Surffit

Obliques

Your obliques are important muscles to train for surfing due to their role in stabilising the abdomen and causing rotation of the trunk. Surfing involves a lot of trunk rotation, and the more strength and control you have through your obliques, the better your surfing performance will be.

There are two sets of oblique muscles, the external obliques and internal obliques. The oblique muscles attach from the ribs to the pelvis and the muscles work together to cause rotation and flexion of the trunk.

Surfing requires a lot of trunk flexion and rotation through to cause directional changes through turns and greater strength through the obliques may help to add force and power to these turns.

So how do I train the obliques? Pilates reformers provide many ways to train the obliques. An excellent exercise is the oblique plank, which combines core activation with oblique activity to provide a deep burning workout of the obliques.

A simple home exercise for the obliques can be achieved by performing a simple side plank, whilst reaching one arm under the body and then up into the air. Try completing the exercise for 30 seconds to begin with and increase the duration as able.

Take home lesson: obliques are critical to surfing performance, get training them now for increased stability and power in your surfing!