Explode through your bottom terns and into your aerials. Photo: Courtesy of Jason Maher
Many surf training regimens focus on core stability, paddling endurance, and unstable surface training. Although these are all integral components of training, other exercises are equally pivotal in today’s progressive surfing: explosive strength and power production. Lower body power is needed to complete solid set-up turns off the bottom, drawing a line on an edge, going vertical off the top, and, of course, boosting airs.
An effective method to train lower body explosive strength is post-activation potentiation (PAP) training. PAP creates a stimulus, priming our nervous system to recruit more and bigger muscle fibers, which allows us to make muscle contractions faster and more powerful. We can use this method to develop more power over a long-term athletic development program.
The exercises described below should only be used by individuals who have a training background and experience with squatting and jumping. For those new to training, regressions are provided. The photos and video demonstrate these exercises.
Perform the two exercises in succession and in the order listed. Research shows that after three repetitions power production starts to decline and, after five repetitions, power significantly declines. Since the goal here is to develop as much explosive strength as possible, keep your repetitions between three to five on both exercises and keep your sets between four to six with plenty of rest between. Remember, we are not performing conditioning with these exercises — we are working to get more powerful!
Exercise 1: Back squats with band resistance.
Photo: Courtesy of Jason Maher
1. Use a lighter weight than normal. Somewhere between 50-65% of your 1 repetition maximum (i.e. if you normally squat 200 pounds one time, you should use 100-130 pounds for this exercise).
2. If you have access to the proper equipment, apply band tension to each side of the bar. This tension creates an effect that allows you to explode out of the bottom position. As you ascend the movement becomes harder, creating more tension at the top of the exercise. (If you do not have the proper equipment or have enough training experience you can still achieve a PAP response without bands.
Photo: Courtesy of Jason Maher
3. With the bar resting on the upper traps, feet shoulder width apart, and toes forward to slightly turned out, inhale as you descend quickly, stopping when the bottom of your thighs get parallel to the floor.
4. Explode out of the bottom position as fast as you can while exhaling.
Photo: Courtesy of Jason Maher
5. Repeat 3-5 times, trying to create as much power as you can.
Key points: Chest and eyes up, fold back at the hips first like you are sitting into a chair, drive through your heels on the way up.
Wait 30 to 90 seconds before performing exercise 2.
Exercise 2: Surf pop up with box jump (this will also help with decreasing the time needed to perform your first maneuver after popping up on a wave).
Photo: Courtesy of Jason Maher
1. Begin by laying flat on the ground arms extended over head about 18 inches away from the box.
Photo: Courtesy of Jason Maher
2. Perform a pop-up by explosively pushing the ground away, snapping your legs up under you, as if you were popping up on a wave.
Photo: Courtesy of Jason Maher
3. As soon as your feet are in position, explode using your arms and legs to jump up onto the box. This movement should be fast and powerful, but also focus on a soft landing, similar to a cat landing.
4. Land soft with feet just outside the hips. Land on the mid/back of the foot — staying off the toes.
Photo: Courtesy of jason Maher
5. Step off the box (do not jump). Repeat 3-5 times.
Key point: Be snappy — once your feet land from the pop up, explode immediately, minimizing the time on the ground.
Rest two to three minutes. Repeat both exercises four to six times.
Remember, these exercises are intended for trained individuals. If you are new to training, try body weight squats or squats holding a medicine ball and pair them with pop ups without the box jump.
Jason Maher coaches and trains at NaKoa Fitness and Physical Therapy in Carlsbad, California. For more surf training information, you can reach Jason by email at jason.maher@nakoafit.com or call him at (617) 610-2426. And be sure to follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
