(Photo by Thiago Diz / World Surf League)
Once upon a time, very long ago, it was considered that going surfing was the ideal training for surfing, and the more you surfed, the better trained you were.
That worked for a while until surfing started getting more valuable, and surfers who had their eyes on the prize realized that they needed an edge to their game to win.
Equipment edge
Equipment is one way to get an edge. Just like Formula One racing, every tiny little bit of vehicle difference can mean a few split-seconds of victory at the end.
Still, when surfers started becoming really good, and the talent became harder and harder to separate, then surfers turned to the gym.
Australian 2 times world champion Tom Carroll was one of the first to start serious training, and it went on to reward him with those two world titles. Other surfers like Mick Fanning; have also been known for putting a lot of dedication into their workout routines to better their performance in the water and stay injury-free.
Italo Ferreria's Workout Routine
These days it is all eyes on world champion Italo Ferreira. He is a hard-working surfer who trains equally hard. His training is built around cardio, strength, and mobility. His workouts utilize a lot of compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, and the routines tend to emphasize explosiveness. You will see him do a lot of back squats, clean push press, bench press, deadlifts, dips, pull-ups, leg press, etc.
As Italo said in an interview: “So looking at everything, working on the whole, leaving me prepared from head to toe”.
Italo has become so serious about the strength training that he even built a gym at his home in Baía Formosa, Brazil. His muscle strength has an important impact on his surfing style, where he likes to perform power maneuvers and do big airs.
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On tour, when Italo is away from his gym, he still keeps on track with his strength training by doing different bodyweight- and dumbbell workouts. His dedication and energy are unmatched, and we saw a great example of this at the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup this year. After winning the event, Italo went straight to the gym that night instead of going to the party to celebrate the victory with the other athletes.
Italo really pushes the limits at all aspects of his training, lifting heavy in the gym, going the extra mile at cardio, and performing huge airs when surfing. If you watched the goofy-footer at work, you would notice that whatever he is doing to keep fit and improve his surfing works out really well.
Try Italo Ferreria's Workout Challenge
While he consistently pushes it in the gym and is one of the healthiest and fittest of the pro surfers, Italo Ferreira’s workout routine that he pushed the most was this grueling yet straightforward routine.
Start with two off-center push-ups. This was followed by two regular push-ups with leg kicks. Italo then goes into a single Flying Superman from a push-up. Next, Italo goes into a final two more push-ups with leg kicks and a standing backflip to finish off.
It looks quick, and it sounds like it won’t be too bad, but try and do three sets of those with perfect form. Actually, try and do one of the sets with perfect form. Actually, before you do anything, try and do a backflip. If you can’t do a backflip from a standing position, you can’t do his routine, which is why he’s a world champion and you’re not.
