Wakeboarding has been one of the biggest sports-related explosions in the past decade. It has been a little over 20 years since a San Diego surfer named Tony Finn developed a strange hybrid water ski and surfboard called the ‘skurfer’ that was pulled behind a boat and allowed people to “surf” using the boat’s wake. Shortly after that foot straps were added and the shape of the board was perfected into the design of the modern wakeboard. This innovation brought about the birth of an entirely new sport complete with world competitions and tours. There have been over 200 wakeboard tournaments over the past two years. It is no surprise that wakeboarding is considered to be the fastest growing water sport in the world.
Chances are, if you are at all involved in water sports, you’ve probably tried wakeboarding or have at least seen the jaw-dropping skills of professional wakeboarders out there on the water. And chances are, you know how demanding this sport can be on your body. It requires lower back and ab strength, leg strength, and lots of core strength.
As you get more into wakeboarding you’ll want to exercise to prepare yourself before you strap on your board and eventually fly through the air like the pros. Start out simple by doing the wall sit exercise. This is exactly like it sounds, you put your back against a wall and bring your thighs down to a 90 degree angle from the wall. In this seated position, hold yourself there for increasing amounts of time by flexing your quad muscles. This exercise simulates the work that your legs must do as the boat pulls you out of the water. If you are able to jump over the wake, you will want to do squats and exercise your hamstrings to make sure you have the strength to jump without injuring yourself.
One of the constant demands of wakeboarding is the need to hold onto the rope. If you’re not ready for this, you’ll realize it quickly as your forearms will start to burn after a few minutes. To prepare your muscles for this, you can work out your grip by using dumbbells, or any similar weights: grip the weights and hold them at your side while you stand straight up with a slight bend at the knee. Be sure to choose weight that is challenging to hold for extended periods of time.
Another important exercise for wakeboarding relates to your core. Balance is a key part of wakeboarding, so you’ll need all the core strength you can get to keep you balanced. Try doing lunges with a balance ball twist or lay on your back while quickly raising and lowering your legs to exercise your core.
As you prepare for wakeboarding, don’t forget nutrition. It is important to have a high protein diet if you want the necessary energy and muscle strength for the sport. You should consider taking a high protein supplement like Whey Protein because it is low in calories and fat and has 90% protein content. It will give you that added boost that you’ll need to perform well on the water. Also, taking a whey protein supplement after wakeboarding allows your body to build more lean muscle and burn more calories.
With a whey protein boost and the right exercise, you’ll be in shape to get the most out of wakeboarding.
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