remember massage therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, etc. may help)
Master basic body weight movement patterns and surf strength exercises performed with excellent technique – planks, press ups, chins, squats, etc. before hitting the gym. More on this in another article.
For now I leave you with an excellent movement pattern to enhance your surfing shoulders. Many of you have asked me to do more video’s and create a surf training secrets workout program. It’s coming soon.
Hayden Rhodes (Club Manager of Phukets Finest Health Club - RPM Health Club) is the creator of Surf Training Secrets.com and is known for his enthusiasm and lifelong love of health, fitness, personal development and surfing. He has been helping people improve their surfing and snowboarding around the world for more then 20 years.
Hayden believes everyone has the ability to improve their lives and promotes health as much as he promotes fitness. He continues to study, surf and snowboard around the world and looks forward to helping you up grade your lifestyle. Visit SurfTrainingSecrets.com