Hypoxic training is crucial for surfers. By training your body to deal with low-oxygen or high-stress situations out in the water, you will gain confidence and the ability to stay calm in the face of adversity, making those tough paddle outs and wipeouts much easier to handle.
Below, Holly Knearem, coach at Extreme Athletics in Costa Mesa, California, gives three hypoxic exercises you can add to your normal gym routine to help make you a more confident surfer.
Images by Morgan Hoesterey
Alternating Battle Rope Swings with Breath Hold
What you need:
- Battle Ropes
- Indo Board for added balance challenge
- Jump Rope if Ropes and Indo Board aren’t available
What you do:
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart (or standing on an Indo Board for an added balance challenge), hold your breath and complete 25 alternating waves, or as many reps as you can get through without taking a breath. When you can’t hold your breath any longer, stop your reps and cycle through four slow breaths, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth to rid your lungs of stagnant air. When you’re ready (without resting for too long,) continue this cycle until you have completed 100 total reps. As you progress, you can either increase your total number of alternating wave reps, or you can increase the number of reps during each breath hold.
*If you don’t have access to Battle Ropes, the same cycle can be done with a jump rope.
Why it works:
Practicing holding your breath while your heart rate is elevated helps train your body to handle high-stress situations like being held under, or taking a beating through sets on your way back out to the lineup. Knowing that you have spent time conditioning your lungs will increase your confidence out in the water and help you to remain calm and avoid panicking.
Duck Dive with Mountain Climbers
What you need:
- Foam Roller or
- Indo Board Roller
- Full Indo Board for added balance challenge
What you do:
In a plank position with your hands on the roller (or on an Indo Board for an added balance challenge), do five fast mountain climbers, bringing your knees into your chest. Without a break, take a breath and hold it while simulating a duck dive by lifting one leg in the air and doing a pushup on the roller. As soon as the duck dive is over, you can breathe normally as you resume the mountain climbers. Repeat this cycle for three rounds of one minute at a time. As you progress, you can either increase the time it takes to complete a single cycle, or you can increase the overall number of cycles you do.
Why it works:
Inspired by a session in Huntington Beach on a big day where it was necessary to repeatedly duck dive and then sprint to make it out to the lineup, this duck dive drill creates an interval-type scenario that will help your body control how it is processing the amount of oxygen it has.
Breath Hold Burpees
What you do:
Start by taking three deep inhales and exhales, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Take one last deep breath and hold it as you cycle through five reps.
To start your burpee, squat down and plant your hands firmly on the ground. Extend out into a plank position by kicking both feet out behind you at the same time. From here, lower down into the bottom of a push-up position so that your chest is touching the floor. Push back up into a plank position and jump your feet back in toward your hands landing in a crouched squat position. Finish the burpee with a squat jump. Rest for three-five cycles of the breath or for about a minute and repeat the process at least four times.
Why it works:
When your body is running low on oxygen, your cognitive ability can start to suffer. By performing a complex exercise where there are a lot of different movements, you are training your brain to remain engaged and focused in a low-oxygen environment.
