New Surfing Workout - Leg Day

Sometimes, you just have to mix it up with your surfing workout.  This day was our second time out trying to dial in the right wake.  While we were working on that, we took a few cracks at it.  

By the end, my legs were toast!  Funny how a few dozen bottom turns and off the tops will wear you out.  

When we talk about building long term strength and muscle memory, it's all about repeating a motion (correctly) over an extended period of time until our brain skips a step.  When learning something new, the brain takes two steps to get the body to react.  Over time, through perfect repetition, it reduces that to one step.  

This is most likely a human adaptation for survival - the brain is realizing that the things we do repetitively might be important so it tries to speed it up.  

Unfortunately, with surfing, we get few chances to repeat a motion.  That's why workouts like this, skateboarding, snowboarding, and other similar environments provide us with this chance to repeat a motion over and over again.  Are wavepools the future of surfing?  Maybe not all of surfing, but definitely for technique and practice.  

Last point I want to make - most people quit their workout routines shortly after starting.  Why?  It gets hard!  

Enjoy to the burn.  Meaning, enjoy the struggle, take satisfaction in how much working out sometimes sucks.  You'll have to take this mindset from time to time this to get through it.  Then, when you're done, you'll feel great about the fact that you completed it.  Use this as motivation for next time.

In summary:

• Repetition helps us with long term motor learning - but be sure to use good technique - the brain doesn't care about the quality.
• Bring some fun into your workouts - play games, challenge yourself/friends
• Mix it up - do something different - skateboard, snowboard, wakeboard, bodysurf, etc.
• To motivate you to go - think about how good you felt at the end of your last surfing workout.
• To motivate you during the workout - "embrace the suck" This is a Green Beret motto.  Success doesn't come easy.  Most of the journey sucks.  Know this and embrace it.
• To motivate you when you think you're done - Navy Seal 40% rule.  When you think you can't go any further, you've only used 40% of what you have in the tank!  That's right.  It's all mental from then on.  Take a minute rest and do a little more.  Then rest and do more.  Then rest and do more.  Keep going until you've blown your mind!  Your body can always keep going.  Your mind is what stops you.  Don't let it!

Have FUN!!