Another Peek

Posts Tagged ‘extreme sports’

I love to surf. I love to travel. The great thing about these 2 loves is that they go hand in hand. I’ve gone a little bit further than most people though, and made these passions my life. I moved to Australia’s Gold Coast and set up a surfboard rental company that endeavours to bring together, all the services the travelling surfer needs.

One of the great things about this business is I deliver the surfboards myself. This gives me the opportunity to have a brief chat with every surfer coming through the Gold Coast using my services. I really enjoy this part of the business as being a surfer myself, I enjoy the contact with people who have a similar passion to mine. Also, it gives me the opportunity to get into the heads of my clients, so I can understand what their expectations are for their surfing holiday and can continually improve my services based on their desires.

During these chats, the number 1 thing my clients desire is that little bit of additional surfing fitness. This makes sense. Nothing can really prepare you for the rigors of a surfing holiday, other than lots and lots of surfing. No matter how much you surf at home, the chances are you’ll surf more on your holiday for no reason other than the fact that you’ll have more time to play with.

So what is the best way to get that extra bit of fitness for a surfing holiday. I believe there are 3 things you should do. The first two should be part of your healthy lifestyle, the last should be a pre travel booster. Here they are:

General endurance is critical. You have to have a base level of aerobic fitness to surf. Otherwise you won’t be able to paddle out past the breakers, paddle into a wave or breath through a hold down. Further, with this fitness comes a level of confidence, this is critical for surfing.

This requirement needs to be specific to the water though. You need to be water fit. Endurance in the water is so different to endurance on land. Moving through the water is almost a feeling, an art. The worse your feel for the water is, the more energy you’ll burn up when you take to it.

So get in the pool and swim at least twice a week. If you have a break near you, surf at least twice a week. No matter what you do, just make sure you are getting wet twice a week, every week of the year. Your water fitness will just come. It will just be something that develops, you will become more and more familiar with the water environment simply because you are being in it. Don’t make any excuses, go on, get wet.

The second thing you need to think about is your core strength, balance and flexibility. People don’t understand how important this is, especially when you increase your level of involvement. When you have a good core fitness and level of flexibility, your body holds together better and recovers quicker. That leaves you better prepared for your next session.

Yoga is the answer here. Yoga is so good for surfing fitness, it is almost as if it was invented purely with the surfer in mind. Not only does yoga help you improve your flexibility, balance and core strength, it also re-aligns and re-balances your body back into its natural and healthy position, away from the imbalanced position which surfing causes.

One of the great things about yoga also, is it corrects the imbalances which surfing brings to your body. Just think for example of the strain which paddling puts on your back. Yoga brings all these over extensions back into balance. I can’t recommend it enough for surfers.

That takes care of your day to day fitness programming, keeping your body in reasonable shape for the waves any day of the week. Once you have that sorted out, all you need to do in the weeks leading up to your holiday, is some functional surf specific training. Functional training is training which has been designed to cater for a specific function. In our case the function is the fitness requirements of surfing. So you need a fitness program that focuses on strengthening the specific muscles you use in the water and on your surfboard.

You’ve got your base level of fitness sorted out already by ensuring point 1 and 2 above are part of your lifestyle. This training program recognises though, that there will be a short period of time where you will need a higher level of fitness (Ie. For those long sessions while on holiday) and prepares you specifically with those higher needs in mind.

I hope this helps you prepare for your next surfing trip where ever it may be. We all know training can sometimes be a bit of a drag, just remember how much more fun those surfing days are when the waves, your skill and your body all come together at the same time, so you can catch that elusive perfect wave.

Damian Papworth is the manager of Gold Coast Surfboards, an organisation that offers products for travelling surfers’ needs. From board rentals to surf fitness, they’ll sort it out for you. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

Visuals – This brand new ATV comes with a new heavy duty cab design that is made for bigger legroom. Deck it with rich silver, black trims, and very stylish chrome wheels, and you’ve got yourself the new 2009 Polaris Ranger HD.

Noticeably, the front steel bumper excitingly curves upward designed to deflect branches in it’s way. Interestingly, the headlights are recessed for better protection against rocks.

While the seats at first glance may look like a single bench, it actually works like twin buckets but can also comfortably accommodate three passengers although two persons upfront is highly favored. This high powered ATV is fitted with a full roll cage with embedded headrests and ample storage.

Strength – This desert conquering ATV can carry up to 1500 lbs. of gear and boasts of 2000 lbs. upward tow power. If one should decide to climb the overviews of the surrounding mountains from the desert floor the electronic fuel injection feature comes really handy. The Ranger can go up to top speeds of 50 mph.

Operation – It is never a problem to operate the 2009 Polaris Ranger HD with its variable power steering feature. the Polaris ATV registers zero kickback even over vicious rocky terrain. It comes with self leveling Nivomat Shocks that resets itself automatically. In the all wheel mode, steering is very steady and precisely monitored. Top that with very easy to engage hand activated brakes.

Protection – You can be confident in this ATV’s all wheel feature that automatically kicks in when needed. If driving an ATV is new to you, you’ll definitely feel secure knowing that it comes with 4 hydraulic disc brakes.

Essentials – This ATV is armed with the Boss Plow that operates by just flicking a dash mounted joystick. a grappling arm and a multitude of other accessories completes this dream machine.

The 2009 Polaris Ranger HD indeed combines ease, style and performance. Anything a fashionable adventure seeking individual would look for in a modern ATV.

Many riders adopt the philosophy of hard work produces good results in order to become better riders. These riders spend long hours in lifting, training, stretching and focusing on improving their performance. Training always helps to enhance the performance. However, overtraining might not be a very good idea. Overtraining can result into injuries which might keep you away from the sport for a long period of time. You should be able to balance both recovery as well as training in the best possible manner. Usually, overtraining occurs when you are not able to balance training and recovery correctly.

Response of your body to training is complex. Everything from when and how hormones are released from your body to Blood cell adaptations, heart, lungs, bones, veins and muscles is alerted when your body adapts to training. Appropriate amounts of recovery along with correct training stress will result into improvement of performance. You should avoid a situation where there is limited recovery and excessive training as it will lead to negative reactions from your body parts. One of the biggest factors that you need to take care of is the hormone levels in your body.

If you increase your training load to an extent where the stress level goes very high then the training will not help you improve your performance. It is very obvious that every athlete has his/her own natural ability levels. You should be able to give your body proper amount of rest if you are going to exceed the ability of your level while training. By giving appropriate amount of rest to your body you will be able to improve your natural level of ability. There are many cyclists who overtrain their body and at the same time they do not provide enough rest to it. This will result into decrease in the level of your natural ability.

There are many other factors which can result into overtraining. You should avoid performing the same routine activities during training sessions everyday. This can result into overtraining. Avoid training when you are physically unfit or have any medical problems. You should not take part in frequent competitions as this can drain you both mentally as well as physically. One of the most important things that you need to take care while you are training is proper intake of liquids. Dehydration can result into overtraining.

Poor performance in competition or workout sessions, reduce maximum heart rate, increase heart rate while sleeping, heavy feeling muscles, lung infections, lack of motivation, decrease in ability to concentrate are some of the symptoms of overtraining.

Read full articles to know more about vo2max training and cycling training available at this web.

Anyone can play paintball. It is a fun, exciting game that you can get started playing with only a basic gear setup. In this article, we will examine this gear and explain what you need.

Safety first! You don’t even want to consider playing paintball until you have yourself a good paintball mask. Be sure that your mask is design for paintball and paintball only. No SCUBA or other mask types, these are not design for taking paintball hits. Any paintball shop should be able to outfit you with a good mask. Be sure that the mask fits you well, since you will be wearing it all the time.

You will also need a marker or a gun. This is what you actually use to shoot the paintballs when playing. There is a huge range of different types of markers available on the market, designed for all different budgets. Pick one that suits you and your budget.

In order to actually shoot your marker, you will need to have an air source. For this, you will be using either CO2 or compressed air/nitrogen. CO2 systems are cheaper, but air based systems provide better performance and reliability. Choose the right system for your marker and budget.

Your next purchase should be a hopper to hold all of your paintballs. I highly recommend getting an agitated/motorized hopper if at all possible. This will greatly reduce the incidence of chopped and jams balls in your marker, which is a great help when playing a fast paced game like paintball.

You will also need many other random accessories, such as squeegees, ball pods and holders, marker repair kits, and many more. Be sure to get a good sturdy set of clothes and shoes for paintball, and be aware that they can stain. Otherwise, though, you are basically ready to play with the gear listed above.

So, this should get you started with the basic paintball gear you need to get going. You can find all this gear at many online shops and at local stores as well. Find gear that suits you, and have fun playing!

Mountain biking equipment includes accessories, components, frames, apparels and the bikes themselves. The product is varied so you must be clear what you are trying to get. Does mountain biking mean a leisurely pastime for you or are you the more adventurous type? If this is your first step towards mountain biking, then you should begin by choosing a perfectly suspended, sturdy bike to enjoy your bike ride.

Mountain bike parts are looser than cycling parts. It can be said that comparing the two can be like comparing oranges and apples. You dress up in t-shirts and shorts and chuck warmers or leg tights. But care must be taken to wear helmets. Hazards like rocks and trees can ambush the riders so protection is a must.

A few accessories make your adventure safer. If you want to hit the trails at night then equip yourself with mountain bike lights. Specifically, led bicycle lights; the energy of the lights battery and deliver the rider added hours of brightest light. This is manna for mountain bike fanatics who must get out even before dawn.

Your neighborhood dealer or online bicycle shops is where you will find splendid mountain bike gear. They sell elbow, leg, arm, shin, knee guards and also full body armor. A plethora of items like helmet, gloves and proper clothing are also found at amazing rates. These shops cater to the thrill seekers on the mountains as well as the recreational bikers.

Protective mountain bike equipment is ideal for the hazards of downhill and uphill racing. Plenty of body armor parts are created and produced for the rough sport so in case of a accident you will have adequate safety. These gears will not come in the way of your ride and will block serious accidents as well.

You cannot emphasize more the relevance of helmets. They can be life saviors for this speedy and adventurous sport. Both big and small races need them. Gloves, although optional, will prevent blisters and burns on your hands, and give a firmer grip for sweaty palms.

Comfortable apparel in the form of shorts, t-shirts and sneakers are usually the standard because most of these races take place in the summer season. If the season is winter, spring or fall then pants, vests and sweat shirts can come in. and rest assured, with the variety of clothing gear in the offing there will be no problem in making a style statement.

Read full articles about bike frames and bicycle components available at this web.

Mountain biking equipment includes accessories, components, frames, apparels and the bikes themselves. The product is varied so you must be clear what you are trying to get. Does mountain biking mean a leisurely pastime for you or are you the more adventurous type? If this is your first step towards mountain biking, then you should begin by choosing a perfectly suspended, sturdy bike to enjoy your bike ride.

Mountain bike parts are looser than cycling parts. It can be said that comparing the two can be like comparing oranges and apples. You dress up in t-shirts and shorts and chuck warmers or leg tights. But care must be taken to wear helmets. Hazards like rocks and trees can ambush the riders so protection is a must.

A few accessories make your adventure safer. If you want to hit the trails at night then equip yourself with mountain bike lights. Specifically, led bicycle lights; the energy of the lights battery and deliver the rider added hours of brightest light. This is manna for mountain bike fanatics who must get out even before dawn.

Your neighborhood dealer or online bicycle shops is where you will find splendid mountain bike gear. They sell elbow, leg, arm, shin, knee guards and also full body armor. A plethora of items like helmet, gloves and proper clothing are also found at amazing rates. These shops cater to the thrill seekers on the mountains as well as the recreational bikers.

Protective mountain bike equipment is ideal for the hazards of downhill and uphill racing. Plenty of body armor parts are created and produced for the rough sport so in case of a accident you will have adequate safety. These gears will not come in the way of your ride and will block serious accidents as well.

You cannot emphasize more the relevance of helmets. They can be life saviors for this speedy and adventurous sport. Both big and small races need them. Gloves, although optional, will prevent blisters and burns on your hands, and give a firmer grip for sweaty palms.

Comfortable apparel in the form of shorts, t-shirts and sneakers are usually the standard because most of these races take place in the summer season. If the season is winter, spring or fall then pants, vests and sweat shirts can come in. and rest assured, with the variety of clothing gear in the offing there will be no problem in making a style statement.

Read full articles about bike frames and bicycle components available at this web.