Winter training...

[dtc]

Out of water training for surfing is a subject much debated and there are many websites about surf exercising. Everyone has a view and mine is not necessarily any better than others. Obviously sorting out your back problems is a priority, so obtain specialist advice. Its possible you have a muscle imbalance or something. Jaffa is/was (I think) a chiro so might have some thoughts.

I think if you surf enough - 2X per week or so - then additional exercise is probably not going to add much, unless you are looking to go big wave surfing or turning pro and need the edge; but I am assuming this isnt the case.

Its a bit unclear what your current level of fitness is. You say you do a lot of surfing, but if you can't run 5km then your level of aerobic fitness is (bluntly) quite poor given your age. But that can be fixed!

Assuming you are coming off a low exercise/training base, then almost anything is good for the first 12 months. Anything you do will help your strength and fitness and there is no need to specialise your training towards surfing until you have a solid base. Once you are reasonably fit and reasonably strong, then you can specialise. Surfing uses so many muscles that you need to get all of your body up to standard before worrying about lats or triceps or whatever.

In my view, jogging is 'over rated' as an exercise, both for surfing and general fitness. C25K is great for learning how to run 5km, if that is what you want to do. But being able to run 5km is not really relevant to surfing - it wont hurt your surfing and better aerobic fitness is useful, but if you are focused on surfing then its not as hugely useful. For example, in surfing you might paddle (using your arms) for 2 minutes at a constant rate, then a burst of paddling (maybe to get over a wave), then a rest, then a burst of paddling to catch a wave. Whereas jogging 5km is just a constant rate of low intensity effort mostly using your legs.

However, if you can't already jog 5km then training until you can is going to result in improvement and is worth doing. Its part of establishing the 'base' of fitness that you need.

Your swimming routine looks much more useful for surfing, although you have a lot of warm up! Perhaps have 8x25m warm up and then 8 x 25m block of fast but not sprint without stopping; then your sprints. Obviously try to keep the rest between the sprints as short as possible.

Yoga is good.

What you dont have is any strength exercises. Circuit training is really just another cardio effort. Weights will help you get stronger and lose weight (fat, anyway) and, if you keep rest periods short, also helps aerobic ability a bit. Its also very useful for surfing - both in terms of improving surfing and injury preventation.

After maybe 12 - 24 months of strength exercise, you can start specialising in surfing specific exercises if you want, but just start off with a basic 'all body' program. There are a zillion on google, but if you don't know how to use weights then its definitely worth getting someone to teach you the main exercises and write you a program. Low to medium reps (a weight you can only lift no more than 10 times).

Do not be 'scared' of weights! Have a read of this article (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_art ... l_to_train), which is obviously designed for men about getting women to go to the gym - so isnt the best article on the web, but I was just co-incidentally reading it and it covers a lot of issue. Dont forget to read the comments as well (or google to find a better article!).

So if you asked me to design your program and you wanted to focus on exercises useful for surfing, rather than general all round fitness, I would say

1. once you can jog 5km, stop jogging (unless you really enjoy it, but just do it 1x per week)
2. replace jogging with 2X per week fullbody weights/strength program (subject to back clearance). After 12-24 months, if you want, think about skewing your program towards a surfing related routine
3. things like 25m sprints, tabata (google it) and skipping - high intensity exercise - will keep your aerobic fitness up, you can usually fit them in at the end of a weight session or as a 20 min session
4. keep swimming and doing yoga
5. keep surfing
6. do a lot of reading on fitness and exercise programs for women, that focus on strength and weights, to teach and guide yourself. There is more than enough free stuff on the internet.

Hope that doesnt sound too preachy!

[jaffa1949]

Hello, I (just turned 21!) female, average surfer.. No barrels .....YET!
Based in the UK, I get plenty of water time but really wanting to focus on improving my surfing.
I surf as much as I can and want to start an excersise routine based on this. However I have a really bad back, I feel like my spine bone has actually curved due to paddling on the board...could this be possible?? Been to chiropractor didnt help so have just decided to rely on massages!
So am slightly wary about starting excersise plan. I am a 'strong' built surfer wide shoulders but would also like to loose some weight in the hope it will make my surfing more dynamic. SO have started the couch to 5k program...has anyone done it ? f...
PLease advice would be good!!!! With regards to swimming im doing about 16x25m warm up, then 16x25m sprint with 30/60 second rest between each length then 16x25m to warm down. This is general idea...please give me some feedback...Thanks!!! :

Hi iionzii, yes dtc is right I am a retired Chiropractor had my own practice for over 30 years specialising in sports and surfing problems.
Theis has to be general advice because I haven't examined you or nor do I have any information that would help me make a real diagnosis. (Please feel free to PM me about any of this if you don't wish it on the public face of the forum) I hope you do allow this as it may help others>

You have a really bad back???? my first questions have to be ; where is the problem, how long have you had it and how does it effect you???
There are other important questions too that would come from that, what sort of work do you do, are there any other effects you think might come from your back, the list goes on.
Have you been injured? How and how old were you? What other sports have you played

Major questions are, how many times did you go to the Chiropractor? Did they make a diagnosis, did they give you a plan of treatment? did you follow it? One thing is clear and evident you were not satisfied with the treatment!
Can't comment on that cause I wasn't there.

Some general comments about physical therapies, often people have had an acute problem ( seeming to be new and very uncomfortable or from an injury ) or an old problem and they expect the Physiotherapist, chiropractor, osteopath to fix it in one visit. That result is very rare.
Often posture , lifestyle, work relationships to load bearing and often sitting position need to be considered previous trauma or injury too.
There are also gender related back problems and some of them are quite serious.

If you haven't got a clear diagnosis, get one! Two results from this you will know the problem how serious it is and how and who can help you!
BTW not everything needs Chiropractic.
If you get a diagnosis and its good I would do these things in this order.
Make sure my skeletal structure is aligned and sound, I would undertake a core exercise program like Pilates or Yoga or even Yogalates to strengthen the core muscles around my spine and enhance the muscle and connective tissue you use to drive your surfing, ( the program shown on this forum is a good place to start)

I would engage a team of people who understand surfing and its specific actions on the body.

An MD with a grounding in sports medicine and general practice, a Chiropractor or Osteopath ( This is different from the definition of an Osteopath in the United States) a Physiotherapist and a good masseuse or masseur, you need to allow and encourage them to be able to talk to each other. They all need to be flexible in their attitudes to each other as well.
That's big ask, but it is something I achieved for many of my patients and their health is robust because of it.

Bottom line get a clear diagnosis, get a realistic evaluation of your fitness from a third party, both in cardio and basic all round flexibility and surf specific exercises.
Non surfers have no clue really about surfing and what it requires.
Read the forums exercise program and fee back how you think it could help you. I'll be happy to give general advice based on that.
I'll be happy too, if you get a diagnosis to advise you on an appropriate course of action.

[IB_Surfer]

Do more surfing. Being fit really does help, but the more you surf the better you get.

[jaffa1949]

OK It makes little more sense now. Did you have any of these problems before the cycling? If no then it is likely the cycling aggravated a possible underlying problem or started a new one!

Other questions are important here and I hope both your doctor and your Chiro asked, does the sciatic pain go down your left leg? How far? Do you have any pain extending down your arms. What is your general health like?
I'm a little at a loss about the blood test for inflammation, that is quite easy to diagnose without blood test, I would believe the Dr. is having a more defined look for underlying physiological problems, possibly tracking any serious viral illnesses you may have had! Ask the doctor!


I also think that after 6 or seven visits to the Chiro you should and they should have some idea of what they think is the problem??? Have they said what?

I would also be considering a spinal Xray ( this is not always done with 21 year old women as they are of child bearing years and there need to be a fairly good reason to Xray).
Xray is not appropriate if you might be pregnant!!!
Done in the right way this will show any spinal or boney problems.

Since you specifically mention the scalene muscles which I think is a second problem rather than part of the low back the masseuse is a good idea for extra treatment, especially if they specialise in myofascial release techniques.
Still follow up to get the diagnosis that is important!

Now about the clicking, this is usually an indication of some tension around the spine, when you move the fine muscle release around the vertebra and as the bone move in relation to each other they make a popping sound we call cavitation, it is not bone crunching against bone and yes you can feel it.

The two yoga assanas ( poses) to consider are as a complete spinal stretch and also a light spinal positioner is one, salute to the sun and the cat pose.

In the salute to the sun i would allow my body to move very slowly through the movement especially in the return to squat and just allow if you can each muscle group to relax into its natural position in each phase.


keep talking on the forum about your progress as the real help is going to come from someone who can actually see you face to face and get a clear opinion of what you need.

Happy to help