Strong SUP Legs for Flat Water, Waves and Gliding Power
Strength Exercises for your Legs
by Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui and Naish Team SUP Rider.
Last week we focused on recruiting the finite muscles around your feet, ankles, knees, inner thighs and hips to promote quicker reaction times and improve your stability and balance. This week, I’ll be walking you through exercises to improve your leg strength, endurance and power.Remember when you were first learning to stand up paddle? You may have felt like your legs were like jello and your feet and arches may have burned a little too while you were death-gripping the deck and trying to put it all together. That too shall pass as you develop and strengthen the muscles of your legs and simply spend more time on the water!
Training Note:It’s your choice if you wear shoes or not, or if you train on an unstable surface such as the beach (which is more challenging). I try to train barefoot so that I can mimic the feel of the board. If working with weights, be careful not to drop them on your feet! Everyone’s training needs and experience will vary, so the number of sets/reps you perform is up to you. Typically, if you are just starting out, try 1-3 sets with 10-12 reps each, making sure you are always in perfect form.
This Week: Strength Exercises
Your glutes (larger butt muscles) and quads (front thigh muscles) are the very large muscles of the legs and offer tremendous power as you shift your body and change position on your board. If you want to kick some butt on the water…do lunges! Lots!
Again, I like to challenge myself when I’m at the beach, so I go shoes off. If you do train at the beach and are used to wearing shoes, you will really notice all the muscles in your feet working hard to stabilize you as you enter the exercise and as you push off. You can do these lunges with the same leg or alternate legs.
Exercise: Simple Lunges
Equipment: weights (optional)
Progression Variables: Weights at side or on top of shoulders
This is part one in a series of leg strength exercises written exclusively for Naish International:
Follow Suzie here to see more leg training tips!
Stand up paddling on flat water, waves or riding a board like the 14ft Naish Glide and catching a 50 yard glide, requires your legs to be strong together and independently.I’ve written articles before on leg strength, but I want to get really specific here for stand up paddling. These exercises are designed to demonstrate techniques to use your own body instead of machines to achieve your goals, allowing your body to become the machine and your arms and legs to be powerful and stay in control.
Over the course of a few weeks, I’ll be sharing with you lots of excellent leg exercises that will help you catch more waves, dig your rails a little harder for a faster buoy turn and introduce you ways to combine leg strength, power and balance into your personal training so you can be a better paddler. There are four main types of leg exercises I’ll be showing you: Stabilizing/Balance, Strength, Balance/Strength and Power. From small waves to big, connecting one glide to the next to casual paddling, I’ll attempt to break it down so you can learn about the fine stabilizing muscles around your ankles, knees and hips to the power house of your legs: the glutes. This year, you’ll be paddling stronger than ever!This Week: Stabilizing and Balance Exercises
These exercises help promote quick reaction times, foot and leg stabilization to recruit finite muscles around your feet, ankles, knees, inner thighs, and the muscles that grab the ball of your femur or hip.
Exercise 1: Half Foam Roll Balance to Single or Two Legged Squat
I’d like to introduce to you, two very special people that brightened my days in the studio and on the water! Paul and Leisl are new to the sport of SUP and are spreading the stoke all the way back to Iowa. I know one day however, they will end up here on Maui!
I was training Paul and Leisl together, while their two charming kids Lucy and Isaac cheered them on from the sidelines. I had them performing new and daring core exercises on equipment they’ve never seen before. While Paul was surfing on the INDO Board and Gigante disc doing squats with a 25lb kettle bell, I had Leisal attempting knee balancing on the stability ball. Isaac was very eager to join in on the fun too! Next year kiddo.
Then it was time to take all that we learned in the studio to the open ocean. Our mission: Paul his first wave and Leisl more comfortable on the ocean and to perfect her already smooth stroke. First it was Paul at out Kanaha. The conditions could not have been better. No wind and knee to waist high waves with plenty of juice. He charged and could not get enough. At first I had to yell at him to keep paddling and never stop, then he was like a machine catching lots of waves. Paul kindly wrote: Aloha Suzie! I can’t believe it has been two weeks since we were paddling with you at Kanaha. Mahalo for the incredible training and for helping me ride waves for the first time. Can’t wait to get back to Maui!
Leisl, smooth as silk right off the beach! I didn’t know what to expect and she rose to each and every challenge I presented to her. We cautiously paddled in front of the waves, because I wanted her to see and feel the power but also know that she was perfectly safe. I had a hard time keeping up with her. We saw turtles and a whale or two spouting out behind the sets. Leisl shared:
Wow, has it really been 2 weeks?!?! I also want to say MAHALO!! Suzie, you were the perfect person to take me out to SUP on the ocean for the very first time. Your training helped prepare me, and your presence helped to give me the peace and confidence I needed. I can’t wait to get back on a board again! Counting the days till Paul and I can come back to Maui!!
Their training in my studio really paid off. I could tell that right away that all the balance and reactive and core training immediately transferred to their board work and efficient paddle stroke. Good work guys.
Paul and Leisl, I lreally ook forward to your return you two and I want to see you guys paddling in back home soon when the ice melts! Yikes! Thank you so much for coming my way and allowing me to share in your fun. You guys are stars. We’ll be here waiting for you real soon.
You wonder how top professional athletes eat to win? Practice, like anything! It takes practice and discipline to choose the right training program, know how to recover, what gear to select, but what to eat? People often ask me, what should I eat?
Suzie's Daily Super Food
Enjoy the benefits of knowing what to eat so you can be your best, finish your first SUP race or complete your first marathon. Eating for sports performance requires planning, testing and seeing what digests easily. The last thing you want to worry about is running out of steam and crashing early. There’s no one perfect formula that suits all, so be patient and find out what you like and plan ahead.
In this article I’m going to keep it short and delicious and tell you what I eat to do my best for all the sports I enjoy! My breakfast, everyday consists of healthy, satisfying protein and complex carbs. I need fuel to get me through training 4-5 clients back to back or a training session on the water. I’ll blend a cup of low-fat yogurt ( prefer the Greek higher protein content ), a cup of high quality granola blended with a cup of fresh berries!
Developing and balancing your training routine is for some, much easier than creating healthy eating habits for your sport(s) of choice. I recommend to keep it as simple as possible and to include a combo of fueling carbs with some protein. The two components will be satiating and energy sustaining.
We’ve heard way too long that carbs are bad. Sure, if you’re sedentary and sitting on the couch eating a whole bag of potato chips, a loaf of white bread washed down with a soda, and the only surfing you do is channel surfing!
Think of carbs and associate the word “healthy or whole grains” instead or think of the phrase “complex carbs”; fuel for the brain and your muscles. Most Americans eat “refined” grains with high contents of sugar and little to no fiber. Whole grains or healthy grains contain necessary nutrients like magnesium ( plays an important role in bone health and blood pressure regulation ) Vitamin E ( functions as an antioxidant ) and zinc ( for the metabolism of the foods you eat ).
Carbs are GOOD if you choose the right ones and use it as fuel. Some examples of good carbs are: oatmeal, quinoa or granola. On race day, my first choice is a cup of oatmeal with a pinch of raw sugar for taste with fresh berries on top and a half a cup of coffee and lots of water mixed with a little electrolytes . This is easy for me to digest and can keep me fueled for at least 2+ hours of high intensity!
Next, let’s talk about protein which is necessary to keep your muscles in tip top shape as you break them down. The best way to consume healthy amounts of protein for athletic performance is to eat nutritious, low fat foods such as lean red meat, nuts,egg whites, fish, beans, rice, and low fat dairy products. I also enjoy mid morning during my heavy client loads, a protein shake with about 27+ grams of protein and low in sugar. I’ll use VitaCoco coconut water as my base and add a cup of fresh barries.
How much protein to consume will vary for each person. But for most athletes and in my book all of you are atheltes if your reading : divide your current weight by 2.2, multiply that number by 1.4, the number you come up with is the number of grams of protein you should consume. Another method to try is consuming 10 to 15 percent of your daily calories from protein sources.
The right amount of healthy grains and protein will be different for each athlete ( you ). Eating the two combined all throughout the day is really key. So before performance, during if possible and after to assure proper recovery and repair of the muscles and tissue you broke down. There is a proper balance that one should try to achieve and I recommend taking it slow as you introduce new foods. Be sure you can tolerate certain foods and “practice” combining the two. Don’t wait until the morning of a special event. That can be disastrous. Also, remember to hydrate well before and after.
Make each stroke count, paddle hard, and enjoy the benefits of eating well.
Aloha and see you on the water and at the finish line!
Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui
To train with Suzie while visiting Maui or to hire her for your next SUP Fitness Event/Clinic you can contact her at info@suzietrainsmaui.com
Whether you’re new to the sport of stand up paddling or preparing for an exciting Maui Maliko downwinder, having upper body paddling endurance and excellent balance will get you through the deepest troughs, maybe help you pass a competitor or help you enter bigger waves and swells with extra confidence and success!
I like to be as efficient as possible when training, so combining the two is perfect. The following exercise is just a sample of what you can do to get stronger, develop faster reflexes, increase the rapid firing of your finite muscles that stabilizes your larger muscles, improve your timed runs and possibly reduce fatigue and/or risk of overuse injuries.
It’s well known that SUP requires the entire body to perform and respond in unison. You’re never isolating one muscle group at any given moment. As you paddle, your entire shoulder complex, upper/lower back, feet, ankles, knees, hips and core (everything excluding your extremities) are executing each short or long stroke in a smooth, connected motion. Conditions can and do change, so adding some balance work is also a huge plus. I totally can tell that when I balance train, my reactions are sharp and quick.
Based on your current level of fitness, ease into some of these more advanced moves and change the variables accordingly. You can simply start with your own paddle or select one of the suggested weights. I usually start light and advance to heavy, to fatigue.
Kevin Vangritis Wins First Place in SUP Cold Stroke Classic with Hard Training and Excellent Paddle Technique!
I want to introduce to you Kevin Vangritis who recently won first place in the 3rd annual Cold Stroke Classic in North Carolina. I had the pleasure of meeting he and his wife Jenney, also a strong paddler on Maui this past November. Kevin, Dave and I are very proud of you and for sure we’ll get you out on the waves on your next visit here to Maui!
Thank you both for helping with my last clinic of the year and Jenney, for bringing your
Jenney "Kevin V" Suzie in Paia, Maui
bright smile and beautiful gliding style to inspire the other gals!
I anticipate we’ll be seeing more of Kevin in the SUP news. His training is consistent and very focused, and also includes a great deal of deep core training.
And, right back ya, Dave and I are thrilled to have you as a friend too! Good luck in the Carolina Cup in April! Make sure to boogie over here in July for the big Naish Race down Maliko Gulch!
Below are a few photos and the interview with Kevin, brought together by PaddleBoard Specialists. To go directly to PaddleBoard Sports click below!
PaddleBoard Specialists had the priveledge of interviewing Kevin Vangritis. Kevin recently purchased a 14’ Double Carbon Bark from us, and raced it in the 3rd Annual Cold Stroke Classic held in Wrightsville Beach N.C. Kevin finished 1st in his division and had the second fastest time overall. In the following conversation, Kevin tells us about his passion for SUP and some of his impressions of his new BARK.
Kevin: I started riding approx. 26 months ago. I discovered Stand Up Paddling while vacationing in Maui for my B-Day Nov 08.
PBS: Did you come from a surf background or more traditional paddling background?
Kevin: I have always been a fan of water sports in general. Around the age of 14 yrs old, I tried surfing for the first time using a friend’s borrowed board. I only surfed for a couple of years here and there. I live about 2 hrs from the nearest beach, and at that age, without a car or license I had limited resources to make the journey to the coast. With access to a few local lakes, I transitioned on to water skiing, wake boarding, bare footing and jet skiing. I would consider my skills about average.
I’ve asked the SUP community of SUP Connect to write me about any experiences where they felt their survival stories could help our fellow paddlers or for those who may be entering the sport of SUP. I, Deb Driscoll from Maui and Andre Neimeyer take a moment to share theirs too.
Now you don’t have to ride giant waves or tackle huge rolling swells to have something go wrong. As conditions change or you fatigue or equipment fails, anything can happen. One needs to be ready and take precautions in advance if you can.
I hope that the following excerpts will shed light on how we must keep our heads calm, equipment in check and be prepared for anything and could change your life or someone you know who paddles.
So I’d like to write about what it feels like to have that sinking feeling your friend is either in a better, more peaceful place, or he has found his way back to land safely and you just haven’t found them yet.
My story: Maui, North Shore December 2nd 2010 was the day I decided to mount my Go Pro on my Naish 14ft Glide for some action video. It was a day with trades blowing 40-50 mph and the waves were topping out with 8-9 foot faces. My downwind buddy Bill, a very experienced waterman and I headed down from Maliko Gulch headed 9 miles towards Kanaha. We’ve done this many times in all conditions. But, today’s launch and direction of swell were enough to force the adrenaline through my body, (don’t laugh) causing my teeth to chatter. This happens when I’m totally excited and nervous at the same time. Keeps me in check I guess.
The easterly direction of the swell made for a treacherous exit of the gulch where one needed to time the sets just so, as not to get pounded on these huge boards. Here’s a shot of Jeremy Riggs and friend Mike Owens heading out ahead of us. Notice the break AND the size of swell behind it!!
Big Day Coming out of Maliko, Jeremy Riggs and Mike Owens
If any of you have ever done a Maliko run or have entered the annual Naish race, it’s nice and mellow and usually flat until you reach the open ocean.
Bill and I timed it just right, but my teeth were still a bit noisy and I was looking forward to regrouping as we always do, and plot the course for the rest of our paddle. First, passing Hookipa on our left was very exciting and there was a helicopter filming a few of the windsurfers. Big waves formed underneath us, and it wasn’t as bad as we anticipated as they usually rolled right underneath us. The glides were easy and gentle where I was hoping for a little more action.
With the winds gusting to 40-50 mph, all we had to do was hold our paddle up and stand there to get pushed along. Next, approaching Baldwin Beach the swell was getting bigger and bigger and the usual channels no longer existed. The water and wave pattern here is unpredictable and can pick you up and pitch you down so fast you have no idea what happened. Our plan to cut in front of Camp One in front of Sprecklesville, but on this day that may have not been the best course. The reefs are shallow and plenty and the waves were huge.
Just before Bill signaled a way in, a rogue set came through and that was it. No Bill, no board. I looked around, but did not panic. All around me were now 9-10 feet swells breaking soon on me. I kept looking and now on my knees, for I tried my best to stay on my board; I knew it would be me next. I thought to myself I must get in to shore quick to get help. We were now past the lifeguard station at Baldwin and I can’t imagine they could see us anyway for the waves were so big. Still no Bill and then came the first set on my head. Camera goes dead. It was dark and I prayed my leash stay attached to me. I came up for a breath and ready for the next beating. That darn paddle was torking ( new word ) my arm like Gumby and the board yanking my leg out its socket. Two more on the head, the board still attached.
By now, I was getting closer to shore, scraped the fin over the reef with winds pushing me hard at my back. Once on the beach, I had to burry my board in the bushes so the wind wouldn’t launch it. I looked back out to see if I could see Bill, no Bill. But, now I saw his board. It was spinning like a green torpedo parallel to the waves. So now I had to run like hell down the coast to find some help.
I found friends Jeff and Suzanne at Camp One and it was like a bad dream. The words would not come out of my mouth. I was on the verge of crying, but instead motioned to call 911. They didn’t recognize me in my gear and all they heard was get help and Suzie Cooney. So they thought it was I who was in trouble!
Knowing help was on the way, I had to run back to the spot where Bill’s board was last seen and hope by then he’d be spotted. Running into 40-50 mph winds is not easy in the sand. My water pack was heavy and paddle flailing everywhere. As I rounded the point, there was Bill’s board as if someone gently put it down as a bad joke. It was unscathed but the brand new leash was severed.
Before the fire department came and my all time favorite lifeguard, Tony Colletta on the ski, I could see Bill above Sprecks. I could see that his paddle was in the air and he was using the wind to help bring him in! Genius! He later told me he was sitting on the handle like one would sit on an old T ski lift to help him keep his head up and get him in. I was relieved.
He was a bit in shock but was not mad at me for calling or help! He was more concerned that he scared me and that he did.
Here is a photo of Bill’s severed leash next to mine, the stretched out coil.
Now here’s a photo of my new leash next to my old leash:
Bill is doing well and I’m glad he’s okay. He’s glad his board is okay. I hope I never have to experience that again, but I thought that was pretty cool how he used that paddle blade to get him to safety!
Now, here’s Deb Driscoll’s story. I might add that Deb goes quite deep and I’d put my life in her hands any day! She is my assistant safety sweeper at my clinics here on Maui. Thanks for sharing Deb:
Deb’s story: Aloha Suzie, my friend, its me, Deb …not sure it qualifies as a survival story but here goes. Last winter, out at Pier 1, I was SUPing with my friends in triple overhead surf (with some bigger sets). It was DEFINITELY the biggest surf I had been in to date. Double overhead was the largest surf before this day. I had caught a couple waves and was feeling pretty confident because I had made it to the shoulder each time without getting caught in the impact zone. It was only a matter of time before Murphy’s Law took over.
INDO Board Demo Day at the Zancudo Lodge Costa Rica with Suzie Cooney of Suzie Trains Maui
January 5, 2011 – Reporting from the most beautiful SUP, surf and fishing spot in Southern Costa Rica, The Zancudo Lodge! Owner, Gregg Mufson is hanging ten on the INDO Board as he and the crew prepare for the surf rolling in this week. I’m here introducing the team on how The INDO Board is great workout for everyone, especially those entering SUP to advanced paddlers.
We have all the gear from INDO Board, including the new Gigante to challenge beginners to the hard core SUP’rs and surfer alike. Gregg, Yvonne, Sloan, Elle, and Di all participated in an afternoon of learning, laughs and some thigh-burning fun. I can tell their addicted and promised them, after this workout we’ll all be ready for any water action tomorrow!
We started the morning on a mellow, slower surface. Next we graduate to the beach to hard pack sand for some faster action and more fun. In such a short time, everyone got their groove on and was hang’n on the nose. I challenged them to an upper body challenge which Gregg, Di and Yvonne immediately worked up a small sweat with the plank and one leg lifted behind them, alternating at 5 – 10 second intervals. Below, Gregg is performing the advanced plank with one or both feet behind him, on a Gigante disc.
The Gigante disc is the newest platform training tool for INDO Board, that inflates up to 12 inches that achieves the 4-way action intended for those who want to enhance their SUP or surf performance. We placed both discs under Gregg’s surf board and what a ride. Inflate it more and hang on!
It’s my favorite piece of equipment in my studio at home. I also use it for clients just recovering from major hip or knee surgery as a rehab element. Today we’ve kept the inflation to 6 inches as my willing participants start their training.
Then down to what I call the core bug. This move is in the prone position requiring glutes and the upper scapular region of the shoulder blades to work in unison as we seek the most stable position. I recommend keeping the head in a neutral position. I also suggest to keep breathing smoothly and hold the position for 15 – 30 seconds. Rest, then repeat 5 times.
In addition to this great core exercise, by placing the INDO Board board directly on top the Gigante, together we performed leg burning same side lunges, for a count of 5-10 each leg.
Gigante sitting came last where Yvonne, Di and Elle gracefully sat on top of the Gigante as feet and hands stayed off the ground lending to an extreme, deep core constant, contraction! Well done girls.
You can tell we’re having too much fun. I can’t wait for this spring when I host mySTAND UP ForWomen’s Health and Fitness in April, here at the lovely Zancudo Lodge ! All the gear is here and so is the fun. For more information go to: http:www.suzietrainsmaui.com/events. This lodge is like staying at the Four Seasons. From warm waves to a cozy robe in your room, excellent food and gracioius staff, to healthy, to amazing food prepared fresh everyday.
Thank you Chip and Hunter at INDO Board, for sending these boards and discs over. Gregg and the others are on their way to be SUP stars. Also a big gracias to Gregg and the Zancudo Lodge for hosting us and the SUP clinics with the other trainers this spring!
by Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui / Athleta for ATHLETA
Aloha Athleta Chi readers returning and new. If you’ve followed me this year, you’ve noticed that yes, I am a huge fan and contributor to the sport of stand up paddling (SUP). My mission is to share what the sport can do for your mind and body. (See Stand Up and Sweep Your Way To Better Health.)
Approaching the New Year, I know some of you are looking forward to learning new things and making new goals for yourself. A a fitness expert, I have goals of my own to achieve; great challenges big and small. Having had the opportunity to represent Athleta has allowed me to touch wonderful and amazing people, like you. Some of you have contacted me from around the world to share with me how I encouraged you, inspired you and how the community of Athleta has made a difference in your life!
Well, you have inspired me too. Getting to know you and your desires has made me a better person, a better fitness professional and has allowed me to expand my teachings and experiences on and off the water. Thank YOU!
To get you revved up to include SUP in your life next year, check out my short new rock’n video filmed here on the N. Shore of Maui. From the waves to the 10 mile long distance course, turn up the volume and get pumped to paddle!
If you are considering learning the sport of SUP, or for those of you who are getting into racing this year, I have a few special health tips to help you become a better paddler and make SUP a part of your fitness program next year and the years to come:
SAFETY FIRST: Learn all you can about water safety, weather conditions in your area, and if you’re taking lessons, be sure to learn from someone well qualified.
CORE STRENGTH: Power and strength is initiated from the core. Your core, which is everything excluding your extremities (hips, obliques, low back muscles, pelvic muscles, internal and external abdominal muscles), is getting a tremendous workout, as is all of the supporting, stabilizing muscles of your hips, knees and ankles. If your core is weak, you may fatigue more quickly or increase your risk of injury. One of my favorite core exercises is the simple Ball Bridge. See my Athleta article A Total Body Workout For Everyone with photos and instruction for the Ball Bridge.
UPPER BODY ENDURANCE: Your shoulders, upper and low back all work in unison with your core and your lower body to perform solid, smooth strokes. Whether you’re racing downwind or rounding a buoy or simply cruising on your local lake or bay, upper body endurance will get you through.
Make sure to incorporate extra core training and include a larger mixture of upper body endurance and resistance exercises. For example, I’ll take an 8 pound medicine ball, stand on a balance platform (such as the BOSU) with knees slightly bent, and mimic the paddling stroke you would use on your board. (Or see below.) Change up the weights — do one set with a 4 pound, 8 pound, then 10 pound medicine ball — about 15-20 alternating movements or strokes with each weight.
BALANCE TRAINING: Stand up paddling does demand upper and lower body strength as well as good balance and quick reactions. See my Athleta article The New Wave of Balance Training for a great balance workout. I recommend simple equipment, like a stability ball, resistance tubing and light weights, and an unstable training platform like my favorite piece of gear, the Gigante Disc made by INDO Board.
This disc inflates up to 12 inches for fast, four-way action. Or you can deflate it to slow it down. You can also use two discs with less air under a larger board. You may want to remove your fin(s) so you don’t damage the fin box.
Carefully mount up, look ahead and pretend you’re paddling. Use your toes, your ankles, knees, legs and hips to control the board. Shift your weight side to side and see how your body responds. Always look ahead.
To add even more fun and get a great upper arm and lower leg workout, add a 12 pound weighted body bar and practice your strokes. If you don’t have a weighted body bar, an 8-10 pound medicine ball works great too!
LEG TRAINING: If you’re starting to enter small to big waves leg training is very key. See my article Power Conditioning For Surfing, SUP and the Effects of Gravity. Lots of leg lunges and light to heavy plyometrics, depending upon your level of fitness, are the magic ingredient to charging small or big waves. SET REALISTIC, MEASURABLE GOALS: I suggest that you don’t make your New Year’s fitness goals too daunting. Start out simple and build from there. Make sure they are measurable. For example, try keeping a running or SUP journal. I’m keeping a SUP journal to see how many days a week/month I can get on the water for my off –season race training. This includes waves too!
STAY BALANCED: Extra sleep and a healthy diet are also on the top of my list this year. I need lots of energy, so that is how I approach food. I eat 90% for training and living, and 10% pleasure! I’m very strict about limiting sugar, alcohol and cannot get enough vegetables. Having a balance in my life this next year will help me be a better stand up paddler and allow me to do more for my training clients.
Ladies, if you’d like to come on a SUP adventure, now’s your chance to join me on a five-star SUP adventure April 10th -17th, 2011 in Costa Rica. Train with me daily and SUP while we enjoy the beautiful accommodations at the Zancudo Lodge. I welcome all levels of SUP and levels of fitness. We’ll train on the beach, then stand up and paddle together! Come have some fun, learn to SUP or improve your current skills, and have the time of your life! Space is limited, sobook now! Click here for more information »
My message and mantra is simple: “Live it, ride it and don’t close your eyes. Believe in yourself to go a little faster, harder and smile big!” Make SUP a part of your fitness goals in the New Year. It will change your life — this I promise!
Are you ready to basically free fall with a piece of fiberglass pushing back to you as the force of gravity is sucking you down? Sure, you’ve been paddling; you’ve got good core strength, but what about the legs? Will you still be standing, and do you have the power to recoil your body to pump for the speed you need into the next turn?
Gravity and surfing, water drag, board buoyancy and you, are all opposing forces that join you as you make your drop down the face of a small wave, or if you’re one of the few brave enough to step into the trough of JAWS. Being well- conditioned and strong, along with cat-like reactions can make you or break you.
Without getting too technical on the values of centripetal force, board speed, or if you’d like to learn what “C = gT/2LL” means, go to Leslie Brooks site and read more:
Getting Physical The Physics Behind Surfing, and read up on: C = Wave Speed g = Acceleration caused by gravity (9.8 Square meters per second) T =Wave Period L =Wave Length Test on Monday, so study!
Back to the “physical” aspect of what I do and know, I wanted to ask an expert! I had the pleasure of talking with Dave Kalama , big wave surfer here on Maui on the subject that fascinates me; how the g –force effects of gravity as you drop down the face of a wave and how you need your body, especially your legs to hold your line as gravity is pulling you down. He helped described to me the importance of training for leg strength for exactly this.
He said, “When you’re surfing down the face of a wave all muscles need to be firing at once. The slow twitch and fast twitch muscles must both engage.” As a trainer, I get this. An example of slow twitch muscles that tend to be smaller in size, slower to fatigue and if we get scientific, increases oxygen delivery, vs. fast twitch, larger muscles and quicker to fatigue and basically are considered the power house muscles of your body.
Slow twitch muscles also include stabilizing muscles. Think of endurance, running a marathon, swimming laps vs. a power lifter will have fast twitch muscles to utilize for big bouts of serious lifting. Here I’m talking about quick, explosive reps, but only lasting a few seconds. For this, think of glutes and quads.
He agreed that most people spend a great deal of time on core and upper body training; but reemphasized the need to spend even more time increasing your leg strength.
For example, Dave does a minimum of 200 leg lunges, max 400 to 500 consecutive. Then a few sets of leg dips and some quick paced step and jump lunges followed by jump squats. Plus running up the sand hill backwards really warms him up. He trains a great deal in soft sand and is a firm believer that your toes, feet and ankles play a key role for board and rail control.
Dave explained it like this, “One can have board and rail control, but then you need to call upon power to take advantage of the control. Then there is board speed. To get speed, you need to take advantage of the control and power. You’ll need to have powerful legs to pump the board to increase your speed. It’s all connected.”
Dave says, “If I had to pick any part of the body I’d train for surfing, it’d be legs over upper body. If you have bird legs it won’t do you much good.”
This makes good sense to me. I’ve seen Dave do some serious training here on Maui and it’s very inspiring. He also added that cycling is key to add to your training routine to help increase your power on big days.
Adding leg work to your routine seems easy enough, but its how you make the exercises extra challenging that be the ticket. There are lots of variables or things you can do to get those legs pumped up to help increase board speed.
Traditional squats, leg press and extension machines are great, but also add some plyometrics to the mix. Plyometrics is a term to describe the type of training that is explosive for speed and power. For example, I think of dropping down a wave I think of “Drop Jumping”. This exercise requires you to drop to the ground from a box or raised platform then immediately jumping up. I’d recommend starting on a platform that is not too high at first. Start with a 2 foot (24 inch) sturdy box, or simply standing on the ground and doing what I call tuck jumps. You can change the “variable” by changing the speed of the movement. Also, jumping over and object like a bench, cones or a log at the beach or park:
Here are some basic explosive 2 legged hops. Remember soft landings, not flat footed. Use your body to propel you up:
Plyometric training can be worked into circuit training or can be as simple as skipping, hopping or bounding. Keep in mind this type of training is pretty intense and requires one to have a pretty decent base of leg strength, knee stabilization and hip stabilization, and no known orthopedic challenges.
I will line up 2 BOSUs in a row and have my clients use their own body’s inertia to hop up with two legs together as high as they can, land on the BOSU and then on to the next BOSU. To make it more interesting, I may fire an 8lb medicine ball at them to catch in mid air to test their reaction.
2 legged hops from Standing Position over bench, cone or other object: 10-12
Lateral or Forward 2 legged hop up to BOSU or across 10-12
Repeat 2-3 times. To increase intensity, reduce rest period, add more weight, increase drop box/bench height.
Or, take one of these exercises and work it into your regular training routines.
Pre Conditioning: As mentioned earlier, this type of training, requires a solid base of strength training, supportive athletic shoes and should be performed on padded surfaces such as grass or the beach, or in a padded area to absorb some of the shock.
Proper active or dynamic stretching should also be performed before your routine and of course the proper cool down to follow. I’d allow 2-3 days for recovery in-between a plyometric session.
To recap, surfing is the ultimate sport that demands so much of the body and if you want to be good, go deep and drive into the next turn, you better have the legs to do it. This type of training is also excellent for stand up paddling small and big waves!
Cycling, plyometrics, soft sand running, lots of lunges, weight training is a great way to be ready for the action.
Thanks again Dave for adding to the topic! I hope you found this helpful and informative. We’ve just touched upon the very simple aspects of leg training for surfing here. If you want more information or want to train with me personally, let’s do it!
I encourage to you to share your experiences, tips and big wave adventures with us. Also, to learn more about Dave Kalama go to: http://www.davidkalama.com/
Also stay tuned for my SUP/Fitness Adventure clinic in Costa Rica next year.
…not sure it qualifies as a survival story but here goes. Last winter, out at Pier 1, I was SUPing with my friends in triple overhead surf (with some bigger sets). It was DEFINITELY the biggest surf I had been in to date. Double overhead was the largest surf before this day. I had caught a couple waves and was feeling pretty confident because I had made it to the shoulder each time without getting caught in the impact zone. It was only a matter of time before Murphy’s Law took over.
The Gigante disc 
