I have a weight setup in my garage but it mostly collects dust since I got into surfing. i used to do squat, deadlift, pull ups, and overhead press, 5 sets of 5 reps, except pull ups.

I started lifting last couple weeks, doing light weight, 10 reps/set. Hoping this helps with surfing, but worried I might gain weight or lose endurance.

Anyone have thoughts on whether lifting helps? I like doing it cause I feel relaxed after and I hate cardio unless it's mountain biking. Also hard to fit in lifting with recovery from surfing, feels like I'm still recovering a couple days after a long surf session, stuff like holding on to board in whitewater can strain stuff.
Thanks!

Yes weight training but lower weight and high reps gives you tone without bulk. Check out Less Mill Pump on you tube.
Mtb is great fun and exercise

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515 said..
Yes weight training but lower weight and high reps gives you tone without bulk. Check out Less Mill Pump on you tube.
Mtb is great fun and exercise

Thanks for suggestion, lol MTB awesome til you fall, so brutal!

Others may disagree, but I think using weights with the aim of increasing mobility over absolute strength is what most of us should do as the priority. As we all get older and sit in cars/at a desk for hours on end, our mobility suffers enormously. Stretching by itself is usually not enough for guys to stay mobile as we age.

I want to move well in any direction (and be in control) and not be limited by tightness/lack of mobility for my 40's and beyond.

To me, that is what matters more over how much I can deadlift or bench.

Look up these two guys on youtube:
- Knee over toes guy
- The Bioneer

I'm not saying they know everything, however - for normal people, what both guys recommend is basically spot on. Not bro-science either. Minimal equipment too.

Yeah MTB is fun till you hit the deck! I don't bounce up as much as I used to. lol!

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Hoppo3228 said..
Others may disagree, but I think using weights with the aim of increasing mobility over absolute strength is what most of us should do as the priority. As we all get older and sit in cars/at a desk for hours on end, our mobility suffers enormously. Stretching by itself is usually not enough for guys to stay mobile as we age.

I want to move well in any direction (and be in control) and not be limited by tightness/lack of mobility for my 40's and beyond.

To me, that is what matters more over how much I can deadlift or bench.

Look up these two guys on youtube:
- Knee over toes guy
- The Bioneer

I'm not saying they know everything, however - for normal people, what both guys recommend is basically spot on. Not bro-science either. Minimal equipment too.

Yeah MTB is fun till you hit the deck! I don't bounce up as much as I used to. lol!

This sounds spot on, I was into lifting heavy (for me) cause it was fun to progress and it felt great after, but didn't feel like it was very functional and not good for my joints, except mitigating loss of muscle mass that apparently comes with age. I did like how dead lifts made me feel more stable with multiple kids dangling off me. curious if cleans could be good for explosiveness but I don't think I can do them cause of titanium plate on clavicle from mtb crash ??

Training with weights is a great option as we age. I'm 54 and am possibly in the best shape ever. "The Worlds Fittest Book" by Ross Edgely has been my go to bible for training in recent months. There is a lot of information and some practical functional strength training workouts included. Ross is a big guy who swam around the UK coastline a few years back, and his scribblings on fitness and the myths around traditional ideas are both informative and entertaining. Take a look at Laird Hamilton an tell me that training off he water didn't help his surfing. As well as paddling - walking and running are great activities that promote movement and mobility - if you don't enjoy either, think of them more like maintenance. Since starting to train with my 17 year old son during lockdown, I have increased my muscle mass, lost 10kg, improved my VO2 max and decreased my blood pressure and heart rate. My resting HR is now 40-52 and my recovery is so much quicker than it used to be. Don't focus too much on the bulk issue, I have found the opposite - swapping fat for muscle and dropping weight. I feel so much better too and you may find that one type of training encourages others to create a balanced fitness.
One area to definitely not neglect is flexibility and mobility. Before lockdowns shut down our local YMCA, I was doing 2 sessions of yoga each week and seriously felt like someone had taken the broomstick out of my spine. I need to get back to it as my flexibility (as does nearly every paddler / surfer) needs some renewed attention. Hope you work out a regimen that works for you, but definitely pick something you can stick with long term.
Good luck.

I agree with Hoppo. SUP surfing in itself gives you the strength training needed. Your whole core is engaged in the paddle stroke let alone just standing and balancing. Other muscle groups engage and release through the paddling process. What is more important is your flexibility. Stretching is paramount. A regularly stretching regime is important as well as stretching before every work out(surf) and after. This helps in the strengthening of muscles but also recovery plus maintain flexibility. Any other physical activity will contribute to your fitness including weight training, but if want to improve your paddle surfing - paddle surf. This wonderful sport/passion does it all.

As Hoppo said, for me at 61, and a life sitting in front of computers, my main issue is mobility and stretching.

However, I found it useful to build strength for SUPing for the muscles that you seldom use normally: for me it was the core, and especially torso twists, if you cannot or do not want to do regular flat water paddling.

Just another option for those who don't have/want weights, I have found the cross fit "murph" workout to be great for fitness and mobility. Can be scaled down depending on circumstances/mood and focus on depth of movement rather than reps. For full experience, with 9kg weight vest:
1 mile run
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
1 mile run

I split the reps into 20 sets with a bit of rest in between, so 5 pull ups, 10 push ups and 15 squats. Personally I leave off the weights vest for the pull ups, or leave them out altogether. Great for core and fitness.

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Kisutch said..

Hoppo3228 said..
Others may disagree, but I think using weights with the aim of increasing mobility over absolute strength is what most of us should do as the priority. As we all get older and sit in cars/at a desk for hours on end, our mobility suffers enormously. Stretching by itself is usually not enough for guys to stay mobile as we age.

I want to move well in any direction (and be in control) and not be limited by tightness/lack of mobility for my 40's and beyond.

To me, that is what matters more over how much I can deadlift or bench.

Look up these two guys on youtube:
- Knee over toes guy
- The Bioneer

I'm not saying they know everything, however - for normal people, what both guys recommend is basically spot on. Not bro-science either. Minimal equipment too.

Yeah MTB is fun till you hit the deck! I don't bounce up as much as I used to. lol!

This sounds spot on, I was into lifting heavy (for me) cause it was fun to progress and it felt great after, but didn't feel like it was very functional and not good for my joints, except mitigating loss of muscle mass that apparently comes with age. I did like how dead lifts made me feel more stable with multiple kids dangling off me. curious if cleans could be good for explosiveness but I don't think I can do them cause of titanium plate on clavicle from mtb crash ??

Hey Kisutch,

If I may add:

Performing olympic lifts only really helps you do olympic lifting. The law of specificity really applies here. Without using substantial weight (body weight+) it really is just a cardio session... Having said this, to perform olympic lifts at a good level, you need dialled mobility with no weaknesses - most of us don't fit here (maybe we did when we were 20).

Improved Hip stability and improved deep core strength are what you like the feeling of picking up the kids etc.

IMO Deadlifts should always be a part of a balanced training program. Alternating Standard and Sumo. If training with the aim of also improving mobility, lower the bar slowly to the floor to increase time under tension for your hamstrings/adductors as they lengthen. Be smart with the weight however - not too heavy. 15-20 reps x 2-3 sets is enough. On the way up, be explosive and really think of activating the glutes.

Split Squats are something that should be in most programs also. Very scaleable depending on mobility level. Can use a barbell/dumbell or just body weight. Knee Over Toes Guy on Facebook explains this one really well.

Other Exercises such as Turkish Get Ups, Good Mornings, Nordic Hamstring Curls (very hard), Tibialis Raises, kettlebell work, weighted Knee raises, bar hangs, chin up variations, face pulls, reverse planks, Plyometric jumps and even running backwards all have direct benefits for performance.

As much as I hate the idea of Crossfit, the Murph is a good session from time to time as ECsurf said. Rowing machines can be easily swapped in for the running component of the Murph if running 3200m is not for you - i've swum that also - which was killer (back when I actually was fit). The Longest Mile and Cindy are good general workouts also.

Thanks for all the great feedback! Lots to think about. One thing not touched on, wonder if strength training can help with imbalances you get from paddling more on one side or in semi surf stance. i worry a little that these could have contributed to neck injury I got last September.

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Kisutch said..
i worry a little that these could have contributed to neck injury I got last September.

Are you sure you warm up properly?
I did not have any more stress injuries since I do a proper 10 minutes warmup before leaving the house.Here is my routine:

I've been training with weights for over 25 years. I've found that it definitely helps with explosiveness when taking off on bigger waves. So it's a thumbs up from me.
I also ride a mountain bike 2-3 times a week. I generally ride it hard for about 40 minutes and focus on breathing.

Heavy weights, maintaining the best form whichever muscle group you are targeting, and all the above. As we (lads) age the reduction in production of testosterone, growth hormone etc can only really be mitigated against by lifting heavy with good rest in between. Lifting for years now and for me to put any substantial mass on I have to really focus on diet as well - 'you can't out train a crap diet.' Find lifting supports joints, helps strengthen other soft tissue, supports against osteoporosis and as Colas said, core is 'core' for me. Also helps when impacting water, dirt snow etc carrying a bit more muscle mass. Good example for me is Adam Peaty - UK swimmer, he has a fair amount of mass, phenomenal endurance and flexibility admitted he does hold the top 16 or so fastest times in the world for his event!!

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colas said..

Kisutch said..
i worry a little that these could have contributed to neck injury I got last September.

Are you sure you warm up properly?
I did not have any more stress injuries since I do a proper 10 minutes warmup before leaving the house.Here is my routine:

I'll try this one Colas. Looks good, and clocking in at 10 min not bad.

I have been slowly integrating some of the exercises from these guys using weights, TRX, Bosu Balls and balance boards into my routine. Lots of twisting and turning while balancing on various things. Some of their exercises are kinda hard to do in one's living room, but there are some good ideas in there for mobility / strength. Seems to help my surfing under these really long spells of flatness....

-g7BOGkSfZLUXfD3mx&index=2&t=95s

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colas said..

Kisutch said..
i worry a little that these could have contributed to neck injury I got last September.

Are you sure you warm up properly?
I did not have any more stress injuries since I do a proper 10 minutes warmup before leaving the house.Here is my routine:

I definitely do not warm up properly;) Need to work on that and I think a bottleneck for my progression lately is positioning (catching too far from peak) so a warm up where I could watch waves would help- I'm an hour drive from break so have to do at beach.

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Napnap said..
Heavy weights, maintaining the best form whichever muscle group you are targeting, and all the above. As we (lads) age the reduction in production of testosterone, growth hormone etc can only really be mitigated against by lifting heavy with good rest in between. Lifting for years now and for me to put any substantial mass on I have to really focus on diet as well - 'you can't out train a crap diet.' Find lifting supports joints, helps strengthen other soft tissue, supports against osteoporosis and as Colas said, core is 'core' for me. Also helps when impacting water, dirt snow etc carrying a bit more muscle mass. Good example for me is Adam Peaty - UK swimmer, he has a fair amount of mass, phenomenal endurance and flexibility admitted he does hold the top 16 or so fastest times in the world for his event!!

I found after lifting recently my arms didn't get as sore from holding board in whitewater, can get some strain

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Zeusman said..
I've been training with weights for over 25 years. I've found that it definitely helps with explosiveness when taking off on bigger waves. So it's a thumbs up from me.
I also ride a mountain bike 2-3 times a week. I generally ride it hard for about 40 minutes and focus on breathing.

The loop trails here usually take me 1.5-2h, such fun and solid workouts, but hard to fit in on top of surfing, usually do when too stormy, but this is maybe all I need.

Lol one thing that could factor into training decision is if I sold my power rack/bumper plates I could start looking for my next board:) I think I love overhead press too much though, strangely find it therapeutic

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Kisutch said..
a warm up where I could watch waves would help- I'm an hour drive from break so have to do at beach.

For this, a simple recipe is just to rotate all the joints in your body, in order, so that you do not miss any: e.g. ankles, knees, hips, torso, shoulders... This is the mobility part of the warmup.
And you can add some cardio by simply running to the water :-)

Hi everyone, lifting weights will help any sport, and for those of us north of 40 its something we should do just to preserve our muscle mass.

We have a great gym at my work place, and I can lift anyway I want to, however the piece of equipment that completely changed my life the last few years was a Pilates Reformer that one of the lady members asked the gym to purchase. It looked amazing so I googled a few how to videos and started using it.

I have not touched a weight bar since, the reformer lets you work every part of your body and you can work muscles that are hard to target with normal weights. It also improves your flexibility and with the different motions you can stretch your body as well. It has toned and strengthen in ways that I would have to go back to my twenty's to see.

I ended up the only one using the reformer and when we needed space in the gym for a few new machines, I was luck enough to purchase the reformer and it now lives in our home gym. My wife is now a convert too, and loves it.

One of the machines that my work gym purchased was a Ski Erg, and its great cardio machine that as a bonus is a good mimic for the stand up paddle stroke. I now do a circuit of stationary bike and Ski Erg at work and the reformer at home on days when I have not been out on a paddle board.

I cannot recommend a Pilates Reformer enough, if you have the space (about the same size a good surf sup) and the money, its well worth it. Around the same price as a decent SUP and worth every penny.

Steve.

P.S if you want to see a Reformer in action have a look at John Garey T.V on YouTube has plenty of great workouts, with and without a reformer.

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Hoppo3228 said..

Kisutch said..

Hoppo3228 said..
Others may disagree, but I think using weights with the aim of increasing mobility over absolute strength is what most of us should do as the priority. As we all get older and sit in cars/at a desk for hours on end, our mobility suffers enormously. Stretching by itself is usually not enough for guys to stay mobile as we age.

I want to move well in any direction (and be in control) and not be limited by tightness/lack of mobility for my 40's and beyond.

To me, that is what matters more over how much I can deadlift or bench.

Look up these two guys on youtube:
- Knee over toes guy
- The Bioneer

I'm not saying they know everything, however - for normal people, what both guys recommend is basically spot on. Not bro-science either. Minimal equipment too.

Yeah MTB is fun till you hit the deck! I don't bounce up as much as I used to. lol!

This sounds spot on, I was into lifting heavy (for me) cause it was fun to progress and it felt great after, but didn't feel like it was very functional and not good for my joints, except mitigating loss of muscle mass that apparently comes with age. I did like how dead lifts made me feel more stable with multiple kids dangling off me. curious if cleans could be good for explosiveness but I don't think I can do them cause of titanium plate on clavicle from mtb crash ??

Hey Kisutch,

If I may add:

Performing olympic lifts only really helps you do olympic lifting. The law of specificity really applies here. Without using substantial weight (body weight+) it really is just a cardio session... Having said this, to perform olympic lifts at a good level, you need dialled mobility with no weaknesses - most of us don't fit here (maybe we did when we were 20).

Improved Hip stability and improved deep core strength are what you like the feeling of picking up the kids etc.

IMO Deadlifts should always be a part of a balanced training program. Alternating Standard and Sumo. If training with the aim of also improving mobility, lower the bar slowly to the floor to increase time under tension for your hamstrings/adductors as they lengthen. Be smart with the weight however - not too heavy. 15-20 reps x 2-3 sets is enough. On the way up, be explosive and really think of activating the glutes.

Split Squats are something that should be in most programs also. Very scaleable depending on mobility level. Can use a barbell/dumbell or just body weight. Knee Over Toes Guy on Facebook explains this one really well.

Other Exercises such as Turkish Get Ups, Good Mornings, Nordic Hamstring Curls (very hard), Tibialis Raises, kettlebell work, weighted Knee raises, bar hangs, chin up variations, face pulls, reverse planks, Plyometric jumps and even running backwards all have direct benefits for performance.

As much as I hate the idea of Crossfit, the Murph is a good session from time to time as ECsurf said. Rowing machines can be easily swapped in for the running component of the Murph if running 3200m is not for you - i've swum that also - which was killer (back when I actually was fit). The Longest Mile and Cindy are good general workouts also.

Wholeheartedly agree with this assessment.I am a huge fan of the KNEES OVER TOES GUY. He has some very basic, simple but effective routines that require little in the way of equipment. Nordic hamstrings are very challenging but have been used by elite athletes particularly when addressing knee issues.You can even incorporate something as rudimentary as backwards walking.This is all about building strength and flexibility at the same time to areas of the body which are susceptible to breakdown.I have not heard about the Bioneer.