Surfer Total Fitness Workout Using Vasa Swim Cords and Sport Bench
With Coach Dan Daly, CSCS
Dan Daly, master trainer, coach, and competitive open water swimmer, knows a thing or two about sport-specific training. He has developed a series of workouts for swimmers, triathletes, and surfers to use at home, in the gym, or on the pool deck. This time he offers a surf training circuit workout.
In this Surf-specific workout, Dan has selected key exercises to improve your surf paddling power, plus push, pull, & core strength using the Vasa Swim Cords & Sport Bench. Note that you can use a Vasa Trainer Pro or a Vasa SwimErg for this workout, too.
This is a 5-exercise Circuit, with up to 5 Rounds of 10 Repetitions, and 2 min rest between sets. It consists of a functional Warm-Up, Swim Specific Exercise, Lower body Exercise, Pulling Exercise, Core Exercise
Surf Training Circuit Workout Details:
- Warm-up for 10 to 15 minutes
Perform the following 5 exercises completed in a continuous circuit without rest between 8 – 12 repetitions of each exercise.
- Sphinx Pose Reaches – 10 repetitions
- Pop-Ups to a deep squat position – 6 to 10 repetitions
- Heads-up Freestyle for Surf-specific paddling – 30 to 60 seconds
- Double-arm Paddle Pull – 10 repetitions
(Note: for Heads-Up Freestyle and Double-arm Paddle Pull, use Vasa swim cords, Vasa Trainer Pro, or Vasa SwimErg )
- Half-Kneeling Chops – 10 repetitions on each side. (use a Vasa Swim Cord + SmartStick or another strength bar)
Rest for 1 to 2 minutes between rounds.
Do 2 – 5 sets or rounds depending on your fitness level and the training cycle you are currently in.
Choose a swim cord resistance that feels about a 6 or 7 out of 10 (10 is max) to you and with the last 2-3 reps feeling the most challenging in each round.
Correct technique and posture for your surf training circuit workout:
- Sphinx Pose Reaches – Lie on your stomach and forearms, elbows under the shoulders. Rise up tall, staying long in the spine from the back of the head to the toes. Reach forward as far as you can through your shoulder blade. Avoiding any weight shift or rotating.
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Pop-Ups to a deep squat position – Hands under your shoulders, toes tucked under the feet. Push the mat away as you hop up into a deep squat. - Heads-up Freestyle for Surf-specific paddling – Extend through your spine staying straight and long from the back of the head to the toes. Eyes down and forward. Pull with an early vertical forearm, pull through to the hip, and use a high elbow recovery back to start position.
- Double-arm Paddle Pull – Look straight down and keep a long, neutral spine. Pull using an early vertical forearm, push past the hips, and return the arms through the same path back to the entry phase. Use a full range of motion.
- Half-Kneeling Chops (both sides) – Outside knee down and under the hip. Inside foot forward and use a 90-degree angle at the ankle, knee, and hip. Inhale & reach up and across the body. Exhale & pull close across the body, press down to the opposite hip. Follow a 45-degree line of pull. Repeat the repetitions while facing the other direction.
Vasatrainer.com Build Your Own Swim and Lane 9 Workouts use this format:
Imagine a wheel with a hub and spokes. The “hub” will be swim-specific training at the center of each workout.
You’ll come back to the center (hub) for each set of swim-specific intervals in between each Push, Pull, and Core exercise (spokes). Use a Vasa SwimErg, a Vasa Trainer, or a Vasa Sport Bench with swim cords to do the swim-specific intervals.
The “spokes” will be comprised of a combination of Push, Pull, and Core exercises you choose from a variety of bodyweight calisthenics or functional training tools, such as dumbbells, medicine balls, kettlebells, free weights, or suspension training. If you have a Vasa Trainer or a Vasa SwimErg equipped with the Trainer Strap System, use that.
There are nearly unlimited variations for these workout configurations. You can create a workout using only upper body exercises or you can create a full-body workout with a balanced mix of the upper body, lower body, core, and swim power intervals.
Variations also can be created by changing the intensity level, interval time, or the number of rounds. If you need an easy day, just do it at a lower intensity, with shorter intervals and fewer rounds.
Vasa’s Build Your Own Swim and Lane 9 Workouts use the following format:
Imagine a wheel with a hub and spokes. The “hub” will be swim-specific training at the center of each workout. You’ll come back to the center (hub) for each set of swim-specific intervals in between each Push, Pull, and Core exercise (spokes).
Use a Vasa SwimErg, a Vasa Trainer, or a Vasa Sport Bench with Swim Cords (& SmartStick) to do the swim-specific intervals. The “spokes” will be comprised of a combination of Push, Pull, and Core exercises you choose from a variety of bodyweight calisthenics or functional training tools, such as dumbbells, medicine balls, kettlebells, free weights, or suspension training. If you have a Vasa Trainer or a Vasa SwimErg equipped with the Trainer Strap System, use that.
There are nearly unlimited variations for these workout configurations. You can create a workout using only upper body exercises or you can create a full-body workout with a balanced mix of the upper body, lower body, core, and swim power intervals. Variations also can be created by changing the intensity level, interval time, or the number of rounds. If you need an easy day, just do it at a lower intensity, with shorter intervals and fewer rounds. Link to the full article here.
Coach Dan Daly, CSCS is a popular personal trainer and also the co-creator of the Equinox Group Swim Program EQXH2O. To learn more and connect, check out Dan’s website: www.traindaly.com/
Note: This workout is part of a series. Keep an eye on your email and our VasaBlog for the next installment and be sure to check out Part 1! (Dan Daly photos courtesy @dandaly)
Links to other useful articles from the VasaBlog:
Better Surf Training For Maximum Results At Any Age
Get More With Less – The Benefits of Circuit Strength Training