Surf-Specific Weightlifting Workout: Enhance Your Strength, Balance, and Performance
Turkish Get-Up: Building strength, stability, and balance—one Turkish Get-Up at a time.
Weightlifting for Surfers
Surfing requires a unique blend of strength, endurance, balance, and agility. To tailor a weightlifting workout specifically for surfers, we can focus on exercises that enhance these qualities. Here’s a great surf-specific workout routine to try in the gym, incorporating key exercises like Turkish Get-Ups, kettlebell swings, and single-leg Romanian deadlifts. These movements are designed to build the strength, stability, and endurance you need to stay strong, stable, and agile on your board, no matter the conditions. Here's how to adapt the benefits of weightlifting and various equipment to suit surfers:
Warm-Up: Preparing Your Body for the Waves
Warm-Up for 10-15 minutes
Cardio Warm-Up for Surf-Specific Conditioning
Jump Rope or High Knees: To get your heart rate up and mimic the explosive movements in surfing.
To jump rope effectively, start by selecting a rope that’s the right length for your height—when you stand on the middle of the rope, the handles should reach your armpits.
Hold the handles firmly with a relaxed grip and keep your elbows close to your body.
Begin by swinging the rope over your head and then jump as it approaches your feet, landing softly on the balls of your feet. Keep your jumps low to the ground to maintain rhythm and conserve energy. Focus on using your wrists to turn the rope rather than your arms.
Start with a few minutes of practice, gradually increasing your duration and incorporating different jump styles, like single-leg hops or double unders, as you gain confidence.
Jumping into action! This dynamic warm-up with the jump rope gets the heart pumping and prepares the body for an intense workout.
Dynamic Stretches for Flexibility
Focus on the shoulders, hips, and legs to increase flexibility and prevent injury.
Hip Flexor Stretch
To perform a hip flexor stretch, start by kneeling on your right knee, with your left foot flat on the ground in front of you, forming a 90-degree angle at both knees.
Keep your back straight and engage your core.
Gently push your hips forward while maintaining your position, feeling a stretch in the front of your right hip.
To deepen the stretch, raise your right arm overhead and lean slightly to the left.
Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply, and then switch sides.
This stretch can help improve flexibility and relieve tension in the hip area.
Hip Flexor Stretch: Open up your hips and improve your mobility with this effective stretch. It’s perfect for surfers looking to enhance flexibility and reduce tightness, allowing for better paddling and pop-ups.
Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch
A great shoulder stretch to warm up is the Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch.
To perform this stretch, stand or sit up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Extend your right arm across your body at shoulder height.
Use your left hand to gently pull your right arm closer to your chest, feeling a stretch in the shoulder and upper back.
Hold the stretch for about 15-30 seconds, keeping your shoulder relaxed and your posture upright.
Repeat on the other side.
This stretch helps increase flexibility and prepares the shoulder muscles for activity.
Dumbbell Exercises for Surfing Strength
Dumbbell Renegade Rows
Engage your core, shoulders, and back, which are crucial for paddling and maintaining balance on the board.
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
This improves balance and strengthens the hamstrings and lower back, essential for stabilizing on the board.
Dumbbell Overhead Press
Builds shoulder strength, helping with the pop-up motion and maintaining paddling endurance.
Strengthening shoulders for powerful paddling and control—dumbbell overhead press in action.
Barbell Exercises to Build Power and Stability
Barbell Squats for Explosive Take-Offs
Develop lower body strength, especially in the quads and glutes, which are critical for explosive movements when standing up on the board.
Building lower body strength and stability—perfecting the barbell squat for explosive power on the waves.
Deadlifts for Posterior Chain Strength
Strengthen the posterior chain (back, glutes, hamstrings), essential for power and stability while surfing. To perform deadlifts for posterior chain strength;
Start by positioning your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly pointed outward.
Stand with the barbell over the midfoot, then hinge at your hips while keeping your back straight and chest up, bending your knees slightly.
Grip the bar with both hands, either overhand or mixed grip. Engage your core and drive through your heels to lift the bar by extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
Keep the bar close to your body as you rise to a fully upright position.
Lower the bar by hinging at the hips first, maintaining a straight back, and repeat for the desired number of reps.
Focus on controlled movement to effectively target your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
Barbell Lunges for Individual Leg Power
These enhance balance and strength in each leg individually, important for maintaining control while riding waves. A barbell lunge is a lower-body exercise that targets the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core. To perform it with good form, follow these steps:
Set up the barbell: Place a barbell on your upper back, across your shoulders (not your neck).
Stand with feet hip-width apart, core braced, and chest up.
Step forward: Take a controlled step forward with one foot (about 2-3 feet), keeping the torso upright.
Lower down: Bend both knees to lower your body, aiming for a 90-degree angle in the front knee. Your back knee should hover just above the floor without touching it. Keep your front knee aligned over your ankle.
Push back up: Press through the heel of your front foot and bring your back leg forward to return to the starting position.
Repeat: Alternate legs or perform all reps on one leg before switching.
Key tips: Keep your core engaged, avoid leaning forward, and ensure your knees don’t cave inward.
Barbell lunge
Kettlebell Exercises for Balance and Endurance
Turkish Get-Ups for Full-Body Coordination
Enhance full-body strength, coordination, and core stability, which are crucial for staying balanced on the board. The Turkish Getup is a full-body exercise that enhances strength, stability, and mobility. Here's how to perform it with perfect form:
Start on your back: Lie down, holding a kettlebell in your right hand with your arm fully extended. Bend your right knee and place your foot flat on the floor. Keep your left leg straight and your left arm at a 45-degree angle.
Move to your elbow: Push through your right foot and roll onto your left elbow, keeping the kettlebell stable overhead.
Sit up: Press from your elbow to your left hand, extending your arm fully. Your chest should be upright, and the kettlebell remains directly overhead.
Lift your hips: Drive through your left hand and right foot to lift your hips off the floor, creating a bridge position.
Sweep your leg: Sweep your left leg under your body, bringing your left knee directly under your left hand. You should now be in a half-kneeling position.
Kneel tall: Shift your torso upright, and lift your left hand off the floor. Adjust your position so you're fully upright with the kettlebell overhead.
Stand up: Push through your right foot to stand up tall, locking out your hips and knees. The kettlebell stays directly overhead throughout.
Reverse the steps: Slowly reverse the movement, returning to the starting position with control.
Key tips: Keep your eyes on the kettlebell, maintain a strong grip, and move slowly to ensure stability and form throughout the movement.
Turkish Get-Up with Kettlebell
Goblet Squats for Core Stability
These build leg strength and core stability, essential for controlling the board and carving through waves. To perform a goblet squat for core stability;
Start by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest with both hands, elbows pointing downward.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out.
Engage your core and maintain a straight back as you initiate the squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
Lower your body until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground, keeping the weight close to your chest.
Press through your heels to return to the starting position, fully extending your hips and knees.
Focus on maintaining balance and stability throughout the movement to effectively engage your core.
Kettlebell Swings for Hip Explosiveness
Improve hip explosiveness, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness, all necessary for powerful pop-ups and paddling. To perform kettlebell swings for hip explosiveness:
Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell on the ground slightly in front of you.
Bend at your hips and knees to grasp the kettlebell with both hands, keeping your back straight. Initiate the swing by driving your hips forward and swinging the kettlebell between your legs.
As the kettlebell swings back, hinge at your hips while maintaining a neutral spine. Then, explosively thrust your hips forward to propel the kettlebell upward to shoulder height, allowing your arms to relax and follow the movement.
Control the kettlebell as it swings back down, repeating the motion for the desired number of reps.
Focus on generating power from your hips and engaging your core throughout the exercise.
Kettlebell Swing: A dynamic exercise that strengthens the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, while improving core stability, endurance, and explosive hip power. Focus on form, proper breathing, and weight selection for maximum benefits.
Weight Machines for Targeted Muscle Growth
Lat Pulldowns for Paddling Power
Focuses on the lats and shoulders, helping improve paddling power and endurance. To perform lat pulldowns for paddling power;
Sit at a lat pulldown machine and adjust the knee pad to fit snugly against your thighs.
Grasp the bar with a wide grip, palms facing away, and lean back slightly while keeping your chest up.
Pull the bar down towards your upper chest by engaging your lats, driving your elbows down and back.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom of the movement.
Slowly return the bar to the starting position with control, fully extending your arms.
Focus on using your back muscles rather than your arms to enhance strength and power, which is crucial for effective paddling.
Cable Machine Rotations for Core Rotational Strength
Simulate the twisting movements of surfing, strengthening the core and improving rotational power. Cable machine rotations build core rotational strength, targeting the obliques and enhancing rotational power. To perform,
Stand sideways by a cable machine with the handle set at chest height.
Grasp the handle with both hands, extend your arms, and step back to create cable tension.
With feet shoulder-width apart, engage your core and rotate your torso away from the machine, keeping your arms straight and the movement controlled.
Return slowly to the starting position, maintaining core stability.
Repeat for the desired reps, then switch sides.
This exercise improves functional strength and rotational control for sports and daily activities.
Leg Press for Lower Body Strength
Builds quad and glute strength, which contributes to stronger take-offs and turns on the board. The leg press is an effective exercise for building lower body strength, primarily targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
Sit on the machine with your back flat against the seat and feet shoulder-width apart on the platform.
Press through your heels to extend your legs, avoiding locking the knees at the top.
Slowly bend your knees to lower the weight back down, keeping control throughout the movement.
The leg press helps build strength and muscle in the legs, supporting athletic performance and functional movements.
Leg Press: A strength exercise targeting the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Maintain proper form by keeping your back flat and pushing through your heels for controlled movement and optimal results.
Core and Stability Work for Surfing
Plank Variations for Core Endurance
Side planks, forearm planks, and plank rotations are excellent exercises to build core stability and endurance. Side planks engage the obliques and improve lateral stability by holding a straight-line position on one side. Forearm planks work the entire core by holding a strong, neutral posture on the forearms, activating the abs, glutes, and lower back. Plank rotations add dynamic movement, challenging core stability by rotating the torso while maintaining plank form. Together, these exercises strengthen the core, enhance balance, and improve overall body control.
Side Plank: Lie on one side, supporting your body on one forearm and the side of one foot, holding a straight line from head to heels.
Forearm Plank: Position yourself face down, supported on your forearms and toes, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels.
Plank Rotation: Start in a forearm plank, then rotate your torso to raise one arm toward the ceiling, alternating sides.
Strength and stability come together in the side plank. A great exercise for core activation and balance, helping you stay strong on the waves.
Medicine Ball Russian Twists for Oblique Strength
Strengthen the obliques and improve rotational strength, crucial for maneuvers on the board. Medicine Ball Russian Twists are a powerful exercise for building oblique strength and core stability.
Sit on the floor with knees bent, holding a medicine ball at chest level.
Lean back slightly, engage your core, and lift your feet off the ground if possible.
Twist your torso to one side, bringing the ball toward the floor beside you, then rotate to the opposite side.
Keep the movement controlled, focusing on the obliques with each twist.
This exercise enhances rotational strength, which is key for athletic performance and core endurance.
Bosu Ball Squats for Enhanced Balance
Perform squats on a Bosu ball to simulate the unstable surface of a surfboard and improve balance. To perform a Bosu ball squat:
Start by placing the Bosu ball dome side up on a stable surface.
Stand facing the Bosu with your feet shoulder-width apart, and carefully step onto the dome, keeping your balance.
Once stable, engage your core and lower your body into a squat by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, ensuring your knees stay aligned over your toes.
Aim to lower your thighs parallel to the ground, or as low as your flexibility allows, while keeping your chest up and back straight. Hold the squat for a moment, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.
This exercise not only strengthens the legs and glutes but also challenges your balance and stability.
Balance meets strength: This athlete demonstrates an impressive squat on a Bosu ball, engaging core muscles and improving stability. Elevate your training routine by incorporating functional exercises that challenge your body in new ways. Exercises like this not only enhance your strength but also promote better balance, crucial for maintaining control on the waves.
Cool Down: Recovery for Surf-Ready Muscles
Cool down for 10 minutes.
Static Stretching for Flexibility
Static stretching is a technique used to improve flexibility by holding a muscle in a lengthened position for 15-60 seconds. This allows the muscle to relax and lengthen, increasing its range of motion. Common static stretches include hamstring stretches, calf stretches, and shoulder stretches. Practicing static stretching after workouts helps improve flexibility, reduce muscle tension, and enhance recovery. Focus on the muscles worked during the session, including hamstrings, quads, shoulders, and back.
Foam Rolling for Muscle Recovery
Foam rolling is a self-massage technique used for muscle recovery and tension relief. By rolling targeted muscles over a foam roller, you apply pressure that helps release muscle knots, improve blood flow, and reduce soreness. Common areas to foam roll include the calves, quads, hamstrings, and back. Incorporating foam rolling into your routine after workouts can enhance flexibility, aid recovery, and prevent injuries by keeping muscles relaxed and pliable. Target areas prone to tightness, such as the calves, lats, and hip flexors.
Foam Rolling: An athlete uses a foam roller to release muscle tension and enhance recovery by rolling back and forth on targeted areas.
