Nearly all the hardcore regular wingers at my local spot (>4 sessions per week people) are absolutely shredded and without an ounce of body fat, no matter the age or gender.

Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon?

There is nothing magic about wingfoiling, as there is not for any sport at all. It just comes down to how many calories you consume and how many you burn.

If you do any sport for 4+ times per week for a few hours in total and don't overcompensate with eating, you will lose fat. Just get a a fitness app like my fitness pal or something and track your intake.

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Icebergmansion said..
Nearly all the hardcore regular wingers at my local spot (>4 sessions per week people) are absolutely shredded and without an ounce of body fat, no matter the age or gender.

Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon?

Haha, fit, yes, shredded, nah not so much. I think most wingers just look like healthy people. The ones I know that are shredded are complimenting it with a heavy home workout routine and pretty strict calorie restriction plans.

The ripped wingers at my spot were ripped before they started winging. Me not so much, and still not so much !!

I'm certainly not shredded however my shoulders have piled on the muscle - & my surf paddle strength is prob the best it's ever been.

I was fitter when I windsurfed all the time

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Grantmac said..
I was fitter when I windsurfed all the time

Bodie agrees

I was stronger windsurfing.
But with at least 4-5 times more sessions a year and for much longer durations winging, with most sessions are 2-5h, average heart rate 120-130.
I'm a lot fitter since winging.

I was stronger windsurfing.
But with at least 4-5 times more sessions a year and for much longer durations winging, with most sessions are 2-5h, average heart rate 120-130.
I'm a lot fitter since winging.

Yes, but likely because winging forced me back to gym to get the most out of my sessions

DC

I have probably lost 5kgs since winging 14 mths ago.
Each session 1.30hrs,heart rate 120-160 average,burn an average 800-1000 calories.
Then consume 2-3 cans of beer after a session and talk a lot of **** or laughs ,I'm 68.Since winging have not kited or kite foiled.

I know a bunch of people, including myself, that have lost weight and become much more fit since starting to wingfoil. No strict training or diet, just foiling a lot and eating healthy. I would be considered old by a lot of people but I feel as fit as I was in my 20s.

It is not bad but SUP, mtb and running better.

no

Yes I think it's a combination of dynamic exercise which is relatively low-impact combined with the fact that it's super fun so you want to do it frequently and for extended periods.

I have found that it highlighted what some of my weaknesses were and then I started training to improve them. So indirectly I guess.

My one pack says no.

The things that it HAS improved are balance and finger strength, especially balance. That's a significant difference from windsurfing and has actually improved my windsurfing when I'm back on it.

For me it's the opposite... Before winging, I used to SUP surf and SUP foil more and a few sessions were enough to get my body leaner; I used more muscles and more cardio exercise. Now, my fitness it's not as good.

I think you will find, in general the types of people who wing and do other watersports typically have better lifestyle habits that facilitate being healthier and fitter

Initially I was surprised to see my average heart rate for a 1.5 hour wing session is about 125 with peaks up into the 150's (probably while pumping up and/ or cursing).
Far healthier than foil-less downwind SUP runs from years back where I'd average 160, even 169 once for an hour (that's well beyond max for my age). About half the guys I know from the SUP-SurfSki days have had to have ablation surgery for arrhythmia.

Don't exercise yourself to death folks

All things in moderation (including moderation)

When you think about it, depending on conditions, a wing foiling session is a natural high intensity interval training (HIIT) session.

Start off under powered, pump your guts out to get up on the foil, rest as you ride off, repeat after each fall. Get a few mini-intervals as you climb on/roll off your board several times.

Once powered up, do some mini-endurance runs charging around and chasing waves. Hook a wave and have a rest. Repeat. Do a coast upwind run for a bit of marathon training.

Finish off with the big board and wing carry up the dune trying to keep everything off the sand/rocks/pavement until you get to the rigging area. Rest and do some yoga getting out of your wetsuit.

I stopped winging because it did not feel like working out. Unless you are launching tricks all the time.

It did today as first time to hit 45kph

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warwickl said..
It did today as first time to hit 45kph

Holding position is not a great workout ??

"The best sport is the one you enjoy..."

Wingfoiling absolutely does it for me. I can do hours-long sessions working a lot of muscle groups. I am mainly into tricks and wave riding. With countless falls per session, pumping, hundreds of tacks, jibes and wing position changes it really is a full-body workout for me. I complement it with some infrequent and very light weight lifting and calistethics.

Wingfoiling fixed my minor back problems. And to my great surprise, I could do a muscle up last month (!).

At 56 I feel like I am in one of the best shapes of my life (second only to my 20s when I did judo competitively).

Windsurfing, which I did for a few years, was somewhat similar in its intensity but I feel it was not working out muscles as gently and definitely not as comprehensively.

Where foiling in general wins is the frequency of sessions. My longest run is 16 wing foil days in a row. For kite foiling its 30 days in a row. There's usually only 2-3 days in a row between those runs.

The thing wing foiling has done is removed the limitations on offshore days, storms and insanely gusty or crowded beach days. It's also made strong wavey days more energetic and longer. It's not quite surfing but there's always the need for "one more wave".

Unlike surfing there's no sitting around waiting for the next set. You chase the buggers down.

Low carbohydrate eating... becoming shredded !
Combining physical exercise such as wing foiling, kiting, Sup etc with a low carbohydrate eating is the way to go. The benefits are better physical and mental health. I am avoiding the word diet because diets are not sustainable. Also I avoid calorie counting because that too is difficult to sustain. Im a medico (anaesthetist) and for a few years now I have been interested and fascinated with the science and politics related to eating and health. Medical schools historically taught very little about healthy eating , and a lot of what was taught has been debunked.
There are an increasing number of general practitioners who are up to date and are now promoting low carbohydrate eating.
If your interested in this i suggest start with;
Dr Robert Lustig; Sugar The Bitter Truth...
Then..numerous videos from the Australian website ; lowcarbdownunder.com.au/
Also I highly recommend Dr Peter Brukner "Defeat Diabetes website"...www.defeatdiabetes.com.au....This website is really good for everyone, not just for diabetics.
Numerous other good contributors' Ben Bikman, Jason Fung.

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Pacoo said..

warwickl said..
It did today as first time to hit 45kph

Holding position is not a great workout ??

At 77 yo it is

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warwickl said..

Pacoo said..

warwickl said..
It did today as first time to hit 45kph

Holding position is not a great workout ??

At 77 yo it is