Jimbo Pellegrine, surfing’s Butterbean. Photo: Ricardo Junji
If you’re anything like me, the thought of going to the gym is about as appealing as being run over by an old guy on a mal. Hanging out with a bunch of sweaty males on the gains, drinking protein shakes, and lifting heavy objects just doesn’t appeal. Nor, for that matter, does the current trend of paying to go and throw tires repeatedly against a wall and hit rubber things with large hammers – also known as cross-fit.
I’m not hating on the people who do such things. They are no doubt healthy specimens who are getting a lot of benefit from these activities. But I just don’t want anything to do with it… not yet, anyway. There will come a time when I will have to suck up my pride, put on my singlet and go lift weighty objects over and over again. But for now, I have found something that will keep me away from this horrific environment a little bit longer: The 7-Minute Wok Out.
It’s part of the HIT (High intensity training) trend in exercise. In a nutshell, you go as hard as you possibly can with short breaks in-between. All the information about this can be found here.
It’s essentially twelve exercises that can all be done at home. You don’t need any special equipment – no thousand dollar shoes, no weird spring-filled mechanical contraptions – all you need is a chair. It’s pretty difficult if you do it properly. That is to say, if you really push yourself and go HAM, you’ll be hurting at the end. If you don’t do any exercise ever it may not be the greatest thing to embark on. But we’re all surfers here, so we know how to push ourselves a bit.
Obviously, just doing this isn’t going to turn you into a six pack heartthrob, but I have found it super helpful. I’ve noticed more strength and quickness when surfing, and it has even given me a bit more energy.
I think the real asset to this regime is that it’s almost impossible to make excuses not to do it. So on those days where you haven’t surfed, gone for a run, or ridden a bike, you can quickly do this and feel like you’ve at least given your body something useful in the day.
Originally posted on GoSurf.co.nz
