“Won’t strength training make me bulky and slow?” That’s probably the most commonly asked question we get when it comes to strength training. The truth, however, is exactly the opposite. Strength training is great for a lot of things that will help your surfing.
1. Increased Coordination:
One of the more surprising things that comes from working on strength is an increase in coordination. Studies have shown that athletes who strength train will have muscles that fire more in in sync than their non-trained counterparts. The whole premise of one of these studies is that when someone overloads their muscle or strength trains, they create a way for their muscles to react in a way that is more fluid, a skill that is easily transferable to your surfing.
2. More Stability:
Along with creating more flow to your surfing, strength training isolates certain groups of muscles called prime movers. Prime movers are large muscle groups that like to be in control and do the majority of the work in controlled environments. But surfing is done on an unstable, uncontrollable surface, so you want to fatigue those prime movers, forcing your body to react by activating smaller stabilizing muscles to help complete the task. This way your muscles are going to be able to withstand movements on unstable surfaces.
3. Injury Prevention:
Surf specific strength training is also going to key in on muscles around the joints that are most consistently used while surfing. As a result, your body will become accustomed to the stresses of surfing, allowing your body to grow and adapt to the changes that come with each type of wave. As Dr. Sheppard of Hurley’s High Performance Center would say, “It’s important to remember that weak things break easier.” By becoming stronger around the joints and connective tissues used while surfing, it will be a lot less likely that you’ll develop injuries that will keep you from surfing all together.
4. More Energy:
Marathon sessions, long paddles, and waves that leave that burning feeling in your legs are all things that can leave you feeling worked during and after a surf. When you strength train, your body will develop more efficient ways of using energy systems, nutrients, and oxygen, giving you a boost of energy in the water and faster recovery times. Add that up and you’ll feel better before, during, and after surfing, increasing your performance while surfing longer and more often.
Put those old thoughts away about using heavier weights. Train in high performance circuits that are going to get you stronger and have you surfing better no time.
See more from Extreme Athletics on their website.
