Ok .. you see a smooth legged T-Rex walking along and there's a good chance they ride a bike , a swollen calf gets your attention they probably skate or the visually appealing upper body on someone probably surfs or swims regularly soooo surely someone who has carpenter forearms , van damme biceps and arnie pecs must windsurf right ??
From my observations there seems to be more kiting/windsurf Dadbods resembling middle aged golfers ( myself included ) than Taty Frans or Antoine martins getting around.

There is an article circulating that claims Professional windsurfing burns 1000 cals/hr and Recreational 500/hr if this were half true we should ALL be pretty ripped !!
Reckon a Man wrote that to show his wife why he needs to windsurf more

So I'm thinking that once a kite/wind surfer plateau's in abilities they may no longer be getting the benefit that a newby gets and perhaps shouldn't rely on windsurfing alone to keep in check .

Since Xmas I've been smashing the cardio and strength training on alternate days continuously and the spare tyre is disappearing fast , swapped the large pizza's for mung beans and consequently my windsurfing energy has more than doubled , everything from general well being / posture to balance , shagging like a champion and sleep patterns all improving
There is something to be said for life extension activities

Has anyone had a substantial break from windsurfing and noticed any part of them wasn't what it used to be ? Only asking cause I have not stopped since I started and looking at photos of myself prior to windsurfing I don't look any different.

One major thing I noticed was an absence from cycling made my knees ache after windsurfing

Sorry to ramble on everyone but would like to hear from others who may have different stories or pointers from experience
p.s photo of nood dood is not me

Are you a chick ?. I don't surf the net googling naked men

Mandurah mob in training

I feel insulted stu ! They are way too fit looking to be on our team. Im heading to Novara tomorrow and pass 3 macas drive throughs on the way. Mmmmmmm

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Stuthepirate said..
Mandurah mob in training

No wonder they're fast.

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HotBodMon said..

So I'm thinking that once a kite/wind surfer plateau's in abilities they may no longer be getting the benefit that a newby gets and perhaps shouldn't rely on windsurfing alone to keep in check .

I think you are right. When I first started learning it took a lot of physical effort, but I think that's because you are manually doing things. Once it becomes muscle memory the effort is nowhere near as much.

One thing I do remember is that I developed muscles on my ankles where they join the feet on both left and right sides. I have no idea what these muscles are called, but it was certainly from learning on a one-design board and having my body constantly readjust itself for balance. I remember noticing at the time that it made my ankles much stronger and when I would have normally sprained an ankle, instead the muscles seem to have let me just power out of it.

Recently I almost sprained my ankle and I could feel that there is not the same strength that I once had there, probably because my balance is now much better and the muscles have to do very little when sailing.

I am a bit surprised though in that I work the rig a lot. After a good session I will feel very tired in my arms and shoulders, whereas other people at the same location don't seem to. I think its that I am very physical with the rig, probably from sailing overpowered a lot. My booms tend to have the grip peeling off, so maybe that's a result of this too.

Ultimately, once past the learning stage most of us probably go backwards and develop more beer guts as we no longer need to work hard at the balancing act.

Been wearing a Garmin Fenix 5X when sailing for the last 12+ months which includes heart rate monitor. Huge difference between flat and waves, comfortable v overpowered. If overpowered and in bump n jump conditions, exertion easily matches if not tops cycling, surfing, surf SUPing and other activities.

Physique is 90% food. Chances are significant changes are due to the mung beans ;-)

Physique and fashion go together!

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Stuthepirate said..
Mandurah mob in training

WOW, you guys are waaaay fitter and younger than every other windsurfer we see around here, well done on only having 4 pies at breakfast instead of 8.

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Swindy said..
I feel insulted stu ! They are way too fit looking to be on our team. Im heading to Novara tomorrow and pass 3 macas drive throughs on the way. Mmmmmmm

Way too young too Rog

Did someone mention pies ?
Dont forget krispy kreme doughnuts. Got my distance pb with about 8 of them over the course of the day.

Oi ! Hotbodmon definately has a valid question. When i restarted windsurfin in 2016(45yo) clocked in at 6'2" n 119kg after a stint at FIFO mine work. Round faced, n pushing maximum density. 3 years down the track im 96-100kg. Did nothin different in lifestyle but windsurf as much as i could. At least 100 times per annum. Pretty stoked with the physique change n strength increase of all muscles. Calf muscles are larger n defined from being on the toes pushing RB around. My beltline has shrunk about 150mm. (44down to 38) Arms n upper body definately have got some good shape. Forearms definately bigger. Grip strength increased noticably. Always room for improvement. Dont need a gym. Would like to improve cardio though. Bit of swimming would be great to compliment. Check out any competent regular windsurfer physique. Usually a good lookin specimen of manhood. General health n ability increases. Love that after windsurf buzz. Yep an awesome sport! A REAL GAME CHANGER

In a nut shell this is why fat, or unfit people can windsurf.

Two things are at play here. Adaptation and diminishing returns.
As with any sort of physical activity or training the initial sessions (if done frequently enough) force the bodies systems (muscular-skeletal, nervous etc..) into an adaptation phase. This how we get better at doing something or something becomes easier to do.
As we adapt to the activity (get better at it) we need to make the activity harder to force further adaptations. With windsurfing once we can weight up those harness lines, get in the foot straps and rip across the water easily, the bodies systems don't need to work as hard and thus we no longer get a training effect (adaptation). In fact, unless you continue to try new things there is a real potential that your body's systems "let go" a bit as you are no longer overloading the systems.
This is actually what we seek in windsurfing - flow state - where everything is working comfortably and it feels effortless, within our limits, and relatively "mindless" to what needs to happen as we do it automatically.
If you windsurf 2-3+ times per week and have done for a while you can learn a lot from this. Compared to the rest of your body, what hurts the next day? What feels like it's done all the work? This can tell you a lot about what you might be doing wrong or poor technique. Example - if your forearms are always sore after/while sailing you may not be loading up the harness lines properly etc..
If you want to force adaptation you need to either do longer, do harder, or do different. The body will only work as hard as it needs to, if you are a pretty competent windsurfer, it becomes relatively "easy" and thus the body reflects this. This why very over fat people can windsurf well.

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needsalt said..
Been wearing a Garmin Fenix 5X when sailing for the last 12+ months which includes heart rate monitor. Huge difference between flat and waves, comfortable v overpowered. If overpowered and in bump n jump conditions, exertion easily matches if not tops cycling, surfing, surf SUPing and other activities.

Physique is 90% food. Chances are significant changes are due to the mung beans ;-)

Who sails overpowered for long in B & J conditions? Most people go to a smaller sail fairly soon. Cycling, OTOH, is pointless unless you are riding as hard as possible.
The only body changes I've ever noticed from windsurfing is a small increase in upper back muscles, probably due to frequent water starts, which, face it, are much more fun than chin-ups.

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Mr Milk said..

needsalt said..
Been wearing a Garmin Fenix 5X when sailing for the last 12+ months which includes heart rate monitor. Huge difference between flat and waves, comfortable v overpowered. If overpowered and in bump n jump conditions, exertion easily matches if not tops cycling, surfing, surf SUPing and other activities.

Physique is 90% food. Chances are significant changes are due to the mung beans ;-)

Who sails overpowered for long in B & J conditions? Most people go to a smaller sail fairly soon. Cycling, OTOH, is pointless unless you are riding as hard as possible.
The only body changes I've ever noticed from windsurfing is a small increase in upper back muscles, probably due to frequent water starts, which, face it, are much more fun than chin-ups.

Cycling is just like sailing. Huge difference between cross country, downhill or cruising round town. I'm not talking about cruising round town.

My local crew and I have spent half our Summer overpowered in B&J conditions. Unpredictable, nuking gusty wind leaves no other option.

Can't make sweeping generalisations about this stuff. So many variables. Depends on conditions, the discipline and how hard you like to smash. Each to their own.

I've not seen many chubby wave sailors.

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needsalt said..

I've not seen many chubby wave sailors.

Check out Gerroa

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HotBodMon said..

Ok .. you see a smooth legged T-Rex walking along and there's a good chance they ride a bike , a swollen calf gets your attention they probably skate or the visually appealing upper body on someone probably surfs or swims regularly soooo surely someone who has carpenter forearms , van damme biceps and arnie pecs must windsurf right ??
From my observations there seems to be more kiting/windsurf Dadbods resembling middle aged golfers ( myself included ) than Taty Frans or Antoine martins getting around.

There is an article circulating that claims Professional windsurfing burns 1000 cals/hr and Recreational 500/hr if this were half true we should ALL be pretty ripped !!
Reckon a Man wrote that to show his wife why he needs to windsurf more

So I'm thinking that once a kite/wind surfer plateau's in abilities they may no longer be getting the benefit that a newby gets and perhaps shouldn't rely on windsurfing alone to keep in check .

Since Xmas I've been smashing the cardio and strength training on alternate days continuously and the spare tyre is disappearing fast , swapped the large pizza's for mung beans and consequently my windsurfing energy has more than doubled , everything from general well being / posture to balance , shagging like a champion and sleep patterns all improving
There is something to be said for life extension activities

Has anyone had a substantial break from windsurfing and noticed any part of them wasn't what it used to be ? Only asking cause I have not stopped since I started and looking at photos of myself prior to windsurfing I don't look any different.

One major thing I noticed was an absence from cycling made my knees ache after windsurfing

Sorry to ramble on everyone but would like to hear from others who may have different stories or pointers from experience
p.s photo of nood dood is not me

I dropped out for about three years. Ended up with back issues because my other sports (cycling and dinghy sailing) both developed the front half of my body.Now i'm back into windsurfing and recovering.

Since returning to windsurfing the weight has stayed the same but muscles are increasing again.

A windsurfer who races doesn't seem to suffer a plateau. With a few exceptions, racers seem to be keeping strong as they age. Racing and freesailing may be very different; wavesailing too, perhaps.

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AusMoz said..

Physique and fashion go together!

Careful, he's still on Seabreeze!

Oh, and probably five times as fit as most guys his age.

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Mr Milk said..

Cycling, OTOH, is pointless unless you are riding as hard as possible.

Not according to any book,coach or training article I have ever checked. Recovery rides, intervals etc are an integral part of cycling training.

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Chris 249 said..

Mr Milk said..

Cycling, OTOH, is pointless unless you are riding as hard as possible.

Not according to any book,coach or training article I have ever checked. Recovery rides, intervals etc are an integral part of cycling training.

Back when i was riding there was a lot of talk about "junk miles" that is going out and just aimlessly turning the pedals over, maybe with a mate to chat to. Great for a recovery ride, when youre just trying to knock the lactic acid out of your legs, but a somewhat pointless exercise if youre trying to make actual gains in performance. Intervals on thr other hand were a great way to improve your performance.

windsurfing i think is more about remaining static, and holding yourself in the correct stance, followed by getting completely dynamic, and having to manoeuvre your body short and sharp. It's more of a sport where exercising benefits windsurfing ability, than windsurfing itself being a great way to keep fit. Not saying windsurfing can't be of benefit by itself, more that you have to do a lot of it and work hard at it to see a change in physique and ability. A lot more than your average weekend warrior has realistic time for. Im quite sure the PWA sailors compliment their excessive watertime with regular trips to the gym.

You know that scene at the start of baywatch where the Hoff is running down the beach in slomo with that stupid useless looking pod thingy? Thats me.

then i wake up and realize i'm sitting in front of the tv, swimming in a sea of beer bottles, choc milk cartons an chip packets. The remote has been cast onto a desert island 2nautical miles away, and question time just started.

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Chris 249 said..

Mr Milk said..

Cycling, OTOH, is pointless unless you are riding as hard as possible.

Not according to any book,coach or training article I have ever checked. Recovery rides, intervals etc are an integral part of cycling training.

Comes down to how much time your training, at around 10hours a weeks it's intervals all the the time, over that and you can start thinking about longer steadier rides. Most people don't train hard or long enough to need recovery rides

As for physique, road and mtb rider are pretty similar, skinny but then track sprinters dwarf most body builders.

I raced bikes for 15years then got back into windsurfing, I've gained 6kg of upper body mass and a belly.

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Mr Milk said..

needsalt said..

I've not seen many chubby wave sailors.

Check out Gerroa

Check out Coffs or Corros

Thanks Gladdies and Poddies for the humorous and informative replies

This was my turning point- Check out the possum in that carpet snake



Sure it doesn't look that bad but on smaller people I reckon it looks more out of place , fully got the E.T thing goin on I think the gym people call it Ectomorph ( skinny fat ) or hard gainer.
If I knew Gary Mcevoy was taking the shot I would have sucked in for sure

It sux having a roll over the spreader bar

Solution


Sorry the photo is on it's side
Yes I bit the bullet and invested in some future cloth racks , I actually purchased the tready 6 months before getting on the thing.
It was annoying me that I wasn't using it after shelling out $1500 for the thing but there were 2 reasons for it
1 , I was lazy
2 , I developed some form of sciatica from walking around lifting heavy things on concrete all day when I was a younger Bull and it occasionally comes back and bites me then that leads to a pulled back or neck muscle.

Hot Tip...
Those that have some sciatic problems
I visited a friend and was winging to him about my nerve pain and he suggested sucking your arse in ?? So I did this driving home from his place and when I woke up the next morning I could not even get out of bed ,I cursed him crawling on all 4's around the house in great pain for the whole day but then the next day I jumped out of bed like a new man ??
So now I pretend I have a macadamia nut between my cheeks and I'm gonna crack it .. My sciatic has disappeared

Back on topic - It's hard to get enthusiastic about fitness at the best of times so I incorporated a big tv and blutooth headset to battle the mundane and it works , great was to get through a series that your probably gonna watch anyway.

Heaps of fans needed , portable too , the liquid fat dripping from your body is incredible so a towel is another necessity
So much 2nd hand gear up for grabs cheap by other people's failed attempts , but after looking at all the juices that go all over the gear I purchase new.

Some of the fitness freqs online have some good tips especially good form - I've been trying the whole HIIT thing and they all swear by it.
It definitely gets the heart rate cranking sooner and you can adapt it to everything your doing- It made me puff hard on my TK1 kayak which I never have before

I'm giving this 6 months and will report back to see if it's all it's cracked up to be
Thanks for reading

One last thing as Needsalt noted the whole food issue is probably key and I found a way to cheat a little
I pile every living plant , seed and nut known to man into a giant bowl throw in some cat food ( tuna ) home made selected 2 to 1 oil/acid dressing and flavour enhancing salts and toss vigorously and surprisingly that lunch bowl can satisfy all the way to dindin's -- GoodLuck Seabreezerers

One thing for certain if you live in Qld and rely on windsurfing as your fitness and body savior your in trouble, cause we have had the worst summer for wind ever so far, you simply have to do other things to be in shape so when it does blow your'e ready.

There is also a MASSIVE difference in energy and muscle use between flat water and open water sailing, chalk and cheese.
One of the best ways you can improve windsurfing fitness when your out there is to sail 'non stop' for long periods, eg 1hr plus, and or get out on some open water and get your heart rate racing going through waves, open swells, chop etc, big difference compared to flat water..nothing gets the heart racing more than trying make a water start before the next set closes out on you, or even way out at sea in swell where no body would even notice if you become fish food! :) remote WA is classic for that feeling!

Windsurfitness is clearly on display in the 1Hr GPS races, from what i have seen most people start to struggle at 15min, then start begging for mercy at 30min, the 2nd half of the hour is the section that really tests sail fitness, as if you're tired you start to drop gybes and naturally tend to back off speed rather than pushing hard all the way, the added adrenaline rush of sailing in competition mode increases heart rate and ads to fatigue also.

If you could windsurf in decent wind 3-4 days a week in a variety if conditions for an hour or two each time, you would look like a machine no doubt, as some of the Pro's do...but for the rest of us there needs to be routine of cross training semi regularly to be even close to 'match fit'

Select to expand quote

HotBodMon said..
Thanks Gladdies and Poddies for the humorous and informative replies

This was my turning point- Check out the possum in that carpet snake



Sure it doesn't look that bad but on smaller people I reckon it looks more out of place , fully got the E.T thing goin on I think the gym people call it Ectomorph ( skinny fat ) or hard gainer.
If I knew Gary Mcevoy was taking the shot I would have sucked in for sure

It sux having a roll over the spreader bar

Solution


Sorry the photo is on it's side
Yes I bit the bullet and invested in some future cloth racks , I actually purchased the tready 6 months before getting on the thing.
It was annoying me that I wasn't using it after shelling out $1500 for the thing but there were 2 reasons for it
1 , I was lazy
2 , I developed some form of sciatica from walking around lifting heavy things on concrete all day when I was a younger Bull and it occasionally comes back and bites me then that leads to a pulled back or neck muscle.

Hot Tip...
Those that have some sciatic problems
I visited a friend and was winging to him about my nerve pain and he suggested sucking your arse in ?? So I did this driving home from his place and when I woke up the next morning I could not even get out of bed ,I cursed him crawling on all 4's around the house in great pain for the whole day but then the next day I jumped out of bed like a new man ??
So now I pretend I have a macadamia nut between my cheeks and I'm gonna crack it .. My sciatic has disappeared

Back on topic - It's hard to get enthusiastic about fitness at the best of times so I incorporated a big tv and blutooth headset to battle the mundane and it works , great was to get through a series that your probably gonna watch anyway.

Heaps of fans needed , portable too , the liquid fat dripping from your body is incredible so a towel is another necessity
So much 2nd hand gear up for grabs cheap by other people's failed attempts , but after looking at all the juices that go all over the gear I purchase new.

Some of the fitness freqs online have some good tips especially good form - I've been trying the whole HIIT thing and they all swear by it.
It definitely gets the heart rate cranking sooner and you can adapt it to everything your doing- It made me puff hard on my TK1 kayak which I never have before

I'm giving this 6 months and will report back to see if it's all it's cracked up to be
Thanks for reading

One last thing as Needsalt noted the whole food issue is probably key and I found a way to cheat a little
I pile every living plant , seed and nut known to man into a giant bowl throw in some cat food ( tuna ) home made selected 2 to 1 oil/acid dressing and flavour enhancing salts and toss vigorously and surprisingly that lunch bowl can satisfy all the way to dindin's -- GoodLuck Seabreezerers

Is that Coffs between the slsc and the jetty?

Jonesy, sailing at GB since Xmas is all about goin BIG. 9.5 is all i rig. Even then im flappin n pumping like a humming bird, just to get goin.Take Saturday for instance. Sailed 2hrs dredging all for one lil squall which had me fully powered for two passes then nothing. Trying to pump a 9.5 is great cardio n great for fitness. Phew!!

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olskool said..
Jonesy, sailing at GB since Xmas is all about goin BIG. 9.5 is all i rig. Even then im flappin n pumping like a humming bird, just to get goin.Take Saturday for instance. Sailed 2hrs dredging all for one lil squall which had me fully powered for two passes then nothing. Trying to pump a 9.5 is great cardio n great for fitness. Phew!!

Just lined up a 9.5 to go on the Speed 250L & Bic Formula. Now just need to cherry pick some NSW regattas.

When I haven't been sailing for a while I get a bad neck. Skipped sailing all of last summer since my gear was in storage while moving house, and every time I moved by neck it sounded and felt like someone had thrown a handful of sand into a gear box. Had a couple of sailing sessions, and now it's as good as new, full movement and not a single grind. No other exercise or treatment has ever come close to the same results. Can't explain why, but it always works.

That foto of the Mandurah Mob is 20 years old now, even more embarrassmenting to use a present day one

I'm losing heaps of weight sailboarding at Lake George..great in usual life but I think I need to eat more pies and add 20kgs so I can keep the board on the water and not bounce in the speed run..