As surfers when did we become so aesthetically driven ? Why is it necessary to sit on big lumps of steel , grunt and grown and then compare who has the biggest biceps.Traditional weight training –although effective at making a surfer look the part does little to improve athletic performance. The over-reliance on machine training and body building type protocols only serves to DETRAIN.

Most exercises which are performed on machines that are bolted to the floor, will restrict movement to only one dimension, require no activation of your postural muscles, provide minimal activation of stabilizer and neutralizer muscle functions, and certainly don’t require that you maintain your center of gravity over a reduced and unpredictable base of support; all things you need in surfing.

The movements we do in both life and sport can be broken down into simple patterns, which are called primal movement patterns, also known as the Chek principles. There are seven key movement patterns, these patterns are:

• Squatting
• Lunging
• Bending
• Pushing
• Pulling
• Twisting
• Gait (walk, jog, sprint)

Primal movement training makes you stronger at just about any movement you’ll tackle in life. Until the introduction of machinery, the seven simple, primal movement patterns were essential for everyday human functioning.Now take a moment and think: Which one of these movements could you have survived without in the wild? The answer is quite simply, “None of them!”

Surfing can be broken down into any single Primal Pattern or a combination of these Primal Patterns. For example, to paddle you are using a pull pattern to move through the water, to get to you feet you must push off the board. Once you are on your feet most people most people end up in a squat stance. Any turning movement guarantees that you are also performing a twisting pattern.

This just an example of how easily you can identify the key primal patterns used in surfing.

 Now surfing is abit more complicated than that, as I am sure you will agree. In most cases you will be performing several of these movements at the same time. But, to be able to integrate these patterns you must think of building a movement foundation first, much the same way as a builder must build a foundation under any house to keep it from falling over.

So to get the most out of your fitness program, you must first identify the primary movement patterns and master them, developing adequate strength before moving on to secondary movement patterns.

When first learning to surf you must first learn to paddle and then stand on your board and effectively squat while maintaining your balance so that you can negotiate the wave. Although twisting your body and shifting your weight effectively is important, if you can’t perform the pulling and squatting functions, you’ll certainly won’t be catching or riding many waves. Therefore, as a beginner you could say that squatting and pulling movements are primary and twisting is secondary and therefore the same is likely to be true of your selection of conditioning exercises. If you need more strength in getting up from the board, pushing movements would also be part of your program.

 If you are already an accomplished surfer, simply mimic all the commonly used movements in your sport and self-analyse, determining which primal pattern movements represent your weak areas. You can then prioritise them in order of importance and develop your conditioning routine around your primary movement needs — the lowest common denominator, the foundation. In this way, you can master your weak areas and then progress into more complex movements.

Now you are building up a solid foundation of movement skills having addressed your weak areas first! As you master each of the primal movements and combine movements such as squatting and twisting, you can progress to more challenging and sport-specific movements.

So,if you want to improve your surfing then plan every workout around these basic yet intergal movements.Have fun and remember,focus ion movements that matter.

I am sure many of you out there have used trainers and have undertaken gym programs, which claim to provide or prescribe “functional exercise.” But do these programs actually living up to the meaning of the term “functional” with regard to exercise prescription, or are they riding yet another fad? Below are the guidelines that should be used to prescribe “functional exercise”. To determine if an exercise is truly functional, compare it to the following table; in most cases it must meet all six characteristics to be considered functional.

 Characteristics of Functional Exercise

1.            Comparable reflex profile (Righting and Equilibrium reflexes)

2.            Maintenance of your centre of gravity over your own base of support

*            Static postural component

*            Dynamic postural component

3.            Generalized motor program compatibility

4.            Open/closed chain compatibility

5.            Relevant biomotor abilities

6.            Isolation to integration

Many novice surfers, as well as seasoned professionals, make the mistake of training more of what they are good at, forgetting that a chain always breaks at the weakest link! Always remember, the goal when training biomotor abilities is to strengthen weaknesses, not reinforce strengths!

Biomotor abilities consist of such qualities as….

            • Agility            • Endurance            • Balance            • Flexibility            • Coordination      

            • Power           •Strength

Understanding the concept of biomotor abilities is important when determining how functional an exercise is especially when it comes to surfing. To determine how functional any exercise is with regard to biomotor ability and biomotor ability development, simply ask yourself these questions.

1.         Does the exercise I am about to do improve the biomotor abilities I need to improve the

specific goals of my program and the needs of my body?

2.         Are my exercises too simple; do they under challenge my nervous system?

3.         Is the goal of the exercise neuromuscular-isolation or neuromuscular-integration? (Neuromuscular-isolation exercises are often best performed on machines or with the support of benches and props, such as preacher benches, while a neuromuscular-integration exercise is usually best performed at the most demanding level possible without disrupting the motor learning process.)

4.         Does this exercise have the optimal biomotor profile for developing my skill level and movement patterns? The tendency most exercises have is to go to either extreme: The exercises are either far too simplistic(machine) or far too complex (Pro-Fitter lateral slides catching a medicine ball).

Choosing the exercise that best addresses the biomotor requirements of your client’s environment and one that suits their motor skills development can only serve to speed the rate at which they achieve their conditioning or rehabilitation goals!

One simple method of ranking biomotor abilities is to estimate out of 10 how the world’s best performer in any sport or activity would perform in each biomotor category. For example, as a gymnast , you would determine that they would need a score of 10 for balance for a perfect performance. This is the gold standard against which you rate the biomotor ability for balance.