How To Use Bodyweight Strength Training For Surfing Correctly
Now that you are surfing, you are understanding that it does require a lot of muscles, stability, and balance. You are probably wondering how to use bodyweight for surfing strength training the right way. Of course like any other sport, the more you work out, to get better at that sport, the faster you will progress. Strength training intimidates many people, especially surfers since we are trying to stay lean but at the same time strong. People envision red-faced men and women with bulging muscles grunting and lifting heavy weights. While this may be true for some individuals, the vast majority of people who strength training do so for improved health.
Benefits Of Bodyweight Strength Training For Surfing
Strength training has been shown to burn more fat and calories. It actually improves cognitive function, reduces blood pressure, and improves bone density. Even in older men and women it can reduce bone loss and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Strength training for surfing improves mobility, boosts confidence and can be for just about any surfer trying to stay healthy and have better muscle definition.
Strength training has also shown more lean muscle mass, healthier cholesterol levels, lower stress levels, better sleep, more energy, increased oxygen. Those are some amazing benefits that strength training can offer you.
The fear of getting bulky is just one reason that people avoid strength training. However, unless you have a unique genetic makeup and you’re willing to lift weights for hours a day, that’s not going to happen to you. If you are just wanting to work out to get more muscular and better in surfing, strength training can be worked around that, it does not mean heavy weights all the time.
To Workout Or Not To Workout For Surfing
Most individuals will have an excuse or more to not workout and not put in the time to better their health and overall surfing. Some excuses are lack of time, no gym memberships, not knowing what to do as a workout, no motivation, or just simply too lazy to do it. Well, guess what? You only need to work out for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. So pick 3 days that you will work out and set aside only 30 minutes. You will benefit so much from those 30 minutes in and out of the water. You do not need a gym membership or even weights to do these workouts. Strength training can be done with absolutely just your bodyweight. So all you need is a little space and yourself.
People also hesitate to train because they’re uncomfortable in the weight room at the gym and just don’t know what to do exactly. The good news is that the first step to strength training, whether you want to go to the gym or not, is often to use your own body weight to get stronger. Your body is heavy enough to give you a workout, you don’t necessarily need to add more weights. Strength training is defined as a workout that can be done with weights but it is not mentioned once that it cannot be your bodyweight. Take that advantage and workout with just your body!
Bodyweight Surf Exercise HIIT Workout For Beginners
Think about the basic push-up. The push-up is a bodyweight exercise. And most average people cannot do a single push-up. The movement strengthens your core, your shoulders, your chest and your arm muscles. It’s a comprehensive strength-training movement and it only uses the weight of your body.
How To Use Bodyweight Strength Training For Surfing Sample
The following are also strength-training movements that you can do at home with your own body weight as part of your strength training work out.
* Pull-ups (you can do this movement at your local playground on the bars too)
* Squats
* Lunges (bringing both of your legs at a 90 angle and having the bottom knee almost touching the floor)
* Good morning (this is a movement where you keep your legs straight and your knees soft. Keeping your back straight, you bend forward at the hip. The moment your back starts to curve, using your hips and leg muscles, you straighten back up.)
* Sit-ups (we all did those in gym class)
* Dips. You can use a stable coffee table or a sturdy chair. Placing your hands behind you on the stable piece of furniture, you lower your backside until your arms are at a 90-degree angle or less.
Each of these movements, when performed correctly, can help strengthen your body from head to toe. Start with a pattern of perhaps performing 8-12 repetitions in three sets. As you get stronger you can start increasing the number and the intensity. For example, you might do as many push-ups as possible in a minute. Or you might do 4 or 5 sets. It all depends on you and your ability and progression.
Some other exercises to do for strength training are planks, crunches, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, and so on. The list is never-ending. No need for weights at all, you can do all of your strength training without any weight but yourself!
Once you feel a little more confident with your strength you can add weights. If you’re still not interested in going to the gym’s weight room, consider getting a set of hand weights or kettlebells. It’s a simple way to add weight and continue to increase your strength. You don’t have to get weights at all, you can always do body weights exercises but in that case, you will have to increase the intensity and rate of your workouts to keep improving your body and overall surfing.
Why Change Your Surfing Workouts?
There is one thing you should always do, and that is to can change up your workouts and make it fun. Your body needs to be confused constantly so it is not always the same workout. Your body will get used to every workout, and you won’t be sore anymore. When muscles are required to work hard or in a different manner, it’s believed to cause microscopic damage to the muscle fibres, resulting in your muscles being stiff or sore. It is great to change up your workouts so that your body does not know what to expect every day.
You can keep track of your workouts and write them down on a notebook, app or phone notes. This will help you remember what you did the day before and see how you are progressing with the number of sets, reps, intensity, and so on. These notes will also remind you to change workouts and switch it around for less boredom and more fun.
Always remember that setting a goal for yourself is very important! A goal makes you want to achieve it as fast as possible. Set a date of when you want to get it down and work really hard for it. When achieved, reward yourself with a massage, new gear shopping day, or a cookie, whatever might make you happy. If you do not achieve that goal per that day, you should punish yourself with extra workout days, more intensity, fewer chocolates, more burpees, no tv, whatever will motivate you to get it done! When one goal is achieved, set another one and keep going!
Surfing is a all body workout. Exercising for surfing is awesome and will strengthen your core, stability, mobility and more. Doing bodyweight workouts will make you stay lean and build more muscle mass. You will feel better, more energetic and will be able to surf longer. That is always a goal!
PS: Just know that if you are dreaming about getting abs; it is about doing core exercises, burning calories and 90% the way you eat.