Womens Wetsuits

I think most people don’t realise just how strenuous surfing can be and fitness needed to be a great surfer. You only have to try it once and be in the water for half an hour to feel a great amount of respect for the surfers who go out and ride the waves every day of their lives. Your muscles are worked incredibly hard as you take the board into the surfing launch zone and when riding a lot of energy is expended also. So if you are going to want to get signed by the likes of Roxy, Rip Curl and Animal Clothing you’re going to have build those muscles. So which muscle groups have the greatest demand put on them and so need more training?

Deltoids – These in simple terms are yout shoulder muscles and take a big hit during a surf session. When you are lying flat on the board and rotating your arms repeatedly to paddle out, your deltoid group is providing around 70% of the power. If you imagine you are paddling out 20 times or so in a session, those muscles better be ready

Trapezius – These muscles make up those of the upper back and the neck. They are also involved with the surfboards forward movement when you are paddling out, but are called into action more when you are ‘popping’ up on the board. Explosive strength is needed in this action so with this in mind, the work you do in the gym should be with high weights and at a fast pace

Abs and core muscles – Your stabilising muscles need to be in peak condition otherwise you might as well just not get in the water. When popping up and riding the board, it is all very well having balance but you need conditioned abs and core muscles to make the necessary balance adjustments. These muscles need to have high priority in your training regime as their use is required during every surfing element. Use a core-stability ball or Pilates techniques to build these up.

Cardiovascular fitness should also be included in your surf training and there are plenty of second hand bikes that you can pick up and use to ride to the beach to help with this