You guys are silly! Funny thread though. I can't wait to smoke all you buff wannabe shoobies in the water this Summer....Again! Workouts ha! Your not going to "explode" past guys that are vastly more experienced and surf in heavy gear all winter long, every winter, every year and until you pay that toll you can jazzersize all you want. Bro's just gotta surf more and learn to spot potential waves and where they'll break before the part-timers. As for a quick fix to stagnation in the line up this Summer, get a longboard! You'll paddle circles around and cut through "In shape" shortboard shoulder hoppers till the cows come home. Which in South Jersey is a viable way to tell time. LOL
Salty J, can I please be excluded too from this group too? I've been surfing for twenty years and live in Margate year round.
Best comment i've seen so far in this thread. Nothing helps you surf better than just simply surfing MORE often. Don't be a wave snob and wait for the perfect day to get in the water. Get in the water every chance you get and challenge yourself with the sloppy days and that will make the ideal conditions seem like you are cheating. As far as what you can do when out of the water, I personally like run, bike, SUP long distance on flat water and also push myself in the surf whether it's windy or not, those windy days you don't catch as many waves but you really burn out those arm, shoulder, core and leg muscles. Yes, you need all of them, not just triceps, you can't ignore any part of your body, it's about balance, like someone else said, you can't do nothing but ab work outs and neglect the back, you have to work on the opposing muscle groups to get the most out of the ones you are seeking to improve, not to mention it prevents or limits injury as your body will be more in tune and well rounded, not leaving certain muscles exposed and prone to injury due to overcompensating with other muscle groups.
Just mix it up - lifting, cardio, and esp. swimming - for the "explosive paddling, swim a lot of short, fast wind sprints, then when you get a little worn out, swim a mile (usually about 72 laps) without stopping - that will give you endurance for the hard paddles out on big days. I started a p90x thread here a few weeks ago, and i'm still going strong - the term "muscle confusion" is just a gimmick phrase - it's really all just about mixing it up! (but i gotta say, getting into week 5, these are intense workouts - many do involve numerous (different) kinds of pull-ups, pushups, and weight training, in addition to cardio and stretching, so for me, I gotta say it's working so far! Then after the 90 days, I'll go back to my former routines for maintenance, but I'm hoping the best workouts I'll be getting will be in the surf - I don't know (or care) what the tropical forecasters are saying, but the water never got that cold this winter, so maybe it'll get warmer sooner for a good tropical season!
Ever since August of this past year I have experienced a major downgrade in my surfing endurance. I had no clue as to why, since I work out regularly and I eat pretty healthy. I started to just chalk it up to getting older and I was going to have to get used to it.... well after lamenting over this mentally, trying to figure out what to do... I had realized that I was one of those guys who hits the gym regularly but had gotten out of shape... if that's possible... which it is. One of the things I usually do during the warmer months is run. and before I run I do push ups and sit ups. and right around the time I started losing my endurance my running routine stopped. but my gym routine did not. I was lifting weight and mixing up the weight routine. But my cardio suffered and my endurance dissappeared. So I had good initial explosive power, but it was gone and I was exhausted and very out of breath quick. So I changed my workout routine. Its pretty simple and I'll sum it up for those that wish to read on... Workouts are made up of 3 weeks... Week 1. Light weight High repitition work at the gym. Week 2. Heavy weight lower repition at the gym. Week 3. Home workout consisting of - (mon, tues, thurs, friday same routine each day) 30 reps of push ups, immediately into 20 leg lifting situps immediately into 20 standing one leg squats (20 each leg, example, right leg squating while left leg is resting on chair behind me.) 2 minute break. Repeat for a total of 5 times. This might not sound very impressive but you will be huffing and puffing your lungs out by the time you are done. By the time I did this over one week I had already felt the difference in my endurance.
some great advice from the posters above. For something really basic you could bust out 25 burpees, 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, 50 sit ups repeat 3 times, and a 3 mile run every day. That will do the trick.
some good ideas on this thread... came across an article regarding cardio training for surfing. check it out http://thesurfersview.com/features/surf-fitness/item/268-surfing-fitness-tips-to-surf-longer
Works wonders. I have the original (not the ergo one), use it almost everyday even just 10 minutes. Add an Indo board for squats and balance and you're good to go all year!
Take 2 1 lb. hand weights, or 5 lb. ones, stand and pretend you're paddling with them, that is, pin wheel them alternately. Then rotate them backwards, going in reverse. And occasionally look at the ceiling to keep your neck muscles stretched and conditioned. Plus all the other stuff already said.
When I can't get in the water, I lay on a weight bench with 8 pound dumbbells and do what Tropic surfer said above. That and swimming. When I joined the gym, I made sure it had a pool. Indo-Board is good, just keep the toddlers away from it if you got em. One ER visit already when the 4 year old Indo-boarded himself into a support post on the porch.
[Indo-Board is good, just keep the toddlers away from it if you got em. One ER visit already when the 4 year old Indo-boarded himself into a support post on the porch.[/QUOTE] Kid was just getting some practice for shooting the pier. Lol. Not dissing your kid. Bet he's a fine little grom!
Free style swimming is basically it. I got heavily into swimming before a trip once and reaped the rewards watching my friends make the walk of shame as I looked back towards the beach from the take off zone. One of them was in much "better shape" than me too.
