Fast Surfing Workout for Snowboarding Fitness
Thanks for Dropping In.
If you love surfing and snowboarding I have great news – in this blog you will receive a surfing workout that will also greatly improve your snowboard conditioning and fitness. (Video below the first 7 photos)
I recently returned from surfing on snow in Japan and luckily scored incredible powder. Even better, my body held up strong – all day long. The crew I was boarding with were riding pretty hard and fast (including off piste guides) and they wanted to know how to improve their conditioning for better performance, especially leg strength and endurance. So how did I prepare?
Snow Board Fitness - First Things First
If you want to gently snowboard down reasonable slopes and perform basic turns while gravity pulls you down the mountain, then snowboard strength and conditioning may not improve your performance by a large percentage. However, if you want to push your limits, tear the mountain up and defy gravity (i.e, falling and impacting the ground at speed with a mindset to repeat and improve) then sport specific fitness training prior to being on the mountain, will have a huge impact on performance and recovery. And lets face it, faster recovery means more energy, less physical pain and more fun on the mountain regardless of your ability or athletic dreams.
Note: Luckily Japanese culture embraces natural ONSEN baths that greatly help with recovery and relaxation after a busy day dodging tree’s, floating with deep powder and racing at warp speeds down a mountain.
Surf Snow Workouts - Second
Your physical body (how if functions) is very dependent on skeletal alignment. If you perform any surfing or snowboarding conditioning exercises with a misaligned body – any training may exacerbate the misalignment and thus be counter productive. It’s like trying to surf a twin fin at a right hand point break yet the left fin is missing. No amount of surfing will improve the situation – you must get that left fin corrected first, so the board can line up on take-off. So… always check your alignment with a professional coach or therapist and then get into the following surfing workout that will also greatly improve your snowboard conditioning and fitness. This is one of my GO TO surfing and snowboarding body weight training routines – make sure you read the last point on Base Fitness 🙂
Surfing & Snow Boarding Fitness - The Warm Up
Snow Boarding Strength - The Work Out
Yoga Toe Squat - 30 Seconds Hold - 15 Seconds Rest x 2
Burpees - 45 Seconds
Lateral Floor Squat Left & Right - 1 Min
Snow Boarding Workout - Music Credit - Da Funk; Not the king
Surf - Snowboard Workout Photos Continued
Press Up into Side T Plank 8 - 10 Per Side
3 Pulse Squats into 180 Degree Turn Jump - 1 Minute
Pilates Floor Swim - 1 Minute
Ball Roll into Stand Up Tall x 6 - 8
Aim for one circuit to take 8 – 9 Minutes
Rest as little as possible – keep flowing – keep moving.
Repeat the entire circuit two times.
I believe surfing workouts want to be performed correctly with excellent technique and alignment at all times. Please keep that in mind. I also believe in the principle that short and sharp training sessions can deliver just as much results when performed correctly. However please note that repetitions and set- times for exercises can vary greatly according to athletic abilities and fitness levels. This is a starting point.
Oh.. please get medical clearance prior to performing this or any exercise regime. You know this.
Surf Snow Workouts - Lastly... Base Fitness
You want results right? We all do. However many people ask for surfing and snowboarding conditioning secrets without realizing that base fitness is crucial. If you let yourself go for months on end and then decide prior to surf season, ‘now I will get surf fit’ or think something like, ‘I have 6 weeks until I go snowboarding – now is the time to get snow fit’, results will be severely impacted.
Base fitness is something you maintain year in year out so you can build on it to perform at a higher level when required. Base fitness is useful for every surfer on the planet (improved confidence, efficient heart function, enhanced detoxification, maintaining good blood pressure & blood sugar levels, etc.) So for the record please note that you will have significantly better results when you add this training to your BASE fitness program.
The beauty of this training is that no equipment is required and the entire session is time efficient and delivers full body strength and conditioning for surfers and snowboarders. For those of you that want an explanation of why these movements are so beneficial for surfers and snowboarders please see below.
Surf Snow Workouts - Movement Break Down
Yoga Toe Squat – Especially good for riding toe side (snowboarding) and activating quadriceps muscles called upon for dynamic riding.
Burpees – You are going to fall, you are going to want to get up fast. This is challenging with a board attached to your feet. Prepare early. (And get your heart rate up)
Lateral Floor Squat – In both surfing and snowboarding you are going to want to reach for your rails – this requires flexibility, strength and endurance. Enjoy. You can thank me later.
Press Up into Side Plank – Shoulders and core strength are vital to any good surfing or snowboarding athlete – surfers for paddling, pops ups and more – snowboarders for falls, transfer of momentum and rotational movements (which you do all day long)
Pulsing Squat with a Snow Board 180 Jump – This mimics the action of traversing across snow, lumpy wave conditions and challenges co-ordination, aerobic capacity and balance.
Pilates Core Swim – great for core control while the extremities are moving (the basis of all good high skill athletes) The better you get as a surfer or snowboarder the more core strength is tested. This is also great for posture, lower back strength and internal shoulder strength and endurance.
Roll Up into Stand – Snowboarders click in and out of their bindings after every run and often have to stand from the ground with their board attached to their feet. This will help. A LOT.
So there you have it – 8 body weight exercise that will ramp up your surfing and snowboarding fitness so that you can surf on snow till the cows come home.
I re-iterate because it is important – I believe surfing workouts elicit the best results when performed with excellent technique and alignment at all times. Please keep that in mind, now go rip it up.
Surfing High Performance Coaching
Remember, surfing is your medicine – so be at your best. For speaking engagements or private performance coaching to improve your surfing mind-body, health and fitness contact Hayden at info@surftrainingsecrets.com
New Fast Surfing Fitness training program coming soon in 2018.
SURF TRAINING SECRETS
Powering Stronger Surfers
Great article Hayden. Bang on.
I wish I could go to Japan! Thank you for a brilliant surf snow training blog and very functional workout.