Editor’s Note: Surf Style Training with Elise Carver is available to The Inertia readers for a 50 percent discount until June 15th, 2019.
I’m sure you’ve heard that core strength is vital to your surfing more than once or twice. But do you know why? It’s one thing for specialists to tell you what you need to work on in order to improve your time in the water, but knowing why makes all the difference in the world.
It comes down to the mechanics of your body, and how it functions when you surf. If you know what part your core strength plays in the delicate balance of it all, then you can understand how it’s linked to your technique.
For example, poor core strength does not necessarily relate to your six pack, but more the deep core (transverse abs, multifidus, pelvic floor…and some would argue Diaphragm), which is hidden underneath. These muscles work together to provide you with a stable foundation that wraps around the lumbar spine. A vital part of daily function and surfing. The lumbar spine and the deep core are responsible for keeping it all together in movements like balancing on your board while paddling, lifting the hips and lower torso when popping up, stabilization and control when standing on your board, rotational strength, layback returns, establishing your center of gravity, compacted areal control, and the list goes on.
Basically, everything to do with surfing!
If your deep core is being neglected (especially as you get older), you may begin to experience lower back pain, tight hips, lumbar superficial muscle dependency (excess engagement in the lower back muscles), inactive glutes, instability, poor rotational performance – not to mention malfunctions in your physical chain that come from these. To name a few: added pressure on the knees, poor upper body, and shoulder mobility, migraines, neck pain, and the worst one of all: fewer waves!
Have you ticked more of these boxes than you care to admit?
If so, I’m sorry to tell you, but your deep core strength isn’t up to scratch, at least not where it needs to be in order to function at a high-performance surfing level. You might just be a lazy surfer (which is totally fine btw), but if you want to get the most out of every session and feel generally better in your day to day life, improving your deep core strength is something you should look at.
If Netflix and chill between waves isn’t for you, and you want to work to improve on what you have, check out the latest 12-week Surf Style Training program I put together with The Inertia. For $189 USD you get $315 USD worth of value. That’s three months of remote coaching health plans, workout plans, workout videos, and active stretch videos for your recovery plan.
There’s no reason why you can’t start today 😉
Editor’s Note: Surf Style Training with Elise Carver is available to The Inertia readers for a 50 percent discount until June 15th, 2019.
