Skateboarders are not strangers to the gym. Many understand the benefits of gym workouts to boost their skateboarding fitness. Gym routines for skateboarders can greatly improve skills and toughness.
Skateboarding offers a complete workout but can strain your body over time, especially after 18. Gym sessions including weightlifting, cardio, and targeted exercises complement skateboarding’s physical demands. These workouts build endurance, increase strength, and help prevent injuries. Cardio is critical to avoid putting too much strain on the body. Light cycling and low-intensity activities are key on rest days.
For many skaters, the gym is crucial for their fitness plan. It’s fascinating to see how gym and fitness routines can elevate your skateboarding.
Key Takeaways
- Gym routines for skateboarders help build endurance, strength, and prevent injuries.
- Weight lifting increases bone density, crucial as skateboarders age.
- Cardio exercises and active recovery days balance physical strain.
- Strength training enhances core stability, vital for skateboarding.
- Holistic approaches like Pilates and yoga improve flexibility and overall strength.
The Connection Between Skateboarding and Fitness
Skateboarding is not just fun. It’s a great way to stay fit. It offers a full-body workout. For example, someone who weighs 155 pounds can burn around 500 calories in an hour. This activity boosts heart health and is easier on the joints than running.
But there’s more to it than just burning calories. Skateboarding sharpens balance and coordination. This requires a strong core. The different moves improve balance and flexibility. Plus, it can ease anxiety and depression. This is due to its relaxing and mood-boosting effects.
Adding gym workouts to skateboarding is beneficial. Lifting weights can make your bones stronger. This is crucial for taking on hard skateboarding tricks. Cardio exercises at the gym improve endurance. They help with faster recovery after skating. This way, fitness and skateboarding support each other. They boost both your performance and health.
| Benefit | Skateboarding | Gym Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Calorie Burn | Up to 500 calories/hour | Varies with intensity |
| Balance & Coordination | Highly Improved | Moderately Improved |
| Bone Density | Increases with impacts | Increases with weight lifting |
| Cardiovascular Fitness | Improved | Highly Improved |
| Mental Health | Reduction in anxiety & depression | Reduction in stress & improved mood |
Mixing fitness with skateboarding boosts your overall health. Knowing the benefits of skateboarding and pairing it with gym activities enhances your fitness. You’ll lead a healthier, more balanced life.
Common Misconceptions About Skateboarders and Exercise
There’s a common belief that skateboarding is all the exercise you need. This leads to many myths about skateboarders. Some people think skating alone keeps you fit. They don’t see how other workouts can boost skills and stop injuries. This adds to the skateboarders exercise myths that ignore the perks of extra training.
Expert Dan Bardallo, with 15 years in fitness, notes many skaters get hurt. They often keep skating despite injuries. It’s a big misunderstanding that working out isn’t vital or cool for skateboarders.
After five years, Bardallo switched his focus to help skateboarders perform better. His Skateboard Strength Instagram became popular. He pointed out even new or older skaters face more injuries from skating’s demands.
Some skaters think yoga or pilates is enough for flexibility. But Bardallo saw that this leads to short-term improvements and then stiffness from skating. He suggests a mix of strength and mobility exercises designed for skaters.
Despite these myths, gym workouts can really help skateboarders. Skaters don’t need a lot of time to see benefits. Training just two 45-minute times a week can make a big difference. This busts the gym misconceptions about skateboarding.
The Benefits of Going to the Gym for Skateboarders
Skateboarding and gym training go hand in hand. Going to the gym can really boost a skateboarder’s skills. Working out at the gym offers important advantages for being awesome at skateboarding.
One key gym benefit for skateboarders is stronger bones. Doing exercises like lifting weights makes our bones tough. This helps them stand up to the hard hits of skateboarding.
Also, gym workouts make you stronger overall, especially in areas important for skateboarding. Exercises at the gym focus on your core, legs, and upper body. These areas are crucial for staying balanced and pulling off cool tricks.
Gym time also means faster recovery. Skateboarders can use things like saunas and hot tubs at the gym. These help soothe sore muscles and speed up recovery. That way, skaters can get back to skating sooner without getting hurt from overdoing it.
| Advantages | Description |
|---|---|
| Increased Bone Density | Strengthens bones, reducing the risk of fractures from falls. |
| Enhanced Strength | Targets muscle groups crucial for skateboarding. |
| Improved Recovery | Utilizes gym amenities for quicker muscle recovery and reduced soreness. |
| Injury Prevention | Balanced muscle development reduces the risk of injuries. |
Another big skateboarders gym advantage is preventing injuries. Skateboarding can strain muscles unevenly. But gym workouts help spread out this strain. They make the whole body stronger. This lowers the chance of getting hurt.
Combining gym workouts with skateboarding can really improve a skateboarder’s skill, health, and fun in the sport.
Popular Gym Exercises for Skateboarders
Skateboarding and gym workouts are great together. They boost your performance on the board. Including exercises like lateral leg raises, box jumps, and side planks helps a lot. They target your core, legs, and glutes. This improves balance, strength, and endurance.
Dr. Kyle Brown has designed strength routines for skateboarders. He recommends several exercises:
- Box Jumps: 2 sets of 10 jumps
- Ball to the Wall: 2 sets of 10 reps
- Switch Pop: 2 to 3 sets of 10 jumps
- Manual and Nose Manual: 3 sets each
- Frontside and Backside 180: 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps
- Kickflip (Sitting Method and Laying Method): 2 sets of 20 flicks
These workouts are great for the legs and core. They improve your balance by about 25%. And they make your jumps and stability better.
A good training program can help you skate longer by up to 30%. Doing skate exercises regularly can increase your jump height by 10%. It can also make your ankle stronger in just two weeks with resistance bands.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box Jumps | 2 | 10 | Increases explosive power by 20% |
| Ball to the Wall | 2 | 10 | Strengthens quad and hamstring |
| Switch Pop | 2-3 | 10 | Improves jump height by 10% |
| Manual and Nose Manual | 3 | Each position | Enhances balance and core stability by 25% |
| Kickflip | 2 | 20 flicks | Strengthens ankle for flick techniques |
| Side Planks | N/A | Held for 30+ seconds | Improves core stability |
Light recovery sessions like side planks help keep you flexible. They also lessen muscle soreness after skating. By adding these workouts to your routine, you’ll skate better and reach your fitness goals quicker.
Skateboarders Who Hit the Gym
Many skilled skateboarders believe hitting the gym boosts their skateboarding skills. Take Nyjah Huston, for instance, who works out intensely. He combines strength training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) five days a week. Huston’s commitment to the gym plays a huge part in his success in skateboarding.
And it’s not just Huston who believes in this. Tony Hawk, at 54 and with two femur breaks in 2022, still stays active. He likes swimming and stationary biking to keep fit. Hawk also warms up carefully to dodge injuries, a practice many skateboarders follow.
For skateboarders, getting stronger and avoiding harm is vital. Doing 15-20 minutes of focused exercises for the core, legs, and balance is recommended. Newcomers should begin with twice-weekly gym visits and slowly add 5 minutes to each session for better results. Thinking of workouts as skate sessions could also help stick to them. Discover more on this method here.
Staying driven during workouts means keeping track of your progress. It helps if you have a buddy who also likes skating. This commitment helps skateboarders keep up their game and fend off burnout from too much skating alone. Using yoga or stretching on off days boosts recovery.
Following the routines of pros like Huston or Hawk helps mix skateboarding with gym work. This mix is crucial for skaters who see strength training as a key part of their lifestyle.
Tips for Incorporating Gym Workouts into Your Routine
Mixing gym workouts with skateboarding boosts your board skills. Start with simple exercises that copy skateboarding moves. This builds a strong base. For example, try single-leg squats with a chair to get stronger legs. Side planks, done for half a minute each side, build your core. These muscles help with balance and coordination. Also, V-Ups and lateral leg raises are great for muscle strength and balance.
Doing strength training 2 or 3 times a week helps skateboarders do better tricks. It makes your muscles stronger and improves balance. Exercises like eccentric training help catch force. Plus, working on dynamic trunk control and explosive moves boosts agility. A guide from Garage Strength says these things are key for better movement and power in your sport.
A good gym plan for skateboarders also includes recovery time. Tools like foam rollers and massage guns lower soreness and stop injuries. Mixing lifting weights with cardio also boosts how long you can skate. This helps avoid muscle tiredness.
Good skateboarding workout tips stress working on different muscles. Do exercises like side planks, single-leg squats, and V-Ups. These improve leg strength, core control, and quickness. Adding these gym exercises can help you control your board better and jump higher. So, you can skate at your best.
Conclusion: Making the Most of Both Worlds
Trying to mix skateboarding and gym workouts may seem hard. But doing both can really help you skate better and get fit. Skateboarding uses up 300 to 500 calories every hour. It’s a great way to exercise your whole body, not just for fun.
Look at the numbers: someone who weighs 155 pounds uses about 372 calories skateboarding for an hour. Running at 5 mph uses about 606 calories. Losing weight depends a lot on what you eat and a bit on exercise. Skating for at least 30 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week, is good for losing weight and building muscles. Adding skateboarding to your fitness plan helps with tricks and staying healthy for a long time.
A smart skateboarding fitness plan is more than just gym time. It includes being part of a skate community. Groups like GRLSWIRL show how important mates can be. They organize events like SurfSkate Fest, mixing skating with hanging out. This support helps overcome fear and keeps you eager to skate. Taking this full approach to skater fitness helps you shine, everywhere you skate.
I’m John Peterson, a passionate skater, blogger, and lifelong enthusiast. I’ve been skating for over 9 years and have gone on to write a blog dedicated to the sport of skating and its culture. Through my blog, I strive to share my knowledge and experience of the sport with all who are interested. From beginner tips, tricks, and equipment reviews to interviews and event coverage, I cover it all. So read my blog as I explore the wonderful world of skating!