Surfing Waves

OK, well seeing as I wont be surfing mostly all winter and Im getting my board this spring, are there any excercises I can do to build up my paddling power? Hopefully I can get them ready for next year, so that I wont go out on the firts day and get stranded!

Cheers
Will.

I've been going to the gym (for keeping toned and rock climbing strength training) long before I started surfing. I've tried targeting my paddling muscles with certain exercises in the gym:

Shoulder press with dumbbells
Lat raises with dumbbells
Front raises with dumbbells
One handed rows with dumbbells
Seated rows on machine
Standing rows with barbell

But even though these exercises improved my muscle strength and size, they didn't help that much with paddling. I think this is because paddling has a lot more to do with good technique and stamina over power and strength.

Now, I find swimming and simple pull-ups work well for me. The pull-ups are excellent training as you are "fine tuning" your back muscles for lifting your OWN bodyweight, and nothing more - v. similar to pulling your OWN bodyweight when you are surfing.

To be honest though, paddling is by far the best exercise. Even on a flat day I'll go out and do sets of paddling sprints until my arms and shoulders go limp and numb with pain!!!

willz wrote:OK, well seeing as I wont be surfing mostly all winter and Im getting my board this spring, are there any excercises I can do to build up my paddling power? Hopefully I can get them ready for next year, so that I wont go out on the firts day and get stranded!

Cheers
Will.

i have one word for you mate, that is..Yoga.

gazbert wrote:Shoulder press with dumbbells
Lat raises with dumbbells
Front raises with dumbbells
One handed rows with dumbbells
Seated rows on machine
Standing rows with barbell

dunno what type of rows your doing but normal (bent over) rows are for your back not shoulders, and upright rows (shoulder) can damage your rotator cuffs, which means no paddling at all.

I would say lots of swimming, maybe even using those hand thingies, and a balanced full body weight routine. Remeber just making your shoulders stronger might help you paddle faster but wont have a big impact on endurance - thats where swimming helps. But any fitness work will help a lot, the strongest and fittest paddler i know doesnt do any gym work but goes running every day.

**Digs out old swimming membership card**

the best you can do is surf

the second best is to mock the motion of surfing...ie swimming


get in the pool and get your aqua endurance up

yoga - tai chi (this is an amazing workout) actually anyform of boxing/kickboxing is actually very good to strengthn and increase your flexability.

Dont just work on the arms remember your legs play a big role as well so keep them fit and flexed.

I agree swimming is probably the best allround workout you can get.

Also try getting into a finess routine as you wake up and befoe you go to bed i practise a fairly uknown indian form of yoga that uses palm pressuring (bit complicated but it actually works every muscle in the body) try and find something simular.

GowerCharger wrote:dunno what type of rows your doing but normal (bent over) rows are for your back not shoulders, and upright rows (shoulder) can damage your rotator cuffs, which means no paddling at all.

As far as I know/been taught, barbell upright rows, seated row (I use a cable), and one arm
dumbbell rows target the following muscle groups:
trapezius (back), posterior deltoids (shoulders), lats (back - sides), rhomboids (back), and your biceps to a certain degree.

Yes, you're quite right, rows do target your back, but they also target your shoulders and lats
(and biceps) too. I find that my sholuders, lats and upper back muscles are all aching after a hard session!

Not heard that

GowerCharger wrote:upright rows (shoulder) can damage your rotator cuff

I've been doing them for over 16 years and all seems well - I hope!
Have you got a reference for this? Would be grateful if you have as I'll find an alternative exercise. Guess it's like any weight training exercise though - you can always do damage; you just have to be more careful with some more than others.

As for swimming being the next best thing to paddling, I'm totally with you there.

yes, like i said weights wont do much for your muscle endurance as swimming. But dont just concentrate on shoulders/back, chest/front delts are used just as much when your duckdiving and taking off, and your core and leg muscles are used when your actually riding (and heavy squats do wonders for your lung capacity).

Can't offer any informed advice but having not been out in the water for a while and having spent the weekend paddling with a little bit of surf I can tell you that the muscle that are sore today are the same ones that ache when I do press ups. My lats are sore as well as my shoulders.

I guess as others have pointed out there's no substitute for actual surfing. I've been using the shoulder cycle thing at the gym for a while and that seemed to help a bit but its more strenght in the back which seems to be needed.

I would go with plenty of swimming and Yoga.

I am a personal trainer and I would listen to the dude that said to do yoga, but you should run too if possible. The higher your VO2 max (the more oxygen your body make use of, given the same volume of inhaled air) the better your muscles will function, especially during prolonged movements, like paddling.

Yoga would definately be my first choice above lifting weights. When I was 22 years old I could bench press 585 lbs, and all that did for me was raise my blood pressure, and cause upper extremity postoral disorders (bad posture), which took a lot of corrective training to fix.

I am not saying that lifting weights is bad, it is good, just don't overdo it, and make sure that the way you lift weights matches the way you desire to stand up straight.

GowerCharger wrote:yes, like i said weights wont do much for your muscle endurance as swimming. But dont just concentrate on shoulders/back, chest/front delts are used just as much when your duckdiving and taking off, and your core and leg muscles are used when your actually riding (and heavy squats do wonders for your lung capacity).

Are there any other exercises you would recommend to do training for leg muscles?

really good article on paddling power with good tips from the pros:
http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/surfl ... oke_41384/

I go SUPing days there are no waves. More fun than swiming and really good for the core and endurance. A good run works well for the endurance as well.