If you have ever seen Laird Hamilton performing a surf workout or surfing giant waves, he often seems larger than life. Muscular, lean, fit and strong who leads a crew of people chasing huge mountains of water around the globe looking for the ultimate surfing wave. In order to do this he trains his mind and body to be ready. To be prepared so that at any time mother nature creates huge waves, once thought impossible to ride, he is ready to go.
Laird is committed. That means dropping into very heavy and potentially dangerous situations in his quest to surf the biggest waves in the world. This commitment requires every cell of his body to be in tune with himself and the dangers that could easily arise. In this article you can check the intensity of one of his surfing workouts that he incorporates into his surfing training regime. A regime that keeps him surviving and thriving each time he jets off to drop into some thirty foot plus waves.
Before we get into Lairds ultimate surfing workout, a word of warning. Laird is a professional athlete, a machine, a man not known to be limited by fear or pain. Most of us do not have his mentality, genetics or desire to surf the worlds biggest waves. This means adapting his surfing training to suit your level and your surfing lifestyle. A word of warning, start slow. I recommend beginning surfers or those new to surfing workouts, train along side a professional to ensure correct technique. There is no point enduring if your technique is poor. This will only create long term surfing pain, muscular imbalances and future injuries.
One more thing, Laird obviously fuels his body with nutrients that support his unique biochemistry. He has worked out what foods work for his surfing workouts and to build his beach body. Your foods may not reflect his food choices as we are all individually unique. That being said, you will require essential fats, complex whole food carbohydrates and pure natural proteins an hour prior to your surfing workouts and immediately afterwards.
Perform the following surfing workout in a circuit style with no rest between each movement pattern. Laird and his crew have been known to do five minute sets on each work station. This is very intense. Beginners, start with one to two minutes or fifteen to twenty repetitions. Intermediates that regularly use surfing workouts start with two and a half minutes or thirty repetitions. The advanced surf nut can aim to follow Lairds lead and shoot for five minute sets or fifty repetitions without rest before flowing to the next surfers workout movement.
1. Unstable surface, deep squats with a barbell or dumbbells extended over head.
2. Full body surfing cable rows or rowing on machine into full extension.
3. Unstable surface, single leg, single arm, biceps curls. Perform on both sides.
4. Handstand holds against a solid object. Take rests when necessary.
5. Unstable surface, kettle bell or dumbbell upright rows.
6. Low bar surfing chin ups with feet on unstable object like a Swiss ball.
7. Full body plank.
8. Swiss ball hip lifts and hamstring curls.
9. Prone superman on the floor. Extend and lift arms and legs.
10. Turkish one arm dumbbell get ups.
11. Triceps dips and supine extensions with feet and calves on foam roller.
12. Surfing pop up to squat then stand into a surfers soul arch back extension
13. Skiers wall sit with arms extended to shoulder height.
14. Surfers dumbbell pop up to squat position and perform a clean and press.
15. V Ups held to failure and super set with surfing yoga prone cobra.
So there you have it, your ultimate surfing training workout courtesy of a surfing legend Laird Hamilton.
Hayden Rhodes has coached professional and amateur athletes improve their performance through scientific personal training, hormonal testing, nutritional coaching and performance conditioning principles.

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