Photography: RR
Ericeira is known globally for being the only World Surfing Reserve in Europe and the second in the world. There are seven world-class waves along a coastline of several kilometres that delight locals and visitors driven by their passion for wave sports. Recently, Ericeira Living website interviewed the founders of the Ericeira Surf Development Program, who explained how it is possible to develop your surfing with out-of-water exercises.
Merit and Dale are professional surfers dedicated to enhancing their training routine with specific out-of-water surfing exercises. Presumably, dry land sessions can help the world’s best surfers improve and give them an edge in the ocean or, these days, in a wave pool.
dry land sessions can help surfers improve
While there are many factors that contribute to the success of the world’s elite surfers, their surf training program has some merit as well. But couldn’t these programs make you a better surfer too?
The founders of Ericeira Surf Development Program, Merit and Dale, explain how you can develop surfing in a gym.
Can a surf training program help us become better surfers?
Absolutely! Unlike online programs that just make you sweaty and sore, ours include a variety of surf-specific exercises that ensure progression, whilst developing confidence and performance in the water.
As surfers ourselves, we know it’s essential to incorporate unilateral (one-sided) and core training to pinpoint muscle imbalances and improve stability.
muscle strength, mobility, power, endurance are some points where training focuses
How can a surf training program help us to improve performance in the water?
Here is what you should focus on to become a better surfer: muscle strength, mobility, power, stamina…
Working on the balance of the body for greater stability on the board…
Balance is our focus: the connection between the upper and lower body is essential for anyone surfing with balance and control and executing big turns.
Throughout the program, we focus on building strength within the body’s multiple planes of movement – flexion, extension and rotation – to ensure solid performance in the water.
Improve your mobility for better pop-up and combat imbalances
Next, think about your pop-up. Do your feet always land perfectly where they need to be, or does your front foot often get stuck due to a lack of mobility?
Mobility is the combination of flexibility and strength. Good mobility allows our bodies to perform in tricky positions with a full range of motion and reduces our risk of injury.
Your knees may be flexible enough to get you into a deep squat on your board. But, if your glutes aren’t strong enough to lift you out of that squat and back to a standing position, you will need to work on your mobility to ride out that wave even better next time.
Surfers are often in specific positions that will create immobility in certain areas. In our mobility sessions, we target common trouble spots that surfers have and help you to move bigger, better and more confidently.
we target trouble spots surfers have and help them move better
Work muscular and cardiovascular Stamina for long paddle-outs and duck-diving big sets
Whereas strenght is the ability to lift a maximun weight once, stamina is the ability to lift that weight repetidely.
It probably comes as no surprise that we also need good muscular and cardiovascular stamina when enduring long paddle-outs, holding our position in a strong current and duck-diving big sets. Most of our sessions will include some sort of cardiovascular component because it’s something that can quickly be improved for most people.
muscular and cardiovascular endurance is required to withstand long strokes
Surf sessions are often interrupted due to strong currents and grueling conditions. Having a higher level of muscular and cardiovascular endurance will extend the time you can surf before fatigue kicks in and allow you to maintain a longer surf session in difficult conditions.
Improve your explosiveness for power paddling and snappy manoeuvres
Additionally, power – the combination of strength and speed- is another important component of the program. We need explosive power when paddling into waves and performing snappy maneuvers. Therefore, we implement specific exercises in our sessions to improve this.
a simple and effective workout is a safe way to prepare you for winter waves
Choose low impact power training exercises to preserve your knees
Merit and Dale have plenty of low-impact alternatives that mimic jumping movements without needing your body to actually get off the ground. The ‘energy workout’ is simple and effective and is a safe way to prepare you for winter waves.
Tell us about your own surf training, the Surf Development Program.
The surf development program focuses on all the things above and more. It has been designed by two certified trainers, with functionality and surf performance at its core. This includes strength, mobility and conditioning sessions.
On top of that, all participants of the program are provided with individualised tracking to monitor progress made over the duration of the program.
the program lasts for four weeks with sessions in the gym and on the beach
Our programs are 4-weeks long, with the majority of sessions taking place in a fully-equipped gym, only 2 km from Ericeira town centre. Other sessions take place at the beach, if the weather conditions allow for it.
Spots are limited to just 8 people to ensure quality coaching and individual attention at all times.
You can read the original full interview here.
Esta publicação também está disponível em | This article is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)
