Another Great Surfing Workout: Off Season Total Body Fitness

We have posted a few surfing workout routines on here before including Laird Hamilton’s workout and some good workouts from our yoga and surf camp.

Some people have been asking for a good off-season workout to keep in surfing shape and avoid those jello arms the first time back in the water. (Not everyone gets to live in a place where the waves are good year round)

We had Derek Dolan, a personal trainer; fitness expert and costa rica surfing camp alum, design a great total body routine that combines swimming, cardio and resistance exercises to keep your paddling arms strong and your arms chiseled. Perform each workout once a week, leaving a day of rest in between.

Use a weight that takes you almost to failure at the given number of reps. For swimming, use 20 laps as a base and increase/decrease as needed for your fitness level.

If you need clarification on any of the exercises, check out the CrossFit website for videos and explanations.


Warm Up - continuous shouldn't take more than 15 minutes.

• 10 prison squats (no weight, hands behind head)
• 10 pushups. fingers out thumbs pointing toward shoulders.
• 10 side lunges
• Wide shoulder rotations w/ 5lbs 30 front, 30 back
• 10/leg alt. leg raises.
• 10/side iron cross. on back arms straight out knees up at a 45.
• 10/leg alt backward hip circles
• 10/leg swings - balancing on one foot
• 10/leg side to side leg swings


Monday - Chest Focus

• Swim 20 laps continuous
• Bench 3x15
• Overhead squat 2x15
• Pullup 2x15
• Lateral raise
• Wall balls 2x15
• Barbell curl 2x12
• Tricep extension 2x12
• Box Jumps 2x20
• Chest Cable Flies 3x12
• 100 Swiss Ball Crunches

Weds - Legs Focus

• Run 2 miles
• Swim 10 laps continuous
• Squat 3x12
• Incline 2x12
• Single arm row 2x12
• Clean & jerk 2x8
• Reverse fly 2x12
• Hammer curl 2x12
• Skull crushers 2x12
• Burpees 3x15
• Weighted walking lunge 2x12
• 1 minute plank – 5 sets

Friday - Back Focus

• Stair climb 10 minutes
• Swim 10 laps continuous
• Pullups 3x15
• Dumbell chest press 3x12
• Deadlifts 2x12
• Shoulder press 2x12
• Kettlebell swings 3x15
• Preacher curls 2x12
• Dips 2x20
• Lat pulldown 3x12
• Calves 2x12
• Hanging leg raises 2x20


Good luck.